Inertial measurement unit–based iterative pose compensation algorithm for low-cost modular manipulator

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Yunhan Lin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available It is a necessary mean to realize the accurate motion control of the manipulator which uses end-effector pose correction method and compensation method. In this article, first, we established the kinematic model and error model of the modular manipulator (WUST-ARM, and then we discussed the measurement methods and precision of the inertial measurement unit sensor. The inertial measurement unit sensor is mounted on the end-effector of modular manipulator, to get the real-time pose of the end-effector. At last, a new inertial measurement unit–based iterative pose compensation algorithm is proposed. By applying this algorithm in the pose compensation experiment of modular manipulator which is composed of low-cost rotation joints, the results show that the inertial measurement unit can obtain a higher precision when in static state; it will accurately feedback to the control system with an accurate error compensation angle after a brief delay when the end-effector moves to the target point, and after compensation, the precision errors of roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle are reached at 0.05°, 0.01°, and 0.27° respectively. It proves that this low-cost method provides a new solution to improve the end-effector pose of low-cost modular manipulator.

Attitude Estimation of Skis in Ski Jumping Using Low-Cost Inertial Measurement Units

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Xiang Fang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an approach to estimate the attitude of skis for an entire ski jump using wearable, MEMS-based, low-cost Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs. First of all, a kinematic attitude model based on rigid-body dynamics and a sensor error model considering bias and scale factor error are established. Then, an extended Rauch-Tung-Striebel (RTS smoother is used to combine measurement data provided by both gyroscope and magnetometer to achieve an attitude estimation. Moreover, parameters for the bias and scale factor error in the sensor error model and the initial attitude are determined via a maximum-likelihood principle based parameter estimation algorithm. By implementing this approach, an attitude estimation of skis is achieved without further sensor calibration. Finally, results based on both the simulated reference data and the real experimental measurement data are presented, which proves the practicability and the validity of the proposed approach.

An Implementation of Error Minimization Position Estimate in Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit using Modification ZUPT

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Adytia Darmawan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Position estimation using WIMU (Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit is one of emerging technology in the field of indoor positioning systems. WIMU can detect movement and does not depend on GPS signals. The position is then estimated using a modified ZUPT (Zero Velocity Update method that was using Filter Magnitude Acceleration (FMA, Variance Magnitude Acceleration (VMA and Angular Rate (AR estimation. Performance of this method was justified on a six-legged robot navigation system. Experimental result shows that the combination of VMA-AR gives the best position estimation.

Validation of an inertial measurement unit for the measurement of jump count and height.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Kerry; Bahr, Roald; Baltich, Jennifer; Whittaker, Jackie L; Meeuwisse, Willem H

2017-05-01

To validate the use of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for the collection of total jump count and assess the validity of an IMU for the measurement of jump height against 3-D motion analysis. Cross sectional validation study. 3D motion-capture laboratory and field based settings. Thirteen elite adolescent volleyball players. Participants performed structured drills, played a 4 set volleyball match and performed twelve counter movement jumps. Jump counts from structured drills and match play were validated against visual count from recorded video. Jump height during the counter movement jumps was validated against concurrent 3-D motion-capture data. The IMU device captured more total jumps (1032) than visual inspection (977) during match play. During structured practice, device jump count sensitivity was strong (96.8%) while specificity was perfect (100%). The IMU underestimated jump height compared to 3D motion-capture with mean differences for maximal and submaximal jumps of 2.5 cm (95%CI: 1.3 to 3.8) and 4.1 cm (3.1-5.1), respectively. The IMU offers a valid measuring tool for jump count. Although the IMU underestimates maximal and submaximal jump height, our findings demonstrate its practical utility for field-based measurement of jump load. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Front-Crawl Instantaneous Velocity Estimation Using a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit

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Kamiar Aminian

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Monitoring the performance is a crucial task for elite sports during both training and competition. Velocity is the key parameter of performance in swimming, but swimming performance evaluation remains immature due to the complexities of measurements in water. The purpose of this study is to use a single inertial measurement unit (IMU to estimate front crawl velocity. Thirty swimmers, equipped with an IMU on the sacrum, each performed four different velocity trials of 25 m in ascending order. A tethered speedometer was used as the velocity measurement reference. Deployment of biomechanical constraints of front crawl locomotion and change detection framework on acceleration signal paved the way for a drift-free integration of forward acceleration using IMU to estimate the swimmers velocity. A difference of 0.6 ± 5.4 cm·s−1 on mean cycle velocity and an RMS difference of 11.3 cm·s−1 in instantaneous velocity estimation were observed between IMU and the reference. The most important contribution of the study is a new practical tool for objective evaluation of swimming performance. A single body-worn IMU provides timely feedback for coaches and sport scientists without any complicated setup or restraining the swimmer’s natural technique.

Painting recognition with smartphones equipped with inertial measurement unit

Science.gov (United States)

Masiero, Andrea; Guarnieri, Alberto; Pirotti, Francesco; Vettore, Antonio

2015-06-01

Recently, several works have been proposed in the literature to take advantage of the diffusion of smartphones to improve people experience during museum visits. The rationale is that of substituting traditional written/audio guides with interactive electronic guides usable on a mobile phone. Augmented reality systems are usually considered to make the use of such electronic guides more effective for the user. The main goal of such augmented reality system (i.e. providing the user with the information of his/her interest) is usually achieved by properly executing the following three tasks: recognizing the object of interest to the user, retrieving the most relevant information about it, properly presenting the retrieved information. This paper focuses on the first task: we consider the problem of painting recognition by means of measure- ments provided by a smartphone. We assume that the user acquires one image of the painting of interest with the standard camera of the device. This image is compared with a set of reference images of the museum objects in order to recognize the object of interest to the user. Since comparing images taken in different conditions can lead to unsatisfactory recognition results, the acquired image is typically properly transformed in order to improve the results of the recognition system: first, the system estimates the homography between properly matched features in the two images. Then, the user image is transformed accordingly to the estimated homography. Finally, it is compared with the reference one. This work proposes a novel method to exploit inertial measurement unit (IMU) measurements to improve the system performance, in particular in terms of computational load reduction: IMU measurements are exploited to reduce both the computational burden required to estimate the transformation to be applied to the user image, and the number of reference images to be compared with it.

Postural Stability Analysis with Inertial Measurement Units in Alzheimer's Disease

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Miguel F. Gago

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The cause of frequent falls in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD is still not well understood. Nevertheless, balance control and sensory organization are known to be critical for moving safely and adapting to the environment. Methods: We evaluated postural stability in 20 AD patients (11 fallers and 9 nonfallers and 16 healthy controls with an inertial measurement unit (triaxial accelerometers and gyroscopes attached to the center of mass (COM in different balance conditions (Romberg on flat surface and frontward/backward-inclined surface, with or without visual suppression in a motor lab. Results: In AD patients, the group of fallers showed a different kinetic pattern of postural stability characterized by higher vulnerability to visual suppression, higher total/maximal displacement and a mediolateral/anteroposterior range of sway, and a consequent need for more corrections of COM pitch and roll angles. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to consolidate the normative values of the discriminatory kinetic variables with the potential of inclusion in a multifactorial analysis of the risk of falls. Nevertheless, these results highlight signs of impairment of central postural control in AD, which may require early therapeutic intervention.

Study on the Dynamics of Laser Gyro Strapdown Inertial Measurement Unit System Based on Transfer Matrix Method for Multibody System

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Gangli Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The dynamic test precision of the strapdown inertial measurement unit (SIMU is the basis of estimating accurate motion of various vehicles such as warships, airplanes, spacecrafts, and missiles. So, it is paid great attention in the above fields to increase the dynamic precision of SIMU by decreasing the vibration of the vehicles acting on the SIMU. In this paper, based on the transfer matrix method for multibody system (MSTMM, the multibody system dynamics model of laser gyro strapdown inertial measurement unit (LGSIMU is developed; the overall transfer equation of the system is deduced automatically. The computational results show that the frequency response function of the LGSIMU got by the proposed method and Newton-Euler method have good agreements. Further, the vibration reduction performance and the attitude error responses under harmonic and random excitations are analyzed. The proposed method provides a powerful technique for studying dynamics of LGSIMU because of using MSTMM and its following features: without the global dynamics equations of the system, high programming, low order of system matrix, and high computational speed.

Inertial Measurement Units-Based Probe Vehicles: Automatic Calibration, Trajectory Estimation, and Context Detection

KAUST Repository

Mousa, Mustafa

2017-12-06

Most probe vehicle data is generated using satellite navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), or Galileo systems. However, because of their high cost, relatively high position uncertainty in cities, and low sampling rate, a large quantity of satellite positioning data is required to estimate traffic conditions accurately. To address this issue, we introduce a new type of traffic monitoring system based on inexpensive inertial measurement units (IMUs) as probe sensors. IMUs as traffic probes pose unique challenges in that they need to be precisely calibrated, do not generate absolute position measurements, and their position estimates are subject to accumulating errors. In this paper, we address each of these challenges and demonstrate that the IMUs can reliably be used as traffic probes. After discussing the sensing technique, we present an implementation of this system using a custom-designed hardware platform, and validate the system with experimental data.

Inertial Measurement Units-Based Probe Vehicles: Automatic Calibration, Trajectory Estimation, and Context Detection

KAUST Repository

Mousa, Mustafa; Sharma, Kapil; Claudel, Christian G.

2017-01-01

Most probe vehicle data is generated using satellite navigation systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), or Galileo systems. However, because of their high cost, relatively high position uncertainty in cities, and low sampling rate, a large quantity of satellite positioning data is required to estimate traffic conditions accurately. To address this issue, we introduce a new type of traffic monitoring system based on inexpensive inertial measurement units (IMUs) as probe sensors. IMUs as traffic probes pose unique challenges in that they need to be precisely calibrated, do not generate absolute position measurements, and their position estimates are subject to accumulating errors. In this paper, we address each of these challenges and demonstrate that the IMUs can reliably be used as traffic probes. After discussing the sensing technique, we present an implementation of this system using a custom-designed hardware platform, and validate the system with experimental data.

Error Analysis of Inertial Navigation Systems Using Test Algorithms

OpenAIRE

Vaispacher, Tomáš; Bréda, Róbert; Adamčík, František

2015-01-01

Content of this contribution is an issue of inertial sensors errors, specification of inertial measurement units and generating of test signals for Inertial Navigation System (INS). Given the different levels of navigation tasks, part of this contribution is comparison of the actual types of Inertial Measurement Units. Considering this comparison, there is proposed the way of solving inertial sensors errors and their modelling for low – cost inertial navigation applications. The last part is ...

A Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit for Long-Term Monitoring in the Dependency Care Area

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Andreu Català

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Human movement analysis is a field of wide interest since it enables the assessment of a large variety of variables related to quality of life. Human movement can be accurately evaluated through Inertial Measurement Units (IMU, which are wearable and comfortable devices with long battery life. The IMU’s movement signals might be, on the one hand, stored in a digital support, in which an analysis is performed a posteriori. On the other hand, the signal analysis might take place in the same IMU at the same time as the signal acquisition through online classifiers. The new sensor system presented in this paper is designed for both collecting movement signals and analyzing them in real-time. This system is a flexible platform useful for collecting data via a triaxial accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer, with the possibility to incorporate other information sources in real-time. A µSD card can store all inertial data and a Bluetooth module is able to send information to other external devices and receive data from other sources. The system presented is being used in the real-time detection and analysis of Parkinson’s disease symptoms, in gait analysis, and in a fall detection system.

Cervical Coupling Motion Characteristics in Healthy People Using a Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit

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Hyunho Kim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. The objectives were to show the feasibility of a wireless microelectromechanical system inertial measurement unit (MEMS-IMU to assess the time-domain characteristics of cervical motion that are clinically useful to evaluate cervical spine movement. Methods. Cervical spine movements were measured in 18 subjects with wireless IMUs. All rotation data are presented in the Euler angle system. Amount of coupling motions was evaluated by calculating the average angle ratio and the maximum angle ratio of the coupling motion to the primary motion. Reliability is presented with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC. Results. Entire time-domain characteristics of cervical motion were measured with developed MEMS-IMU system. Cervical range of motion (CROM and coupling motion range were measured with high ICCs. The acquired data and calculated parameters had similar tendency with the previous studies. Conclusions. We evaluated cervical motion with economic system using a wireless IMU of high reliability. We could directly measure the three-dimensional cervical motion in degrees in realtime. The characteristics measured by this system may provide a diagnostic basis for structural or functional dysfunction of cervical spine. This system is also useful to demonstrate the effectiveness of any intervention such as conventional medical treatment, and Korean medical treatment, exercise therapy.

Velocity-Aided Attitude Estimation for Helicopter Aircraft Using Microelectromechanical System Inertial-Measurement Units

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Sang Cheol Lee

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an algorithm for velocity-aided attitude estimation for helicopter aircraft using a microelectromechanical system inertial-measurement unit. In general, high- performance gyroscopes are used for estimating the attitude of a helicopter, but this type of sensor is very expensive. When designing a cost-effective attitude system, attitude can be estimated by fusing a low cost accelerometer and a gyro, but the disadvantage of this method is its relatively low accuracy. The accelerometer output includes a component that occurs primarily as the aircraft turns, as well as the gravitational acceleration. When estimating attitude, the accelerometer measurement terms other than gravitational ones can be considered as disturbances. Therefore, errors increase in accordance with the flight dynamics. The proposed algorithm is designed for using velocity as an aid for high accuracy at low cost. It effectively eliminates the disturbances of accelerometer measurements using the airspeed. The algorithm was verified using helicopter experimental data. The algorithm performance was confirmed through a comparison with an attitude estimate obtained from an attitude heading reference system based on a high accuracy optic gyro, which was employed as core attitude equipment in the helicopter.

Velocity-Aided Attitude Estimation for Helicopter Aircraft Using Microelectromechanical System Inertial-Measurement Units

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Cheol; Hong, Sung Kyung

2016-01-01

This paper presents an algorithm for velocity-aided attitude estimation for helicopter aircraft using a microelectromechanical system inertial-measurement unit. In general, high- performance gyroscopes are used for estimating the attitude of a helicopter, but this type of sensor is very expensive. When designing a cost-effective attitude system, attitude can be estimated by fusing a low cost accelerometer and a gyro, but the disadvantage of this method is its relatively low accuracy. The accelerometer output includes a component that occurs primarily as the aircraft turns, as well as the gravitational acceleration. When estimating attitude, the accelerometer measurement terms other than gravitational ones can be considered as disturbances. Therefore, errors increase in accordance with the flight dynamics. The proposed algorithm is designed for using velocity as an aid for high accuracy at low cost. It effectively eliminates the disturbances of accelerometer measurements using the airspeed. The algorithm was verified using helicopter experimental data. The algorithm performance was confirmed through a comparison with an attitude estimate obtained from an attitude heading reference system based on a high accuracy optic gyro, which was employed as core attitude equipment in the helicopter. PMID:27973429

Classification of deadlift biomechanics with wearable inertial measurement units.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, Martin A; Whelan, Darragh F; Ward, Tomas E; Delahunt, Eamonn; Caulfield, Brian M

2017-06-14

The deadlift is a compound full-body exercise that is fundamental in resistance training, rehabilitation programs and powerlifting competitions. Accurate quantification of deadlift biomechanics is important to reduce the risk of injury and ensure training and rehabilitation goals are achieved. This study sought to develop and evaluate deadlift exercise technique classification systems utilising Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), recording at 51.2Hz, worn on the lumbar spine, both thighs and both shanks. It also sought to compare classification quality when these IMUs are worn in combination and in isolation. Two datasets of IMU deadlift data were collected. Eighty participants first completed deadlifts with acceptable technique and 5 distinct, deliberately induced deviations from acceptable form. Fifty-five members of this group also completed a fatiguing protocol (3-Repition Maximum test) to enable the collection of natural deadlift deviations. For both datasets, universal and personalised random-forests classifiers were developed and evaluated. Personalised classifiers outperformed universal classifiers in accuracy, sensitivity and specificity in the binary classification of acceptable or aberrant technique and in the multi-label classification of specific deadlift deviations. Whilst recent research has favoured universal classifiers due to the reduced overhead in setting them up for new system users, this work demonstrates that such techniques may not be appropriate for classifying deadlift technique due to the poor accuracy achieved. However, personalised classifiers perform very well in assessing deadlift technique, even when using data derived from a single lumbar-worn IMU to detect specific naturally occurring technique mistakes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated pavement horizontal curve measurement methods based on inertial measurement unit and 3D profiling data

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Wenting Luo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Pavement horizontal curve is designed to serve as a transition between straight segments, and its presence may cause a series of driving-related safety issues to motorists and drivers. As is recognized that traditional methods for curve geometry investigation are time consuming, labor intensive, and inaccurate, this study attempts to develop a method that can automatically conduct horizontal curve identification and measurement at network level. The digital highway data vehicle (DHDV was utilized for data collection, in which three Euler angles, driving speed, and acceleration of survey vehicle were measured with an inertial measurement unit (IMU. The 3D profiling data used for cross slope calibration was obtained with PaveVision3D Ultra technology at 1 mm resolution. In this study, the curve identification was based on the variation of heading angle, and the curve radius was calculated with kinematic method, geometry method, and lateral acceleration method. In order to verify the accuracy of the three methods, the analysis of variance (ANOVA test was applied by using the control variable of curve radius measured by field test. Based on the measured curve radius, a curve safety analysis model was used to predict the crash rates and safe driving speeds at horizontal curves. Finally, a case study on 4.35 km road segment demonstrated that the proposed method could efficiently conduct network level analysis.

Analysis of ergonomic and unergonomic human lifting behaviors by using Inertial Measurement Units

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Kuschan Jan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of two distinct human lifting movements regarding acceleration and angular velocity. For the first movement, the ergonomic one, the test persons produced the lifting power by squatting down, bending at the hips and knees only. Whereas performing the unergonomic one they bent forward lifting the box mainly with their backs. The measurements were taken by using a vest equipped with five Inertial Measurement Units (IMU with 9 Dimensions of Freedom (DOF each. In the following the IMU data captured for these two movements will be evaluated using statistics and visualized. It will also be discussed with respect to their suitability as features for further machine learning classifications. The reason for observing these movements is that occupational diseases of the musculoskeletal system lead to a reduction of the workers’ quality of life and extra costs for companies. Therefore, a vest, called CareJack, was designed to give the worker a real-time feedback about his ergonomic state while working. The CareJack is an approach to reduce the risk of spinal and back diseases. This paper will also present the idea behind it as well as its main components.

Quantifying Stability Using Frequency Domain Data from Wireless Inertial Measurement Units

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Stephen Slaughter

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The quantification of gait stability can provide valuable information when evaluating subjects for age related and neuromuscular disease changes. Using tri-axial inertial measurement units (IMU for acceleration and rotational data provide a non-linear profile for this type of movement. As subjects traverse various surfaces representing decreasing stability, the different phasing of gait data make comparisons difficult. By converting from time to frequency domain data, the phase effects can be ignored, allowing for significant correlations. In this study, 12 subjects provided gait information over various surfaces while wearing an IMU. Instabilities were determined by comparing frequency domain data over less stable surfaces to frequency domain data of neural network (NN models representing the normal gait for any given participant. Time dependent data from 2 axes of acceleration and 2 axes of rotation were converted using a discrete Fourier transform (FFT algorithm. The data over less stable surfaces were compared to the normal gait NN model by averaging the Pearson product moment correlation (r values. This provided a method to quantify the decreased stability. Data showed progressively decreasing correlation coefficient values as subjects encountered progressively less stable surface environments. This methodology has allowed for the quantification of instability in gait situations for application in real-time fall prevention situations.

Quantifying Stability Using Frequency Domain Data from Wireless Inertial Measurement Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Slaughter

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The quantification of gait stability can provide valuable information when evaluating subjects for age related and neuromuscular disease changes. Using tri-axial inertial measurement units (IMU for acceleration and rotational data provide a non-linear profile for this type of movement. As subjects traverse various surfaces representing decreasing stability, the different phasing of gait data make comparisons difficult. By converting from time to frequency domain data, the phase effects can be ignored, allowing for significant correlations. In this study, 12 subjects provided gait information over various surfaces while wearing an IMU. Instabilities were determined by comparing frequency domain data over less stable surfaces to frequency domain data of neural network (NN models representing the normal gait for any given participant. Time dependent data from 2 axes of acceleration and 2 axes of rotation were converted using a discrete Fourier transform (FFT algorithm. The data over less stable surfaces were compared to the normal gait NN model by averaging the Pearson product moment correlation (r values. This provided a method to quantify the decreased stability. Data showed progressively decreasing correlation coefficient values as subjects encountered progressively less stable surface environments. This methodology has allowed for the quantification of instability in gait situations for application in real-time fall prevention situations.

Calibration of an inertial-magnetic measurement unit without external equipment, in the presence of dynamic magnetic disturbances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metge, J; Giremus, A; Mégret, R; Berthoumieu, Y; Décamps, T

2014-01-01

Inertial-magnetic measurement units are inexpensive sensors, widely used in electronic systems (smartphones, GPS, micro-UAV, etc). However the precision of these sensors is highly dependent on their calibration. This article proposes a complete solution to calibrate the sensors (accelerometers, gyrometers and magnetometers), the inter-sensor rotations and the dynamic disturbances of the magnetic field due to the immediate environment. Contrary to most of the existing techniques, the proposed method does not necessitate any external equipment, apart from the sensors already included in the system. The calibration can be performed by hand manipulation by the final user. Simulations and experiments show the advantages of the proposed approach. (paper)

Inertial measurements units for assessment of the pattern of forward bending among blue-collar workers from the DPhacto cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villumsen, Morten; Madeleine, Pascal; Jørgensen, Marie Birk

Background. New developments in electronics have enabled the use of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to record physical activity in a minimally obstructive manner over several days. Individual, physical and psychosocial risk factors are known to play a role in the development of work...... of forward bending was found during leisure compared to work (pgender (pphysical and psychosocial risk factors leading to low...... of the trunk were extracted from all-day IMU recordings, both at work and during leisure time. Exposure variation analysis was applied on forward bending during both work and leisure time.Low-back pain intensity was measured on a 0–10 scale and divided into low and high pain. Individual factors (age, gender...

Equimoves: A wireless networked inertial measurement system for objective examination of horse gait

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosch, Stephan; Serra Bragança, Filipe; Marin-Perianu, Mihai; Marin-Perianu, Raluca; van der Zwaag, Berend Jan; Voskamp, John; Back, Willem; Van Weeren, René; Havinga, Paul

2018-01-01

In this paper, we describe and validate the EquiMoves system, which aims to support equine veterinarians in assessing lameness and gait performance in horses. The system works by capturing horse motion from up to eight synchronized wireless inertial measurement units. It can be used in various

Validity of Hip-worn Inertial Measurement Unit Compared to Jump Mat for Jump Height Measurement in Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Rantalainen, T; Hesketh, K D; Rodda, C; Duckham, R L

2018-06-16

Jump tests assess lower body power production capacity, and can be used to evaluate athletic ability and development during growth. Wearable inertial measurement units (IMU) seem to offer a feasible alternative to laboratory-based equipment for jump height assessments. Concurrent validity of these devices for jump height assessments has only been established in adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of IMU-based jump height estimate compared to contact mat-based jump height estimate in adolescents. Ninety-five adolescents (10-13 years-of-age; girls N=41, height = 154 (SD 9) cm, weight = 44 (11) kg; boys N=54, height=156 (10) cm, weight = 46 (13) kg) completed three counter-movement jumps for maximal jump height on a contact mat. Inertial recordings (accelerations, rotations) were concurrently recorded with a hip-worn IMU (sampling at 256 Hz). Jump height was evaluated based on flight time. The mean IMU-derived jump height was 27.1 (SD 3.8) cm, and the corresponding mean jump-mat-derived value was 21.5 (3.4) cm. While a significant 26% mean difference was observed between the methods (5.5 [95% limits of agreement 2.2 to 8.9] cm, p = 0.006), the correspondence between methods was excellent (ICC = 0.89). The difference between methods was weakly positively associated with jump height (r = 0.28, P = 0.007). Take-off velocity derived jump height was also explored but produced only fair congruence. In conclusion, IMU-derived jump height exhibited excellent congruence to contact mat-based jump height and therefore presents a feasible alternative for jump height assessments in adolescents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A Foot-Mounted Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) Positioning Algorithm Based on Magnetic Constraint.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Li, Xin; Zou, Jiaheng

2018-03-01

With the development of related applications, indoor positioning techniques have been more and more widely developed. Based on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and geomagnetism, indoor positioning techniques often rely on the physical location of fingerprint information. The focus and difficulty of establishing the fingerprint database are in obtaining a relatively accurate physical location with as little given information as possible. This paper presents a foot-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) positioning algorithm under the loop closure constraint based on magnetic information. It can provide relatively reliable position information without maps and geomagnetic information and provides a relatively accurate coordinate for the collection of a fingerprint database. In the experiment, the features extracted by the multi-level Fourier transform method proposed in this paper are validated and the validity of loop closure matching is tested with a RANSAC-based method. Moreover, the loop closure detection results show that the cumulative error of the trajectory processed by the graph optimization algorithm is significantly suppressed, presenting a good accuracy. The average error of the trajectory under loop closure constraint is controlled below 2.15 m.

A Foot-Mounted Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU Positioning Algorithm Based on Magnetic Constraint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Wang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available With the development of related applications, indoor positioning techniques have been more and more widely developed. Based on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth low energy (BLE and geomagnetism, indoor positioning techniques often rely on the physical location of fingerprint information. The focus and difficulty of establishing the fingerprint database are in obtaining a relatively accurate physical location with as little given information as possible. This paper presents a foot-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU positioning algorithm under the loop closure constraint based on magnetic information. It can provide relatively reliable position information without maps and geomagnetic information and provides a relatively accurate coordinate for the collection of a fingerprint database. In the experiment, the features extracted by the multi-level Fourier transform method proposed in this paper are validated and the validity of loop closure matching is tested with a RANSAC-based method. Moreover, the loop closure detection results show that the cumulative error of the trajectory processed by the graph optimization algorithm is significantly suppressed, presenting a good accuracy. The average error of the trajectory under loop closure constraint is controlled below 2.15 m.

A Highly Miniaturized, Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit for Characterizing the Dynamics of Pitched Baseballs and Softballs

Science.gov (United States)

McGinnis, Ryan S.; Perkins, Noel C.

2012-01-01

Baseball and softball pitch types are distinguished by the path and speed of the ball which, in turn, are determined by the angular velocity of the ball and the velocity of the ball center at the instant of release from the pitcher's hand. While radar guns and video-based motion capture (mocap) resolve ball speed, they provide little information about how the angular velocity of the ball and the velocity of the ball center develop and change during the throwing motion. Moreover, mocap requires measurements in a controlled lab environment and by a skilled technician. This study addresses these shortcomings by introducing a highly miniaturized, wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is embedded in both baseballs and softballs. The resulting “ball-embedded” sensor resolves ball dynamics right on the field of play. Experimental results from ten pitches, five thrown by one softball pitcher and five by one baseball pitcher, demonstrate that this sensor technology can deduce the magnitude and direction of the ball's velocity at release to within 4.6% of measurements made using standard mocap. Moreover, the IMU directly measures the angular velocity of the ball, which further enables the analysis of different pitch types.

Tremor analysis by decomposition of acceleration into gravity and inertial acceleration using inertial measurement unit

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šprdlík, Otakar; Hurák, Z.; Hoskovcová, M.; Ulmanová, O.; Růžička, E.

2011-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 3 (2011), s. 269-289 ISSN 1746-8094 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 1M0567 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Tremor * Accelerometer * Inertial measurementunit * Gravitational artifact * Regression * Tremor ratingscale Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2011 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/TR/sprdlik-0350248.pdf

Quantifying performance on an outdoor agility drill using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonia M Zaferiou

Full Text Available Running agility is required for many sports and other physical tasks that demand rapid changes in body direction. Quantifying agility skill remains a challenge because measuring rapid changes of direction and quantifying agility skill from those measurements are difficult to do in ways that replicate real task/game play situations. The objectives of this study were to define and to measure agility performance for a (five-cone agility drill used within a military obstacle course using data harvested from two foot-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs. Thirty-two recreational athletes ran an agility drill while wearing two IMUs secured to the tops of their athletic shoes. The recorded acceleration and angular rates yield estimates of the trajectories, velocities and accelerations of both feet as well as an estimate of the horizontal velocity of the body mass center. Four agility performance metrics were proposed and studied including: 1 agility drill time, 2 horizontal body speed, 3 foot trajectory turning radius, and 4 tangential body acceleration. Additionally, the average horizontal ground reaction during each footfall was estimated. We hypothesized that shorter agility drill performance time would be observed with small turning radii and large tangential acceleration ranges and body speeds. Kruskal-Wallis and mean rank post-hoc statistical analyses revealed that shorter agility drill performance times were observed with smaller turning radii and larger tangential acceleration ranges and body speeds, as hypothesized. Moreover, measurements revealed the strategies that distinguish high versus low performers. Relative to low performers, high performers used sharper turns, larger changes in body speed (larger tangential acceleration ranges, and shorter duration footfalls that generated larger horizontal ground reactions during the turn phases. Overall, this study advances the use of foot-mounted IMUs to quantify agility performance in

Laboratory measurements of grain-bedrock interactions using inertial sensors.

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Maniatis, Georgios; Hoey, Trevor; Hodge, Rebecca; Valyrakis, Manousos; Drysdale, Tim

2016-04-01

Sediment transport in steep mountain streams is characterized by the movement of coarse particles (diameter c.100 mm) over beds that are not fully sediment-covered. Under such conditions, individual grain dynamics become important for the prediction of sediment movement and subsequently for understanding grain-bedrock interaction. Technological advances in micro-mechanical-electrical systems now provide opportunities to measure individual grain dynamics and impact forces from inside the sediments (grain inertial frame of reference) instead of trying to infer them indirectly from water flow dynamics. We previously presented a new prototype sensor specifically developed for monitoring sediment transport [Maniatis et al. EGU 2014], and have shown how the definition of the physics of the grain using the inertial frame and subsequent derived measurements which have the potential to enhance the prediction of sediment entrainment [Maniatis et al. 2015]. Here we present the latest version of this sensor and we focus on beginning of the cessation of grain motion: the initial interaction with the bed after the translation phase. The sensor is housed in a spherical case, diameter 80mm, and is constructed using solid aluminum (density = 2.7 kg.m-3) after detailed 3D-CAD modelling. A complete Inertial Measurement Unit (a combination of micro- accelerometer, gyroscope and compass) was placed at the center of the mass of the assembly, with measurement ranges of 400g for acceleration, and 1200 rads/sec for angular velocity. In a 0.9m wide laboratory flume, bed slope = 0.02, the entrainment threshold of the sensor was measured, and the water flow was then set to this value. The sensor was then rolled freely from a static cylindrical bar positioned exactly on the surface of the flowing water. As the sensor enters the flow we record a very short period of transport (1-1.5 sec) followed by the impact on the channel bed. The measured Total Kinetic Energy (Joules) includes the

A Highly Miniaturized, Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit for Characterizing the Dynamics of Pitched Baseballs and Softballs

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Noel C. Perkins

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Baseball and softball pitch types are distinguished by the path and speed of the ball which, in turn, are determined by the angular velocity of the ball and the velocity of the ball center at the instant of release from the pitcher’s hand. While radar guns and video-based motion capture (mocap resolve ball speed, they provide little information about how the angular velocity of the ball and the velocity of the ball center develop and change during the throwing motion. Moreover, mocap requires measurements in a controlled lab environment and by a skilled technician. This study addresses these shortcomings by introducing a highly miniaturized, wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU that is embedded in both baseballs and softballs. The resulting “ball-embedded” sensor resolves ball dynamics right on the field of play. Experimental results from ten pitches, five thrown by one softball pitcher and five by one baseball pitcher, demonstrate that this sensor technology can deduce the magnitude and direction of the ball’s velocity at release to within 4.6% of measurements made using standard mocap. Moreover, the IMU directly measures the angular velocity of the ball, which further enables the analysis of different pitch types.

Validation of a High Sampling Rate Inertial Measurement Unit for Acceleration During Running.

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Provot, Thomas; Chiementin, Xavier; Oudin, Emeric; Bolaers, Fabrice; Murer, Sébastien

2017-08-25

The musculo-skeletal response of athletes to various activities during training exercises has become a critical issue in order to optimize their performance and minimize injuries. However, dynamic and kinematic measures of an athlete's activity are generally limited by constraints in data collection and technology. Thus, the choice of reliable and accurate sensors is crucial for gathering data in indoor and outdoor conditions. The aim of this study is to validate the use of the accelerometer of a high sampling rate ( 1344 Hz ) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in the frame of running activities. To this end, two validation protocols are imposed: a classical one on a shaker, followed by another one during running, the IMU being attached to a test subject. For each protocol, the response of the IMU Accelerometer (IMUA) is compared to a calibrated industrial accelerometer, considered as the gold standard for dynamic and kinematic data collection. The repeatability, impact of signal frequency and amplitude (on shaker) as well as the influence of speed (while running) are investigated. Results reveal that the IMUA exhibits good repeatability. Coefficient of Variation CV is 1 % 8.58 ± 0.06 m / s 2 on the shaker and 3 % 26.65 ± 0.69 m / s 2 while running. However, the shaker test shows that the IMUA is affected by the signal frequency (error exceeds 10 % beyond 80 Hz ), an observation confirmed by the running test. Nevertheless, the IMUA provides a reliable measure in the range 0-100 Hz, i.e., the most relevant part in the energy spectrum over the range 0-150 Hz during running. In our view, these findings emphasize the validity of IMUs for the measurement of acceleration during running.

Physical measurements of inertial-fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weinstein, B.W.

1981-01-01

Measurement of inertial-fusion targets has stimulated the development of many new techniques and instruments. This paper reviews the basis for selected target measurement requirements and the development of optical interferometry, optical scattering, microradiography and scanning electron microscopy as applied to target measurement. We summarize the resolution and speed which have been achieved to date, and describe several systems in which these are traded off to fill specific measurement applications. We point out the extent to which present capabilities meet the requirements for target measurement and the key problems which remain to be solved

Measuring upper limb function in children with hemiparesis with 3D inertial sensors.

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Newman, Christopher J; Bruchez, Roselyn; Roches, Sylvie; Jequier Gygax, Marine; Duc, Cyntia; Dadashi, Farzin; Massé, Fabien; Aminian, Kamiar

2017-12-01

Upper limb assessments in children with hemiparesis rely on clinical measurements, which despite standardization are prone to error. Recently, 3D movement analysis using optoelectronic setups has been used to measure upper limb movement, but generalization is hindered by time and cost. Body worn inertial sensors may provide a simple, cost-effective alternative. We instrumented a subset of 30 participants in a mirror therapy clinical trial at baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up clinical assessments, with wireless inertial sensors positioned on the arms and trunk to monitor motion during reaching tasks. Inertial sensor measurements distinguished paretic and non-paretic limbs with significant differences (P < 0.01) in movement duration, power, range of angular velocity, elevation, and smoothness (normalized jerk index and spectral arc length). Inertial sensor measurements correlated with functional clinical tests (Melbourne Assessment 2); movement duration and complexity (Higuchi fractal dimension) showed moderate to strong negative correlations with clinical measures of amplitude, accuracy, and fluency. Inertial sensor measurements reliably identify paresis and correlate with clinical measurements; they can therefore provide a complementary dimension of assessment in clinical practice and during clinical trials aimed at improving upper limb function.

Systems and Methods for Determining Inertial Navigation System Faults

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Bharadwaj, Raj Mohan (Inventor); Bageshwar, Vibhor L. (Inventor); Kim, Kyusung (Inventor)

2017-01-01

An inertial navigation system (INS) includes a primary inertial navigation system (INS) unit configured to receive accelerometer measurements from an accelerometer and angular velocity measurements from a gyroscope. The primary INS unit is further configured to receive global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals from a GNSS sensor and to determine a first set of kinematic state vectors based on the accelerometer measurements, the angular velocity measurements, and the GNSS signals. The INS further includes a secondary INS unit configured to receive the accelerometer measurements and the angular velocity measurements and to determine a second set of kinematic state vectors of the vehicle based on the accelerometer measurements and the angular velocity measurements. A health management system is configured to compare the first set of kinematic state vectors and the second set of kinematic state vectors to determine faults associated with the accelerometer or the gyroscope based on the comparison.

INCLINATION AND VIBRATION MEASUREMENT BY INERTIAL SENSING FOR STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING

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Sugisaki, Koichi; Abe, Masato; Koshimizu, Satoru

To develop a practical health monitoring system, inertial sensing which can readily be done for wide variety of situations is useful. However inertial sensors are measuring inclination and acceleration in reference to gravity. Therefore inclination are influence by acceleration and vice versa caused measuring errors. Especially, errors are more affected at low-frequency band which is important to estimate displacement. In this study, to establish correcting theory for inertial sensing and to develop method to estimate parameters for some structural system. And conducted a field test targeted at the real railway bridge to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method using response records of the pier under passing train load.

Data Glove System Embedded With Inertial Measurement Units for Hand Function Evaluation in Stroke Patients.

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Lin, Bor-Shing; Hsiao, Pei-Chi; Yang, Shu-Yu; Su, Che-Shih; Lee, I-Jung

2017-11-01

This paper proposes a data glove system integrated with six-axis inertial measurement unit sensors for evaluating the hand function of patients who have suffered a stroke. The modular design of this data glove facilitates its use for stroke patients. The proposed system can use the hand's accelerations, angular velocities, and joint angles as calculated by a quaternion algorithm, to help physicians gain new insights into rehabilitation treatments. A clinical experiment was performed on 15 healthy subjects and 15 stroke patients whose Brunnstrom stages (BSs) ranged from 4 to 6. In this experiment, the participants were subjected to a grip task, thumb task, and card turning task to produce raw data and three features, namely, the average rotation speed, variation of movement completion time, and quality of movement; these features were extracted from the recorded data to form 2-D and 3-D scatter plots. These scatter plots can provide reference information and guidance to physicians who must determine the BSs of stroke patients. The proposed system demonstrated a hit rate of 70.22% on average. Therefore, this system can effectively reduce physicians' load and provide them with detailed information about hand function to help them adjust rehabilitation strategies for stroke patients.

Behavioral Dynamics in Swimming: The Appropriate Use of Inertial Measurement Units.

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Guignard, Brice; Rouard, Annie; Chollet, Didier; Seifert, Ludovic

2017-01-01

Motor control in swimming can be analyzed using low- and high-order parameters of behavior. Low-order parameters generally refer to the superficial aspects of movement (i.e., position, velocity, acceleration), whereas high-order parameters capture the dynamics of movement coordination. To assess human aquatic behavior, both types have usually been investigated with multi-camera systems, as they offer high three-dimensional spatial accuracy. Research in ecological dynamics has shown that movement system variability can be viewed as a functional property of skilled performers, helping them adapt their movements to the surrounding constraints. Yet to determine the variability of swimming behavior, a large number of stroke cycles (i.e., inter-cyclic variability) has to be analyzed, which is impossible with camera-based systems as they simply record behaviors over restricted volumes of water. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were designed to explore the parameters and variability of coordination dynamics. These light, transportable and easy-to-use devices offer new perspectives for swimming research because they can record low- to high-order behavioral parameters over long periods. We first review how the low-order behavioral parameters (i.e., speed, stroke length, stroke rate) of human aquatic locomotion and their variability can be assessed using IMUs. We then review the way high-order parameters are assessed and the adaptive role of movement and coordination variability in swimming. We give special focus to the circumstances in which determining the variability between stroke cycles provides insight into how behavior oscillates between stable and flexible states to functionally respond to environmental and task constraints. The last section of the review is dedicated to practical recommendations for coaches on using IMUs to monitor swimming performance. We therefore highlight the need for rigor in dealing with these sensors appropriately in water. We explain the

Using inertial measurement units originally developed for biomechanics for modal testing of civil engineering structures

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Hester, David; Brownjohn, James; Bocian, Mateusz; Xu, Yan; Quattrone, Antonino

2018-05-01

This paper explores the use of wireless Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) originally developed for bio-mechanical research applications for modal testing of civil engineering infrastructure. Due to their biomechanics origin, these devices combine a triaxial accelerometer with gyroscopes and magnetometers for orientation, as well as on board data logging capability and wireless communication for optional data streaming and to coordinate synchronisation with other IMUs in a network. The motivation for application to civil structures is that their capabilities and simple operating procedures make them suitable for modal testing of many types of civil infrastructure of limited dimension including footbridges and floors while also enabling recovering of dynamic forces generated and applied to structures by moving humans. To explore their capabilities in civil applications, the IMUs are evaluated through modal tests on three different structures with increasing challenge of spatial and environmental complexity. These are, a full-scale floor mock-up in a laboratory, a short span road bridge and a seven story office tower. For each case, the results from the IMUs are compared with those from a conventional wired system to identify the limitations. The main conclusion is that the relatively high noise floor and limited communication range will not be a serious limitation in the great majority of typical civil modal test applications where convenient operation is a significant advantage over conventional wired systems.

An in situ hand calibration method using a pseudo-observation scheme for low-end inertial measurement units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, You; Niu, Xiaoji; Zhang, Quan; Zhang, Hongping; Shi, Chuang

2012-01-01

MEMS chips have become ideal candidates for various applications since they are small sized, light weight, have low power consumption and are extremely low cost and reliable. However, the performance of MEMS sensors, especially their biases and scale factors, is highly dependent on environmental conditions such as temperature. Thus a quick and convenient calibration is needed to be conducted by users in field without any external equipment or any expert knowledge of calibration. A novel and efficient in situ hand calibration method is presented to meet these demands in this paper. The algorithm of the proposed calibration method makes use of the navigation algorithm of the loosely-coupled GPS/INS integrated systems, but replaces the GPS observations with a kind of pseudo-observations, which can be stated as follows: if an inertial measurement unit (IMU) was rotating approximately around its measurement center, the range of its position and its linear velocity both would be within a limited scope. Using a Kalman filtering algorithm, the biases and scale factors of both accelerometer triad and gyroscope triad can be calibrated together within a short period (about 30 s), requiring only motions by hands. Real test results show that the proposed method is suitable for most consumer grade MEMS IMUs due to its zero cost, easy operation and sufficient accuracy. (paper)

Measurement of inertial confinement fusion reaction rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Xiaoshi; Wang Feng; Tang Daorun; Liu Shenye; Huang Tianxuan; Liu Yonggang; Xu Tao; Chen Ming; Mei Yu

2011-01-01

Fusion reaction rate is an important parameter for measuring compression during the implosion in inertial confinement fusion experiment. We have developed a system for fusion reaction history measurement with high temporal resolution. The system is composed of plastic scintillator and nose cone, optical system and streak camera. We have applied this system on the SG-III prototype for fusion reaction rate measuring. For the first time, fusion reaction rate history have been measured for deuterium-tritium filled targets with neutrons yields about 10 10 . We have analyzed possible influence factor during fusion reaction rate measuring. It indicates that the instrument measures fusion reaction bang time at temporal resolutions as low as 30 ps.(authors)

Inertial Measurement Units for Clinical Movement Analysis: Reliability and Concurrent Validity

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Mohammad Al-Amri

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and concurrent validity of a commercially available Xsens MVN BIOMECH inertial-sensor-based motion capture system during clinically relevant functional activities. A clinician with no prior experience of motion capture technologies and an experienced clinical movement scientist each assessed 26 healthy participants within each of two sessions using a camera-based motion capture system and the MVN BIOMECH system. Participants performed overground walking, squatting, and jumping. Sessions were separated by 4 ± 3 days. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient and standard error of measurement, and validity was evaluated using the coefficient of multiple correlation and the linear fit method. Day-to-day reliability was generally fair-to-excellent in all three planes for hip, knee, and ankle joint angles in all three tasks. Within-day (between-rater reliability was fair-to-excellent in all three planes during walking and squatting, and poor-to-high during jumping. Validity was excellent in the sagittal plane for hip, knee, and ankle joint angles in all three tasks and acceptable in frontal and transverse planes in squat and jump activity across joints. Our results suggest that the MVN BIOMECH system can be used by a clinician to quantify lower-limb joint angles in clinically relevant movements.

A novel method of calibrating a MEMS inertial reference unit on a turntable under limited working conditions

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Lu, Jiazhen; Liang, Shufang; Yang, Yanqiang

2017-10-01

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement devices tend to be widely used in inertial navigation systems and have quickly emerged on the market due to their characteristics of low cost, high reliability and small size. Calibration is the most effective way to remove the deterministic error of an inertial reference unit (IRU), which in this paper consists of three orthogonally mounted MEMS gyros. However, common testing methods in the lab cannot predict the corresponding errors precisely when the turntable’s working condition is restricted. In this paper, the turntable can only provide a relatively small rotation angle. Moreover, the errors must be compensated exactly because of the great effect caused by the high angular velocity of the craft. To deal with this question, a new method is proposed to evaluate the MEMS IRU’s performance. In the calibration procedure, a one-axis table that can rotate a limited angle in the form of a sine function is utilized to provide the MEMS IRU’s angular velocity. A new algorithm based on Fourier series is designed to calculate the misalignment and scale factor errors. The proposed method is tested in a set of experiments, and the calibration results are compared to a traditional calibration method performed under normal working conditions to verify their correctness. In addition, a verification test in the given rotation speed is implemented for further demonstration.

Inertial sensors as measurement tools of elbow range of motion in gerontology

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Sacco, G; Turpin, JM; Marteu, A; Sakarovitch, C; Teboul, B; Boscher, L; Brocker, P; Robert, P; Guerin, O

2015-01-01

Background and purpose Musculoskeletal system deterioration among the aging is a major reason for loss of autonomy and directly affects the quality of life of the elderly. Articular evaluation is part of physiotherapeutic assessment and helps in establishing a precise diagnosis and deciding appropriate therapy. Reference instruments are valid but not easy to use for some joints. The main goal of our study was to determine reliability and intertester reproducibility of the MP-BV, an inertial sensor (the MotionPod® [MP]) combined with specific software (BioVal [BV]), for elbow passive range-of-motion measurements in geriatrics. Methods This open, monocentric, randomized study compared inertial sensor to inclinometer in patients hospitalized in an acute, post-acute, and long-term-care gerontology unit. Results Seventy-seven patients (mean age 83.5±6.4 years, sex ratio 1.08 [male/female]) were analyzed. The MP-BV was reliable for each of the three measurements (flexion, pronation, and supination) for 24.3% (CI 95% 13.9–32.8) of the patients. Separately, the percentages of reliable measures were 59.7% (49.2–70.5) for flexion, 68.8% (58.4–79.5) for pronation, and 62.3% (51.2–73.1) for supination. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.15 (0.07–0.73), 0.46 (0.27–0.98), and 0.50 (0.31–40 0.98) for flexion, pronation, and supination, respectively. Conclusion This study shows the convenience of the MP-BV in terms of ease of use and of export of measured data. However, this instrument seems less reliable and valuable compared to the reference instruments used to measure elbow range of motion in gerontology. PMID:25759568

Inertial sensors as measurement tools of elbow range of motion in gerontology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sacco G

2015-02-01

Full Text Available G Sacco,1–3,* JM Turpin,3,4,* A Marteu,5 C Sakarovitch,6 B Teboul,2 L Boscher,4,5 P Brocker,4 P Robert,1–3 O Guerin2,3,7 1Memory Center, Claude Pompidou Institut, Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France; 2Centre d’Innovation et d’Usages en Santé (CIU-S, University Hospital of Nice, Cimiez Hospital, Nice, France; 3CoBTeK Cognition Behaviour Technology EA 7276, Research Center Edmond and Lily Safra, Nice Sophia-Antipolis University, Nice, France; 4Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Nice, Cimiez Hospital, Nice, France; 5Rehabilitation Unit, Department of Neurosciences, University Hospital of Nice, L’Archet Hospital, Nice, France; 6Department of Clinical Research and Innovation, University Hospital of Nice, Cimiez Hospital, Nice, France; 7Acute Geriatrics Unit, Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Nice, Cimiez Hospital, Nice, France *These authors contributed equally to this work Background and purpose: Musculoskeletal system deterioration among the aging is a major reason for loss of autonomy and directly affects the quality of life of the elderly. Articular evaluation is part of physiotherapeutic assessment and helps in establishing a precise diagnosis and deciding appropriate therapy. Reference instruments are valid but not easy to use for some joints. The main goal of our study was to determine reliability and intertester reproducibility of the MP-BV, an inertial sensor (the MotionPod® [MP] combined with specific software (BioVal [BV], for elbow passive range-of-motion measurements in geriatrics. Methods: This open, monocentric, randomized study compared inertial sensor to inclinometer in patients hospitalized in an acute, post-acute, and long-term-care gerontology unit. Results: Seventy-seven patients (mean age 83.5±6.4 years, sex ratio 1.08 [male/female] were analyzed. The MP-BV was reliable for each of the three measurements (flexion, pronation, and

The inertial attitude augmentation for ambiguity resolution in SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination.

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Zhu, Jiancheng; Hu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jingyu; Li, Tao; Wang, Jinling; Wu, Meiping

2014-06-26

The Unaided Single Frequency/Single Epoch Global Navigation Satellite System (SF/SE GNSS) model is the most challenging scenario for ambiguity resolution in the GNSS attitude determination application. To improve the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution without excessive cost, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS-IMU) is a proper choice for the auxiliary sensor that carries out the inertial attitude augmentation. Firstly, based on the SF/SE-GNSS compass model, the Inertial Derived Baseline Vector (IDBV) is defined to connect the MEMS-IMU attitude measurement with the SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity search space, and the mechanism of inertial attitude augmentation is revealed from the perspective of geometry. Then, through the quantitative description of model strength by Ambiguity Dilution of Precision (ADOP), two ADOPs are specified for the unaided SF/SE-GNSS compass model and its inertial attitude augmentation counterparts, respectively, and a sufficient condition is proposed for augmenting the SF/SE-GNSS model strength with inertial attitude measurement. Finally, in the framework of an integer aperture estimator with fixed failure rate, the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation is analyzed when the model strength is varying from strong to weak. The simulation results show that, in the SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination application, MEMS-IMU can satisfy the requirements of ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation.

The Inertial Attitude Augmentation for Ambiguity Resolution in SF/SE-GNSS Attitude Determination

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiancheng; Hu, Xiaoping; Zhang, Jingyu; Li, Tao; Wang, Jinling; Wu, Meiping

2014-01-01

The Unaided Single Frequency/Single Epoch Global Navigation Satellite System (SF/SE GNSS) model is the most challenging scenario for ambiguity resolution in the GNSS attitude determination application. To improve the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution without excessive cost, the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS-IMU) is a proper choice for the auxiliary sensor that carries out the inertial attitude augmentation. Firstly, based on the SF/SE-GNSS compass model, the Inertial Derived Baseline Vector (IDBV) is defined to connect the MEMS-IMU attitude measurement with the SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity search space, and the mechanism of inertial attitude augmentation is revealed from the perspective of geometry. Then, through the quantitative description of model strength by Ambiguity Dilution of Precision (ADOP), two ADOPs are specified for the unaided SF/SE-GNSS compass model and its inertial attitude augmentation counterparts, respectively, and a sufficient condition is proposed for augmenting the SF/SE-GNSS model strength with inertial attitude measurement. Finally, in the framework of an integer aperture estimator with fixed failure rate, the performance of SF/SE-GNSS ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation is analyzed when the model strength is varying from strong to weak. The simulation results show that, in the SF/SE-GNSS attitude determination application, MEMS-IMU can satisfy the requirements of ambiguity resolution with inertial attitude augmentation. PMID:24971472

Effect of trotting speed on kinematic variables measured by use of extremity-mounted inertial measurement units in nonlame horses performing controlled treadmill exercise.

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Cruz, Antonio M; Vidondo, Beatriz; Ramseyer, Alessandra A; Maninchedda, Ugo E

2018-02-01

OBJECTIVE To assess effects of speed on kinematic variables measured by use of extremity-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs) in nonlame horses performing controlled exercise on a treadmill. ANIMALS 10 nonlame horses. PROCEDURES 6 IMUs were attached at predetermined locations on 10 nonlame Franches Montagnes horses. Data were collected in triplicate during trotting at 3.33 and 3.88 m/s on a high-speed treadmill. Thirty-three selected kinematic variables were analyzed. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to assess the effect of speed. RESULTS Significant differences between the 2 speeds were detected for most temporal (11/14) and spatial (12/19) variables. The observed spatial and temporal changes would translate into a gait for the higher speed characterized by increased stride length, protraction and retraction, flexion and extension, mediolateral movement of the tibia, and symmetry, but with similar temporal variables and a reduction in stride duration. However, even though the tibia coronal range of motion was significantly different between speeds, the high degree of variability raised concerns about whether these changes were clinically relevant. For some variables, the lower trotting speed apparently was associated with more variability than was the higher trotting speed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE At a higher trotting speed, horses moved in the same manner (eg, the temporal events investigated occurred at the same relative time within the stride). However, from a spatial perspective, horses moved with greater action of the segments evaluated. The detected changes in kinematic variables indicated that trotting speed should be controlled or kept constant during gait evaluation.

Inertial rotation measurement with atomic spins: From angular momentum conservation to quantum phase theory

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Zhang, C.; Yuan, H.; Tang, Z.; Quan, W.; Fang, J. C.

2016-12-01

Rotation measurement in an inertial frame is an important technology for modern advanced navigation systems and fundamental physics research. Inertial rotation measurement with atomic spin has demonstrated potential in both high-precision applications and small-volume low-cost devices. After rapid development in the last few decades, atomic spin gyroscopes are considered a promising competitor to current conventional gyroscopes—from rate-grade to strategic-grade applications. Although it has been more than a century since the discovery of the relationship between atomic spin and mechanical rotation by Einstein [Naturwissenschaften, 3(19) (1915)], research on the coupling between spin and rotation is still a focus point. The semi-classical Larmor precession model is usually adopted to describe atomic spin gyroscope measurement principles. More recently, the geometric phase theory has provided a different view of the rotation measurement mechanism via atomic spin. The theory has been used to describe a gyroscope based on the nuclear spin ensembles in diamond. A comprehensive understanding of inertial rotation measurement principles based on atomic spin would be helpful for future applications. This work reviews different atomic spin gyroscopes and their rotation measurement principles with a historical overlook. In addition, the spin-rotation coupling mechanism in the context of the quantum phase theory is presented. The geometric phase is assumed to be the origin of the measurable rotation signal from atomic spins. In conclusion, with a complete understanding of inertial rotation measurements using atomic spin and advances in techniques, wide application of high-performance atomic spin gyroscopes is expected in the near future.

Inertial fusion energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decroisette, M.; Andre, M.; Bayer, C.; Juraszek, D.; Le Garrec, B.; Deutsch, C.; Migus, A.

2005-01-01

We first recall the scientific basis of inertial fusion and then describe a generic fusion reactor with the different components: the driver, the fusion chamber, the material treatment unit, the target factory and the turbines. We analyse the options proposed at the present time for the driver and for target irradiation scheme giving the state of art for each approach. We conclude by the presentation of LMJ (laser Megajoule) and NIF (national ignition facility) projects. These facilities aim to demonstrate the feasibility of laboratory DT ignition, first step toward Inertial Fusion Energy. (authors)

Noise reduction and estimation in multiple micro-electro-mechanical inertial systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waegli, Adrian; Skaloud, Jan; Guerrier, Stéphane; Parés, Maria Eulàlia; Colomina, Ismael

2010-01-01

This research studies the reduction and the estimation of the noise level within a redundant configuration of low-cost (MEMS-type) inertial measurement units (IMUs). Firstly, independent observations between units and sensors are assumed and the theoretical decrease in the system noise level is analyzed in an experiment with four MEMS-IMU triads. Then, more complex scenarios are presented in which the noise level can vary in time and for each sensor. A statistical method employed for studying the volatility of financial markets (GARCH) is adapted and tested for the usage with inertial data. This paper demonstrates experimentally and through simulations the benefit of direct noise estimation in redundant IMU setups

DRIRU I/SKIRU - The application of the DTG to spacecraft attitude control. [Dynamically-Tuned Gyro for Inertial Reference Unit systems

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Swanson, C. O.

1982-01-01

The dynamically tuned gyro (DTG) was developed to replace the floated, rate integrating gyro used for space attitude control, as the DTG fulfills cost, performance, and reliability requirements not satisfied by its predecessor. The use of this gyro in the Dry Gyro Inertial Reference Unit I (DRIRU I) marked the first application of a DTG in a spacecraft attitude reference unit. Design and performance characteristics of DTG application in the Singer-Kearfott Inertial Reference Unit (SKIRU) are outlined, for example its minimal weight (7 lb), and operational reliability. The DTG has accomplished 156,000 failure-free hours, and a chart, logging test performance, indicates that this and other requirements were more than sufficiently satisfied. The unit has an unparalleled life span, with several units still operating after 70,000 to 130,000 hours, and a random drift which always remains under 0.0005 deg/h. Potential for improvements, such as drift performance, are considered.

Assessment of three-dimensional joint kinematics of the upper limb during simulated swimming using wearable inertial-magnetic measurement units.

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Fantozzi, Silvia; Giovanardi, Andrea; Magalhães, Fabrício Anício; Di Michele, Rocco; Cortesi, Matteo; Gatta, Giorgio

2016-01-01

The analysis of the joint kinematics during swimming plays a fundamental role both in sports conditioning and in clinical contexts. Contrary to the traditional video analysis, wearable inertial-magnetic measurements units (IMMUs) allow to analyse both the underwater and aerial phases of the swimming stroke over the whole length of the swimming pool. Furthermore, the rapid calibration and short data processing required by IMMUs provide coaches and athletes with an immediate feedback on swimming kinematics during training. This study aimed to develop a protocol to assess the three-dimensional kinematics of the upper limbs during swimming using IMMUs. Kinematics were evaluated during simulated dry-land swimming trials performed in the laboratory by eight swimmers. A stereo-photogrammetric system was used as the gold standard. The results showed high coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC) values, with median (first-third quartile) of 0.97 (0.93-0.95) and 0.99 (0.97-0.99) for simulated front-crawl and breaststroke, respectively. Furthermore, the joint angles were estimated with an accuracy increasing from distal to proximal joints, with wrist indices showing median CMC values always higher than 0.90. The present findings represent an important step towards the practical use of technology based on IMMUs for the kinematic analysis of swimming in applied contexts.

MicroASC instrument onboard Juno spacecraft utilizing inertially controlled imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, David Arge Klevang; Jørgensen, Andreas Härstedt; Benn, Mathias

2016-01-01

This contribution describes the post-processing of the raw image data acquired by the microASC instrument during the Earth-fly-by of the Juno spacecraft. The images show a unique view of the Earth and Moon system as seen from afar. The procedure utilizes attitude measurements and inter......-calibration of the Camera Head Units of the microASC system to trigger the image capturing. The triggering is synchronized with the inertial attitude and rotational phase of the sensor acquiring the images. This is essentially works as inertially controlled imaging facilitating image acquisition from unexplored...

Estimating three-dimensional orientation of human body parts by inertial/magnetic sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabatini, Angelo Maria

2011-01-01

User-worn sensing units composed of inertial and magnetic sensors are becoming increasingly popular in various domains, including biomedical engineering, robotics, virtual reality, where they can also be applied for real-time tracking of the orientation of human body parts in the three-dimensional (3D) space. Although they are a promising choice as wearable sensors under many respects, the inertial and magnetic sensors currently in use offer measuring performance that are critical in order to achieve and maintain accurate 3D-orientation estimates, anytime and anywhere. This paper reviews the main sensor fusion and filtering techniques proposed for accurate inertial/magnetic orientation tracking of human body parts; it also gives useful recipes for their actual implementation.

Autonomous Quality Control of Joint Orientation Measured with Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karina Lebel

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Clinical mobility assessment is traditionally performed in laboratories using complex and expensive equipment. The low accessibility to such equipment, combined with the emerging trend to assess mobility in a free-living environment, creates a need for body-worn sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units—IMUs that are capable of measuring the complexity in motor performance using meaningful measurements, such as joint orientation. However, accuracy of joint orientation estimates using IMUs may be affected by environment, the joint tracked, type of motion performed and velocity. This study investigates a quality control (QC process to assess the quality of orientation data based on features extracted from the raw inertial sensors’ signals. Joint orientation (trunk, hip, knee, ankle of twenty participants was acquired by an optical motion capture system and IMUs during a variety of tasks (sit, sit-to-stand transition, walking, turning performed under varying conditions (speed, environment. An artificial neural network was used to classify good and bad sequences of joint orientation with a sensitivity and a specificity above 83%. This study confirms the possibility to perform QC on IMU joint orientation data based on raw signal features. This innovative QC approach may be of particular interest in a big data context, such as for remote-monitoring of patients’ mobility.

Inertial Measures of Motion for Clinical Biomechanics: Comparative Assessment of Accuracy under Controlled Conditions – Changes in Accuracy over Time

Science.gov (United States)

Lebel, Karina; Boissy, Patrick; Hamel, Mathieu; Duval, Christian

2015-01-01

Background Interest in 3D inertial motion tracking devices (AHRS) has been growing rapidly among the biomechanical community. Although the convenience of such tracking devices seems to open a whole new world of possibilities for evaluation in clinical biomechanics, its limitations haven’t been extensively documented. The objectives of this study are: 1) to assess the change in absolute and relative accuracy of multiple units of 3 commercially available AHRS over time; and 2) to identify different sources of errors affecting AHRS accuracy and to document how they may affect the measurements over time. Methods This study used an instrumented Gimbal table on which AHRS modules were carefully attached and put through a series of velocity-controlled sustained motions including 2 minutes motion trials (2MT) and 12 minutes multiple dynamic phases motion trials (12MDP). Absolute accuracy was assessed by comparison of the AHRS orientation measurements to those of an optical gold standard. Relative accuracy was evaluated using the variation in relative orientation between modules during the trials. Findings Both absolute and relative accuracy decreased over time during 2MT. 12MDP trials showed a significant decrease in accuracy over multiple phases, but accuracy could be enhanced significantly by resetting the reference point and/or compensating for initial Inertial frame estimation reference for each phase. Interpretation The variation in AHRS accuracy observed between the different systems and with time can be attributed in part to the dynamic estimation error, but also and foremost, to the ability of AHRS units to locate the same Inertial frame. Conclusions Mean accuracies obtained under the Gimbal table sustained conditions of motion suggest that AHRS are promising tools for clinical mobility assessment under constrained conditions of use. However, improvement in magnetic compensation and alignment between AHRS modules are desirable in order for AHRS to reach their

Simulated wind-generated inertial oscillations compared to current measurements in the northern North Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Bruserud, Kjersti; Haver, Sverre; Myrhaug, Dag

2018-04-01

Measured current speed data show that episodes of wind-generated inertial oscillations dominate the current conditions in parts of the northern North Sea. In order to acquire current data of sufficient duration for robust estimation of joint metocean design conditions, such as wind, waves, and currents, a simple model for episodes of wind-generated inertial oscillations is adapted for the northern North Sea. The model is validated with and compared against measured current data at one location in the northern North Sea and found to reproduce the measured maximum current speed in each episode with considerable accuracy. The comparison is further improved when a small general background current is added to the simulated maximum current speeds. Extreme values of measured and simulated current speed are estimated and found to compare well. To assess the robustness of the model and the sensitivity of current conditions from location to location, the validated model is applied at three other locations in the northern North Sea. In general, the simulated maximum current speeds are smaller than the measured, suggesting that wind-generated inertial oscillations are not as prominent at these locations and that other current conditions may be governing. Further analysis of the simulated current speed and joint distribution of wind, waves, and currents for design of offshore structures will be presented in a separate paper.

Generation and measurement of multi megagauss fields in inertial ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We present here the development of a facility to generate high (multi megagauss) magnetic field of 4 to 5 s rise time, using inertial magnets. The facility includes a low inductance, high current capacitor bank (280 kJ/40 kV) and an inertial magnet, which is a copper disk machined to have a keyhole in it. As the high current ...

A Smartphone Inertial Balance

Science.gov (United States)

Barrera-Garrido, Azael

2017-01-01

In order to measure the mass of an object in the absence of gravity, one useful tool for many decades has been the inertial balance. One of the simplest forms of inertial balance is made by two mass holders or pans joined together with two stiff metal plates, which act as springs.

A Visual-Aided Inertial Navigation and Mapping System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Munguía

2016-05-01

Full Text Available State estimation is a fundamental necessity for any application involving autonomous robots. This paper describes a visual-aided inertial navigation and mapping system for application to autonomous robots. The system, which relies on Kalman filtering, is designed to fuse the measurements obtained from a monocular camera, an inertial measurement unit (IMU and a position sensor (GPS. The estimated state consists of the full state of the vehicle: the position, orientation, their first derivatives and the parameter errors of the inertial sensors (i.e., the bias of gyroscopes and accelerometers. The system also provides the spatial locations of the visual features observed by the camera. The proposed scheme was designed by considering the limited resources commonly available in small mobile robots, while it is intended to be applied to cluttered environments in order to perform fully vision-based navigation in periods where the position sensor is not available. Moreover, the estimated map of visual features would be suitable for multiple tasks: i terrain analysis; ii three-dimensional (3D scene reconstruction; iii localization, detection or perception of obstacles and generating trajectories to navigate around these obstacles; and iv autonomous exploration. In this work, simulations and experiments with real data are presented in order to validate and demonstrate the performance of the proposal.

Empirical evidence for inertial mass anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, M.; Siemieniec, G.

1985-01-01

A several attempts at measuring the possible deviations from inertial mass isotropy caused by a non-uniform distribution of matter are reviewed. A simple model of the inertial mass anisotropy and the results of the currently performed measurements concerning this effect are presented. 34 refs. (author)

Dragging of inertial frames.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciufolini, Ignazio

2007-09-06

The origin of inertia has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries. Inertial frames of reference permeate our daily life. The inertial and centrifugal forces, such as the pull and push that we feel when our vehicle accelerates, brakes and turns, arise because of changes in velocity relative to uniformly moving inertial frames. A classical interpretation ascribed these forces to acceleration relative to some absolute frame independent of the cosmological matter, whereas an opposite view related them to acceleration relative to all the masses and 'fixed stars' in the Universe. An echo and partial realization of the latter idea can be found in Einstein's general theory of relativity, which predicts that a spinning mass will 'drag' inertial frames along with it. Here I review the recent measurements of frame dragging using satellites orbiting Earth.

Human Body Parts Tracking and Kinematic Features Assessment Based on RSSI and Inertial Sensor Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaddi Blumrosen

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Acquisition of patient kinematics in different environments plays an important role in the detection of risk situations such as fall detection in elderly patients, in rehabilitation of patients with injuries, and in the design of treatment plans for patients with neurological diseases. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI measurements in a Body Area Network (BAN, capture the signal power on a radio link. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of utilizing RSSI measurements in assessment of human kinematic features, and to give methods to determine these features. RSSI measurements can be used for tracking different body parts’ displacements on scales of a few centimeters, for classifying motion and gait patterns instead of inertial sensors, and to serve as an additional reference to other sensors, in particular inertial sensors. Criteria and analytical methods for body part tracking, kinematic motion feature extraction, and a Kalman filter model for aggregation of RSSI and inertial sensor were derived. The methods were verified by a set of experiments performed in an indoor environment. In the future, the use of RSSI measurements can help in continuous assessment of various kinematic features of patients during their daily life activities and enhance medical diagnosis accuracy with lower costs.

An Inertial and Optical Sensor Fusion Approach for Six Degree-of-Freedom Pose Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

He, Changyu; Kazanzides, Peter; Sen, Hasan Tutkun; Kim, Sungmin; Liu, Yue

2015-01-01

Optical tracking provides relatively high accuracy over a large workspace but requires line-of-sight between the camera and the markers, which may be difficult to maintain in actual applications. In contrast, inertial sensing does not require line-of-sight but is subject to drift, which may cause large cumulative errors, especially during the measurement of position. To handle cases where some or all of the markers are occluded, this paper proposes an inertial and optical sensor fusion approach in which the bias of the inertial sensors is estimated when the optical tracker provides full six degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) pose information. As long as the position of at least one marker can be tracked by the optical system, the 3-DOF position can be combined with the orientation estimated from the inertial measurements to recover the full 6-DOF pose information. When all the markers are occluded, the position tracking relies on the inertial sensors that are bias-corrected by the optical tracking system. Experiments are performed with an augmented reality head-mounted display (ARHMD) that integrates an optical tracking system (OTS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU). Experimental results show that under partial occlusion conditions, the root mean square errors (RMSE) of orientation and position are 0.04° and 0.134 mm, and under total occlusion conditions for 1 s, the orientation and position RMSE are 0.022° and 0.22 mm, respectively. Thus, the proposed sensor fusion approach can provide reliable 6-DOF pose under long-term partial occlusion and short-term total occlusion conditions. PMID:26184191

Fusing inertial sensor data in an extended Kalman filter for 3D camera tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Arif Tanju; Ercan, Ali Özer

2015-02-01

In a setup where camera measurements are used to estimate 3D egomotion in an extended Kalman filter (EKF) framework, it is well-known that inertial sensors (i.e., accelerometers and gyroscopes) are especially useful when the camera undergoes fast motion. Inertial sensor data can be fused at the EKF with the camera measurements in either the correction stage (as measurement inputs) or the prediction stage (as control inputs). In general, only one type of inertial sensor is employed in the EKF in the literature, or when both are employed they are both fused in the same stage. In this paper, we provide an extensive performance comparison of every possible combination of fusing accelerometer and gyroscope data as control or measurement inputs using the same data set collected at different motion speeds. In particular, we compare the performances of different approaches based on 3D pose errors, in addition to camera reprojection errors commonly found in the literature, which provides further insight into the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. We show using both simulated and real data that it is always better to fuse both sensors in the measurement stage and that in particular, accelerometer helps more with the 3D position tracking accuracy, whereas gyroscope helps more with the 3D orientation tracking accuracy. We also propose a simulated data generation method, which is beneficial for the design and validation of tracking algorithms involving both camera and inertial measurement unit measurements in general.

3D-Calibration for IMU of the Strapdown Inertial Navigation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avrutov V.V.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new calibration method for Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU of Strapdown Iner-tial Navigation Systems was presented. IMU has been composed of accelerometers, gyroscopes and a circuit of signal processing. Normally, a rate transfer test and multi-position tests are us-ing for IMU calibration. The new calibration method is based on whole angle rotation or finite rotation. In fact it’s suggested to turn over IMU around three axes simultaneously. In order to solve the equation of calibration, it is necessary to provide an equality of a rank of basic matrix into degree of basic matrix. The results of simulated IMU data presented to demonstrate the performance of the new calibration method.

Using Posture Estimation to Enhance Personal Inertial Tracking

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

augment tracking during periods without GPS coverage. The goal of this research is to improve the current personal inertial navigation system by...solution is to use inertial navigation systems to augment tracking during periods without GPS coverage. The goal of this research is to improve the...For large items such as vehicles or aircraft, a Global Positioning System ( GPS ) is used to track the locations of friendly units and display these

DRG-Based CubeSat Inertial Reference Unit (DCIRU), Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — CubeSats currently lack adequate inertial attitude knowledge and control required for future sophisticated science missions. Boeing's Disc Resonator Gyro (DRG)...

DRG-based CubeSat Inertial Reference Unit (DCIRU), Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — CubeSats currently lack adequate inertial attitude knowledge and control required for future sophisticated science missions. Boeing?s Disc Resonator Gyro (DRG)...

Uticaj mesta ugradnje inercijalnog mernog bloka i akcelerometara na grešku u određivanju pozicije aviona / Size effect of the inertial measurement unit and inside IMU accelerometers on aircraft position error

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slobodan Janićijević

2003-03-01

Full Text Available U ovom članku analiziran je uticaj mesta ugradnje inercijalnog mernog bloka (IMB u avionu i mesta ugradnje akcelerometara u IMB na tačnost određivanja pozicije pomoću bes-platformskog inercijalnog navigacijskog sistema (BINS. Pokazano je da se ovi uticaji ne mogu uvek zanemariti. Izračunata je ukupna greška u određivanju pozicije aviona ako se IMB ugrađuje van centra rotacije aviona, a akcelerometri van centra IMB. Predložena je optimalna orijentacija akcelerometara u IMB-u, kako bi se minimizirao uticaj ugradnje akcelerometara van centra IMB na tačnost određivanja pozicije aviona. Predložen je i način kompenzacije greške. / This paper analyzes the mounting offset size effect of the inertial measurement unit (IMU in aircraft and accelerometers mounting offset size effect in the IMU on the accuracy of strap down inertial navigation system (SDINS. It is also shown that these effects cannot be always neglected. The total size effect error for the IMU has been the computed. An accelerometers optimum orientation inside the IMU has been proposed to minimize size effects on the accuracy of navigation parameters. A manner to compensate these size effects has been proposed as well.

Measurements of Inertial Torques on Sedimenting Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Hamati, Rami; Roy, Anubhab; Koch, Don; Voth, Greg

2017-11-01

Stokes flow solutions predict that ellipsoids sedimenting in quiescent fluid keep their initial orientation. However, preferential alignment in low Reynolds number sedimentation is easily observed. For example, sun dogs form from alignment of sedimenting ice crystals. The cause of this preferential alignment is a torque due to non-zero fluid inertia that aligns particles with a long axis in the horizontal direction. These torques are predicted analytically for slender fibers with low Reynolds number based on the fiber diameter (ReD) by Khayat and Cox (JFM 209:435, 1989). Despite increasingly widespread use of these expressions, we did not find experimental measurements of these inertial torques at parameters where the theory was valid, so we performed a set of sedimentation experiments using fore-aft symmetric cylinders and asymmetric cylinders with their center of mass offset from their center of drag. Measured rotation rates as a function of orientation using carefully prepared glass capillaries in silicon oil show good agreement with the theory. We quantify the effect of finite tank size and compare with other experiments in water where the low ReD condition is not met. Supported by Army Research Office Grant W911NF1510205.

High accuracy attitude reference stabilization and pointing using the Teledyne SDG-5 gyro and the DRIRU II inertial reference unit

Science.gov (United States)

Green, K. N.; van Alstine, R. L.

This paper presents the current performance levels of the SDG-5 gyro, a high performance two-axis dynamically tuned gyro, and the DRIRU II redundant inertial reference unit relating to stabilization and pointing applications. Also presented is a discussion of a product improvement program aimed at further noise reductions to meet the demanding requirements of future space defense applications.

Development of a 3D workspace shoulder assessment tool incorporating electromyography and an inertial measurement unit-a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslani, Navid; Noroozi, Siamak; Davenport, Philip; Hartley, Richard; Dupac, Mihai; Sewell, Philip

2018-06-01

Traditional shoulder range of movement (ROM) measurement tools suffer from inaccuracy or from long experimental setup times. Recently, it has been demonstrated that relatively low-cost wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors can overcome many of the limitations of traditional motion tracking systems. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a single IMU combined with an electromyography (EMG) sensor to monitor the 3D reachable workspace with simultaneous measurement of deltoid muscle activity across the shoulder ROM. Six volunteer subjects with healthy shoulders and one participant with a 'frozen' shoulder were recruited to the study. Arm movement in 3D space was plotted in spherical coordinates while the relative EMG intensity of any arm position is presented graphically. The results showed that there was an average ROM surface area of 27291 ± 538 deg 2 among all six healthy individuals and a ROM surface area of 13571 ± 308 deg 2 for the subject with frozen shoulder. All three sections of the deltoid show greater EMG activity at higher elevation angles. Using such tools enables individuals, surgeons and physiotherapists to measure the maximum envelope of motion in conjunction with muscle activity in order to provide an objective assessment of shoulder performance in the voluntary 3D workspace. Graphical abstract The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a single IMU combined with an electromyography (EMG) sensor to monitor the 3D reachable workspace with simultaneous measurement of deltoid muscle activity across the shoulder ROM. The assessment tool consists of an IMU sensor, an EMG sensor, a microcontroller and a Bluetooth module. The assessment tool was attached to subjects arm. Individuals were instructed to move their arms with the elbow fully extended. They were then asked to provide the maximal voluntary elevation envelope of the arm in 3D space in multiple attempts starting from a small movement envelope going to the biggest

Vision-aided inertial navigation system for robotic mobile mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Bayoud, Fadi; Skaloud, Jan

2008-04-01

A mapping system by vision-aided inertial navigation was developed for areas where GNSS signals are unreachable. In this framework, a methodology on the integration of vision and inertial sensors is presented, analysed and tested. The system employs the method of “SLAM: Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping” where the only external input available to the system at the beginning of the mapping mission is a number of features with known coordinates. SLAM is a term used in the robotics community to describe the problem of mapping the environment and at the same time using this map to determine the location of the mapping device. Differing from the robotics approach, the presented development stems from the frameworks of photogrammetry and kinematic geodesy that are merged in two filters that run in parallel: the Least-Squares Adjustment (LSA) for features coordinates determination and the Kalman filter (KF) for navigation correction. To test this approach, a mapping system-prototype comprising two CCD cameras and one Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is introduced. Conceptually, the outputs of the LSA photogrammetric resection are used as the external measurements for the KF that corrects the inertial navigation. The filtered position and orientation are subsequently employed in the photogrammetric intersection to map the surrounding features that are used as control points for the resection in the next epoch. We confirm empirically the dependency of navigation performance on the quality of the images and the number of tracked features, as well as on the geometry of the stereo-pair. Due to its autonomous nature, the SLAM's performance is further affected by the quality of IMU initialisation and the a-priory assumptions on error distribution. Using the example of the presented system we show that centimetre accuracy can be achieved in both navigation and mapping when the image geometry is optimal.

Inertial Sensing Based Assessment Methods to Quantify the Effectiveness of Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Ta Li

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In clinical settings, traditional stroke rehabilitation evaluation methods are subjectively scored by occupational therapists, and the assessment results vary individually. To address this issue, this study aims to develop a stroke rehabilitation assessment system by using inertial measurement units. The inertial signals from the upper extremities were acquired, from which three quantitative indicators were extracted to reflect rehabilitation performance during stroke patients’ movement examination, i.e., shoulder flexion. Both healthy adults and stroke patients were recruited to correlate the proposed quantitative evaluation indices and traditional rehab assessment scales. Especially, as a unique feature of the study the weight for each of three evaluation indicators was estimated by the least squares method. The quantitative results demonstrate the proposed method accurately reflects patients’ recovery from pre-rehabilitation, and confirm the feasibility of applying inertial signals to evaluate rehab performance through feature extraction. The implemented assessment scheme appears to have the potential to overcome some shortcomings of traditional assessment methods and indicates rehab performance correctly.

Adaptive Monocular Visual-Inertial SLAM for Real-Time Augmented Reality Applications in Mobile Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Jin-Chun; Kim, Shin-Dug

2017-11-07

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is emerging as a prominent issue in computer vision and next-generation core technology for robots, autonomous navigation and augmented reality. In augmented reality applications, fast camera pose estimation and true scale are important. In this paper, we present an adaptive monocular visual-inertial SLAM method for real-time augmented reality applications in mobile devices. First, the SLAM system is implemented based on the visual-inertial odometry method that combines data from a mobile device camera and inertial measurement unit sensor. Second, we present an optical-flow-based fast visual odometry method for real-time camera pose estimation. Finally, an adaptive monocular visual-inertial SLAM is implemented by presenting an adaptive execution module that dynamically selects visual-inertial odometry or optical-flow-based fast visual odometry. Experimental results show that the average translation root-mean-square error of keyframe trajectory is approximately 0.0617 m with the EuRoC dataset. The average tracking time is reduced by 7.8%, 12.9%, and 18.8% when different level-set adaptive policies are applied. Moreover, we conducted experiments with real mobile device sensors, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of performance improvement using the proposed method.

Adaptive Monocular Visual–Inertial SLAM for Real-Time Augmented Reality Applications in Mobile Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Chun Piao

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM is emerging as a prominent issue in computer vision and next-generation core technology for robots, autonomous navigation and augmented reality. In augmented reality applications, fast camera pose estimation and true scale are important. In this paper, we present an adaptive monocular visual–inertial SLAM method for real-time augmented reality applications in mobile devices. First, the SLAM system is implemented based on the visual–inertial odometry method that combines data from a mobile device camera and inertial measurement unit sensor. Second, we present an optical-flow-based fast visual odometry method for real-time camera pose estimation. Finally, an adaptive monocular visual–inertial SLAM is implemented by presenting an adaptive execution module that dynamically selects visual–inertial odometry or optical-flow-based fast visual odometry. Experimental results show that the average translation root-mean-square error of keyframe trajectory is approximately 0.0617 m with the EuRoC dataset. The average tracking time is reduced by 7.8%, 12.9%, and 18.8% when different level-set adaptive policies are applied. Moreover, we conducted experiments with real mobile device sensors, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of performance improvement using the proposed method.

Adaptive Monocular Visual–Inertial SLAM for Real-Time Augmented Reality Applications in Mobile Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Piao, Jin-Chun; Kim, Shin-Dug

2017-01-01

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is emerging as a prominent issue in computer vision and next-generation core technology for robots, autonomous navigation and augmented reality. In augmented reality applications, fast camera pose estimation and true scale are important. In this paper, we present an adaptive monocular visual–inertial SLAM method for real-time augmented reality applications in mobile devices. First, the SLAM system is implemented based on the visual–inertial odometry method that combines data from a mobile device camera and inertial measurement unit sensor. Second, we present an optical-flow-based fast visual odometry method for real-time camera pose estimation. Finally, an adaptive monocular visual–inertial SLAM is implemented by presenting an adaptive execution module that dynamically selects visual–inertial odometry or optical-flow-based fast visual odometry. Experimental results show that the average translation root-mean-square error of keyframe trajectory is approximately 0.0617 m with the EuRoC dataset. The average tracking time is reduced by 7.8%, 12.9%, and 18.8% when different level-set adaptive policies are applied. Moreover, we conducted experiments with real mobile device sensors, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of performance improvement using the proposed method. PMID:29112143

A new systematic calibration method of ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Guo; Gao, Chunfeng; Wang, Qi; Wang, Qun; Xiong, Zhenyu; Long, Xingwu

2016-10-01

Inertial navigation system has been the core component of both military and civil navigation systems. Before the INS is put into application, it is supposed to be calibrated in the laboratory in order to compensate repeatability error caused by manufacturing. Discrete calibration method cannot fulfill requirements of high-accurate calibration of the mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope navigation system with shock absorbers. This paper has analyzed theories of error inspiration and separation in detail and presented a new systematic calibration method for ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system. Error models and equations of calibrated Inertial Measurement Unit are given. Then proper rotation arrangement orders are depicted in order to establish the linear relationships between the change of velocity errors and calibrated parameter errors. Experiments have been set up to compare the systematic errors calculated by filtering calibration result with those obtained by discrete calibration result. The largest position error and velocity error of filtering calibration result are only 0.18 miles and 0.26m/s compared with 2 miles and 1.46m/s of discrete calibration result. These results have validated the new systematic calibration method and proved its importance for optimal design and accuracy improvement of calibration of mechanically dithered ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system.

Validity and Reliability of a Wearable Inertial Sensor to Measure Velocity and Power in the Back Squat and Bench Press.

Science.gov (United States)

Orange, Samuel T; Metcalfe, James W; Liefeith, Andreas; Marshall, Phil; Madden, Leigh A; Fewster, Connor R; Vince, Rebecca V

2018-05-08

Orange, ST, Metcalfe, JW, Liefeith, A, Marshall, P, Madden, LA, Fewster, CR, and Vince, RV. Validity and reliability of a wearable inertial sensor to measure velocity and power in the back squat and bench press. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-This study examined the validity and reliability of a wearable inertial sensor to measure velocity and power in the free-weight back squat and bench press. Twenty-nine youth rugby league players (18 ± 1 years) completed 2 test-retest sessions for the back squat followed by 2 test-retest sessions for the bench press. Repetitions were performed at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 90% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) with mean velocity, peak velocity, mean power (MP), and peak power (PP) simultaneously measured using an inertial sensor (PUSH) and a linear position transducer (GymAware PowerTool). The PUSH demonstrated good validity (Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient [r]) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) only for measurements of MP (r = 0.91; ICC = 0.83) and PP (r = 0.90; ICC = 0.80) at 20% of 1RM in the back squat. However, it may be more appropriate for athletes to jump off the ground with this load to optimize power output. Further research should therefore evaluate the usability of inertial sensors in the jump squat exercise. In the bench press, good validity and reliability were evident only for the measurement of MP at 40% of 1RM (r = 0.89; ICC = 0.83). The PUSH was unable to provide a valid and reliable estimate of any other criterion variable in either exercise. Practitioners must be cognizant of the measurement error when using inertial sensor technology to quantify velocity and power during resistance training, particularly with loads other than 20% of 1RM in the back squat and 40% of 1RM in the bench press.

A self-calibration method in single-axis rotational inertial navigation system with rotating mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuanpei; Wang, Lingcao; Li, Kui

2017-10-01

Rotary inertial navigation modulation mechanism can greatly improve the inertial navigation system (INS) accuracy through the rotation. Based on the single-axis rotational inertial navigation system (RINS), a self-calibration method is put forward. The whole system is applied with the rotation modulation technique so that whole inertial measurement unit (IMU) of system can rotate around the motor shaft without any external input. In the process of modulation, some important errors can be decoupled. Coupled with the initial position information and attitude information of the system as the reference, the velocity errors and attitude errors in the rotation are used as measurement to perform Kalman filtering to estimate part of important errors of the system after which the errors can be compensated into the system. The simulation results show that the method can complete the self-calibration of the single-axis RINS in 15 minutes and estimate gyro drifts of three-axis, the installation error angle of the IMU and the scale factor error of the gyro on z-axis. The calibration accuracy of optic gyro drifts could be about 0.003°/h (1σ) as well as the scale factor error could be about 1 parts per million (1σ). The errors estimate reaches the system requirements which can effectively improve the longtime navigation accuracy of the vehicle or the boat.

Scenarios for multi-unit inertial fusion energy plants producing hydrogen fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, B.G.

1993-12-01

This work describes: (a) the motivation for considering fusion in general, and Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) in particular, to produce hydrogen fuel powering low-emission vehicles; (b) the general requirements for any fusion electric plant to produce hydrogen by water electrolysis at costs competitive with present consumer gasoline fuel costs per passenger mile, for advanced car architectures meeting President Clinton's 80 mpg advanced car goal, and (c) a comparative economic analysis for the potential cost of electricity (CoE) and corresponding cost of hydrogen (CoH) from a variety of multi-unit IFE plants with one to eight target chambers sharing a common driver and target fab facility. Cases with either heavy-ion or diode-pumped, solid-state laser drivers are considered, with ''conventional'' indirect drive target gains versus ''advanced, e.g. Fast Ignitor'' direct drive gain assumptions, and with conventional steam balance-of-plant (BoP) versus advanced MHD plus steam combined cycle BoP, to contrast the potential economics under ''conventional'' and ''advanced'' IFE assumptions, respectively

Player Monitoring in Indoor Team Sports: Concurrent Validity of Inertial Measurement Units to Quantify Average and Peak Acceleration Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mareike Roell

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The increasing interest in assessing physical demands in team sports has led to the development of multiple sports related monitoring systems. Due to technical limitations, these systems primarily could be applied to outdoor sports, whereas an equivalent indoor locomotion analysis is not established yet. Technological development of inertial measurement units (IMU broadens the possibilities for player monitoring and enables the quantification of locomotor movements in indoor environments. The aim of the current study was to validate an IMU measuring by determining average and peak human acceleration under indoor conditions in team sport specific movements. Data of a single wearable tracking device including an IMU (Optimeye S5, Catapult Sports, Melbourne, Australia were compared to the results of a 3D motion analysis (MA system (Vicon Motion Systems, Oxford, UK during selected standardized movement simulations in an indoor laboratory (n = 56. A low-pass filtering method for gravity correction (LF and two sensor fusion algorithms for orientation estimation [Complementary Filter (CF, Kalman-Filter (KF] were implemented and compared with MA system data. Significant differences (p < 0.05 were found between LF and MA data but not between sensor fusion algorithms and MA. Higher precision and lower relative errors were found for CF (RMSE = 0.05; CV = 2.6% and KF (RMSE = 0.15; CV = 3.8% both compared to the LF method (RMSE = 1.14; CV = 47.6% regarding the magnitude of the resulting vector and strongly emphasize the implementation of orientation estimation to accurately describe human acceleration. Comparing both sensor fusion algorithms, CF revealed slightly lower errors than KF and additionally provided valuable information about positive and negative acceleration values in all three movement planes with moderate to good validity (CV = 3.9 – 17.8%. Compared to x- and y-axis superior results were found for the z-axis. These findings demonstrate that

Dynamic analysis of nonlinear behaviour in inertial actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borgo, M Dal; Tehrani, M Ghandchi; Elliott, S J

2016-01-01

Inertial actuators are devices typically used to generate the control force on a vibrating structure. Generally, an inertial actuator comprises a proof-mass suspended in a magnetic field. The inertial force due to the moving mass is used to produce the secondary force needed to control the vibration of the primary structure. Inertial actuators can show nonlinear behaviour, such as stroke saturation when driven at high input voltages. If the input voltage is beyond their limit, they can hit the end stop of the actuator casing and saturate. In this paper, the force generated by an inertial actuator is measured experimentally and numerical simulations of a linear piecewise stiffness model are carried out and compared with the results of analytical methods. First, a numerical model for a symmetric bilinear stiffness is derived and a parametric study is carried out to investigate the change of the end stop stiffness. In addition, the variation of the amplitude of the excitation is considered and a comparison is made with the analytical solution using the harmonic balance method. Finally, experimental measurements are carried out and the results are compared with simulated data to establish the accuracy of the model. (paper)

Analysis and Compensation of Modulation Angular Rate Error Based on Missile-Borne Rotation Semi-Strapdown Inertial Navigation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiayu Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The Semi-Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SSINS provides a new solution to attitude measurement of a high-speed rotating missile. However, micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS inertial measurement unit (MIMU outputs are corrupted by significant sensor errors. In order to improve the navigation precision, a rotation modulation technology method called Rotation Semi-Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (RSSINS is introduced into SINS. In fact, the stability of the modulation angular rate is difficult to achieve in a high-speed rotation environment. The changing rotary angular rate has an impact on the inertial sensor error self-compensation. In this paper, the influence of modulation angular rate error, including acceleration-deceleration process, and instability of the angular rate on the navigation accuracy of RSSINS is deduced and the error characteristics of the reciprocating rotation scheme are analyzed. A new compensation method is proposed to remove or reduce sensor errors so as to make it possible to maintain high precision autonomous navigation performance by MIMU when there is no external aid. Experiments have been carried out to validate the performance of the method. In addition, the proposed method is applicable for modulation angular rate error compensation under various dynamic conditions.

A spot check for assessing static orientation consistency of inertial and magnetic sensing units.

Science.gov (United States)

Picerno, Pietro; Cereatti, Andrea; Cappozzo, Aurelio

2011-03-01

Despite the widespread use of Magnetic and Inertial Measurement Units (MIMUs) for movement reconstruction, only a few studies have tackled issues related to their accuracy. It has been proved that their performance decreases over a period of use since calibration parameters become no longer effective. Good practice rules recommend to assess, prior to any experimental session, the instrumental errors associated to the relevant measures. Aim of this study was to provide a practical and reproducible spot check for assessing the performance of MIMUs in terms of consistency in determining their orientation with respect to a common (inter-MIMUs consistency, IC) and invariant (self-MIMU consistency, SC) global frame. IC was assessed by verifying the hypothesis that the orientation of 9 MIMUs aligned to each other on a rigid Plexiglas plank coincided at any orientation of the plank. SC was assessed separately by verifying differences between measured and imposed known rotations imparted to each MIMU. The orientation of MIMUs relative to the global frame was expressed in terms of quaternion. IC test showed that MIMUs defined their orientation differently. This difference was not constant but varied according to the plank's orientation. The least consistent MIMU showed discrepancy up to 5.7°. SC test confirmed the same MIMU as that affected by the highest inaccuracy (8.4°), whereas it revealed errors within limits (1°) in correspondence to other MIMUs. A tool has been proposed that allows the users to be aware of the errors that may be expected when using MIMUs for the estimate of absolute and relative segments kinematics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inertial fusion energy; L'energie de fusion inertielle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decroisette, M.; Andre, M.; Bayer, C.; Juraszek, D. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, Dir. des Systemes d' Information (CEA/DIF), 91 (France); Le Garrec, B. [CEA Centre d' Etudes Scientifiques et Techniques d' Aquitaine, 33 - Le Barp (France); Deutsch, C. [Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France); Migus, A. [Institut d' Optique Centre scientifique, 91 - Orsay (France)

2005-07-01

We first recall the scientific basis of inertial fusion and then describe a generic fusion reactor with the different components: the driver, the fusion chamber, the material treatment unit, the target factory and the turbines. We analyse the options proposed at the present time for the driver and for target irradiation scheme giving the state of art for each approach. We conclude by the presentation of LMJ (laser Megajoule) and NIF (national ignition facility) projects. These facilities aim to demonstrate the feasibility of laboratory DT ignition, first step toward Inertial Fusion Energy. (authors)

A compact, large-range interferometer for precision measurement and inertial sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, S. J.; Collins, C. J.; Green, A. C.; Hoyland, D.; Speake, C. C.; Freise, A.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.

2018-05-01

We present a compact, fibre-coupled interferometer with high sensitivity and a large working range. We propose to use this interferometer as a readout mechanism for future inertial sensors, removing a major limiting noise source, and in precision positioning systems. The interferometer’s peak sensitivity is 2 × 10-{14} m \\sqrt{Hz-1} at 70 Hz and 7 × 10-{11} m \\sqrt{Hz-1} at 10 mHz. If deployed on a GS-13 geophone, the resulting inertial sensing output will be limited by the suspension thermal noise of the reference mass from 10 mHz to 2 Hz.

Experimental results on advanced inertial fusion schemes obtained within the HiPER project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batani, Dimitri; Santos, Jorge J.; Schurtz, Guy; Hulin, Sebastien; Ribeyre, Xavier; Nicolai, Philippe; Vauzour, Benjamin; Dorchies, Fabien; Gizzi, Leonida A.; Koester, Petra; Labate, Luca; Honrubia, Javier; Antonelli, Luca; Morace, Alessio; Volpe, Luca; Nazarov, Wiger; Pasley, John; Richetta, Maria; Lancaster, Kate; Spindloe, Christopher; Tolley, Martin; Neely, David; Kozlova, Michaela; Nejdl, Jaroslav; Rus, Bedrich; Wolowski, Jerzy; Badziak, Jan

2012-01-01

This paper presents the results of experiments conducted within the Work Package 10 (fusion experimental programme) of the HiPER project. The aim of these experiments was to study the physics relevant for advanced ignition schemes for inertial confinement fusion, i.e. the fast ignition and the shock ignition. Such schemes allow to achieve a higher fusion gain compared to the indirect drive approach adopted in the National Ignition Facility in United States, which is important for the future inertial fusion energy reactors and for realising the inertial fusion with smaller facilities. (authors)

Theoretical Limits of Lunar Vision Aided Navigation with Inertial Navigation System

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-26

THEORETICAL LIMITS OF LUNAR VISION AIDED NAVIGATION WITH INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM THESIS David W. Jones, Capt, USAF AFIT-ENG-MS-15-M-020 DEPARTMENT...Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENG-MS-15-M-020 THEORETICAL LIMITS OF LUNAR VISION AIDED NAVIGATION WITH...DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. AFIT-ENG-MS-15-M-020 THEORETICAL LIMITS OF LUNAR VISION AIDED NAVIGATION WITH INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM THESIS David W. Jones

Status of the US inertial fusion program and the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crandall, D.H.

1997-01-01

Research programs supported by the United States Office of Inertial Fusion and the NIF are summarized. The US inertial fusion program has developed an approach to high energy density physics and fusion ignition in the laboratory relying on the current physics basis of capsule drive by lasers and on the National Ignition Facility which is under construction. (AIP) copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Patient-reported outcome measures versus inertial performance-based outcome measures: A prospective study in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolink, S A A N; Grimm, B; Heyligers, I C

2015-12-01

Outcome assessment of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by subjective patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) may not fully capture the functional (dis-)abilities of relevance. Objective performance-based outcome measures could provide distinct information. An ambulant inertial measurement unit (IMU) allows kinematic assessment of physical performance and could potentially be used for routine follow-up. To investigate the responsiveness of IMU measures in patients following TKA and compare outcomes with conventional PROMs. Patients with end stage knee OA (n=20, m/f=7/13; age=67.4 standard deviation 7.7 years) were measured preoperatively and one year postoperatively. IMU measures were derived during gait, sit-stand transfers and block step-up transfers. PROMs were assessed by using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Knee Society Score (KSS). Responsiveness was calculated by the effect size, correlations were calculated with Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. One year after TKA, patients performed significantly better at gait, sit-to-stand transfers and block step-up transfers. Measures of time and kinematic IMU measures demonstrated significant improvements postoperatively for each performance-based test. The largest improvement was found in block step-up transfers (effect size=0.56-1.20). WOMAC function score and KSS function score demonstrated moderate correlations (Spearman's rho=0.45-0.74) with some of the physical performance-based measures pre- and postoperatively. To characterize the changes in physical function after TKA, PROMs could be supplemented by performance-based measures, assessing function during different activities and allowing kinematic characterization with an ambulant IMU. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inertial and GPS data integration for positioning and tracking of GPR

Science.gov (United States)

Chicarella, Simone; D'Alvano, Alessandro; Ferrara, Vincenzo; Frezza, Fabrizio; Pajewski, Lara

2015-04-01

Nowadays many applications and studies use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to integrate Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) data [1-2]. The aim is the production of detailed detection maps that are geo-referenced and superimposable on geographic maps themes. GPS provides data to determine static positioning, and to track the mobile detection system path on the land. A low-cost standard GPS, like GPS-622R by RF Solutions Ltd, allows accuracy around 2.5 m CEP (Circular Error Probability), and a maximum update rate of 10 Hz. These accuracy and update rate are satisfying values when we evaluate positioning datum, but they are unsuitable for precision tracking of a speedy-mobile GPR system. In order to determine the relative displacements with respect to an initial position on the territory, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) can be used. Some inertial-system applications for GPR tracking have been presented in recent studies [3-4]. The integration of both GPS and IMU systems is the aim of our work, in order to increase GPR applicability, e.g. the case of a GPR mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle for the detection of people buried under avalanches [5]. In this work, we will present the design, realization and experimental characterization of our electronic board that includes GPS-622R and AltIMU-10 v3 by Pololu. The latter comprises an inertial-measurement unit and an altimeter. In particular, the IMU adopts L3GD20 gyro and LSM303D accelerometer and magnetometer; the digital barometer LPS331AP provides data for altitude evaluation. The prototype of our system for GPR positioning and tracking is based on an Arduino microcontroller board. Acknowledgement This work benefited from networking activities carried out within the EU funded COST Action TU1208 'Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar. ' References [1] M. Solla, X. Núñez-Nieto, M. Varela-González, J. Martínez-Sánchez, and P. Arias, 'GPR for Road Inspection: georeferencing and efficient

Opportunities for measuring wheelchair kinematics in match settings; reliability of a three inertial sensor configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Slikke, R M A; Berger, M A M; Bregman, D J J; Lagerberg, A H; Veeger, H E J

2015-09-18

Knowledge of wheelchair kinematics during a match is prerequisite for performance improvement in wheelchair basketball. Unfortunately, no measurement system providing key kinematic outcomes proved to be reliable in competition. In this study, the reliability of estimated wheelchair kinematics based on a three inertial measurement unit (IMU) configuration was assessed in wheelchair basketball match-like conditions. Twenty participants performed a series of tests reflecting different motion aspects of wheelchair basketball. During the tests wheelchair kinematics were simultaneously measured using IMUs on wheels and frame, and a 24-camera optical motion analysis system serving as gold standard. Results showed only small deviations of the IMU method compared to the gold standard, once a newly developed skid correction algorithm was applied. Calculated Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) showed good estimates for frame displacement (RMSE≤0.05 m) and speed (RMSE≤0.1m/s), except for three truly vigorous tests. Estimates of frame rotation in the horizontal plane (RMSE0.90), rotational speed (ICC>0.99) and IRC (ICC> 0.90) showed high correlations between IMU data and gold standard. IMU based estimation of wheelchair kinematics provided reliable results, except for brief moments of wheel skidding in truly vigorous tests. The IMU method is believed to enable prospective research in wheelchair basketball match conditions and contribute to individual support of athletes in everyday sports practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Galileo spacecraft inertial sensors in-flight calibration design

Science.gov (United States)

Jahanshahi, M. H.; Lai, J. Y.

1983-01-01

The successful navigation of Galileo depends on accurate trajectory correction maneuvers (TCM's) performed during the mission. A set of Inertial Sensor (INS) units, comprised of gyros and accelerometers, mounted on the spacecraft, are utilized to control and monitor the performance of the TCM's. To provide the optimum performance, in-flight calibrations of INS are planned. These calibrations will take place on a regular basis. In this paper, a mathematical description is given of the data reduction technique used in analyzing a typical set of calibration data. The design of the calibration and the inertial sensor error models, necessary for the above analysis, are delineated in detail.

A Highly Automated, Wireless Inertial Measurement Unit Based System for Monitoring Gym-Based Push-Start Training Sessions by Bob-Skeleton Athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark GAFFNEY

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless Inertial Measurement Units (WIMUs are increasingly used to improve our understanding of complex human motion scenarios. In sports this allows for more valid coaching, selection and training methods leading to improved athletic performance. The Push-Start in the Winter Olympic sport of Bob-Skeleton is poorly understood but believed to be critical to performance. At the University of Bath a piece of gym-based equipment called the “Assassin” used by athletes to practice the Push-Start was instrumented with a custom WIMU system to investigate this motion regime. A test subject performed 36 runs, comprising 3 runs at each of 12 combinations of 3 Incline and 4 Weight settings. A developed algorithm automatically identified valid data-files, extracted the Pushing-Phase Acceleration data, and estimated sled Velocity and Displacement. The average velocities derived from an existing Light-Gate and WIMU data-files were comparable, with an average Root Mean Squared Error of 0.105 meters per second over the 52 valid WIMU data-files identified, covering 11 of the 12 Weight and Incline settings. Additional investigation of WIMU data revealed information such as: step count; track incline; and whether weights had been added could be determined, although further verification and validation of these features are required. Such an automated WIMU-based system could replace performance monitoring methods such as Light-Gates, providing higher fidelity performance data, additional information on equipment setup with lower-cost and greater ease-of-use by coaches or athletes. Its portable and modular nature also allow use with other training scenarios or equipment, such as using additional on-body WIMUs, or use with outdoor and ice-track sleds, enabling performance monitoring from the gym to the ice-track for improved candidate selection, comparison and training in Bob-Skeleton and other ice-track based sled sports.

Using Inertial Sensors in Smartphones for Curriculum Experiments of Inertial Navigation Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoji Niu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Inertial technology has been used in a wide range of applications such as guidance, navigation, and motion tracking. However, there are few undergraduate courses that focus on the inertial technology. Traditional inertial navigation systems (INS and relevant testing facilities are expensive and complicated in operation, which makes it inconvenient and risky to perform teaching experiments with such systems. To solve this issue, this paper proposes the idea of using smartphones, which are ubiquitous and commonly contain off-the-shelf inertial sensors, as the experimental devices. A series of curriculum experiments are designed, including the Allan variance test, the calibration test, the initial leveling test and the drift feature test. These experiments are well-selected and can be implemented simply with the smartphones and without any other specialized tools. The curriculum syllabus was designed and tentatively carried out on 14 undergraduate students with a science and engineering background. Feedback from the students show that the curriculum can help them gain a comprehensive understanding of the inertial technology such as calibration and modeling of the sensor errors, determination of the device attitude and accumulation of the sensor errors in the navigation algorithm. The use of inertial sensors in smartphones provides the students the first-hand experiences and intuitive feelings about the function of inertial sensors. Moreover, it can motivate students to utilize ubiquitous low-cost sensors in their future research.

The instantaneous linear motion information measurement method based on inertial sensors for ships

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xu; Huang, Jing; Gao, Chen; Quan, Wei; Li, Ming; Zhang, Yanshun

2018-05-01

Ship instantaneous line motion information is the important foundation for ship control, which needs to be measured accurately. For this purpose, an instantaneous line motion measurement method based on inertial sensors is put forward for ships. By introducing a half-fixed coordinate system to realize the separation between instantaneous line motion and ship master movement, the instantaneous line motion acceleration of ships can be obtained with higher accuracy. Then, the digital high-pass filter is applied to suppress the velocity error caused by the low frequency signal such as schuler period. Finally, the instantaneous linear motion displacement of ships can be measured accurately. Simulation experimental results show that the method is reliable and effective, and can realize the precise measurement of velocity and displacement of instantaneous line motion for ships.

Data analysis of inertial sensor for train positioning detection system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seong Jin; Park, Sung Soo; Lee, Jae Ho; Kang, Dong Hoon [Korea Railroad Research Institute, Uiwang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-15

Train positioning detection information is fundamental for high-speed railroad inspection, making it possible to simultaneously determine the status and evaluate the integrity of railroad equipment. This paper presents the results of measurements and an analysis of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) used as a positioning detection sensors. Acceleration and angular rate measurements from the IMU were analyzed in the amplitude and frequency domains, with a discussion on vibration and train motions. Using these results and GPS information, the positioning detection of a Korean tilting train express was performed from Naju station to Illo station on the Honam-line. The results of a synchronized analysis of sensor measurements and train motion can help in the design of a train location detection system and improve the positioning detection performance.

Inertial navigation without accelerometers

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, M.

The Kennedy-Thorndike (1932) experiment points to the feasibility of fiber-optic inertial velocimeters, to which state-of-the-art technology could furnish substantial sensitivity and accuracy improvements. Velocimeters of this type would obviate the use of both gyros and accelerometers, and allow inertial navigation to be conducted together with vehicle attitude control, through the derivation of rotation rates from the ratios of the three possible velocimeter pairs. An inertial navigator and reference system based on this approach would probably have both fewer components and simpler algorithms, due to the obviation of the first level of integration in classic inertial navigators.

Concurrent validation of an inertial measurement system to quantify kicking biomechanics in four football codes.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Stephanie; Duthie, Grant; Robertson, Sam; Hopkins, William; Ball, Kevin

2018-05-17

Wearable inertial measurement systems (IMS) allow for three-dimensional analysis of human movements in a sport-specific setting. This study examined the concurrent validity of a IMS (Xsens MVN system) for measuring lower extremity and pelvis kinematics in comparison to a Vicon motion analysis system (MAS) during kicking. Thirty footballers from Australian football (n = 10), soccer (n = 10), rugby league and rugby union (n = 10) clubs completed 20 kicks across four conditions. Concurrent validity was assessed using a linear mixed-modelling approach, which allowed the partition of between and within-subject variance from the device measurement error. Results were expressed in raw and standardised units for assessments of differences in means and measurement error, and interpreted via non-clinical magnitude-based inferences. Trivial to small differences were found in linear velocities (foot and pelvis), angular velocities (knee, shank and thigh), sagittal joint (knee and hip) and segment angle (shank and pelvis) means (mean difference: 0.2-5.8%) between the IMS and MAS in Australian football, soccer and the rugby codes. Trivial to small measurement errors (from 0.1 to 5.8%) were found between the IMS and MAS in all kinematic parameters. The IMS demonstrated acceptable levels of concurrent validity compared to a MAS when measuring kicking biomechanics across the four football codes. Wearable IMS offers various benefits over MAS, such as, out-of-laboratory testing, larger measurement range and quick data output, to help improve the ecological validity of biomechanical testing and the timing of feedback. The results advocate the use of IMS to quantify biomechanics of high-velocity movements in sport-specific settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy from inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

This book contains 22 articles on inertial fusion energy (IFE) research and development written in the framework of an international collaboration of authors under the guidance of an advisory group on inertial fusion energy set up in 1991 to advise the IAEA. It describes the actual scientific, engineering and technological developments in the field of inertial confinement fusion (ICF). It also identifies ways in which international co-operation in ICF could be stimulated. The book is intended for a large audience and provides an introduction to inertial fusion energy and an overview of the various technologies needed for IFE power plants to be developed. It contains chapters on (i) the fundamentals of IFE; (ii) inertial confinement target physics; (iii) IFE power plant design principles (requirements for power plant drivers, solid state laser drivers, gas laser drivers, heavy ion drivers, and light ion drivers, target fabrication and positioning, reaction chamber systems, power generation and conditioning and radiation control, materials management and target materials recovery), (iv) special design issues (radiation damage in structural materials, induced radioactivity, laser driver- reaction chamber interfaces, ion beam driver-reaction chamber interfaces), (v) inertial fusion energy development strategy, (vi) safety and environmental impact, (vii) economics and other figures of merit; (viii) other uses of inertial fusion (both those involving and not involving implosions); and (ix) international activities. Refs, figs and tabs

The technology benefits of inertial confinement fusion research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, H.T.

1999-01-01

The development and demonstration of inertial fusion is incredibly challenging because it requires simultaneously controlling and precisely measuring parameters at extreme values in energy, space, and time. The challenges range from building megajoule (10 6 J) drivers that perform with percent-level precision to fabricating targets with submicron specifications to measuring target performance at micron scale (10 -6 m) with picosecond (10 -12 s) time resolution. Over the past 30 years in attempting to meet this challenge, the inertial fusion community around the world has invented new technologies in lasers, particle beams, pulse power drivers, diagnostics, target fabrication, and other areas. These technologies have found applications in diverse fields of industry and science. Moreover, simply assembling the teams with the background, experience, and personal drive to meet the challenging requirements of inertial fusion has led to spin-offs in unexpected directions, for example, in laser isotope separation, extreme ultraviolet lithography for microelectronics, compact and inexpensive radars, advanced laser materials processing, and medical technology. The experience of inertial fusion research and development of spinning off technologies has not been unique to any one laboratory or country but has been similar in main research centers in the US, Europe, and Japan. Strengthening and broadening the inertial fusion effort to focus on creating a new source of electrical power (inertial fusion energy [IFE]) that is economically competitive and environmentally benign will yield rich rewards in technology spin-offs. The additional challenges presented by IFE are to make drivers affordable, efficient, and long-lived while operating at a repetition rate of a few Hertz; to make fusion targets that perform consistently at high-fusion yield; and to create target chambers that can repetitively handle greater than 100-MJ yields while producing minimal radioactive by

Using Inertial Sensors in Smartphones for Curriculum Experiments of Inertial Navigation Technology

OpenAIRE

Niu, Xiaoji; Wang, Qingjiang; Li, You; Li, Qingli; Liu, Jingnan

2015-01-01

Inertial technology has been used in a wide range of applications such as guidance, navigation, and motion tracking. However, there are few undergraduate courses that focus on the inertial technology. Traditional inertial navigation systems (INS) and relevant testing facilities are expensive and complicated in operation, which makes it inconvenient and risky to perform teaching experiments with such systems. To solve this issue, this paper proposes the idea of using smartphones, which are ubi...

Design of an intelligent flight instrumentation unit using embedded RTOS

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada-Marmolejo, R.; García-Torales, G.; Torres-Ortega, H. H.; Flores, J. L.

2011-09-01

Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MUAV) must calculate its spatial position to control the flight dynamics, which is done by Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). MEMS Inertial sensors have made possible to reduce the size and power consumption of such units. Commonly the flight instrumentation operates independently of the main processor. This work presents an instrumentation block design, which reduces size and power consumption of the complete system of a MUAV. This is done by coupling the inertial sensors to the main processor without considering any intermediate level of processing aside. Using Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) reduces the number of intermediate components, increasing MUAV reliability. One advantage is the possibility to control several different sensors with a single communication bus. This feature of the MEMS sensors makes a smaller and less complex MUAV design possible.

Validation of an Inertial Sensor System for Swing Analysis in Golf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Lückemann

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Wearable inertial sensor systems are an upcoming tool for self-evaluation in sports, and can be used for swing analysis in golf. The aim of this work was to determine the validity and repeatability of an inertial sensor system attached to a player’s glove using a radar system as a reference. 20 subjects performed five full swings with each of three different clubs (wood, 7-iron, wedge. Clubhead speed was measured simultaneously by both sensor systems. Limits of Agreement were used to determine the accuracy and precision of the inertial sensor system. Results show that the inertial sensor system is quite accurate but with a lack of precision. Random error was quantified to approximately 17 km/h. The measurement error was dependent on the club type and was weakly negatively correlated to the magnitude of clubhead speed.

Model-based extended quaternion Kalman filter to inertial orientation tracking of arbitrary kinematic chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczęsna, Agnieszka; Pruszowski, Przemysław

2016-01-01

Inertial orientation tracking is still an area of active research, especially in the context of out-door, real-time, human motion capture. Existing systems either propose loosely coupled tracking approaches where each segment is considered independently, taking the resulting drawbacks into account, or tightly coupled solutions that are limited to a fixed chain with few segments. Such solutions have no flexibility to change the skeleton structure, are dedicated to a specific set of joints, and have high computational complexity. This paper describes the proposal of a new model-based extended quaternion Kalman filter that allows for estimation of orientation based on outputs from the inertial measurements unit sensors. The filter considers interdependencies resulting from the construction of the kinematic chain so that the orientation estimation is more accurate. The proposed solution is a universal filter that does not predetermine the degree of freedom at the connections between segments of the model. To validation the motion of 3-segments single link pendulum captured by optical motion capture system is used. The next step in the research will be to use this method for inertial motion capture with a human skeleton model.

The development and validation of using inertial sensors to monitor postural change in resistance exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleadhill, Sam; Lee, James Bruce; James, Daniel

2016-05-03

This research presented and validated a method of assessing postural changes during resistance exercise using inertial sensors. A simple lifting task was broken down to a series of well-defined tasks, which could be examined and measured in a controlled environment. The purpose of this research was to determine whether timing measures obtained from inertial sensor accelerometer outputs are able to provide accurate, quantifiable information of resistance exercise movement patterns. The aim was to complete a timing measure validation of inertial sensor outputs. Eleven participants completed five repetitions of 15 different deadlift variations. Participants were monitored with inertial sensors and an infrared three dimensional motion capture system. Validation was undertaken using a Will Hopkins Typical Error of the Estimate, with a Pearson׳s correlation and a Bland Altman Limits of Agreement analysis. Statistical validation measured the timing agreement during deadlifts, from inertial sensor outputs and the motion capture system. Timing validation results demonstrated a Pearson׳s correlation of 0.9997, with trivial standardised error (0.026) and standardised bias (0.002). Inertial sensors can now be used in practical settings with as much confidence as motion capture systems, for accelerometer timing measurements of resistance exercise. This research provides foundations for inertial sensors to be applied for qualitative activity recognition of resistance exercise and safe lifting practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extended Kalman filter-based methods for pose estimation using visual, inertial and magnetic sensors: comparative analysis and performance evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ligorio, Gabriele; Sabatini, Angelo Maria

2013-02-04

In this paper measurements from a monocular vision system are fused with inertial/magnetic measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) rigidly connected to the camera. Two Extended Kalman filters (EKFs) were developed to estimate the pose of the IMU/camera sensor moving relative to a rigid scene (ego-motion), based on a set of fiducials. The two filters were identical as for the state equation and the measurement equations of the inertial/magnetic sensors. The DLT-based EKF exploited visual estimates of the ego-motion using a variant of the Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) method; the error-driven EKF exploited pseudo-measurements based on the projection errors from measured two-dimensional point features to the corresponding three-dimensional fiducials. The two filters were off-line analyzed in different experimental conditions and compared to a purely IMU-based EKF used for estimating the orientation of the IMU/camera sensor. The DLT-based EKF was more accurate than the error-driven EKF, less robust against loss of visual features, and equivalent in terms of computational complexity. Orientation root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 1° (1.5°), and position RMSEs of 3.5 mm (10 mm) were achieved in our experiments by the DLT-based EKF (error-driven EKF); by contrast, orientation RMSEs of 1.6° were achieved by the purely IMU-based EKF.

Design Issues for MEMS-Based Pedestrian Inertial Navigation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. S. Marinushkin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes design issues for MEMS-based pedestrian inertial navigation systems. By now the algorithms to estimate navigation parameters for strap-down inertial navigation systems on the basis of plural observations have been already well developed. At the same time mathematical and software processing of information in the case of pedestrian inertial navigation systems has its specificity, due to the peculiarities of their functioning and exploitation. Therefore, there is an urgent task to enhance existing fusion algorithms for use in pedestrian navigation systems. For this purpose the article analyzes the characteristics of the hardware composition and configuration of existing systems of this class. The paper shows advantages of various technical solutions. Relying on their main features it justifies a choice of the navigation system architecture and hardware composition enabling improvement of the estimation accuracy of user position as compared to the systems using only inertial sensors. The next point concerns the development of algorithms for complex processing of heterogeneous information. To increase an accuracy of the free running pedestrian inertial navigation system we propose an adaptive algorithm for joint processing of heterogeneous information based on the fusion of inertial info rmation with magnetometer measurements using EKF approach. Modeling of the algorithm was carried out using a specially developed functional prototype of pedestrian inertial navigation system, implemented as a hardware/software complex in Matlab environment. The functional prototype tests of the developed system demonstrated an improvement of the navigation parameters estimation compared to the systems based on inertial sensors only. It enables to draw a conclusion that the synthesized algorithm provides satisfactory accuracy for calculating the trajectory of motion even when using low-grade inertial MEMS sensors. The developed algorithm can be

Design of the Wendelstein 7-X inertially cooled Test Divertor Unit Scraper Element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumsdaine, Arnold, E-mail: lumsdainea@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Boscary, Jean [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany); Fellinger, Joris [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany); Harris, Jeff [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Hölbe, Hauke; König, Ralf [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Greifswald (Germany); Lore, Jeremy; McGinnis, Dean [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Neilson, Hutch; Titus, Peter [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Princeton, NJ (United States); Tretter, Jörg [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching (Germany)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • The justification for the installation of the Test Divertor Unit Scraper Element is given. • Specially designed operational scenarios for the component are presented. • Plans for the design of the component are detailed. - Abstract: The Wendelstein 7-X stellarator is scheduled to begin operation in 2015, and to achieve full power steady-state operation in 2019. Computational simulations have indicated that for certain plasma configurations in the steady-state operation, the ends of the divertor targets may receive heat fluxes beyond their qualified technological limit. To address this issue, a high heat-flux “scraper element” (HHF-SE) has been designed that can protect the sensitive divertor target region. The surface profile of the HHF-SE has been carefully designed to meet challenging engineering requirements and severe spatial limitations through an iterative process involving physics simulations, engineering analysis, and computer aided design rendering. The desire to examine how the scraper element interacts with the plasma, both in terms of how it protects the divertor, and how it affects the neutral pumping efficiency, has led to the consideration of installing an inertially cooled version during the short pulse operation phase. This Test Divertor Unit Scraper Element (TDU-SE) would replicate the surface profile of the HHF-SE. The design and instrumentation of this component must be completed carefully in order to satisfy the requirements of the machine operation, as well as to support the possible installation of the HHF-SE for steady-state operation.

Spin transport in non-inertial frame

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chowdhury, Debashree, E-mail: debashreephys@gmail.com; Basu, B., E-mail: sribbasu@gmail.com

2014-09-01

The influence of acceleration and rotation on spintronic applications is theoretically investigated. In our formulation, considering a Dirac particle in a non-inertial frame, different spin related aspects are studied. The spin current appearing due to the inertial spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is enhanced by the interband mixing of the conduction and valence band states. Importantly, one can achieve a large spin current through the k{sup →}.p{sup →} method in this non-inertial frame. Furthermore, apart from the inertial SOC term due to acceleration, for a particular choice of the rotation frequency, a new kind of SOC term can be obtained from the spin rotation coupling (SRC). This new kind of SOC is of Dresselhaus type and controllable through the rotation frequency. In the field of spintronic applications, utilizing the inertial SOC and SRC induced SOC term, theoretical proposals for the inertial spin filter, inertial spin galvanic effect are demonstrated. Finally, one can tune the spin relaxation time in semiconductors by tuning the non-inertial parameters.

Motor unit activity when young and old adults perform steady contractions while supporting an inertial load

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, Jeffrey R.; Enoka, Roger M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to compare the discharge characteristics of biceps brachii motor units of young and old adults when they performed steady, submaximal contractions while the arm supported different inertial loads. Young (28 ± 4 yr; n = 16) and old (75 ± 4 yr; n = 14) adults performed steady contractions with the elbow flexors at target forces set at either small (11.7 ± 4.4% maximum) or large (17.8 ± 6.5% maximum) differences below the recruitment threshold force of the motor unit (n = 40). The task was to maintain an elbow angle at 1.57 rad until the motor unit was recruited and discharged action potentials for ∼120 s. Time to recruitment was longer for the larger target force difference (187 ± 227 s vs. 23 ± 46 s, P recruited, motor units discharged action potentials either repetitively or intermittently, with a greater proportion of motor units exhibiting the repetitive pattern for old adults. Discharge rate at recruitment and during the steady contraction was similar for the two target force differences for old adults but was greater for the small target force difference for young adults. Discharge variability was similar at recruitment for the two age groups but less for the old adults during the steady contraction. The greatest difference between the present results and those reported previously when the arm pulled against a rigid restraint was that old adults modulated discharge rate less than young adults across the two contraction intensities for both load types. PMID:23221403

A Complete Design Flow of a General Purpose Wireless GPS/Inertial Platform for Motion Data Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Borgese

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This work illustrates a complete design flow of an electronic system developed to support applications in which there are the need to measure motion parameters and transmit them to a remote unit for real-time teleprocessing. In order to be useful in many operative contexts, the system is flexible, compact, and lightweight. It integrates a tri-axial inertial sensor, a GPS module, a wireless transceiver and can drive a pocket camera. Data acquisition and packetization are handled in order to increase data throughput on Radio Bridge and to minimize power consumption. A trajectory reconstruction algorithm, implementing the Kalman-filter technique, allows obtaining real-time body tracking using only inertial sensors. Thanks to a graphical user interface it is possible to remotely control the system operations and to display the motion data.

INERTIAL TECHNOLOGIES IN SYSTEMS FOR STABILIZATION OF GROUND VEHICLES EQUIPMENT

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Olha Sushchenko

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The vibratory inertial technology is a recent modern inertial technology. It represents the most perspective approach to design of inertial sensors, which can be used in stabilization and tracking systems operated on vehicles of the wide class. The purpose of the research is to consider advantages of this technology in comparison with laser and fiber-optic ones. Operation of the inertial sensors on the ground vehicles requires some improvement of the Coriolis vibratory gyroscope with the goal to simplify information processing, increase reliability, and compensate bias. Methods: Improvement of the Coriolis vibratory gyroscope includes introducing of the phase detector and additional excitation unit. The possibility to use the improved Coriolis vibratory gyroscope in the stabilization systems operated on the ground vehicles is shown by means of analysis of gyroscope output signal. To prove efficiency of the Coriolis vibratory gyroscope in stabilization system the simulation technique is used. Results: The scheme of the improved Coriolis vibratory gyroscope including the phase detector and additional excitation unit is developed and analyzed. The way to compensate bias is determined. Simulation of the stabilization system with the improved Coriolis vibratory gyroscope is carried out. Expressions for the output signals of the improved Coriolis vibratory gyroscope are derived. The error of the output signal is estimated and the possibility to use the modified Coriolis vibratory gyroscope in stabilization systems is proved. The results of stabilization system simulation are given. Their analysis is carried out. Conclusions: The represented results prove efficiency of the proposed technical decisions. They can be useful for design of stabilization platform with instrumental equipment operated on moving vehicles of the wide class.

Magneto-inertial Fusion: An Emerging Concept for Inertial Fusion and Dense Plasmas in Ultrahigh Magnetic Fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thio, Francis Y.C.

2008-01-01

An overview of the U.S. program in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) is given in terms of its technical rationale, scientific goals, vision, research plans, needs, and the research facilities currently available in support of the program. Magneto-inertial fusion is an emerging concept for inertial fusion and a pathway to the study of dense plasmas in ultrahigh magnetic fields (magnetic fields in excess of 500 T). The presence of magnetic field in an inertial fusion target suppresses cross-field thermal transport and potentially could enable more attractive inertial fusion energy systems. A vigorous program in magnetized high energy density laboratory plasmas (HED-LP) addressing the scientific basis of magneto-inertial fusion has been initiated by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy involving a number of universities, government laboratories and private institutions.

Vision and dual IMU integrated attitude measurement system

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiaoting; Sun, Changku; Wang, Peng; Lu, Huang

2018-01-01

To determination relative attitude between two space objects on a rocking base, an integrated system based on vision and dual IMU (inertial determination unit) is built up. The determination system fuses the attitude information of vision with the angular determinations of dual IMU by extended Kalman filter (EKF) to obtain the relative attitude. One IMU (master) is attached to the measured motion object and the other (slave) to the rocking base. As the determination output of inertial sensor is relative to inertial frame, thus angular rate of the master IMU includes not only motion of the measured object relative to inertial frame but also the rocking base relative to inertial frame, where the latter can be seen as redundant harmful movement information for relative attitude determination between the measured object and the rocking base. The slave IMU here assists to remove the motion information of rocking base relative to inertial frame from the master IMU. The proposed integrated attitude determination system is tested on practical experimental platform. And experiment results with superior precision and reliability show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed attitude determination system.

Transformations between inertial and linearly accelerated frames of reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashworth, D.G.

1983-01-01

Transformation equations between inertial and linearly accelerated frames of reference are derived and these transformation equations are shown to be compatible, where applicable, with those of special relativity. The physical nature of an accelerated frame of reference is unambiguously defined by means of an equation which relates the velocity of all points within the accelerated frame of reference to measurements made in an inertial frame of reference. (author)

A New Calibration Methodology for Thorax and Upper Limbs Motion Capture in Children Using Magneto and Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Ricci

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recent advances in wearable sensor technologies for motion capture have produced devices, mainly based on magneto and inertial measurement units (M-IMU, that are now suitable for out-of-the-lab use with children. In fact, the reduced size, weight and the wireless connectivity meet the requirement of minimum obtrusivity and give scientists the possibility to analyze children’s motion in daily life contexts. Typical use of magneto and inertial measurement units (M-IMU motion capture systems is based on attaching a sensing unit to each body segment of interest. The correct use of this setup requires a specific calibration methodology that allows mapping measurements from the sensors’ frames of reference into useful kinematic information in the human limbs’ frames of reference. The present work addresses this specific issue, presenting a calibration protocol to capture the kinematics of the upper limbs and thorax in typically developing (TD children. The proposed method allows the construction, on each body segment, of a meaningful system of coordinates that are representative of real physiological motions and that are referred to as functional frames (FFs. We will also present a novel cost function for the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm, to retrieve the rotation matrices between each sensor frame (SF and the corresponding FF. Reported results on a group of 40 children suggest that the method is repeatable and reliable, opening the way to the extensive use of this technology for out-of-the-lab motion capture in children.

Prospects for x-ray polarimetry measurements of magnetic fields in magnetized liner inertial fusion plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynn, Alan G; Gilmore, Mark

2014-11-01

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments, where a metal liner is imploded to compress a magnetized seed plasma may generate peak magnetic fields ∼10(4) T (100 Megagauss) over small volumes (∼10(-10)m(3)) at high plasma densities (∼10(28)m(-3)) on 100 ns time scales. Such conditions are extremely challenging to diagnose. We discuss the possibility of, and issues involved in, using polarimetry techniques at x-ray wavelengths to measure magnetic fields under these extreme conditions.

Wearable Inertial Sensors Allow for Quantitative Assessment of Shoulder and Elbow Kinematics in a Cadaveric Knee Arthroscopy Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Michael; Curtze, Carolin; O'Sullivan, Joseph; El-Gohary, Mahmoud; Crawford, Dennis; Friess, Darin; Brady, Jacqueline M

2017-12-01

To develop a model using wearable inertial sensors to assess the performance of orthopaedic residents while performing a diagnostic knee arthroscopy. Fourteen subjects performed a diagnostic arthroscopy on a cadaveric right knee. Participants were divided into novices (5 postgraduate year 3 residents), intermediates (5 postgraduate year 4 residents), and experts (4 faculty) based on experience. Arm movement data were collected by inertial measurement units (Opal sensors) by securing 2 sensors to each upper extremity (dorsal forearm and lateral arm) and 2 sensors to the trunk (sternum and lumbar spine). Kinematics of the elbow and shoulder joints were calculated from the inertial data by biomechanical modeling based on a sequence of links connected by joints. Range of motion required to complete the procedure was calculated for each group. Histograms were used to compare the distribution of joint positions for an expert, intermediate, and novice. For both the right and left upper extremities, skill level corresponded well with shoulder abduction-adduction and elbow prono-supination. Novices required on average 17.2° more motion in the right shoulder abduction-adduction plane than experts to complete the diagnostic arthroscopy (P = .03). For right elbow prono-supination (probe hand), novices required on average 23.7° more motion than experts to complete the procedure (P = .03). Histogram data showed novices had markedly more variability in shoulder abduction-adduction and elbow prono-supination compared with the other groups. Our data show wearable inertial sensors can measure joint kinematics during diagnostic knee arthroscopy. Range-of-motion data in the shoulder and elbow correlated inversely with arthroscopic experience. Motion pattern-based analysis shows promise as a metric of resident skill acquisition and development in arthroscopy. Wearable inertial sensors show promise as metrics of arthroscopic skill acquisition among residents. Copyright © 2017

Human pose recovery using wireless inertial measurement units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Jonathan F S; Kulić, Dana

2012-01-01

Many applications in rehabilitation and sports training require the assessment of the patient’s status based on observation of their movement. Small wireless sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, can be utilized to provide a quantitative measure of the human movement for assessment. In this paper, a kinematics-based approach is developed to estimate human leg posture and velocity from wearable sensors during the performance of typical physiotherapy and training exercises. The proposed approach uses an extended Kalman filter to estimate joint angles from accelerometer and gyroscopic data and is capable of recovering joint angles from arbitrary 3D motion. Additional joint limit constraints are implemented to reduce drift, and an automated approach is developed for estimating and adapting the process noise during online estimation. The approach is validated through a user study consisting of 20 subjects performing knee and hip rehabilitation exercises. When compared to motion capture, the approach achieves an average root-mean-square error of 4.27 cm for unconstrained motion, with an average joint error of 6.5°. The average root-mean-square error is 3.31 cm for sagittal planar motion, with an average joint error of 4.3°. (paper)

Magnetic distortion in motion labs, implications for validating inertial magnetic sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, W.H.; Veeger, H.E.J.; Baten, C.T.M.; Helm, F.C.

2009-01-01

Background: Ambulatory 3D orientation estimation with Inertial Magnetic Sensor Units (IMU's) use the earth magnetic field. The magnitude of distortion in orientation in a standard equipped motion lab and its effect on the accuracy of the orientation estimation with IMU's is addressed. Methods:

Magnetic distortion in motion labs, implications for validating inertial magnetic sensors.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, W.H. de; Veeger, H.E.; Baten, C.T.; Helm, F.C.T. van der

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory 3D orientation estimation with Inertial Magnetic Sensor Units (IMU's) use the earth magnetic field. The magnitude of distortion in orientation in a standard equipped motion lab and its effect on the accuracy of the orientation estimation with IMU's is addressed. METHODS:

Performance requirements of an inertial-fusion-energy source for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovingh, J.

1983-01-01

Performance of an inertial fusion system for the production of hydrogen is compared to a tandem-mirror-system hydrogen producer. Both systems use the General Atomic sulfur-iodine hydrogen-production cycle and produce no net electric power to the grid. An ICF-driven hydrogen producer will have higher system gains and lower electrical-consumption ratios than the design point for the tandem-mirror system if the inertial-fusion-energy gain eta Q > 8.8. For the ICF system to have a higher hydrogen production rate per unit fusion power than the tandem-mirror system requires that eta Q > 17. These can be achieved utilizing realistic laser and pellet performances

Inertial acceleration as a measure of linear vection: An alternative to magnitude estimation. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter-Smith, Theodore R.; Futamura, Robert G.; Parker, Donald E.

1995-01-01

The present study focused on the development of a procedure to assess perceived self-motion induced by visual surround motion - vection. Using an apparatus that permitted independent control of visual and inertial stimuli, prone observers were translated along their head x-axis (fore/aft). The observers' task was to report the direction of self-motion during passive forward and backward translations of their bodies coupled with exposure to various visual surround conditions. The proportion of 'forward' responses was used to calculate each observer's point of subjective equality (PSE) for each surround condition. The results showed that the moving visual stimulus produced a significant shift in the PSE when data from the moving surround condition were compared with the stationary surround and no-vision condition. Further, the results indicated that vection increased monotonically with surround velocities between 4 and 40/s. It was concluded that linear vection can be measured in terms of changes in the amplitude of whole-body inertial acceleration required to elicit equivalent numbers of 'forward' and 'backward' self-motion reports.

Evaluation of event-based algorithms for optical flow with ground-truth from inertial measurement sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodo eRückauer

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this study we compare nine optical flow algorithms that locally measure the flow normal to edges according to accuracy and computation cost. In contrast to conventional, frame-based motion flow algorithms, our open-source implementations compute optical flow based on address-events from a neuromorphic Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS. For this benchmarking we created a dataset of two synthesized and three real samples recorded from a 240x180 pixel Dynamic and Active-pixel Vision Sensor (DAVIS. This dataset contains events from the DVS as well as conventional frames to support testing state-of-the-art frame-based methods. We introduce a new source for the ground truth: In the special case that the perceived motion stems solely from a rotation of the vision sensor around its three camera axes, the true optical flow can be estimated using gyro data from the inertial measurement unit integrated with the DAVIS camera. This provides a ground-truth to which we can compare algorithms that measure optical flow by means of motion cues. An analysis of error sources led to the use of a refractory period, more accurate numerical derivatives and a Savitzky-Golay filter to achieve significant improvements in accuracy. Our pure Java implementations of two recently published algorithms reduce computational cost by up to 29% compared to the original implementations. Two of the algorithms introduced in this paper further speed up processing by a factor of 10 compared with the original implementations, at equal or better accuracy. On a desktop PC, they run in real-time on dense natural input recorded by a DAVIS camera.

Inertial mass of a superconducting vortex

OpenAIRE

Chudnovsky, E. M.; Kuklov, A. B.

2003-01-01

We show that a large contribution to the inertial mass of a moving superconducting vortex comes from transversal displacements of the crystal lattice. The corresponding part of the mass per unit length of the vortex line is $M_{l} = ({\\rm m}_e^2c^{2}/64{\\pi}{\\alpha}^{2}{\\mu}{\\lambda}_{L}^{4})\\ln({\\lambda}_{L}/{\\xi})$ , where ${\\rm m}_{e}$ is the the bare electron mass, $c$ is the speed of light, ${\\alpha}=e^{2}/{\\hbar}c {\\approx} 1/137$ is the fine structure constant, ${\\mu}$ is the shear mod...

A Novel Kalman Filter for Human Motion Tracking With an Inertial-Based Dynamic Inclinometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ligorio, Gabriele; Sabatini, Angelo M

2015-08-01

Design and development of a linear Kalman filter to create an inertial-based inclinometer targeted to dynamic conditions of motion. The estimation of the body attitude (i.e., the inclination with respect to the vertical) was treated as a source separation problem to discriminate the gravity and the body acceleration from the specific force measured by a triaxial accelerometer. The sensor fusion between triaxial gyroscope and triaxial accelerometer data was performed using a linear Kalman filter. Wrist-worn inertial measurement unit data from ten participants were acquired while performing two dynamic tasks: 60-s sequence of seven manual activities and 90 s of walking at natural speed. Stereophotogrammetric data were used as a reference. A statistical analysis was performed to assess the significance of the accuracy improvement over state-of-the-art approaches. The proposed method achieved, on an average, a root mean square attitude error of 3.6° and 1.8° in manual activities and locomotion tasks (respectively). The statistical analysis showed that, when compared to few competing methods, the proposed method improved the attitude estimation accuracy. A novel Kalman filter for inertial-based attitude estimation was presented in this study. A significant accuracy improvement was achieved over state-of-the-art approaches, due to a filter design that better matched the basic optimality assumptions of Kalman filtering. Human motion tracking is the main application field of the proposed method. Accurately discriminating the two components present in the triaxial accelerometer signal is well suited for studying both the rotational and the linear body kinematics.

Prospect for inertial fusion energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, C.

1994-01-01

This paper presents recent inertial fusion experiments at Osaka. The inertial fusion energy reactor used for these experiments was designed according to some principles based on environmental, social and safety considerations. (TEC). 1 fig., 1 ref

Inertial wave beams and inertial wave modes in a rotating cylinder with time-modulated rotation rate

Science.gov (United States)

Borcia, Ion D.; Ghasemi V., Abouzar; Harlander, Uwe

2014-05-01

Inertial gravity waves play an crucial role in atmospheres, oceans, and the fluid inside of planets and moons. In the atmosphere, the effect of rotation is neglected for small wavelength and the waves bear the character of internal gravity waves. For long waves, the hydrostatic assumption is made which in turn makes the atmosphere inelastic with respect to inertial motion. In contrast, in the Earth's interior, pure inertial waves are considered as an important fundamental part of the motion. Moreover, as the deep ocean is nearly homogeneous, there the inertial gravity waves bear the character of inertial waves. Excited at the oceans surface mainly due to weather systems the waves can propagate downward and influence the deep oceans motion. In the light of the aforesaid it is important to understand better fundamental inertial wave dynamics. We investigate inertial wave modes by experimental and numerical methods. Inertial modes are excited in a fluid filled rotating annulus by modulating the rotation rate of the outer cylinder and the upper and lower lids. This forcing leads to inertial wave beams emitted from the corner regions of the annulus due to periodic motions in the boundary layers (Klein et al., 2013). When the forcing frequency matches with the eigenfrequency of the rotating annulus the beam pattern amplitude is increasing, the beams broaden and mode structures can be observed (Borcia et al., 2013a). The eigenmodes are compared with analytical solutions of the corresponding inviscid problem (Borcia et al, 2013b). In particular for the pressure field a good agreement can be found. However, shear layers related to the excited wave beams are present for all frequencies. This becomes obvious in particular in the experimental visualizations that are done by using Kalliroscope particles, highlighting relative motion in the fluid. Comparing the eigenfrequencies we find that relative to the analytical frequencies, the experimental and numerical ones show a small

Nuclear diagnostics for inertial confinement fusion implosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, T.J.

1997-01-01

This abstract contains viewgraphs on nuclear diagnostic techniques for inertial confinement fusion implosions. The viewgraphs contain information on: reactions of interest in ICF; advantages and disadvantages of these methods; the properties nuclear techniques can measure; and some specifics on the detectors used

Fiber scintillator/streak camera detector for burn history measurement in inertial confinement fusion experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyanaga, N.; Ohba, N.; Fujimoto, K.

1997-01-01

To measure the burn history in an inertial confinement fusion experiment, we have developed a new neutron detector based on plastic scintillation fibers. Twenty-five fiber scintillators were arranged in a geometry compensation configuration by which the time-of-flight difference of the neutrons is compensated by the transit time difference of light passing through the fibers. Each fiber scintillator is spliced individually to an ultraviolet optical fiber that is coupled to a streak camera. We have demonstrated a significant improvement of sensitivity compared with the usual bulk scintillator coupled to a bundle of the same ultraviolet fibers. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

On inertial range scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowman, J.C.

1994-12-01

Inertial-range scaling laws for two- and three-dimensional turbulence are re-examined within a unified framework. A new correction to Kolmogorov's k -5/3 scaling is derived for the energy inertial range. A related modification is found to Kraichnan's logarithmically corrected two-dimensional enstrophy cascade law that removes its unexpected divergence at the injection wavenumber. The significance of these corrections is illustrated with steady-state energy spectra from recent high-resolution closure computations. The results also underscore the asymptotic nature of inertial-range scaling laws. Implications for conventional numerical simulations are discussed

Actuation stability test of the LISA pathfinder inertial sensor front-end electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Mance, Davor; Gan, Li; Weber, Bill; Weber, Franz; Zweifel, Peter

In order to limit the residual stray forces on the inertial sensor test mass in LISA pathfinder, √ it is required that the fluctuation of the test mass actuation voltage is within 2ppm/ Hz. The actuation voltage stability test on the flight hardware of the inertial sensor front-end electronics (IS FEE) is presented in this paper. This test is completed during the inertial sensor integration at EADS Astrium Friedrichshafen, Germany. The standard measurement method using voltmeter is not sufficient for verification, since the instrument low frequency √ fluctuation is higher than the 2ppm/ Hz requirement. In this test, by using the differential measurement method and the lock-in amplifier, the actuation stability performance is verified and the quality of the IS FEE hardware is confirmed by the test results.

Estimation of the center of rotation using wearable magneto-inertial sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Crabolu, M; Pani, D; Raffo, L; Cereatti, A

2016-12-08

Determining the center of rotation (CoR) of joints is fundamental to the field of human movement analysis. CoR can be determined using a magneto-inertial measurement unit (MIMU) using a functional approach requiring a calibration exercise. We systematically investigated the influence of different experimental conditions that can affect precision and accuracy while estimating the CoR, such as (a) angular joint velocity, (b) distance between the MIMU and the CoR, (c) type of the joint motion implemented, (d) amplitude of the angular range of motion, (e) model of the MIMU used for data recording, (f) amplitude of additive noise on inertial signals, and (g) amplitude of the errors in the MIMU orientation. The evaluation process was articulated at three levels: assessment through experiments using a mechanical device, mathematical simulation, and an analytical propagation model of the noise. The results reveal that joint angular velocity significantly impacted CoR identification, and hence, slow joint movement should be avoided. An accurate estimation of the MIMU orientation is also fundamental for accurately subtracting the contribution owing to gravity to obtain the coordinate acceleration. The unit should be preferably attached close to the CoR, but both type and range of motion do not appear to be critical. When the proposed methodology is correctly implemented, error in the CoR estimates is expected to be <3mm (best estimates=2±0.5mm). The findings of the present study foster the need to further investigate this methodology for application in human subjects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of inertial currents observed in offshore wave records

Science.gov (United States)

Gemmrich, J.; Garrett, C.

2012-04-01

It is well known that ambient currents can change the amplitude, direction and frequency of ocean surface waves. Regions with persistent strong currents, such as the Agulhas current off the east coast of South Africa, are known as areas of extreme waves, and wave height modulations of up to 50% observed in the shallow North Sea have been linked to tidal currents. In the open ocean, inertial currents, while intermittent, are typically the most energetic currents with speeds up to 0.5 m/s, and can interact with the surface wave field to create wave modulation, though this has not previously been reported. We use long records of significant wave heights from buoy observations in the northeast Pacific and show evidence of significant modulation at frequencies that are slightly higher than the local inertial frequency. Quite apart from the relevance to surface waves, this result can provide a consistent and independent measurement, over a wide range of latitudes, of the frequency blue-shift, the strength and intermittency of ocean surface inertial currents. Near-inertial waves constitute the most energetic portion of the internal wave band and play a significant role in deep ocean mixing. So far, observational data on near-surface inertial currents has tended to come from short records that do not permit the reliable determination of the frequency blue-shift, though this is an important factor affecting the energy flux from the surface into deeper waters. Long records from routine wave height observations are widely available and could help to shed new light globally on the blue-shift and on the characteristics of inertial currents.

A Rigorous Temperature-Dependent Stochastic Modelling and Testing for MEMS-Based Inertial Sensor Errors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spiros Pagiatakis

2009-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we examine the effect of changing the temperature points on MEMS-based inertial sensor random error. We collect static data under different temperature points using a MEMS-based inertial sensor mounted inside a thermal chamber. Rigorous stochastic models, namely Autoregressive-based Gauss-Markov (AR-based GM models are developed to describe the random error behaviour. The proposed AR-based GM model is initially applied to short stationary inertial data to develop the stochastic model parameters (correlation times. It is shown that the stochastic model parameters of a MEMS-based inertial unit, namely the ADIS16364, are temperature dependent. In addition, field kinematic test data collected at about 17 °C are used to test the performance of the stochastic models at different temperature points in the filtering stage using Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF. It is shown that the stochastic model developed at 20 °C provides a more accurate inertial navigation solution than the ones obtained from the stochastic models developed at −40 °C, −20 °C, 0 °C, +40 °C, and +60 °C. The temperature dependence of the stochastic model is significant and should be considered at all times to obtain optimal navigation solution for MEMS-based INS/GPS integration.

A Rigorous Temperature-Dependent Stochastic Modelling and Testing for MEMS-Based Inertial Sensor Errors.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Diasty, Mohammed; Pagiatakis, Spiros

2009-01-01

In this paper, we examine the effect of changing the temperature points on MEMS-based inertial sensor random error. We collect static data under different temperature points using a MEMS-based inertial sensor mounted inside a thermal chamber. Rigorous stochastic models, namely Autoregressive-based Gauss-Markov (AR-based GM) models are developed to describe the random error behaviour. The proposed AR-based GM model is initially applied to short stationary inertial data to develop the stochastic model parameters (correlation times). It is shown that the stochastic model parameters of a MEMS-based inertial unit, namely the ADIS16364, are temperature dependent. In addition, field kinematic test data collected at about 17 °C are used to test the performance of the stochastic models at different temperature points in the filtering stage using Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). It is shown that the stochastic model developed at 20 °C provides a more accurate inertial navigation solution than the ones obtained from the stochastic models developed at -40 °C, -20 °C, 0 °C, +40 °C, and +60 °C. The temperature dependence of the stochastic model is significant and should be considered at all times to obtain optimal navigation solution for MEMS-based INS/GPS integration.

Review of fall risk assessment in geriatric populations using inertial sensors

OpenAIRE

Howcroft, Jennifer; Kofman, Jonathan; Lemaire, Edward D

2013-01-01

Background Falls are a prevalent issue in the geriatric population and can result in damaging physical and psychological consequences. Fall risk assessment can provide information to enable appropriate interventions for those at risk of falling. Wearable inertial-sensor-based systems can provide quantitative measures indicative of fall risk in the geriatric population. Methods Forty studies that used inertial sensors to evaluate geriatric fall risk were reviewed and pertinent methodological f...

Micro-system inertial sensing technology overview.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, James Joe

2009-02-01

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of Micro-System technology as it applies to inertial sensing. Transduction methods are reviewed with capacitance and piezoresistive being the most often used in COTS Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensors. Optical transduction is the most recent transduction method having significant impact on improving sensor resolution. A few other methods are motioned which are in a R&D status to hopefully allow MEMS inertial sensors to become viable as a navigation grade sensor. The accelerometer, gyroscope and gravity gradiometer are the type of inertial sensors which are reviewed in this report. Their method of operation and a sampling of COTS sensors and grade are reviewed as well.

A test of general relativity using the LARES and LAGEOS satellites and a GRACE Earth gravity model: Measurement of Earth's dragging of inertial frames.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciufolini, Ignazio; Paolozzi, Antonio; Pavlis, Erricos C; Koenig, Rolf; Ries, John; Gurzadyan, Vahe; Matzner, Richard; Penrose, Roger; Sindoni, Giampiero; Paris, Claudio; Khachatryan, Harutyun; Mirzoyan, Sergey

2016-01-01

We present a test of general relativity, the measurement of the Earth's dragging of inertial frames. Our result is obtained using about 3.5 years of laser-ranged observations of the LARES, LAGEOS, and LAGEOS 2 laser-ranged satellites together with the Earth gravity field model GGM05S produced by the space geodesy mission GRACE. We measure [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the Earth's dragging of inertial frames normalized to its general relativity value, 0.002 is the 1-sigma formal error and 0.05 is our preliminary estimate of systematic error mainly due to the uncertainties in the Earth gravity model GGM05S. Our result is in agreement with the prediction of general relativity.

Theory of gravitational-inertial field of universe. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davtyan, O.K.

1978-01-01

Application of the equations of the gravitational-inertial field to the problem of free motion in the inertial field (to the cosmologic problem) leads to results according to which (1) all Galaxies in the Universe 'disperse' from each other according to Hubble's law, (2) the 'dispersion' of bodies represents a free motion in the inertial field and Hubble's law represents a law of motion of free body in the inertial field, (3) for arbitrary mean distribution densities of space masses different from zero the space is Lobachevskian. All critical systems (with Schwarzschild radius) are specific because they exist in maximal-inertial and gravitational potentials. The Universe represents a critical system, it exists under the Schwarzschild radius. In high-potential inertial and gravitational fields the material mass in a static state or in motion with deceleration is subject to an inertial and gravitational 'annihilation'. At the maximal value of inertial and gravitational potentials (= c 2 ) the material mass is being completely 'evaporated' transforming into radiation mass. The latter is being concentrated in the 'horizon' of the critical system. All critical systems-black holes-represent geon systems, i.e. local formations of gravitational-electromagnetic radiations, held together by their own gravitational and inertial fields. The Universe, being a critical system, is 'wrapped' in a geon crown. (author)

A novel visual-inertial monocular SLAM

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Wenjuan; Xu, Li; Liu, JiangGuo

2018-02-01

With the development of sensors and computer vision research community, cameras, which are accurate, compact, wellunderstood and most importantly cheap and ubiquitous today, have gradually been at the center of robot location. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) using visual features, which is a system getting motion information from image acquisition equipment and rebuild the structure in unknown environment. We provide an analysis of bioinspired flights in insects, employing a novel technique based on SLAM. Then combining visual and inertial measurements to get high accuracy and robustness. we present a novel tightly-coupled Visual-Inertial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping system which get a new attempt to address two challenges which are the initialization problem and the calibration problem. experimental results and analysis show the proposed approach has a more accurate quantitative simulation of insect navigation, which can reach the positioning accuracy of centimeter level.

Analysis of Indoor Rowing Motion using Wearable Inertial Sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosch, S.; Shoaib, M.; Geerlings, Stephen; Buit, Lennart; Meratnia, Nirvana; Havinga, Paul J.M.

2015-01-01

In this exploratory work the motion of rowers is analyzed while rowing on a rowing machine. This is performed using inertial sensors that measure the orientation at several positions on the body. Using these measurements, this work provides a preliminary analysis of the differences between

Inertial Motion Capture Costume Design Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Szczęsna

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The paper describes a scalable, wearable multi-sensor system for motion capture based on inertial measurement units (IMUs. Such a unit is composed of accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. The final quality of an obtained motion arises from all the individual parts of the described system. The proposed system is a sequence of the following stages: sensor data acquisition, sensor orientation estimation, system calibration, pose estimation and data visualisation. The construction of the system’s architecture with the dataflow programming paradigm makes it easy to add, remove and replace the data processing steps. The modular architecture of the system allows an effortless introduction of a new sensor orientation estimation algorithms. The original contribution of the paper is the design study of the individual components used in the motion capture system. The two key steps of the system design are explored in this paper: the evaluation of sensors and algorithms for the orientation estimation. The three chosen algorithms have been implemented and investigated as part of the experiment. Due to the fact that the selection of the sensor has a significant impact on the final result, the sensor evaluation process is also explained and tested. The experimental results confirmed that the choice of sensor and orientation estimation algorithm affect the quality of the final results.

Inertial Sensor-Based Gait Recognition: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Sprager, Sebastijan; Juric, Matjaz B.

2015-01-01

With the recent development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), inertial sensors have become widely used in the research of wearable gait analysis due to several factors, such as being easy-to-use and low-cost. Considering the fact that each individual has a unique way of walking, inertial sensors can be applied to the problem of gait recognition where assessed gait can be interpreted as a biometric trait. Thus, inertial sensor-based gait recognition has a great potential to play an important role in many security-related applications. Since inertial sensors are included in smart devices that are nowadays present at every step, inertial sensor-based gait recognition has become very attractive and emerging field of research that has provided many interesting discoveries recently. This paper provides a thorough and systematic review of current state-of-the-art in this field of research. Review procedure has revealed that the latest advanced inertial sensor-based gait recognition approaches are able to sufficiently recognise the users when relying on inertial data obtained during gait by single commercially available smart device in controlled circumstances, including fixed placement and small variations in gait. Furthermore, these approaches have also revealed considerable breakthrough by realistic use in uncontrolled circumstances, showing great potential for their further development and wide applicability. PMID:26340634

Accuracy of position measurement method using Arago spot for inertial fusion energy target tracking system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saruta, Koichi; Tsuji, Ryusuke

2007-01-01

The accuracy of a position measurement method using the Arago spot is reported for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) target tracking system, where the position of the target is determined by the position of the Arago spot, which is a bright spot appearing in the central portion of the diffraction pattern of a spherical obstacle. We use a He-Ne laser as the light source and a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera with a microscope objective lens to magnify and record the diffraction pattern of a spherical target. We examine two different algorithms to determine the center of the Arago spot in order to compare the measurement performances. The experimental results show that the position of a 5-mm-diameter target can be obtained with a measurement resolution of 1 μm and an rms measurement error of less than 0.2μm for both algorithms when the distance between the target and the microscope objective lens is 5 cm. (author)

Diagnostic measurements related to laser driven inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.E.

1979-01-01

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory have been conducting laser driven inertial confinement fusion experiments for over five years. The first proof of the thermonuclear burn came at the Janus target irradiation facility in the spring of 1975. Since that time three succeedingly higher energy facilities have been constructed at Livermore, Cyclops, Argus and Shiva, where increased fusion efficiency has been demonstrated. A new facility, called Nova, is now in the construction phase and we are hopeful that scientific break even (energy released compared to incident laser energy on target) will be demonstrated here in early 1980's. Projected progress of the Livermore program is shown

EquiMoves: A Wireless Networked Inertial Measurement System for Objective Examination of Horse Gait

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephan Bosch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe and validate the EquiMoves system, which aims to support equine veterinarians in assessing lameness and gait performance in horses. The system works by capturing horse motion from up to eight synchronized wireless inertial measurement units. It can be used in various equine gait modes, and analyzes both upper-body and limb movements. The validation against an optical motion capture system is based on a Bland–Altman analysis that illustrates the agreement between the two systems. The sagittal kinematic results (protraction, retraction, and sagittal range of motion show limits of agreement of ± 2.3 degrees and an absolute bias of 0.3 degrees in the worst case. The coronal kinematic results (adduction, abduction, and coronal range of motion show limits of agreement of − 8.8 and 8.1 degrees, and an absolute bias of 0.4 degrees in the worst case. The worse coronal kinematic results are most likely caused by the optical system setup (depth perception difficulty and suboptimal marker placement. The upper-body symmetry results show no significant bias in the agreement between the two systems; in most cases, the agreement is within ±5 mm. On a trial-level basis, the limits of agreement for withers and sacrum are within ±2 mm, meaning that the system can properly quantify motion asymmetry. Overall, the bias for all symmetry-related results is less than 1 mm, which is important for reproducibility and further comparison to other systems.

A system to measure the kinematics during the entire ski jump sequence using inertial sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chardonnens, Julien; Favre, Julien; Cuendet, Florian; Gremion, Gérald; Aminian, Kamiar

2013-01-04

Three-dimensional analysis of the entire sequence in ski jumping is recommended when studying the kinematics or evaluating performance. Camera-based systems which allow three-dimensional kinematics measurement are complex to set-up and require extensive post-processing, usually limiting ski jumping analyses to small numbers of jumps. In this study, a simple method using a wearable inertial sensors-based system is described to measure the orientation of the lower-body segments (sacrum, thighs, shanks) and skis during the entire jump sequence. This new method combines the fusion of inertial signals and biomechanical constraints of ski jumping. Its performance was evaluated in terms of validity and sensitivity to different performances based on 22 athletes monitored during daily training. The validity of the method was assessed by comparing the inclination of the ski and the slope at landing point and reported an error of -0.2±4.8°. The validity was also assessed by comparison of characteristic angles obtained with the proposed system and reference values in the literature; the differences were smaller than 6° for 75% of the angles and smaller than 15° for 90% of the angles. The sensitivity to different performances was evaluated by comparing the angles between two groups of athletes with different jump lengths and by assessing the association between angles and jump lengths. The differences of technique observed between athletes and the associations with jumps length agreed with the literature. In conclusion, these results suggest that this system is a promising tool for a generalization of three-dimensional kinematics analysis in ski jumping. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are OPERA neutrinos faster than light because of non-inertial reference frames?

Science.gov (United States)

Germanà, C.

2012-02-01

Context. Recent results from the OPERA experiment reported a neutrino beam traveling faster than light. The challenging experiment measured the neutrino time of flight (TOF) over a baseline from the CERN to the Gran Sasso site, concluding that the neutrino beam arrives ~60 ns earlier than a light ray would do. Because the result, if confirmed, has an enormous impact on science, it might be worth double-checking the time definitions with respect to the non-inertial system in which the neutrino travel time was measured. An observer with a clock measuring the proper time τ free of non-inertial effects is the one located at the solar system barycenter (SSB). Aims: Potential problems in the OPERA data analysis connected with the definition of the reference frame and time synchronization are emphasized. We aim to investigate the synchronization of non-inertial clocks on Earth by relating this time to the proper time of an inertial observer at SSB. Methods: The Tempo2 software was used to time-stamp events observed on the geoid with respect to the SSB inertial observer time. Results: Neutrino results from OPERA might carry the fingerprint of non-inertial effects because they are timed by terrestrial clocks. The CERN-Gran Sasso clock synchronization is accomplished by applying corrections that depend on special and general relativistic time dilation effects at the clocks, depending on the position of the clocks in the solar system gravitational well. As a consequence, TOF distributions are centered on values shorter by tens of nanoseconds than expected, integrating over a period from April to December, longer if otherwise. It is worth remarking that the OPERA runs have always been carried out from April/May to November. Conclusions: If the analysis by Tempo2 holds for the OPERA experiment, the excellent measurement by the OPERA collaboration will turn into a proof of the general relativity theory in a weak field approximation. The analysis presented here is falsifiable

Performance Improvement of Inertial Navigation System by Using Magnetometer with Vehicle Dynamic Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daehee Won

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A navigation algorithm is proposed to increase the inertial navigation performance of a ground vehicle using magnetic measurements and dynamic constraints. The navigation solutions are estimated based on inertial measurements such as acceleration and angular velocity measurements. To improve the inertial navigation performance, a three-axis magnetometer is used to provide the heading angle, and nonholonomic constraints (NHCs are introduced to increase the correlation between the velocity and the attitude equation. The NHCs provide a velocity feedback to the attitude, which makes the navigation solution more robust. Additionally, an acceleration-based roll and pitch estimation is applied to decrease the drift when the acceleration is within certain boundaries. The magnetometer and NHCs are combined with an extended Kalman filter. An experimental test was conducted to verify the proposed method, and a comprehensive analysis of the performance in terms of the position, velocity, and attitude showed that the navigation performance could be improved by using the magnetometer and NHCs. Moreover, the proposed method could improve the estimation performance for the position, velocity, and attitude without any additional hardware except an inertial sensor and magnetometer. Therefore, this method would be effective for ground vehicles, indoor navigation, mobile robots, vehicle navigation in urban canyons, or navigation in any global navigation satellite system-denied environment.

Suitability of Smartphone Inertial Sensors for Real-Time Biofeedback Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kos, Anton; Tomažič, Sašo; Umek, Anton

2016-01-01

This article studies the suitability of smartphones with built-in inertial sensors for biofeedback applications. Biofeedback systems use various sensors to measure body functions and parameters. These sensor data are analyzed, and the results are communicated back to the user, who then tries to act on the feedback signals. Smartphone inertial sensors can be used to capture body movements in biomechanical biofeedback systems. These sensors exhibit various inaccuracies that induce significant angular and positional errors. We studied deterministic and random errors of smartphone accelerometers and gyroscopes, primarily focusing on their biases. Based on extensive measurements, we determined accelerometer and gyroscope noise models and bias variation ranges. Then, we compiled a table of predicted positional and angular errors under various biofeedback system operation conditions. We suggest several bias compensation options that are suitable for various examples of use in real-time biofeedback applications. Measurements within the developed experimental biofeedback application show that under certain conditions, even uncompensated sensors can be used for real-time biofeedback. For general use, especially for more demanding biofeedback applications, sensor biases should be compensated. We are convinced that real-time biofeedback systems based on smartphone inertial sensors are applicable to many similar examples in sports, healthcare, and other areas. PMID:26927125

Suitability of Smartphone Inertial Sensors for Real-Time Biofeedback Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kos, Anton; Tomažič, Sašo; Umek, Anton

2016-02-27

This article studies the suitability of smartphones with built-in inertial sensors for biofeedback applications. Biofeedback systems use various sensors to measure body functions and parameters. These sensor data are analyzed, and the results are communicated back to the user, who then tries to act on the feedback signals. Smartphone inertial sensors can be used to capture body movements in biomechanical biofeedback systems. These sensors exhibit various inaccuracies that induce significant angular and positional errors. We studied deterministic and random errors of smartphone accelerometers and gyroscopes, primarily focusing on their biases. Based on extensive measurements, we determined accelerometer and gyroscope noise models and bias variation ranges. Then, we compiled a table of predicted positional and angular errors under various biofeedback system operation conditions. We suggest several bias compensation options that are suitable for various examples of use in real-time biofeedback applications. Measurements within the developed experimental biofeedback application show that under certain conditions, even uncompensated sensors can be used for real-time biofeedback. For general use, especially for more demanding biofeedback applications, sensor biases should be compensated. We are convinced that real-time biofeedback systems based on smartphone inertial sensors are applicable to many similar examples in sports, healthcare, and other areas.

Inertial fusion commercial power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, B.G.

1994-01-01

This presentation discusses the motivation for inertial fusion energy, a brief synopsis of five recently-completed inertial fusion power plant designs, some general conclusions drawn from these studies, and an example of an IFE hydrogen synfuel plant to suggest that future fusion studies consider broadening fusion use to low-emission fuels production as well as electricity

Inertial algorithms for the stationary Navier-Stokes equations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hou, Yanren; Mattheij, R.M.M.

2003-01-01

Several kind of new numerical schemes for the stationary Navier-Stokes equations based on the virtue of Inertial Manifold and Approximate Inertial Manifold, which we call them inertial algorithms in this paper, together with their error estimations are presented. All these algorithms are constructed

Kalman Filter for Estimation of Sensor Acceleration Using Six - axis Inertial Sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Keun

2015-01-01

Although an accelerometer is a sensor that measures acceleration, it cannot be used by itself to measure the acceleration when the orientation of the sensor changes. This paper introduces a Kalman filter for the estimation of a sensor acceleration based on a six-axis inertial sensor (i.e., a three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope). The novelty of the proposed Kalman filter lies in the fact that its state vector includes not only the tilt angle variable but also the sensor acceleration. Thus, the filter can explicitly estimate the latter with a high accuracy. The accuracy of acceleration estimates were validated experimentally under three different dynamic conditions, using an optical motion capture system. It could be concluded that the performance of the proposed Kalman filter was comparable to that of the state-of-the-art estimation algorithm employed by the Xsens MTw. The proposed algorithm may be more suitable than inertial/magnetic sensor-based algorithms for various applications adopting six-axis inertial sensors

Estimating Stair Running Performance Using Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauro V. Ojeda

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Stair running, both ascending and descending, is a challenging aerobic exercise that many athletes, recreational runners, and soldiers perform during training. Studying biomechanics of stair running over multiple steps has been limited by the practical challenges presented while using optical-based motion tracking systems. We propose using foot-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs as a solution as they enable unrestricted motion capture in any environment and without need for external references. In particular, this paper presents methods for estimating foot velocity and trajectory during stair running using foot-mounted IMUs. Computational methods leverage the stationary periods occurring during the stance phase and known stair geometry to estimate foot orientation and trajectory, ultimately used to calculate stride metrics. These calculations, applied to human participant stair running data, reveal performance trends through timing, trajectory, energy, and force stride metrics. We present the results of our analysis of experimental data collected on eleven subjects. Overall, we determine that for either ascending or descending, the stance time is the strongest predictor of speed as shown by its high correlation with stride time.

Two calibration procedures for a gyroscope-free inertial measurement system based on a double-pendulum apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Cappa, P.; Patanè, F.; Rossi, S.

2008-05-01

This paper presents a novel calibration algorithm to be used with a gyro-free inertial measurement unit (GF-IMU) based on the use of linear accelerometers (AC). The analytical approach can be implemented in two calibration procedures. The first procedure (P-I) is articulated in the conduction of a static trial, to compute the sensitivity and the direction of the sensing axis of each AC, followed by a dynamic trial, to determine the AC locations. By contrast, the latter procedure (P-II) consists in the calculation of the previously indicated calibration parameters by means of a dynamic trial only. The feasibility of the two calibration procedures has been investigated by testing two GF-IMUs, equipped with ten and six bi-axial linear ACs, with an ad hoc instrumented double-pendulum apparatus. P-I and P-II were compared to a calibration procedure used as a reference (P-REF), which incorporates the AC positions measured with an optoelectronic system. The experimental results we present in this paper demonstrate that (i) P-I is able to determine the calibration parameters of the AC array with a higher accuracy than P-II; (ii) consequently, the errors associated with translational (a0 - g) and rotational (\\dot{\\bm \\omega }) acceleration components for the two GF-IMUs are significantly greater using P-II than P-I and (iii) the errors in (a0 - g) and \\dot{\\bm \\omega } obtained with P-I are comparable with the ones obtainable by using P-REF. Thus, the proposed novel algorithm used in P-I, in conjunction with the double-pendulum apparatus, can be globally considered a viable tool in GF-IMU calibration.

Wearable Inertial Sensor Systems for Lower Limb Exercise Detection and Evaluation: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, Martin; Caulfield, Brian; Ward, Tomas; Johnston, William; Doherty, Cailbhe

2018-05-01

Analysis of lower limb exercises is traditionally completed with four distinct methods: (1) 3D motion capture; (2) depth-camera-based systems; (3) visual analysis from a qualified exercise professional; and (4) self-assessment. Each method is associated with a number of limitations. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise and evaluate studies which have investigated the capacity for inertial measurement unit (IMU) technologies to assess movement quality in lower limb exercises. A systematic review of studies identified through the databases of PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus was conducted. Articles written in English and published in the last 10 years which investigated an IMU system for the analysis of repetition-based targeted lower limb exercises were included. The quality of included studies was measured using an adapted version of the STROBE assessment criteria for cross-sectional studies. The studies were categorised into three groupings: exercise detection, movement classification or measurement validation. Each study was then qualitatively summarised. From the 2452 articles that were identified with the search strategies, 47 papers are included in this review. Twenty-six of the 47 included studies were deemed as being of high quality. Wearable inertial sensor systems for analysing lower limb exercises is a rapidly growing field of research. Research over the past 10 years has predominantly focused on validating measurements that the systems produce and classifying users' exercise quality. There have been very few user evaluation studies and no clinical trials in this field to date.

On-body inertial sensor location recognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weenk, D.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Goaied, Salma; Baten, Christian T.M.; Hermens, Hermanus J.; Veltink, Petrus H.

2015-01-01

Introduction and past research: In previous work we presented an algorithm for automatically identifying the body segment to which an inertial sensor is attached during walking [1]. Using this method, the set-up of inertial motion capture systems becomes easier and attachment errors are avoided. The

Horizontal distribution of near-inertial waves in the western Gulf of Mexico: Eulerian vs Lagrangian.

Science.gov (United States)

Pallas Sanz, E.; García-Carrillo, P.; Garcia Gomez, B. I.; Lilly, J. M.; Perez-Brunius, P.

2016-02-01

The time-average horizontal distribution of the near-inertial waves (NIWs) on the western Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is investigated using horizontal velocity data obtained from Lagrangian trajectories of 200 surface drifters drogued at 50m and deployed between September 2008 and September 2012. Preliminary results suggest maximum time-averaged near-inertial circle radius of 2.6km located in the southern Campeche bay near [22N,95W]; implying an inertial velocity of about 0.14m/s. Similar conclusions are delineated using horizontal velocity data obtained from 21 moorings deployed in the western GoM during the same time period. Maximum near-inertial kinetic energy and clockwise spectral energy is found in the mooring LNK3500 located at 21.850N and 94.028W. Maximum inertial circles measured with mooring data, however, are of about 1.6km leading to inertial currents of 0.087m/s, approximately a 40% smaller. This discrepancy seems to be due to the different depth level of the measurements and the bandwidth used to extract the near-inertial oscillations from the total flow. The time-average horizontal distributions of wind work computed from Lagrangian and Eulerian data are compared and they are not consistent with the time-averaged NIW field. The differences are not well understood but we speculate they may be due to the different time scales of wind fluctuations in the northwestern GoM compared to those observed in the Bay of Campeche, together with the change of sign of the background vorticity in the region; being negative (anticyclonic) in the northern GoM and positive (cyclonic) in the Bay of Campeche.

Theory of inertial waves in rotating fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Gelash, Andrey; L'vov, Victor; Zakharov, Vladimir

2017-04-01

The inertial waves emerge in the geophysical and astrophysical flows as a result of Earth rotation [1]. The linear theory of inertial waves is known well [2] while the influence of nonlinear effects of wave interactions are subject of many recent theoretical and experimental studies. The three-wave interactions which are allowed by inertial waves dispersion law (frequency is proportional to cosine of the angle between wave direction and axes of rotation) play an exceptional role. The recent studies on similar type of waves - internal waves, have demonstrated the possibility of formation of natural wave attractors in the ocean (see [3] and references herein). This wave focusing leads to the emergence of strong three-wave interactions and subsequent flows mixing. We believe that similar phenomena can take place for inertial waves in rotating flows. In this work we present theoretical study of three-wave and four-wave interactions for inertial waves. As the main theoretical tool we suggest the complete Hamiltonian formalism for inertial waves in rotating incompressible fluids [4]. We study three-wave decay instability and then present statistical description of inertial waves in the frame of Hamiltonian formalism. We obtain kinetic equation, anisotropic wave turbulence spectra and study the problem of parametric wave turbulence. These spectra were previously found in [5] by helicity decomposition method. Taking this into account we discuss the advantages of suggested Hamiltonian formalism and its future applications. Andrey Gelash thanks support of the RFBR (Grant No.16-31-60086 mol_a_dk) and Dr. E. Ermanyuk, Dr. I. Sibgatullin for the fruitful discussions. [1] Le Gal, P. Waves and instabilities in rotating and stratified flows, Fluid Dynamics in Physics, Engineering and Environmental Applications. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 25-40, 2013. [2] Greenspan, H. P. The theory of rotating fluids. CUP Archive, 1968. [3] Brouzet, C., Sibgatullin, I. N., Scolan, H., Ermanyuk, E

Alignment and Calibration of Optical and Inertial Sensors Using Stellar Observations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Veth, Mike; Raquet, John

2007-01-01

Aircraft navigation information (position, velocity, and attitude) can be determined using optical measurements from an imaging sensor pointed toward the ground combined with an inertial navigation system...

Dissipative Effects on Inertial-Range Statistics at High Reynolds Numbers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinhuber, Michael; Bewley, Gregory P; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2017-09-29

Using the unique capabilities of the Variable Density Turbulence Tunnel at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, we report experimental measurements in classical grid turbulence that uncover oscillations of the velocity structure functions in the inertial range. This was made possible by measuring extremely long time series of up to 10^{10} samples of the turbulent fluctuating velocity, which corresponds to O(10^{7}) integral length scales. The measurements were conducted in a well-controlled environment at a wide range of high Reynolds numbers from R_{λ}=110 up to R_{λ}=1600, using both traditional hot-wire probes as well as the nanoscale thermal anemometry probe developed at Princeton University. An implication of the observed oscillations is that dissipation influences the inertial-range statistics of turbulent flows at scales significantly larger than predicted by current models and theories.

Feature and Pose Constrained Visual Aided Inertial Navigation for Computationally Constrained Aerial Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Brian; Hudson, Nicolas; Tweddle, Brent; Brockers, Roland; Matthies, Larry

2011-01-01

A Feature and Pose Constrained Extended Kalman Filter (FPC-EKF) is developed for highly dynamic computationally constrained micro aerial vehicles. Vehicle localization is achieved using only a low performance inertial measurement unit and a single camera. The FPC-EKF framework augments the vehicle's state with both previous vehicle poses and critical environmental features, including vertical edges. This filter framework efficiently incorporates measurements from hundreds of opportunistic visual features to constrain the motion estimate, while allowing navigating and sustained tracking with respect to a few persistent features. In addition, vertical features in the environment are opportunistically used to provide global attitude references. Accurate pose estimation is demonstrated on a sequence including fast traversing, where visual features enter and exit the field-of-view quickly, as well as hover and ingress maneuvers where drift free navigation is achieved with respect to the environment.

Physics of inertial confinement pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mead, W.C.

1979-01-01

An overview of inertial confinement fusion pellet physics is given. A discussion is presented of current estimated ICF driver requirements and a couple of pellet examples. The physics of driver/plasma coupling for two drivers which are being considered, namely a laser driver and a heavy ion accelerator driver, is described. Progress towards inertial confinement fusion that has been made using laser drivers in target experiments to date is discussed

Inertial-range spectrum of whistler turbulence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Narita

2010-02-01

Full Text Available We develop a theoretical model of an inertial-range energy spectrum for homogeneous whistler turbulence. The theory is a generalization of the Iroshnikov-Kraichnan concept of the inertial-range magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. In the model the dispersion relation is used to derive scaling laws for whistler waves at highly oblique propagation with respect to the mean magnetic field. The model predicts an energy spectrum for such whistler waves with a spectral index −2.5 in the perpendicular component of the wave vector and thus provides an interpretation about recent discoveries of the second inertial-range of magnetic energy spectra at high frequencies in the solar wind.

Mapping in inertial frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arunasalam, V.

1989-05-01

World space mapping in inertial frames is used to examine the Lorentz covariance of symmetry operations. It is found that the Galilean invariant concepts of simultaneity (S), parity (P), and time reversal symmetry (T) are not Lorentz covariant concepts for inertial observers. That is, just as the concept of simultaneity has no significance independent of the Lorentz inertial frame, likewise so are the concepts of parity and time reversal. However, the world parity (W) [i.e., the space-time reversal symmetry (P-T)] is a truly Lorentz covariant concept. Indeed, it is shown that only those mapping matrices M that commute with the Lorentz transformation matrix L (i.e., [M,L] = 0) are the ones that correspond to manifestly Lorentz covariant operations. This result is in accordance with the spirit of the world space Mach's principle. Since the Lorentz transformation is an orthogonal transformation while the Galilean transformation is not an orthogonal transformation, the formal relativistic space-time mapping theory used here does not have a corresponding non-relativistic counterpart. 12 refs

A test of general relativity using the LARES and LAGEOS satellites and a GRACE Earth gravity model. Measurement of Earth's dragging of inertial frames

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciufolini, Ignazio [Universita del Salento, Dipartimento Ingegneria dell' Innovazione, Lecce (Italy); Sapienza Universita di Roma, Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Rome (Italy); Paolozzi, Antonio; Paris, Claudio [Sapienza Universita di Roma, Scuola di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Rome (Italy); Museo della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome (Italy); Pavlis, Erricos C. [University of Maryland, Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), Baltimore County (United States); Koenig, Rolf [GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Potsdam (Germany); Ries, John [University of Texas at Austin, Center for Space Research, Austin (United States); Gurzadyan, Vahe; Khachatryan, Harutyun; Mirzoyan, Sergey [Alikhanian National Laboratory and Yerevan State University, Center for Cosmology and Astrophysics, Yerevan (Armenia); Matzner, Richard [University of Texas at Austin, Theory Center, Austin (United States); Penrose, Roger [University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute, Oxford (United Kingdom); Sindoni, Giampiero [Sapienza Universita di Roma, DIAEE, Rome (Italy)

2016-03-15

We present a test of general relativity, the measurement of the Earth's dragging of inertial frames. Our result is obtained using about 3.5 years of laser-ranged observations of the LARES, LAGEOS, and LAGEOS 2 laser-ranged satellites together with the Earth gravity field model GGM05S produced by the space geodesy mission GRACE. We measure μ = (0.994 ± 0.002) ± 0.05, where μ is the Earth's dragging of inertial frames normalized to its general relativity value, 0.002 is the 1-sigma formal error and 0.05 is our preliminary estimate of systematic error mainly due to the uncertainties in the Earth gravity model GGM05S. Our result is in agreement with the prediction of general relativity. (orig.)

A diamond detector for inertial confinement fusion X-ray bang-time measurements at the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacPhee, A G; Brown, C; Burns, S; Celeste, J; Glenzer, S H; Hey, D; Jones, O S; Landen, O; Mackinnon, A J; Meezan, N; Parker, J; Edgell, D; Glebov, V Y; Kilkenny, J; Kimbrough, J

2010-11-09

An instrument has been developed to measure X-ray bang-time for inertial confinement fusion capsules; the time interval between the start of the laser pulse and peak X-ray emission from the fuel core. The instrument comprises chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline diamond photoconductive X-ray detectors with highly ordered pyrolytic graphite X-ray monochromator crystals at the input. Capsule bang-time can be measured in the presence of relatively high thermal and hard X-ray background components due to the selective band pass of the crystals combined with direct and indirect X-ray shielding of the detector elements. A five channel system is being commissioned at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for implosion optimization measurements as part of the National Ignition Campaign. Characteristics of the instrument have been measured demonstrating that X-ray bang-time can be measured with {+-} 30ps precision, characterizing the soft X-ray drive to +/- 1eV or 1.5%.

On Inertial Body Tracking in the Presence of Model Calibration Errors.

Science.gov (United States)

Miezal, Markus; Taetz, Bertram; Bleser, Gabriele

2016-07-22

In inertial body tracking, the human body is commonly represented as a biomechanical model consisting of rigid segments with known lengths and connecting joints. The model state is then estimated via sensor fusion methods based on data from attached inertial measurement units (IMUs). This requires the relative poses of the IMUs w.r.t. the segments-the IMU-to-segment calibrations, subsequently called I2S calibrations-to be known. Since calibration methods based on static poses, movements and manual measurements are still the most widely used, potentially large human-induced calibration errors have to be expected. This work compares three newly developed/adapted extended Kalman filter (EKF) and optimization-based sensor fusion methods with an existing EKF-based method w.r.t. their segment orientation estimation accuracy in the presence of model calibration errors with and without using magnetometer information. While the existing EKF-based method uses a segment-centered kinematic chain biomechanical model and a constant angular acceleration motion model, the newly developed/adapted methods are all based on a free segments model, where each segment is represented with six degrees of freedom in the global frame. Moreover, these methods differ in the assumed motion model (constant angular acceleration, constant angular velocity, inertial data as control input), the state representation (segment-centered, IMU-centered) and the estimation method (EKF, sliding window optimization). In addition to the free segments representation, the optimization-based method also represents each IMU with six degrees of freedom in the global frame. In the evaluation on simulated and real data from a three segment model (an arm), the optimization-based method showed the smallest mean errors, standard deviations and maximum errors throughout all tests. It also showed the lowest dependency on magnetometer information and motion agility. Moreover, it was insensitive w.r.t. I2S position and

High accuracy navigation information estimation for inertial system using the multi-model EKF fusing adams explicit formula applied to underwater gliders.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Haoqian; Chen, Xiyuan; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Jian

2017-01-01

The underwater navigation system, mainly consisting of MEMS inertial sensors, is a key technology for the wide application of underwater gliders and plays an important role in achieving high accuracy navigation and positioning for a long time of period. However, the navigation errors will accumulate over time because of the inherent errors of inertial sensors, especially for MEMS grade IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) generally used in gliders. The dead reckoning module is added to compensate the errors. In the complicated underwater environment, the performance of MEMS sensors is degraded sharply and the errors will become much larger. It is difficult to establish the accurate and fixed error model for the inertial sensor. Therefore, it is very hard to improve the accuracy of navigation information calculated by sensors. In order to solve the problem mentioned, the more suitable filter which integrates the multi-model method with an EKF approach can be designed according to different error models to give the optimal estimation for the state. The key parameters of error models can be used to determine the corresponding filter. The Adams explicit formula which has an advantage of high precision prediction is simultaneously fused into the above filter to achieve the much more improvement in attitudes estimation accuracy. The proposed algorithm has been proved through theory analyses and has been tested by both vehicle experiments and lake trials. Results show that the proposed method has better accuracy and effectiveness in terms of attitudes estimation compared with other methods mentioned in the paper for inertial navigation applied to underwater gliders. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the orientation of a rigid body moving in space using inertial sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Peng, E-mail: peng.he.1@ulaval.ca; Cardou, Philippe, E-mail: pcardou@gmc.ulaval.ca [Université Laval, Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering (Canada); Desbiens, André, E-mail: andre.desbiens@gel.ulaval.ca [Université Laval, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Canada); Gagnon, Eric, E-mail: Eric.Gagnon@drdc-rddc.gc.ca [RDDC Valcartier (Canada)

2015-09-15

This paper presents a novel method of estimating the orientation of a rigid body moving in space from inertial sensors, by discerning the gravitational and inertial components of the accelerations. In this method, both a rigid-body kinematics model and a stochastic model of the human-hand motion are formulated and combined in a nonlinear state-space system. The state equation represents the rigid body kinematics and stochastic model, and the output equation represents the inertial sensor measurements. It is necessary to mention that, since the output equation is a nonlinear function of the state, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied. The absolute value of the error from the proposed method is shown to be less than 5 deg in simulation and in experiments. It is apparently stable, unlike the time-integration of gyroscope measurements, which is subjected to drift, and remains accurate under large accelerations, unlike the tilt-sensor method.

Estimating the orientation of a rigid body moving in space using inertial sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Peng; Cardou, Philippe; Desbiens, André; Gagnon, Eric

2015-01-01

This paper presents a novel method of estimating the orientation of a rigid body moving in space from inertial sensors, by discerning the gravitational and inertial components of the accelerations. In this method, both a rigid-body kinematics model and a stochastic model of the human-hand motion are formulated and combined in a nonlinear state-space system. The state equation represents the rigid body kinematics and stochastic model, and the output equation represents the inertial sensor measurements. It is necessary to mention that, since the output equation is a nonlinear function of the state, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied. The absolute value of the error from the proposed method is shown to be less than 5 deg in simulation and in experiments. It is apparently stable, unlike the time-integration of gyroscope measurements, which is subjected to drift, and remains accurate under large accelerations, unlike the tilt-sensor method

Inertial sensor-based methods in walking speed estimation: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuozhi; Li, Qingguo

2012-01-01

Self-selected walking speed is an important measure of ambulation ability used in various clinical gait experiments. Inertial sensors, i.e., accelerometers and gyroscopes, have been gradually introduced to estimate walking speed. This research area has attracted a lot of attention for the past two decades, and the trend is continuing due to the improvement of performance and decrease in cost of the miniature inertial sensors. With the intention of understanding the state of the art of current development in this area, a systematic review on the exiting methods was done in the following electronic engines/databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, SportDiscus and IEEE Xplore. Sixteen journal articles and papers in proceedings focusing on inertial sensor based walking speed estimation were fully reviewed. The existing methods were categorized by sensor specification, sensor attachment location, experimental design, and walking speed estimation algorithm.

Inertial Sensor-Based Methods in Walking Speed Estimation: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingguo Li

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Self-selected walking speed is an important measure of ambulation ability used in various clinical gait experiments. Inertial sensors, i.e., accelerometers and gyroscopes, have been gradually introduced to estimate walking speed. This research area has attracted a lot of attention for the past two decades, and the trend is continuing due to the improvement of performance and decrease in cost of the miniature inertial sensors. With the intention of understanding the state of the art of current development in this area, a systematic review on the exiting methods was done in the following electronic engines/databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, SportDiscus and IEEE Xplore. Sixteen journal articles and papers in proceedings focusing on inertial sensor based walking speed estimation were fully reviewed. The existing methods were categorized by sensor specification, sensor attachment location, experimental design, and walking speed estimation algorithm.

Progress in high gain inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Jingwen

2001-01-01

The author reviews the progress in laboratory high gain inertial confinement fusion (ICF), including ICF capsule physics, high-energy-density science, inertial fusion energy, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and its design of ignition targets and the peta watt laser breakthrough. High power laser, particle beam, and pulsed power facilities around the world have established the new laboratory field of high-energy- density plasma physics and have furthered development of inertial fusion. New capabilities such as those provided by high-brightness peta watt lasers have enabled the study of matter feasible in conditions previously unachievable on earth. Science and technology developed in inertial fusion research have found near-term commercial use and have enabled steady progress toward the goal of fusion ignition and high gain in the laboratory, and have opened up new fields of study for the 21 st century

Inertial forces and the foundations of optical geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonsson, Rickard

2006-01-01

Assuming a general timelike congruence of worldlines as a reference frame, we derive a covariant general formalism of inertial forces in general relativity. Inspired by the works of Abramowicz et al (see e.g. Abramowicz and Lasota 1997 Class. Quantum Grav. 14 A23-30), we also study conformal rescalings of spacetime and investigate how these affect the inertial force formalism. While many ways of describing spatial curvature of a trajectory have been discussed in papers prior to this, one particular prescription (which differs from the standard projected curvature when the reference congruence is shearing), appears novel. For the particular case of a hypersurface-forming congruence, using a suitable rescaling of spacetime, we show that a geodesic photon always follows a line that is spatially straight with respect to the new curvature measure. This fact is intimately connected to Fermat's principle, and allows for a certain generalization of the optical geometry as will be further pursued in a companion paper (Jonsson and Westman 2006 Class. Quantum Grav. 23 61). For the particular case when the shear tensor vanishes, we present the inertial force equation in a three-dimensional form (using the bold-face vector notation), and note how similar it is to its Newtonian counterpart. From the spatial curvature measures that we introduce, we derive corresponding covariant differentiations of a vector defined along a spacetime trajectory. This allows us to connect the formalism of this paper to that of Jantzen and co-workers (see e.g. Bini et al 1997 Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 6 143-98)

Image deblurring in smartphone devices using built-in inertial measurement sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Šindelář, Ondřej; Šroubek, Filip

2013-01-01

Long-exposure handheld photography is degraded with blur, which is difficult to remove without prior information about the camera motion. In this work, we utilize inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) in modern smartphones to detect exact motion trajectory of the smartphone camera during exposure and remove blur from the resulting photography based on the recorded motion data. The whole system is implemented on the Android platform and embedded in the smartphone device, resulting in a close-to-real-time deblurring algorithm. The performance of the proposed system is demonstrated in real-life scenarios.

Sea ice inertial oscillations in the Arctic Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Gimbert

2012-10-01

Full Text Available An original method to quantify the amplitude of inertial motion of oceanic and ice drifters, through the introduction of a non-dimensional parameter M defined from a spectral analysis, is presented. A strong seasonal dependence of the magnitude of sea ice inertial oscillations is revealed, in agreement with the corresponding annual cycles of sea ice extent, concentration, thickness, advection velocity, and deformation rates. The spatial pattern of the magnitude of the sea ice inertial oscillations over the Arctic Basin is also in agreement with the sea ice thickness and concentration patterns. This argues for a strong interaction between the magnitude of inertial motion on one hand, the dissipation of energy through mechanical processes, and the cohesiveness of the cover on the other hand. Finally, a significant multi-annual evolution towards greater magnitudes of inertial oscillations in recent years, in both summer and winter, is reported, thus concomitant with reduced sea ice thickness, concentration and spatial extent.

Preface [IFSA 2015: 9. international conference on inertial fusion sciences and applications, Seattle, WA (United States), 20-25 September 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

The Ninth International Conference on Inertial Fusion Science and Applications (IFSA) was held on September 20-25, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle's Eastside, Washington, U.S.A. The event was hosted by the University of California and was organized by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It brought together more than 370 participants from 16 countries. The goal, as for all previous IFSA Conferences, was to bring together scientists in the fields of inertial fusion science and high-energy-density physics, and their applications. Three hundred twenty seven papers were presented emphasizing the science of high-energy and high-intensity laser, pulsed-power, and particle-beam interactions with matter, the associated high-energy-density physics, and their application to fusion concepts. Results presented included theory, modeling, and experimental results from facilities worldwide. In recent years, significant advances have been made in high-energy-density science using lasers, Z-pinches, and particle beam systems with dramatic technical achievements in areas such as central-hot-spot ignition, fast and impulse ignition, material properties at extreme conditions, warm dense matter, particle acceleration and laser-plasma interactions. For the first time in the laboratory, x-ray driven ignition experiments, performed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States, have exhibited self-heating. In the month following the Conference, the first plasma experiments were performed at Laser Mégajoule (LMJ) in France, and ignition scale projects are under way in China and Russia. Other approaches, such as magnetic compression on the Z-machine at Sandia National Laboratories and direct drive experiments at the University of Rochester, have produced exciting new results which were reported on at the Conference. Second-generation petawatt short-pulse laser systems such as the highest-energy petawatt laser systems LFEX (FIREX) in Japan, OMEGA

A polar-region-adaptable systematic bias collaborative measurement method for shipboard redundant rotational inertial navigation systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Wu, Wenqi; Wei, Guo; Lian, Junxiang; Yu, Ruihang

2018-05-01

The shipboard redundant rotational inertial navigation system (RINS) configuration, including a dual-axis RINS and a single-axis RINS, can satisfy the demand of marine INSs of especially high reliability as well as achieving trade-off between position accuracy and cost. Generally, the dual-axis RINS is the master INS, and the single-axis RINS is the hot backup INS for high reliability purposes. An integrity monitoring system performs a fault detection function to ensure sailing safety. However, improving the accuracy of the backup INS in case of master INS failure has not been given enough attention. Without the aid of any external information, a systematic bias collaborative measurement method based on an augmented Kalman filter is proposed for the redundant RINSs. Estimates of inertial sensor biases can be used by the built-in integrity monitoring system to monitor the RINS running condition. On the other hand, a position error prediction model is designed for the single-axis RINS to estimate the systematic error caused by its azimuth gyro bias. After position error compensation, the position information provided by the single-axis RINS still remains highly accurate, even if the integrity monitoring system detects a dual-axis RINS fault. Moreover, use of a grid frame as a navigation frame makes the proposed method applicable in any area, including the polar regions. Semi-physical simulation and experiments including sea trials verify the validity of the method.

Sprint mechanics return to competition follow-up after hamstring injury on a professional soccer player: A case study with an inertial sensor unit based methodological approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Setuain, Igor; Lecumberri, Pablo; Izquierdo, Mikel

2017-10-03

The present research aimed to describe an inertial unit (IU)-based sprint mechanics evaluation model for assessing players' readiness to return to competition after suffering a grade I hamstring injury. A professional male football player (age 19years; height 177cm; weight 70kg, midfielder, Spanish, 3° Division) with a grade 1 biceps femoris injury was evaluated at pre-season, at return to play after injury and at the end of the competitive season. Sprint mechanics were analyzed via the use of an inertial orientation tracker (Xsens Technologies B.V. Enschede, Netherlands) attached over the L3-L4 region of the subject's lumbar spine. Sprint mechanics such as horizontal components of ground reaction force were assessed in both legs during sprinting actions. Findings and interpretation: Both the coefficient of the horizontal force application (SFV) and the ratio of forces (DRF) applied at increasing velocity were decreased in the injured limb compared with the contralateral healthy limb at the return to play evaluation (73% and 76% reductions, respectively) and returned to symmetrical levels at the end-season evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Threshold bubble chamber for measurement of knock-on DT neutron tails from magnetic and inertial confinement experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, R.K.; Zaveryaev, V.S.; Trusillo, S.V.

1996-07-01

We propose a new open-quotes thresholdclose quotes bubble chamber detector for measurement of knock-on neutron tails. These energetic neutrons result from fusion reactions involving energetic fuel ions created by alpha knock-on collisions in tokamak and other magnetic confinement experiments, and by both alpha and neutron knock-on collisions in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. The energy spectrum of these neutrons will yield information on the alpha population and energy distribution in tokamaks, and on alpha target physics and ρR measurements in ICF experiments. The bubble chamber should only detect neutrons with energies above a selectable threshold energy controlled by the bubble chamber pressure. The bubble chamber threshold mechanism, detection efficiency, and proposed applications to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and National Ignition Facility (NIF) experiments will be discussed

Inertial Confinement Fusion R and D and Nuclear Proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldston, Robert J.

2011-01-01

In a few months, or a few years, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory may achieve fusion gain using 192 powerful lasers to generate x-rays that will compress and heat a small target containing isotopes of hydrogen. This event would mark a major milestone after decades of research on inertial confinement fusion (ICF). It might also mark the beginning of an accelerated global effort to harness fusion energy based on this science and technology. Unlike magnetic confinement fusion (ITER, 2011), in which hot fusion fuel is confined continuously by strong magnetic fields, inertial confinement fusion involves repetitive fusion explosions, taking advantage of some aspects of the science learned from the design and testing of hydrogen bombs. The NIF was built primarily because of the information it would provide on weapons physics, helping the United States to steward its stockpile of nuclear weapons without further underground testing. The U.S. National Academies' National Research Council is now hosting a study to assess the prospects for energy from inertial confinement fusion. While this study has a classified sub-panel on target physics, it has not been charged with examining the potential nuclear proliferation risks associated with ICF R and D. We argue here that this question urgently requires direct and transparent examination, so that means to mitigate risks can be assessed, and the potential residual risks can be balanced against the potential benefits, now being assessed by the NRC. This concern is not new (Holdren, 1978), but its urgency is now higher than ever before.

Inertial Measures of Motion for Clinical Biomechanics: Comparative Assessment of Accuracy under Controlled Conditions - Effect of Velocity

Science.gov (United States)

Lebel, Karina; Boissy, Patrick; Hamel, Mathieu; Duval, Christian

2013-01-01

Background Inertial measurement of motion with Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) is emerging as an alternative to 3D motion capture systems in biomechanics. The objectives of this study are: 1) to describe the absolute and relative accuracy of multiple units of commercially available AHRS under various types of motion; and 2) to evaluate the effect of motion velocity on the accuracy of these measurements. Methods The criterion validity of accuracy was established under controlled conditions using an instrumented Gimbal table. AHRS modules were carefully attached to the center plate of the Gimbal table and put through experimental static and dynamic conditions. Static and absolute accuracy was assessed by comparing the AHRS orientation measurement to those obtained using an optical gold standard. Relative accuracy was assessed by measuring the variation in relative orientation between modules during trials. Findings Evaluated AHRS systems demonstrated good absolute static accuracy (mean error < 0.5o) and clinically acceptable absolute accuracy under condition of slow motions (mean error between 0.5o and 3.1o). In slow motions, relative accuracy varied from 2o to 7o depending on the type of AHRS and the type of rotation. Absolute and relative accuracy were significantly affected (p<0.05) by velocity during sustained motions. The extent of that effect varied across AHRS. Interpretation Absolute and relative accuracy of AHRS are affected by environmental magnetic perturbations and conditions of motions. Relative accuracy of AHRS is mostly affected by the ability of all modules to locate the same global reference coordinate system at all time. Conclusions Existing AHRS systems can be considered for use in clinical biomechanics under constrained conditions of use. While their individual capacity to track absolute motion is relatively consistent, the use of multiple AHRS modules to compute relative motion between rigid bodies needs to be optimized according to

On the construction of inertial manifolds under symmetry constraints II: O(2) constraint and inertial manifolds on thin domains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Bernal, A.

1993-01-01

On a model example, the Kuramoto-Velarde equation, which includes the Kuramoto-Sivashin-sky and the Cahn-Hilliard models, and under suitable and reasonable hypothesis, we show the dimension and determining modes of inertial manifolds for several classes of solutions. We also give bounds for the dimensions of inertial manifolds of the full system as a parameter is varied. The results are pointed out to be almost model-independent. The same ideas are also applied to a class of parabolic equations in higher space dimension, obtaining results about inertial manifolds on thin and small domains. (Author). 30 refs

Local inertial oscillations in the surface ocean generated by time-varying winds

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shengli; Polton, Jeff A.; Hu, Jianyu; Xing, Jiuxing

2015-12-01

A new relationship is presented to give a review study on the evolution of inertial oscillations in the surface ocean locally generated by time-varying wind stress. The inertial oscillation is expressed as the superposition of a previous oscillation and a newly generated oscillation, which depends upon the time-varying wind stress. This relationship is employed to investigate some idealized wind change events. For a wind series varying temporally with different rates, the induced inertial oscillation is dominated by the wind with the greatest variation. The resonant wind, which rotates anti-cyclonically at the local inertial frequency with time, produces maximal amplitude of inertial oscillations, which grows monotonically. For the wind rotating at non-inertial frequencies, the responses vary periodically, with wind injecting inertial energy when it is in phase with the currents, but removing inertial energy when it is out of phase. The wind rotating anti-cyclonically with time is much more favorable to generate inertial oscillations than the cyclonic rotating wind. The wind with a frequency closer to the inertial frequency generates stronger inertial oscillations. For a diurnal wind, the induced inertial oscillation is dependent on latitude and is most significant at 30 °. This relationship is also applied to examine idealized moving cyclones. The inertial oscillation is much stronger on the right-hand side of the cyclone path than on the left-hand side (in the northern hemisphere). This is due to the wind being anti-cyclonic with time on the right-hand side, but cyclonic on the other side. The inertial oscillation varies with the cyclone translation speed. The optimal translation speed generating the greatest inertial oscillations is 2 m/s at the latitude of 10 ° and gradually increases to 6 m/s at the latitude of 30 °.

Units of measurement past, present and future international system of units

CERN Document Server

Gupta, S V

2010-01-01

It is for the first time that the subject of quantities and their respective units is dealt this much in detail a glimpse of units of measurements of base quantities of length, time, mass and volume is given for ancient India three and four dimensional systems of measurement units are critically examined establishment of the fact that only four base units are needed to describe a system of units the basics to arrive at the unit of a derived quantity are explained basic, derived and dimensionless quantities including quantity calculus are introduced life history of scientists concerned with measurements units are presented to be inspiring to working metrologists and students. The International System of Units including, Metre Convention Treaty and its various organs including International National of Weights and Measure are described. The realisation of base units is given in detail. Classes of derived units within the SI, units permitted for time to come, units outside SI but used in special fields of measur...

Near-inertial waves and deep ocean mixing

Science.gov (United States)

Shrira, V. I.; Townsend, W. A.

2013-07-01

For the existing pattern of global oceanic circulation to exist, there should be sufficiently strong turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean, the mechanisms of which are not well understood as yet. The review discusses a plausible mechanism of deep ocean mixing caused by near-inertial waves in the abyssal ocean. It is well known how winds in the atmosphere generate near-inertial waves in the upper ocean, which then propagate downwards losing their energy in the process; only a fraction of the energy at the surface reaches the abyssal ocean. An open question is whether and, if yes, how these weakened inertial motions could cause mixing in the deep. We review the progress in the mathematical description of a mechanism that results in an intense breaking of near-inertial waves near the bottom of the ocean and thus enhances the mixing. We give an overview of the present state of understanding of the problem covering both the published and the unpublished results; we also outline the key open questions. For typical ocean stratification, the account of the horizontal component of the Earth's rotation leads to the existence of near-bottom wide waveguides for near-inertial waves. Due to the β-effect these waveguides are narrowing in the poleward direction. Near-inertial waves propagating poleward get trapped in the waveguides; we describe how in the process these waves are focusing more and more in the vertical direction, while simultaneously their group velocity tends to zero and wave-induced vertical shear significantly increases. This causes the development of shear instability, which is interpreted as wave breaking. Remarkably, this mechanism of local intensification of turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean can be adequately described within the framework of linear theory. The qualitative picture is similar to wind wave breaking on a beach: the abyssal ocean always acts as a surf zone for near-inertial waves.

Near-inertial waves and deep ocean mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrira, V I; Townsend, W A

2013-01-01

For the existing pattern of global oceanic circulation to exist, there should be sufficiently strong turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean, the mechanisms of which are not well understood as yet. The review discusses a plausible mechanism of deep ocean mixing caused by near-inertial waves in the abyssal ocean. It is well known how winds in the atmosphere generate near-inertial waves in the upper ocean, which then propagate downwards losing their energy in the process; only a fraction of the energy at the surface reaches the abyssal ocean. An open question is whether and, if yes, how these weakened inertial motions could cause mixing in the deep. We review the progress in the mathematical description of a mechanism that results in an intense breaking of near-inertial waves near the bottom of the ocean and thus enhances the mixing. We give an overview of the present state of understanding of the problem covering both the published and the unpublished results; we also outline the key open questions. For typical ocean stratification, the account of the horizontal component of the Earth's rotation leads to the existence of near-bottom wide waveguides for near-inertial waves. Due to the β-effect these waveguides are narrowing in the poleward direction. Near-inertial waves propagating poleward get trapped in the waveguides; we describe how in the process these waves are focusing more and more in the vertical direction, while simultaneously their group velocity tends to zero and wave-induced vertical shear significantly increases. This causes the development of shear instability, which is interpreted as wave breaking. Remarkably, this mechanism of local intensification of turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean can be adequately described within the framework of linear theory. The qualitative picture is similar to wind wave breaking on a beach: the abyssal ocean always acts as a surf zone for near-inertial waves. (paper)

Acceleration and Orientation Jumping Performance Differences Among Elite Professional Male Handball Players With or Without Previous ACL Reconstruction: An Inertial Sensor Unit-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Setuain, Igor; González-Izal, Miriam; Alfaro, Jesús; Gorostiaga, Esteban; Izquierdo, Mikel

2015-12-01

Handball is one of the most challenging sports for the knee joint. Persistent biomechanical and jumping capacity alterations can be observed in athletes with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Commonly identified jumping biomechanical alterations have been described by the use of laboratory technologies. However, portable and easy-to-handle technologies that enable an evaluation of jumping biomechanics at the training field are lacking. To analyze unilateral/bilateral acceleration and orientation jumping performance differences among elite male handball athletes with or without previous ACL reconstruction via a single inertial sensor unit device. Case control descriptive study. At the athletes' usual training court. Twenty-two elite male (6 ACL-reconstructed and 16 uninjured control players) handball players were evaluated. The participants performed a vertical jump test battery that included a 50-cm vertical bilateral drop jump, a 20-cm vertical unilateral drop jump, and vertical unilateral countermovement jump maneuvers. Peak 3-dimensional (X, Y, Z) acceleration (m·s(-2)), jump phase duration and 3-dimensional orientation values (°) were obtained from the inertial sensor unit device. Two-tailed t-tests and a one-way analysis of variance were performed to compare means. The P value cut-off for significance was set at P handball athletes with previous ACL reconstruction demonstrated a jumping biomechanical profile similar to control players, including similar jumping performance values in both bilateral and unilateral jumping maneuvers, several years after ACL reconstruction. These findings are in agreement with previous research showing full functional restoration of abilities in top-level male athletes after ACL reconstruction, rehabilitation and subsequent return to sports at the previous level. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the dynamics in ski jumping using a wearable inertial sensor-based system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chardonnens, Julien; Favre, Julien; Cuendet, Florian; Gremion, Gérald; Aminian, Kamiar

2014-01-01

Dynamics is a central aspect of ski jumping, particularly during take-off and stable flight. Currently, measurement systems able to measure ski jumping dynamics (e.g. 3D cameras, force plates) are complex and only available in few research centres worldwide. This study proposes a method to determine dynamics using a wearable inertial sensor-based system which can be used routinely on any ski jumping hill. The system automatically calculates characteristic dynamic parameters during take-off (position and velocity of the centre of mass perpendicular to the table, force acting on the centre of mass perpendicular to the table and somersault angular velocity) and stable flight (total aerodynamic force). Furthermore, the acceleration of the ski perpendicular to the table was quantified to characterise the skis lift at take-off. The system was tested with two groups of 11 athletes with different jump distances. The force acting on the centre of mass, acceleration of the ski perpendicular to the table, somersault angular velocity and total aerodynamic force were different between groups and correlated with the jump distances. Furthermore, all dynamic parameters were within the range of prior studies based on stationary measurement systems, except for the centre of mass mean force which was slightly lower.

Inertial Navigation System/Doppler Velocity Log (INS/DVL Fusion with Partial DVL Measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asaf Tal

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The Technion autonomous underwater vehicle (TAUV is an ongoing project aiming to develop and produce a small AUV to carry on research missions, including payload dropping, and to demonstrate acoustic communication. Its navigation system is based on an inertial navigation system (INS aided by a Doppler velocity log (DVL, magnetometer, and pressure sensor (PS. In many INSs, such as the one used in TAUV, only the velocity vector (provided by the DVL can be used for aiding the INS, i.e., enabling only a loosely coupled integration approach. In cases of partial DVL measurements, such as failure to maintain bottom lock, the DVL cannot estimate the vehicle velocity. Thus, in partial DVL situations no velocity data can be integrated into the TAUV INS, and as a result its navigation solution will drift in time. To circumvent that problem, we propose a DVL-based vehicle velocity solution using the measured partial raw data of the DVL and additional information, thereby deriving an extended loosely coupled (ELC approach. The implementation of the ELC approach requires only software modification. In addition, we present the TAUV six degrees of freedom (6DOF simulation that includes all functional subsystems. Using this simulation, the proposed approach is evaluated and the benefit of using it is shown.

On the generalized potential of inertial forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siboni, S

2009-01-01

The generalized potential of the inertial forces acting on a holonomic system in an accelerated reference frame is derived in a way which admits a simple physical interpretation. It is shown that the generalized potential refers to all the inertial forces and, apart from the very special case of a uniformly rotating frame, it is impossible to distinguish a contribution to only the Coriolis force and a contribution pertaining to the residual, velocity-independent fictitious forces. Such an approach to the determination of the generalized potential of inertial forces may be helpful in introducing the topic of the generalized potential to advanced undergraduate and graduate students

Spectral gaps, inertial manifolds and kinematic dynamos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nunez, Manuel [Departamento de Analisis Matematico, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid (Spain)]. E-mail: mnjmhd@am.uva.es

2005-10-17

Inertial manifolds are desirable objects when ones wishes a dynamical process to behave asymptotically as a finite-dimensional ones. Recently [Physica D 194 (2004) 297] these manifolds are constructed for the kinematic dynamo problem with time-periodic velocity. It turns out, however, that the conditions imposed on the fluid velocity to guarantee the existence of inertial manifolds are too demanding, in the sense that they imply that all the solutions tend exponentially to zero. The inertial manifolds are meaningful because they represent different decay rates, but the classical dynamos where the magnetic field is maintained or grows are not covered by this approach, at least until more refined estimates are found.

Heavy ion accelerators for inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubbia, C.

1992-01-01

Particle accelerators are used for accelerating the elementary, stable and separable constituents of matters to relativistic speed. These beams are of fundamental interest in the study on the ultimate constituents of matters and their interaction. Particle accelerators are the most promising driver for the fusion power reactors based on inertial confinement. The principle of inertial confinement fusion, radiation driven indirect drive, the accelerator complex and so on are described. (K.I.)

Micromachined Precision Inertial Instruments

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Najafi, Khalil

2003-01-01

This program focuses on developing inertial-grade micromachined accelerometers and gyroscopes and their associated electronics and packaging for use in a variety of military and commercial applications...

Internally driven inertial waves in geodynamo simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjan, A.; Davidson, P. A.; Christensen, U. R.; Wicht, J.

2018-05-01

Inertial waves are oscillations in a rotating fluid, such as the Earth's outer core, which result from the restoring action of the Coriolis force. In an earlier work, it was argued by Davidson that inertial waves launched near the equatorial regions could be important for the α2 dynamo mechanism, as they can maintain a helicity distribution which is negative (positive) in the north (south). Here, we identify such internally driven inertial waves, triggered by buoyant anomalies in the equatorial regions in a strongly forced geodynamo simulation. Using the time derivative of vertical velocity, ∂uz/∂t, as a diagnostic for traveling wave fronts, we find that the horizontal movement in the buoyancy field near the equator is well correlated with a corresponding movement of the fluid far from the equator. Moreover, the azimuthally averaged spectrum of ∂uz/∂t lies in the inertial wave frequency range. We also test the dispersion properties of the waves by computing the spectral energy as a function of frequency, ϖ, and the dispersion angle, θ. Our results suggest that the columnar flow in the rotation-dominated core, which is an important ingredient for the maintenance of a dipolar magnetic field, is maintained despite the chaotic evolution of the buoyancy field on a fast timescale by internally driven inertial waves.

High precision estimation of inertial rotation via the extended Kalman filter

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lijun; Qi, Bo; Cheng, Shuming; Xi, Zairong

2015-11-01

Recent developments in technology have enabled atomic gyroscopes to become the most sensitive inertial sensors. Atomic spin gyroscopes essentially output an estimate of the inertial rotation rate to be measured. In this paper, we present a simple yet efficient estimation method, the extended Kalman filter (EKF), for the atomic spin gyroscope. Numerical results show that the EKF method is much more accurate than the steady-state estimation method, which is used in the most sensitive atomic gyroscopes at present. Specifically, the root-mean-squared errors obtained by the EKF method are at least 103 times smaller than those obtained by the steady-state estimation method under the same response time.

Inertial effects on heat transfer in superhydrophobic microchannels

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Adam; Maynes, Daniel; Crockett, Julie; Iverson, Brian; BYU Fluids Team

2015-11-01

This work numerically studies the effects of inertia on thermal transport in superhydrophbic microchannels. An infinite parallel plate channel comprised of structured superhydrophbic walls is considered. The structure of the superhydrophobic surfaces consists of square pillars organized in a square array aligned with the flow direction. Laminar, fully developed flow is explored. The flow is assumed to be non-wetting and have an idealized flat meniscus. A shear-free, adiabatic boundary condition is used at the liquid/gas interface, while a no-slip, constant heat flux condition is used at the liquid/solid interface. A wide range of Peclet numbers, relative channel spacing distances, and relative pillar sizes are considered. Results are presented in terms of Poiseuille number, Nusselt number, hydrodynamic slip length, and temperature jump length. Interestingly, the thermal transport is varied only slightly by inertial effects for a wide range of parameters explored and compares well with other analytical and numerical work that assumed Stokes flow. It is only for very small relative channel spacing and large Peclet number that inertial effects exert significant influence. Overall, the heat transfer is reduced for the superhydrophbic channels in comparison to classic smooth walled channels. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) - United States (Grant No. CBET-1235881).

Threshold bubble chamber for measurement of knock-on DT neutron tails from magnetic and inertial confinement experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, R.K.; Zaveryaev, V.S.; Trusillo, S.V.

1997-01-01

We propose a new open-quotes thresholdclose quotes bubble chamber detector for measurement of knock-on neutron tails. These energetic neutrons result from fusion reactions involving energetic fuel ions created by alpha knock-on collisions in tokamak and other magnetic confinement experiments, and by both alpha and neutron knock-on collisions in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. The energy spectrum of these neutrons will yield information on the alpha population and energy distribution in tokamaks, and on alpha target physics and ρR measurements in ICF experiments. The bubble chamber should only detect neutrons with energies above a selectable threshold energy controlled by the bubble chamber pressure. The bubble chamber threshold mechanism, detection efficiency, and proposed applications to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and National Ignition Facility experiments will be discussed. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

A measurable Lawson criterion and hydro-equivalent curves for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, C. D.; Betti, R.

2008-01-01

It is shown that the ignition condition (Lawson criterion) for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) can be cast in a form dependent on the only two parameters of the compressed fuel assembly that can be measured with existing techniques: the hot spot ion temperature (T i h ) and the total areal density (ρR tot ), which includes the cold shell contribution. A marginal ignition curve is derived in the ρR tot , T i h plane and current implosion experiments are compared with the ignition curve. On this plane, hydrodynamic equivalent curves show how a given implosion would perform with respect to the ignition condition when scaled up in the laser-driver energy. For 3 i h > n i h > n 2.6 · tot > n >50 keV 2.6 · g/cm 2 , where tot > n and i h > n are the burn-averaged total areal density and hot spot ion temperature, respectively. Both quantities are calculated without accounting for the alpha-particle energy deposition. Such a criterion can be used to determine how surrogate D 2 and subignited DT target implosions perform with respect to the one-dimensional ignition threshold.

Inertial mass of the Abrikosov vortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Chudnovsky, E M; Kuklov, A B

2003-08-08

We show that a large contribution to the inertial mass of the Abrikosov vortex comes from transversal displacements of the crystal lattice. The corresponding part of the mass per unit length of the vortex line is M(l)=(m(2)(e)c(2)/64 pi alpha(2)mu lambda(4)(L))ln((lambda(L)/xi), where m(e) is the bare electron mass, c is the speed of light, alpha=e(2)/Planck's over 2 pi c approximately 1/137 is the fine structure constant, mu is the shear modulus of the solid, lambda(L) is the London penetration length, and xi is the coherence length. In conventional superconductors, this mass can be comparable to or even greater than the vortex core mass computed by Suhl [Phys. Rev. Lett. 14, 226 (1965)

Inertial fusion: strategy and economic potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.H.

1983-01-01

Inertial fusion must demonstrate that the high target gains required for practical fusion energy can be achieved with driver energies not larger than a few megajoules. Before a multi-megajoule scale driver is constructed, inertial fusion must provide convincing experimental evidence that the required high target gains are feasible. This will be the principal objective of the NOVA laser experiments. Implosions will be conducted with scaled targets which are nearly hydrodynamically equivalent to the high gain target implosions. Experiments which demonstrate high target gains will be conducted in the early nineties when multi-megajoule drivers become available. Efficient drivers will also be demonstrated by this time period. Magnetic fusion may demonstrate high Q at about the same time as inertial fusion demonstrates high gain. Beyond demonstration of high performance fusion, economic considerations will predominate. Fusion energy will achieve full commercial success when it becomes cheaper than fission and coal. Analysis of the ultimate economic potential of inertial fusion suggests its costs may be reduced to half those of fission and coal. Relative cost escalation would increase this advantage. Fusions potential economic advantage derives from two fundamental properties: negligible fuel costs and high quality energy (which makes possible more efficient generation of electricity)

Inertial objects in complex flows

Science.gov (United States)

Syed, Rayhan; Ho, George; Cavas, Samuel; Bao, Jialun; Yecko, Philip

2017-11-01

Chaotic Advection and Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents both describe stirring and transport in complex and time-dependent flows, but FTLE analysis has been largely limited to either purely kinematic flow models or high Reynolds number flow field data. The neglect of dynamic effects in FTLE and Lagrangian Coherent Structure studies has stymied detailed information about the role of pressure, Coriolis effects and object inertia. We present results of laboratory and numerical experiments on time-dependent and multi-gyre Stokes flows. In the lab, a time-dependent effectively two-dimensional low Re flow is used to distinguish transport properties of passive tracer from those of small paramagnetic spheres. Companion results of FTLE calculations for inertial particles in a time-dependent multi-gyre flow are presented, illustrating the critical roles of density, Stokes number and Coriolis forces on their transport. Results of Direct Numerical Simulations of fully resolved inertial objects (spheroids) immersed in a three dimensional (ABC) flow show the role of shape and finite size in inertial transport at small finite Re. We acknowledge support of NSF DMS-1418956.

Conservation laws in baroclinic inertial-symmetric instabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Grisouard, Nicolas; Fox, Morgan B.; Nijjer, Japinder

2017-04-01

Submesoscale oceanic density fronts are structures in geostrophic and hydrostatic balance, but are more prone to instabilities than mesoscale flows. As a consequence, they are believed to play a large role in air-sea exchanges, near-surface turbulence and dissipation of kinetic energy of geostrophically and hydrostatically balanced flows. We will present two-dimensional (x, z) Boussinesq numerical experiments of submesoscale baroclinic fronts on the f-plane. Instabilities of the mixed inertial and symmetric types (the actual name varies across the literature) develop, with the absence of along-front variations prohibiting geostrophic baroclinic instabilities. Two new salient facts emerge. First, contrary to pure inertial and/or pure symmetric instability, the potential energy budget is affected, the mixed instability extracting significant available potential energy from the front and dissipating it locally. Second, in the submesoscale regime, the growth rate of this mixed instability is sufficiently large that significant radiation of near-inertial internal waves occurs. Although energetically small compared to e.g. local dissipation within the front, this process might be a significant source of near-inertial energy in the ocean.

Testing the assumption of normality in body sway area calculations during unipedal stance tests with an inertial sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyoung Jae Kim; Lucarevic, Jennifer; Bennett, Christopher; Gaunaurd, Ignacio; Gailey, Robert; Agrawal, Vibhor

2016-08-01

The quantification of postural sway during the unipedal stance test is one of the essentials of posturography. A shift of center of pressure (CoP) is an indirect measure of postural sway and also a measure of a person's ability to maintain balance. A widely used method in laboratory settings to calculate the sway of body center of mass (CoM) is through an ellipse that encloses 95% of CoP trajectory. The 95% ellipse can be computed under the assumption that the spatial distribution of the CoP points recorded from force platforms is normal. However, to date, this assumption of normality has not been demonstrated for sway measurements recorded from a sacral inertial measurement unit (IMU). This work provides evidence for non-normality of sway trajectories calculated at a sacral IMU with injured subjects as well as healthy subjects.

Compact laser interferometer for translation and tilt measurement as optical readout for the LISA inertial sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Schuldt, Thilo; Gohlke, Martin; Weise, Dennis; Johann, Ulrich; Peters, Achim; Braxmaier, Claus

2007-10-01

The space mission LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) aims at detecting gravitational waves in the frequency range 30 μ Hz to 1Hz. Free flying proof masses inside the satellites act as inertial sensors and represent the end mirrors of the interferometer. In the current baseline design, LISA utilizes an optical readout of the position and tilt of the proof mass with respect to the satellite housing. This readout must have ~ 5pm/√Hz sensitivity for the translation measurement (for frequencies above 2.8mHz with an ƒ -2 relaxation down to 30 μHz) and ~ 10 nrad/√Hz sensitivity for the tilt measurement (for frequencies above 0.1mHz with an ƒ -1 relaxation down to 30 μHz). The University of Applied Sciences Konstanz (HTWG) - in collaboration with Astrium GmbH, Friedrichshafen, and the Humboldt-University Berlin - therefore develops a highly symmetric heterodyne interferometer implementing differential wavefront sensing for the tilt measurement. We realized a mechanically highly stable and compact setup. In a second, improved setup we measured initial noise levels below 5 pm/√Hz and 10 nrad/√Hz, respectively, for frequencies above 10mHz.

Mechanical Energy Change in Inertial Reference Frames

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanbari, Saeed

2016-01-01

The mechanical energy change of a system in an inertial frame of reference equals work done by the total nonconservative force in the same frame. This relation is covariant under the Galilean transformations from inertial frame S to S', where S' moves with constant velocity relative to S. In the presence of nonconservative forces, such as normal…

Industry's role in inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, A.J.

1983-01-01

This paper is an address to the Tenth Symposium on Fusion Engineering. The speaker first addressed the subject of industry's role in inertial fusion three years earlier in 1980, outlining programs that included participation in the Shiva construction project, and the industrial participants' program set up in the laser fusion program to bring industrial scientists and engineers into the laboratory to work on laser fusion. The speaker is now the president of KMS Fusion, Inc., the primary industrial participant in the inertial fusion program. The outlook for fusion energy and the attitude of the federal government toward the fusion program is discussed

Influence of gravity on inertial particle clustering in turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, J.; Nordsiek, H.; Saw, E. W.; Fugal, J. P.; Shaw, R. A.

2008-11-01

We report results from experiments aimed at studying inertial particles in homogeneous, isotropic turbulence, under the influence of gravitational settling. Conditions are selected to investigate the transition from negligible role of gravity to gravitationally dominated, as is expected to occur in atmospheric clouds. We measure droplet clustering, relative velocities, and the distribution of collision angles in this range. The experiments are carried out in a laboratory chamber with nearly homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. The turbulence is characterized using LDV and 2-frame holographic particle tracking velocimetry. We seed the flow with particles of various Stokes and Froude numbers and use digital holography to obtain 3D particle positions and velocities. From particle positions, we investigate the impact of gravity on inertial clustering through the calculation of the radial distribution function and we compare to computational results and other recent experiments.

Inertial range spectrum of field-aligned whistler turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dwivedi, Navin Kumar; Singh, Shobhana

2017-01-01

the background magnetic field is exploited to derive the inertial range scaling laws corresponding to the electric field and magnetic field fluctuations. The model is based on the concept of Iroshnikov-Kraichnan inertial range magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The present phenomenological turbulence scaling model...

Experimental techniques for measuring Rayleigh-Taylor instability in inertial confinement fusion (ICF)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smalyuk, V A

2012-06-07

Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability is one of the major concerns in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) because it amplifies target modulations in both acceleration and deceleration phases of implosion, which leads to shell disruption and performance degradation of imploding targets. This article reviews experimental results of the RT growth experiments performed on OMEGA laser system, where targets were driven directly with laser light. RT instability was studied in the linear and nonlinear regimes. The experiments were performed in acceleration phase, using planar and spherical targets, and in deceleration phase of spherical implosions, using spherical shells. Initial target modulations consisted of 2-D pre-imposed modulations, and 2-D and 3-D modulations imprinted on targets by the non-uniformities in laser drive. In planar geometry, the nonlinear regime was studied using 3-D modulations with broadband spectra near nonlinear saturation levels. In acceleration-phase, the measured modulation Fourier spectra and nonlinear growth velocities are in good agreement with those predicted by Haan's model [Haan S W 1989 Phys. Rev. A 39 5812]. In a real-space analysis, the bubble merger was quantified by a self-similar evolution of bubble size distributions [Oron D et al 2001 Phys. Plasmas 8, 2883]. The 3-D, inner-surface modulations were measured to grow throughout the deceleration phase of spherical implosions. RT growth rates are very sensitive to the drive conditions, therefore they can be used to test and validate drive physics in hydrodynamic codes used to design ICF implosions. Measured growth rates of pre-imposed 2-D target modulations below nonlinear saturation levels were used to validate non-local thermal electron transport model in laser-driven experiments.

Disability and Fatigue Can Be Objectively Measured in Multiple Sclerosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caterina Motta

Full Text Available The available clinical outcome measures of disability in multiple sclerosis are not adequately responsive or sensitive.To investigate the feasibility of inertial sensor-based gait analysis in multiple sclerosis.A cross-sectional study of 80 multiple sclerosis patients and 50 healthy controls was performed. Lower-limb kinematics was evaluated by using a commercially available magnetic inertial measurement unit system. Mean and standard deviation of range of motion (mROM, sROM for each joint of lower limbs were calculated in one minute walking test. A motor performance index (E defined as the sum of sROMs was proposed.We established two novel observer-independent measures of disability. Hip mROM was extremely sensitive in measuring lower limb motor impairment, being correlated with muscle strength and also altered in patients without clinically detectable disability. On the other hand, E index discriminated patients according to disability, being altered only in patients with moderate and severe disability, regardless of walking speed. It was strongly correlated with fatigue and patient-perceived health status.Inertial sensor-based gait analysis is feasible and can detect clinical and subclinical disability in multiple sclerosis.

Inertial fusion energy development strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutant, J.; Hogan, W.J.; Nakai, S.; Rozanov, V.B.; Velarde, G.

1995-01-01

The research and development strategy for inertial fusion energy (IFE) is delineated. The development strategy must indicate how commercial IFE power can be made available in the first part of the next century, by which is meant that a Demonstration Power Plant (DPP) will have shown that in commercial operation IFE power plants can satisfy the requirements of public and employee safety, acceptably low impact on the environment, technical performance, reliability, maintainability and economic competitiveness. The technical issues associated with the various required demonstrations for each of the subsystems of the power plant (target, driver, reaction chamber, and remainder of plant (ROP) where the tritium for future targets is extracted and thermal energy is converted into electricity) are listed. The many developments required to make IFE commercially available can be oriented towards a few major demonstrations. These demonstrations do not necessarily each need separate facilities. The goals of these demonstrations are: (i) ignition demonstration, to show ignition and thermonuclear burn in an ICF target and determine the minimum required driver conditions; (ii) high gain demonstration, to show adequate driver efficiency-gain product; (iii) engineering demonstrations, to show high pulse rate operations in an integrated system and to choose the best designs of the various reactor systems; (iv) commercial demonstrations, to prove safe, environmentally benign, reliable, economic, near-commercial operation. In this document the present status of major inertial confinement research activities is summarized including a table of the major operating or planned facilities. The aspects involved in each of the required demonstrations are discussed. Also, for each of the subsystems mentioned above the technical developments that are needed are discussed. The document ends with a discussion of the two existing detailed IFE development plans, by the United States and Japan. 9

Dispersion of (light) inertial particles in stratified turbulence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Aartrijk, M.; Clercx, H.J.H.; Armenio, Vincenzo; Geurts, Bernardus J.; Fröhlich, Jochen

2010-01-01

We present a brief overview of a numerical study of the dispersion of particles in stably stratified turbulence. Three types of particles arc examined: fluid particles, light inertial particles ($\\rho_p/\\rho_f = \\mathcal{O}(1)$) and heavy inertial particles ($\\rho_p/\\rho_f \\gg 1$). Stratification

The vacuum in non-inertial systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soto, F.; Cocho, G.; Villarreal, C.; Hacyan, S.; Sarmiento, A.

1987-01-01

A brief presentation of the attemps made by our group on understanding the physics of the thermal effects appearing in quantum field theory in the non-inertial frames or in curved spacetime is made. The idea of the vacuum field being directly responsible for the thermal effects in non-inertial frames is introduced and explored; the thermal distributions observed from a non-inertial frame are due to the Doppler distortion undergone by the vacuum field. To support this idea we use the results obtained by T.H. Boyer in stochastic field theory, and further on we develop a formalism which leads to consistent results. We also show that the thermal character of the denominators in the distributions, appearing in quantum field theory in non-inertia frames, is directly linked to the discreteness originated by confining the space where the field is being quantized. This confinement implies the absence of some long wave modes, which in turn implies a modification of the states density in phase space. (author)

Variable-State-Dimension Kalman-based Filter for orientation determination using inertial and magnetic sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabatini, Angelo Maria

2012-01-01

In this paper a quaternion-based Variable-State-Dimension Extended Kalman Filter (VSD-EKF) is developed for estimating the three-dimensional orientation of a rigid body using the measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) integrated with a triaxial magnetic sensor. Gyro bias and magnetic disturbances are modeled and compensated by including them in the filter state vector. The VSD-EKF switches between a quiescent EKF, where the magnetic disturbance is modeled as a first-order Gauss-Markov stochastic process (GM-1), and a higher-order EKF where extra state components are introduced to model the time-rate of change of the magnetic field as a GM-1 stochastic process, namely the magnetic disturbance is modeled as a second-order Gauss-Markov stochastic process (GM-2). Experimental validation tests show the effectiveness of the VSD-EKF, as compared to either the quiescent EKF or the higher-order EKF when they run separately.

Variable-State-Dimension Kalman-Based Filter for Orientation Determination Using Inertial and Magnetic Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelo Maria Sabatini

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper a quaternion-based Variable-State-Dimension Extended Kalman Filter (VSD-EKF is developed for estimating the three-dimensional orientation of a rigid body using the measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU integrated with a triaxial magnetic sensor. Gyro bias and magnetic disturbances are modeled and compensated by including them in the filter state vector. The VSD-EKF switches between a quiescent EKF, where the magnetic disturbance is modeled as a first-order Gauss-Markov stochastic process (GM-1, and a higher-order EKF where extra state components are introduced to model the time-rate of change of the magnetic field as a GM-1 stochastic process, namely the magnetic disturbance is modeled as a second-order Gauss-Markov stochastic process (GM-2. Experimental validation tests show the effectiveness of the VSD-EKF, as compared to either the quiescent EKF or the higher-order EKF when they run separately.

Accelerators for heavy ion inertial fusion: Progress and plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bangerter, R.O.; Friedman, A.; Herrmannsfeldt, W.B.

1994-08-01

The Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion Program is the principal part of the Inertial Fusion Energy Program in the Office of Fusion Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. The emphasis of the Heavy Ion Program is the development of accelerators for fusion power production. Target physics research and some elements of fusion chamber development are supported in the much larger Inertial Confinement Fusion Program, a dual purpose (defense and energy) program in the Defense Programs part of the Department of Energy. The accelerator research program will establish feasibility through a sequence of scaled experiments that will demonstrate key physics and engineering issues at low cost compared to other fusion programs. This paper discusses progress in the accelerator program and outlines how the planned research will address the key economic issues of inertial fusion energy

Improving power output of inertial energy harvesters by employing principal component analysis of input acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Smilek, Jan; Hadas, Zdenek

2017-02-01

In this paper we propose the use of principal component analysis to process the measured acceleration data in order to determine the direction of acceleration with the highest variance on given frequency of interest. This method can be used for improving the power generated by inertial energy harvesters. Their power output is highly dependent on the excitation acceleration magnitude and frequency, but the axes of acceleration measurements might not always be perfectly aligned with the directions of movement, and therefore the generated power output might be severely underestimated in simulations, possibly leading to false conclusions about the feasibility of using the inertial energy harvester for the examined application.

Inertial frames and breakthrough propulsion physics

Science.gov (United States)

Millis, Marc G.

2017-09-01

The term ;Breakthrough Propulsion Physics; comes from the NASA project by that name which examined non-rocket space drives, gravity control, and faster-than-light travel. The focus here is on space drives and the related unsolved physics of inertial frames. A ;space drive; is a generic term encompassing any concept for using as-yet undiscovered physics to move a spacecraft instead of existing rockets, sails, or tethers. The collective state of the art spans mostly steps 1-3 of the scientific method: defining the problem, collecting data, and forming hypotheses. The key issues include (1) conservation of momentum, (2) absence of obvious reaction mass, and (3) the net-external thrusting requirement. Relevant open problems in physics include: (1) the sources and mechanisms of inertial frames, (2) coupling of gravitation to the other fundamental forces, and (3) the nature of the quantum vacuum. Rather than following the assumption that inertial frames are an immutable, intrinsic property of space, this paper revisits Mach's Principle, where it is posited that inertia is relative to the distant surrounding matter. This perspective allows conjectures that a space drive could impart reaction forces to that matter, via some as-yet undiscovered interaction with the inertial frame properties of space. Thought experiments are offered to begin a process to derive new hypotheses. It is unknown if this line of inquiry will be fruitful, but it is hoped that, by revisiting unsolved physics from a propulsion point of view, new insights will be gained.

Work and Inertial Frames

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Richard

2017-12-01

A fairly recent paper resolves a large discrepancy in the internal energy utilized to fire a cannon as calculated by two inertial observers. Earth and its small reaction velocity must be considered in the system so that the change in kinetic energy is calculated correctly. This paper uses a car in a similar scenario, but considers the work done by forces acting over distances. An analysis of the system must include all energy interactions, including the work done on the car and especially the (negative) work done on Earth in a moving reference frame. This shows the importance of considering the force on Earth and the distance Earth travels. For calculation of work in inertial reference frames, the center of mass perspective is shown to be useful. We also consider the energy requirements to efficiently accelerate a mass among interacting masses.

Modification of inertial oscillations by the mesoscale eddy field

Science.gov (United States)

Elipot, Shane; Lumpkin, Rick; Prieto, GermáN.

2010-09-01

The modification of near-surface near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) by the geostrophic vorticity is studied globally from an observational standpoint. Surface drifter are used to estimate NIO characteristics. Despite its spatial resolution limits, altimetry is used to estimate the geostrophic vorticity. Three characteristics of NIOs are considered: the relative frequency shift with respect to the local inertial frequency; the near-inertial variance; and the inverse excess bandwidth, which is interpreted as a decay time scale. The geostrophic mesoscale flow shifts the frequency of NIOs by approximately half its vorticity. Equatorward of 30°N and S, this effect is added to a global pattern of blue shift of NIOs. While the global pattern of near-inertial variance is interpretable in terms of wind forcing, it is also observed that the geostrophic vorticity organizes the near-inertial variance; it is maximum for near zero values of the Laplacian of the vorticity and decreases for nonzero values, albeit not as much for positive as for negative values. Because the Laplacian of vorticity and vorticity are anticorrelated in the altimeter data set, overall, more near-inertial variance is found in anticyclonic vorticity regions than in cyclonic regions. While this is compatible with anticyclones trapping NIOs, the organization of near-inertial variance by the Laplacian of vorticity is also in very good agreement with previous theoretical and numerical predictions. The inverse bandwidth is a decreasing function of the gradient of vorticity, which acts like the gradient of planetary vorticity to increase the decay of NIOs from the ocean surface. Because the altimetry data set captures the largest vorticity gradients in energetic mesoscale regions, it is also observed that NIOs decay faster in large geostrophic eddy kinetic energy regions.

Inertial fusion sciences and applications 99: state of the art 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaune, Ch.; Hogan, W.J.; Tanaka, K.A.

2000-01-01

This book brings together the texts of the communications presented at the conference 'Inertial fusion sciences and applications' held in Paris in 1999. These proceedings are shared into five sessions: laser fusion physics, fusion with particle beams, fusion with implosions, inertial fusion energy, and experimental applications of inertial fusion. (J.S.)

Near-inertial motions in the DeSoto Canyon during Hurricane Georges

Science.gov (United States)

Jordi, Antoni; Wang, Dong-Ping; Hamilton, Peter

2016-09-01

Hurricane Georges passed directly over an array of 13 moorings deployed in the DeSoto Canyon in the northern Gulf of Mexico on 27-28 September 1998. Current velocity data from the mooring array were analyzed together with a primitive-equation model simulation with realistic hurricane forcing, to characterize the generation and propagation of the hurricane-generated near-inertial waves. The model successfully reproduces the observed mean (sub-inertial) and near-inertial motions. The upper ocean response is strongly impacted by the canyon 'wall': a strong jet is formed along the slope, and the near-inertial motions on the shelf are rapidly suppressed. The model results moreover suggest that strong near-inertial waves in the mixed layer are mostly trapped in an energy flux recirculating gyre around the canyon. This gyre retains the near-inertial energy in the canyon region and enhances the transfer of near-inertial energy below the mixed layer. Additional simulations with idealized topographies show that the presence of a steep slope rather than the canyon is fundamental for the generation of this recirculating gyre. The near-inertial wave energy budget shows that during the study period the wind generated an input of 6.79 × 10-2 Wm-2 of which about 1/3, or 2.43 × 10-2 Wm-2, was transferred below the mixed layer. The horizontal energy flux into and out of the canyon region, in contrast, was relatively weak.

Particle energization by inertial Alfven wave in auroral ionosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S.

2017-12-01

The role of inertial Alfven wave in auroral acceleration region and in the inertial regime to energize the plasma particles is an interesting field and widely discussed observationally as well as theoretically in recent years. In this work, we present the density perturbations by inertial Alfvén wave (AW) in the auroral ionosphere. We obtain dynamical equations for inertial AW and fast mode of AW using two-fluid model and then solve them numerically in order to analyze the localized structures and cavity formation. The ponderomotive force due to the high frequency inertial AW changes the background density and is believed to be responsible for the wave localization or for the formation of density cavities in auroral ionosphere. These density cavities are believed to be the sites for particle energization. This perturbed density channel grow with time until the modulation instability acquires steady state. We find that the density cavities are accompanied by the high amplitude magnetic fields. The amplitude of the strongest density cavity is estimated as ˜ 0.26n0 (n0 is unperturbed plasma number density). The results presented here are found consistent with the observational studies using FAST spacecraft.

Representation-free description of light-pulse atom interferometry including non-inertial effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kleinert, Stephan, E-mail: stephan.kleinert@uni-ulm.de [Institut für Quantenphysik and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm (Germany); Kajari, Endre; Roura, Albert [Institut für Quantenphysik and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm (Germany); Schleich, Wolfgang P. [Institut für Quantenphysik and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm (Germany); Texas A& M University Institute for Advanced Study (TIAS), Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A& M University College Station, TX 77843-4242 (United States)

2015-12-30

Light-pulse atom interferometers rely on the wave nature of matter and its manipulation with coherent laser pulses. They are used for precise gravimetry and inertial sensing as well as for accurate measurements of fundamental constants. Reaching higher precision requires longer interferometer times which are naturally encountered in microgravity environments such as drop-tower facilities, sounding rockets and dedicated satellite missions aiming at fundamental quantum physics in space. In all those cases, it is necessary to consider arbitrary trajectories and varying orientations of the interferometer set-up in non-inertial frames of reference. Here we provide a versatile representation-free description of atom interferometry entirely based on operator algebra to address this general situation. We show how to analytically determine the phase shift as well as the visibility of interferometers with an arbitrary number of pulses including the effects of local gravitational accelerations, gravity gradients, the rotation of the lasers and non-inertial frames of reference. Our method conveniently unifies previous results and facilitates the investigation of novel interferometer geometries.

Interplanetary propulsion using inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orth, C.D.; Hogan, W.J.; Hoffman, N.; Murray, K.; Klein, G.; Diaz, F.C.

1987-01-01

Inertial fusion can be used to power spacecraft within the solar system and beyond. Such spacecraft have the potential for short-duration manned-mission performance exceeding other technologies. We are conducting a study to assess the systems aspects of inertial fusion as applied to such missions, based on the conceptual engine design of Hyde (1983) we describe the required systems for an entirely new spacecraft design called VISTA that is based on the use of DT fuel. We give preliminary design details for the power conversion and power conditioning systems for manned missions to Mars of total duration of about 100 days. Specific mission performance results will be published elsewhere, after the study has been completed

Inertial fusion experiments and theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mima, Kunioki; Tikhonchuk, V.; Perlado, M.

2011-01-01

Inertial fusion research is approaching a critical milestone, namely the demonstration of ignition and burn. The world's largest high-power laser, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), is under operation at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in the USA. Another ignition machine, Laser Mega Joule (LMJ), is under construction at the CEA/CESTA research centre in France. In relation to the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) at LLNL, worldwide studies on inertial fusion applications to energy production are growing. Advanced ignition schemes such as fast ignition, shock ignition and impact ignition, and the inertial fusion energy (IFE) technology are under development. In particular, the Fast Ignition Realization Experiment (FIREX) at the Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE), Osaka University, and the OMEGA-EP project at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), University Rochester, and the HiPER project in the European Union (EU) for fast ignition and shock ignition are progressing. The IFE technology research and development are advanced in the frameworks of the HiPER project in EU and the LIFE project in the USA. Laser technology developments in the USA, EU, Japan and Korea were major highlights in the IAEA FEC 2010. In this paper, the status and prospects of IFE science and technology are described.

Calibration-measurement unit for the automation of vector network analyzer measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Rolfes

2008-05-01

Full Text Available With the availability of multi-port vector network analyzers, the need for automated, calibrated measurement facilities increases. In this contribution, a calibration-measurement unit is presented which realizes a repeatable automated calibration of the measurement setup as well as a user-friendly measurement of the device under test (DUT. In difference to commercially available calibration units, which are connected to the ports of the vector network analyzer preceding a measurement and which are then removed so that the DUT can be connected, the presented calibration-measurement unit is permanently connected to the ports of the VNA for the calibration as well as for the measurement of the DUT. This helps to simplify the calibrated measurement of complex scattering parameters. Moreover, a full integration of the calibration unit into the analyzer setup becomes possible. The calibration-measurement unit is based on a multiport switch setup of e.g. electromechanical relays. Under the assumption of symmetry of a switch, on the one hand the unit realizes the connection of calibration standards like one-port reflection standards and two-port through connections between different ports and on the other hand it enables the connection of the DUT. The calibration-measurement unit is applicable for two-port VNAs as well as for multiport VNAs. For the calibration of the unit, methods with completely known calibration standards like SOLT (short, open, load, through as well as self-calibration procedures like TMR or TLR can be applied.

Overcoming urban GPS navigation challenges through the use of MEMS inertial sensors and proper verification of navigation system performance

Science.gov (United States)

Vinande, Eric T.

This research proposes several means to overcome challenges in the urban environment to ground vehicle global positioning system (GPS) receiver navigation performance through the integration of external sensor information. The effects of narrowband radio frequency interference and signal attenuation, both common in the urban environment, are examined with respect to receiver signal tracking processes. Low-cost microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors, suitable for the consumer market, are the focus of receiver augmentation as they provide an independent measure of motion and are independent of vehicle systems. A method for estimating the mounting angles of an inertial sensor cluster utilizing typical urban driving maneuvers is developed and is able to provide angular measurements within two degrees of truth. The integration of GPS and MEMS inertial sensors is developed utilizing a full state navigation filter. Appropriate statistical methods are developed to evaluate the urban environment navigation improvement due to the addition of MEMS inertial sensors. A receiver evaluation metric that combines accuracy, availability, and maximum error measurements is presented and evaluated over several drive tests. Following a description of proper drive test techniques, record and playback systems are evaluated as the optimal way of testing multiple receivers and/or integrated navigation systems in the urban environment as they simplify vehicle testing requirements.

Heavy ion inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keefe, D.; Sessler, A.M.

1980-01-01

Inertial fusion has not yet been as well explored as magnetic fusion but can offer certain advantages as an alternative source of electric energy for the future. Present experiments use high-power beams from lasers and light-ion diodes to compress the deuterium-tritium (D-T) pellets but these will probably be unsuitable for a power plant. A more promising method is to use intense heavy-ion beams from accelerator systems similar to those used for nuclear and high-energy physics; the present paper addresses itself to this alternative. As will be demonstrated the very high beam power needed poses new design questions, from the ion-source through the accelerating system, the beam transport system, to the final focus. These problems will require extensive study, both theoretically and experimentally, over the next several years before an optimum design for an inertial fusion driver can be arrived at. (Auth.)

Heavy ion inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keefe, D.; Sessler, A.M.

1980-07-01

Inertial fusion has not yet been as well explored as magnetic fusion but can offer certain advantages as an alternative source of electric energy for the future. Present experiments use high-power beams from lasers and light-ion diodes to compress the deuterium-tritium (D-T) pellets but these will probably be unsuitable for a power plant. A more promising method is to use intense heavy-ion beams from accelerator systems similar to those used for nuclear and high-energy physics; the present paper addresses itself to this alternative. As will be demonstrated the very high beam power needed poses new design questions, from the ion source through the accelerating system, the beam transport system, to the final focus. These problems will require extensive study, both theoretically and experimentally, over the next several years before an optimum design for an inertial fusion driver can be arrived at

Assessment of the pivot shift using inertial sensors

OpenAIRE

Zaffagnini, Stefano; Signorelli, Cecilia; Grassi, Alberto; Yue, Han; Raggi, Federico; Urrizola, Francisco; Bonanzinga, Tommaso; Marcacci, Maurilio

2016-01-01

The pivot shift test is an important clinical tool used to assess the stability of the knee following an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Previous studies have shown that significant variability exists in the performance and interpretation of this manoeuvre. Accordingly, a variety of techniques aimed at standardizing and quantifying the pivot shift test have been developed. In recent years, inertial sensors have been used to measure the kinematics of the pivot shift. The goal o...

Inertial Waves and Steady Flows in a Liquid Filled Librating Cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Subbotin, Stanislav; Dyakova, Veronika

2018-05-01

The fluid flow in a non-uniformly rotating (librating) cylinder about a horizontal axis is experimentally studied. In the absence of librations the fluid performs a solid-body rotation together with the cavity. Librations lead to the appearance of steady zonal flow in the whole cylinder and the intensive steady toroidal flows near the cavity corners. If the frequency of librations is twice lower than the mean rotation rate the inertial waves are excited. The oscillating motion associated with the propagation of inertial wave in the fluid bulk leads to the appearance of an additional steady flow in the Stokes boundary layers on the cavity side wall. In this case the heavy particles of the visualizer are assembled on the side wall into ring structures. The patterns are determined by the structure of steady flow, which in turn depends on the number of reflections of inertial wave beams from the cavity side wall. For some frequencies, inertial waves experience spatial resonance, resulting in inertial modes, which are eigenmodes of the cavity geometry. The resonance of the inertial modes modifies the steady flow structure close to the boundary layer that is manifested in the direct rebuilding of patterns. It is shown that the intensity of zonal flow, as well as the intensity of steady flows excited by inertial waves, is proportional to the square of the amplitude of librations.

Inertial effects in laser-driven ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrach, R.J.; Szeoke, A.; Howard, W.M.

1983-01-01

The gasdynamic partial differential equations (PDE's) governing the motion of an ablatively accelerated target (rocket) contain an inertial force term that arises from acceleration of the reference frame in which the PDE's are written. We give a simple, intuitive description of this effect, and estimate its magnitude and parametric dependences by means of approximate analytical formulas inferred from our computer hydrocode calculations. Often this inertial term is negligible, but for problems in the areas of laser fusion and laser equation of state studies we find that it can substantially reduce the attainable hydrodynamic efficiency of acceleration and implosion

Inertial Oscillations and the Galilean Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Korotaev, G. K.

2018-03-01

This paper presents a general solution of shallow-water equations on the f-plane. The solution describes the generation of inertial oscillations by wind-pulse forcing over the background of currents arbitrarily changing in time and space in a homogeneous fluid. It is shown that the existence of such a complete solution of shallow-water equations on the f-plane is related to their invariance with respect to the generalized Galilean transformations. Examples of velocity hodographs of inertial oscillations developing over the background of a narrow jet are presented which explain the diversity in their forms.

Airborne Gravimetry Survey for the Marine Area of the United Arab Emirates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forsberg, René; Olesen, Arne Vestergaard; Alshamsi, Adel

2012-01-01

The Military Survey Department (MSD) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) undertook an airborne gravity survey project for the marine area of the country in 2009, especially to strengthen the marine and coastal geoid in the near-shore regions. For the airborne gravity survey, 5 km spacing coast...... flight speed of 170 knots and a typical flight elevation of 900-1500 m, depending on weather conditions and topography. Gravity was measured with a ZLS-modified LaCoste and Romberg gravimeter (S-99), augmented with a Honeywell strap-down inertial navigation system unit. The estimated accuracy...

Theory of gravitational-inertial field of universe. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davtyan, O.K.

1978-01-01

A generalization of the real world tensor by the introduction of a inertial field tensor is proposed. On the basis of variational equations a system of more general covariant equations of the gravitational-inertial field is obtained. In the Einstein approximation these equations reduce to the field equations of Einstein. The solution of fundamental problems in the general theory of relativity by means of the new equations gives the same results as the solution by means of Einstein's equations. However, application of these equations to the cosmologic problem gives a result different from that obtained by Friedmann's theory. In particular, the solution gives the Hubble law as the law of motion of a free body in the inertial field - in contrast to Galileo-Newton's law. (author)

Active Vibration Isolation Devices with Inertial Servo Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Melik-Shakhnazarov, V. A.; Strelov, V. I.; Sofiyanchuk, D. V.; Tregubenko, A. A.

2018-03-01

The use of active vibration isolation devices (AVIDs) in aerospace engineering is subject to the following restrictions. First, the volume for installing additional devices is always limited in instrument racks and compartments. Secondly, in many cases, it is impossible to add supports for servo actuators for fundamental or design considerations. In the paper, it has been shown that this problem can be solved if the inertial servo actuators are used in AVIDs instead of reference actuators. A transfer function has been theoretically calculated for an AVID controlled by inertial actuators. It has been shown that the volume of a six-mode single-housing AVID with inertial actuators can be 2-2.5 times smaller than that of devices with support actuators.

A flexible cell concentrator using inertial focusing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Chunglong; Zhou, Jian; Liang, Yitao; Huang, Bobo; Fang, Yifeng; Liang, Xiao; Ye, Xuesong

2017-09-11

Cell concentration adjustment is intensively implemented routinely both in research and clinical laboratories. Centrifuge is the most prevalent technique for tuning biosample concentration. But it suffers from a number of drawbacks, such as requirement of experienced operator, high cost, low resolution, variable reproducibility and induced damage to sample. Herein we report on a cost-efficient alternative using inertial microfluidics. While the majority of existing literatures concentrate on inertial focusing itself, we identify the substantial role of the outlet system played in the device performance that has long been underestimated. The resistances of the outlets virtually involve in defining the cutoff size of a given inertial filtration channel. Following the comprehensive exploration of the influence of outlet system, we designed an inertial device with selectable outlets. Using both commercial microparticles and cultured Hep G2 cells, we have successfully demonstrated the automated concentration modification and observed several key advantages of our device as compared with conventional centrifuge, such as significantly reduced cell loss (only 4.2% vs. ~40% of centrifuge), better preservation of cell viability and less processing time as well as the increased reproducibility due to absence of manual operation. Furthermore, our device shows high effectiveness for concentrated sample (e.g., 1.8 × 10 6 cells/ml) as well. We envision its promising applications in the circumstance where repetitive sample preparation is intensely employed.

Inertial modes of rigidly rotating neutron stars in Cowling approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastaun, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

In this article, we investigate inertial modes of rigidly rotating neutron stars, i.e. modes for which the Coriolis force is dominant. This is done using the assumption of a fixed spacetime (Cowling approximation). We present frequencies and eigenfunctions for a sequence of stars with a polytropic equation of state, covering a broad range of rotation rates. The modes were obtained with a nonlinear general relativistic hydrodynamic evolution code. We further show that the eigenequations for the oscillation modes can be written in a particularly simple form for the case of arbitrary fast but rigid rotation. Using these equations, we investigate some general characteristics of inertial modes, which are then compared to the numerically obtained eigenfunctions. In particular, we derive a rough analytical estimate for the frequency as a function of the number of nodes of the eigenfunction, and find that a similar empirical relation matches the numerical results with unexpected accuracy. We investigate the slow rotation limit of the eigenequations, obtaining two different sets of equations describing pressure and inertial modes. For the numerical computations we only considered axisymmetric modes, while the analytic part also covers nonaxisymmetric modes. The eigenfunctions suggest that the classification of inertial modes by the quantum numbers of the leading term of a spherical harmonic decomposition is artificial in the sense that the largest term is not strongly dominant, even in the slow rotation limit. The reason for the different structure of pressure and inertial modes is that the Coriolis force remains important in the slow rotation limit only for inertial modes. Accordingly, the scalar eigenequation we obtain in that limit is spherically symmetric for pressure modes, but not for inertial modes

IMU: inertial sensing of vertical CoM movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Esser, Patrick; Dawes, Helen; Collett, Johnny; Howells, Ken

2009-07-22

The purpose of this study was to use a quaternion rotation matrix in combination with an integration approach to transform translatory accelerations of the centre of mass (CoM) from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) during walking, from the object system onto the global frame. Second, this paper utilises double integration to determine the relative change in position of the CoM from the vertical acceleration data. Five participants were tested in which an IMU, consisting of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers was attached on the lower spine estimated centre of mass. Participants were asked to walk three times through a calibrated volume at their self-selected walking speed. Synchronized data were collected by an IMU and an optical motion capture system (OMCS); both measured at 100 Hz. Accelerations of the IMU were transposed onto the global frame using a quaternion rotation matrix. Translatory acceleration, speed and relative change in position from the IMU were compared with the derived data from the OMCS. Peak acceleration in vertical axis showed no significant difference (p> or =0.05). Difference between peak and trough speed showed significant difference (p or =0.05). These results indicate that quaternions, in combination with Simpsons rule integration, can be used in transforming translatory acceleration from the object frame to the global frame and therefore obtain relative change in position, thus offering a solution for using accelerometers in accurate global frame kinematic gait analyses.

Time-domain representation of frequency dependent inertial forces on offshore structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krenk, Steen

2013-01-01

dependence is then approximated by a rational function, corresponding to a set of ordinary differential equations in the time domain. The MacCamy-Fuchs solution leads to a representation of the inertial force coefficient as a complex function with argument mainly corresponding to a 'phase lead', in contrast...... history of the inertial force is determined by processing the stable part of the transformation by a forward time integration, followed by an integration in the negative time-direction to obtain the final inertial force time history. The differential equations of the local inertial force at a cross......The inertial wave force on a vertical cylinder decreases with decreasing wave length, when the wave length is less than about six times the diameter of the diameter of the cylinder. In structures with a largediameter component like mono-towers the resonance frequency of the structure is typically...

Internal swells in the tropics: Near-inertial wave energy fluxes and dissipation during CINDY

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, S. M.; Natarov, A.; Richards, K. J.

2016-05-01

A developing MJO event in the tropical Indian Ocean triggered wind disturbances that generated inertial oscillations in the surface mixed layer. Subsequent radiation of near-inertial waves below the mixed layer produced strong turbulence in the pycnocline. Linear plane wave dynamics and spectral analysis are used to explain these observations, with the ultimate goal of estimating the wave energy flux in relation to both the energy input by the wind and the dissipation by turbulence. The results indicate that the wave packets carry approximately 30-40% of the wind input of inertial kinetic energy, and propagate in an environment conducive to the occurrence of a critical level set up by a combination of vertical gradients in background relative vorticity and Doppler shifting of wave frequency. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation measurements demonstrate that the waves lose energy as they propagate in the transition layer as well as in the pycnocline, where approaching this critical level may have dissipated approximately 20% of the wave packet energy in a single event. Our analysis, therefore, supports the notion that appreciable amounts of wind-induced inertial kinetic energy escape the surface boundary layer into the interior. However, a large fraction of wave energy is dissipated within the pycnocline, limiting its penetration into the abyssal ocean.

Determine the Foot Strike Pattern Using Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzyy-Yuang Shiang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available From biomechanical point of view, strike pattern plays an important role in preventing potential injury risk in running. Traditionally, strike pattern determination was conducted by using 3D motion analysis system with cameras. However, the procedure is costly and not convenient. With the rapid development of technology, sensors have been applied in sport science field lately. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the algorithm that can identify landing strategies with a wearable sensor. Six healthy male participants were recruited to perform heel and forefoot strike strategies at 7, 10, and 13 km/h speeds. The kinematic data were collected by Vicon 3D motion analysis system and 2 inertial measurement units (IMU attached on the dorsal side of both shoes. The data of each foot strike were gathered for pitch angle and strike index analysis. Comparing the strike index from IMU with the pitch angle from Vicon system, our results showed that both signals exhibited highly correlated changes between different strike patterns in the sagittal plane (r=0.98. Based on the findings, the IMU sensors showed potential capabilities and could be extended beyond the context of sport science to other fields, including clinical applications.

Economic potential of inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.H.

1984-04-01

Beyond the achievement of scientific feasibility, the key question for fusion energy is: does it have the economic potential to be significantly cheaper than fission and coal energy. If fusion has this high economic potential then there are compelling commercial and geopolitical incentives to accelerate the pace of the fusion program in the near term, and to install a global fusion energy system in the long term. Without this high economic potential, fusion's success depends on the failure of all alternatives, and there is no real incentive to accelerate the program. If my conjectures on the economic potential of inertial fusion are approximately correct, then inertial fusion energy's ultimate costs may be only half to two-thirds those of advanced fission and coal energy systems. Relative cost escalation is not assumed and could increase this advantage. Both magnetic and inertial approaches to fusion potentially have a two-fold economic advantage which derives from two fundamental properties: negligible fuel costs and high quality energy which makes possible more efficient generation of electricity. The wining approach to fusion may excel in three areas: electrical generating efficiency, minimum material costs, and adaptability to manufacture in automated factories. The winning approach must also rate highly in environmental potential, safety, availability factor, lifetime, small 0 and M costs, and no possibility of utility-disabling accidents

Giving Inertial Sensor Data Context for Communication in Applied Settings: An Example of Visual Exploration in Football

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas B. McGuckian

2018-02-01

Full Text Available For an athlete to make an appropriate decision and successfully perform a skill, they need to perceive opportunities for action by visually exploring their environment. The head movements that support visual exploration can easily and accurately be recorded using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS Inertial Measurement Units (IMU in research and applied settings. However, for IMU technology to be effective in applied settings, practitioners need to be able to communicate data to coaches and players. This paper presents methods of visualising and communicating exploratory head movement data, with the aim of giving a better understanding of (a individual differences in exploratory action, and (b how IMUs can be used in applied settings to assess and monitor visual exploratory action.

Status of inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keefe, D.

1987-04-01

The technology advancement to high-power beams has also given birth to new technologies. That class of Free Electron Lasers that employs rf linacs, synchrotrons, and storage rings - although the use the tools of High Energy Physics (HEP) - was developed well behind the kinetic energy frontier. The induction linac, however, is something of an exception; it was born directly from the needs of the magnetic fusion program, and was not motivated by a high-energy physics application. The heavy-ion approach to inertial fusion starts with picking from the rich menu of accelerator technologies those that have, ab initio, the essential ingredients needed for a power plant driver: multigap acceleration - which leads to reliability/lifetime; electrical efficiency; repetition rate; and beams that can be reliably focused over a suitably long distance. The report describes the programs underway in Heavy Ion Fusion Accelerator Research as well as listing expected advances in driver, target, and beam quality areas in the inertial fusion power program

Micromachining of inertial confinement fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gobby, P.L.; Salzer, L.J.; Day, R.D.

1996-01-01

Many experiments conducted on today's largest inertial confinement fusion drive lasers require target components with sub-millimeter dimensions, precisions of a micron or less and surface finishes measured in nanometers. For metal and plastic, techniques using direct machining with diamond tools have been developed that yield the desired parts. New techniques that will be discussed include the quick-flip locator, a magnetically held kinematic mount that has allowed the direct machining of millimeter-sized beryllium hemishells whose inside and outside surface are concentric to within 0.25 micron, and an electronic version of a tracer lathe which has produced precise azimuthal variations of less than a micron

Review of fall risk assessment in geriatric populations using inertial sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Falls are a prevalent issue in the geriatric population and can result in damaging physical and psychological consequences. Fall risk assessment can provide information to enable appropriate interventions for those at risk of falling. Wearable inertial-sensor-based systems can provide quantitative measures indicative of fall risk in the geriatric population. Methods Forty studies that used inertial sensors to evaluate geriatric fall risk were reviewed and pertinent methodological features were extracted; including, sensor placement, derived parameters used to assess fall risk, fall risk classification method, and fall risk classification model outcomes. Results Inertial sensors were placed only on the lower back in the majority of papers (65%). One hundred and thirty distinct variables were assessed, which were categorized as position and angle (7.7%), angular velocity (11.5%), linear acceleration (20%), spatial (3.8%), temporal (23.1%), energy (3.8%), frequency (15.4%), and other (14.6%). Fallers were classified using retrospective fall history (30%), prospective fall occurrence (15%), and clinical assessment (32.5%), with 22.5% using a combination of retrospective fall occurrence and clinical assessments. Half of the studies derived models for fall risk prediction, which reached high levels of accuracy (62-100%), specificity (35-100%), and sensitivity (55-99%). Conclusions Inertial sensors are promising sensors for fall risk assessment. Future studies should identify fallers using prospective techniques and focus on determining the most promising sensor sites, in conjunction with determination of optimally predictive variables. Further research should also attempt to link predictive variables to specific fall risk factors and investigate disease populations that are at high risk of falls. PMID:23927446

Minimizing scatter-losses during pre-heat for magneto-inertial fusion targets

Science.gov (United States)

Geissel, Matthias; Harvey-Thompson, Adam J.; Awe, Thomas J.; Bliss, David E.; Glinsky, Michael E.; Gomez, Matthew R.; Harding, Eric; Hansen, Stephanie B.; Jennings, Christopher; Kimmel, Mark W.; Knapp, Patrick; Lewis, Sean M.; Peterson, Kyle; Schollmeier, Marius; Schwarz, Jens; Shores, Jonathon E.; Slutz, Stephen A.; Sinars, Daniel B.; Smith, Ian C.; Speas, C. Shane; Vesey, Roger A.; Weis, Matthew R.; Porter, John L.

2018-02-01

The size, temporal and spatial shape, and energy content of a laser pulse for the pre-heat phase of magneto-inertial fusion affect the ability to penetrate the window of the laser-entrance-hole and to heat the fuel behind it. High laser intensities and dense targets are subject to laser-plasma-instabilities (LPI), which can lead to an effective loss of pre-heat energy or to pronounced heating of areas that should stay unexposed. While this problem has been the subject of many studies over the last decades, the investigated parameters were typically geared towards traditional laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) with densities either at 10% and above or at 1% and below the laser's critical density, electron temperatures of 3-5 keV, and laser powers near (or in excess of) 1 × 1015 W/cm2. In contrast, Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010) and Slutz and Vesey, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 025003 (2012)] currently operates at 5% of the laser's critical density using much thicker windows (1.5-3.5 μm) than the sub-micron thick windows of traditional ICF hohlraum targets. This article describes the Pecos target area at Sandia National Laboratories using the Z-Beamlet Laser Facility [Rambo et al., Appl. Opt. 44(12), 2421 (2005)] as a platform to study laser induced pre-heat for magneto-inertial fusion targets, and the related progress for Sandia's MagLIF program. Forward and backward scattered light were measured and minimized at larger spatial scales with lower densities, temperatures, and powers compared to LPI studies available in literature.

Inertial deposition of nanoparticle chain aggregates: Theory and comparison with impactor data for ultrafine atmospheric aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barone, Teresa L.; Lall, Anshuman Amit; Zhu Yifang; Yu Rongchung; Friedlander, Sheldon K.

2006-01-01

Nanoparticle chain aggregates (NCAs) are often sized and collected using instruments that rely on inertial transport mechanisms. The instruments size segregate aggregates according to the diameter of a sphere with the same aerodynamic behavior in a mechanical force field. A new method of interpreting the aerodynamic diameter of NCAs is described. The method can be used to calculate aggregate surface area or volume. This is useful since inertial instruments are normally calibrated for spheres, and the calibrations cannot be directly used to calculate aggregate properties. A linear relationship between aggregate aerodynamic diameter and primary particle diameter based on published Monte-Carlo drag calculations is derived. The relationship shows that the aggregate aerodynamic diameter is independent of the number of primary particles that compose an aggregate, hence the aggregate mass. The analysis applies to aggregates with low fractal dimension and uniform primary particle diameter. This is often a reasonable approximation for the morphology of nanoparticles generated in high temperature gases. An analogy is the use of the sphere as an approximation for compact particles. The analysis is applied to the collection of NCAs by a low-pressure impactor. Our results indicate the low-pressure impactor collects aggregates with a known surface area per unit volume on each stage. Combustion processes often produce particles with aggregate structure. For diesel exhaust aggregates, the surface area per unit volume calculated by our method was about twice that of spheres with diameter equal to the aerodynamic diameter. Measurements of aggregates collected near a major freeway and at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were made for two aerodynamic cutoff diameter diameters (d a,50 ), 50 and 75 nm. (Aerodynamic cutoff diameter refers to the diameter of particles collected with 50% efficiency on a low-pressure impactor stage.) Near-freeway aggregates were probably primarily a

Inertial fusion with hypervelocity impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olariu, S.

1998-01-01

The physics of the compression and ignition processes in inertial fusion is to a certain extent independent of the nature of the incident energy pulse. The present strategy in the field of inertial fusion is to study several alternatives of deposition of the incident energy, and, at the same time, of conducting studies with the aid of available incident laser pulses. In a future reactor based on inertial fusion, the laser beams may be replaced by ion beams, which have a better energy efficiency. The main projects in the field of inertial fusion are the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in USA, Laser Megajoule (LMJ) in France, Gekko XII in Japan and Iskra V in Russia. NIF will be constructed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in California. LMJ will be constructed near Bordeaux. In the conventional approach to inertial confinement fusion, both the high-density fuel mass and the hot central spot are supposed to be produced by the deposition of the driver energy in the outer layers of the fuel capsule. Alternatively, the driver energy could be used only to produce the radial compression of the fuel capsule to high densities but relatively low temperatures, while the ignition of fusion reactions in the compressed capsule should be effected by a synchronized hypervelocity impact. Using this arrangement, it was supposed that a 54 μm projectile is incident with a velocity of 3 x 10 6 m s -1 upon a large-yield deuterium-tritium target at rest. The collision of the incident projectile and of the large-yield target takes place inside a high-Z cavity. A laser or heavy-ion pulse is converted at the walls of the cavity into X-rays, which compresses the incident projectile and the large-yield target in high-density states. The laser pulse and the movement of the incident projectile are synchronized such that the collision should take place when the densities are the largest. The collision converts the kinetic energy of the incident projectile into thermal energy, the

Progress in inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, W.; Storm, E.

1985-10-01

The requirements for high gain in inertial confinement are given in terms of target implosion requirements. Results of experimental studies of the laser/target interaction and of the dynamics of laser implosion. A report of the progress of advanced laser development is also presented. 3 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Quality Assurance and T&E of Inertial Systems for RLV Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Sathiamurthi, S.; Thakur, Nayana; Hari, K.; Peter, Pilmy; Biju, V. S.; Mani, K. S.

2017-12-01

This work describes the quality assurance and Test and Evaluation (T&E) activities carried out for the inertial systems flown successfully in India's first reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator hypersonic experiment mission. As part of reliability analysis, failure mode effect and criticality analysis and derating analysis were carried out in the initial design phase, findings presented to design review forums and the recommendations were implemented. T&E plan was meticulously worked out and presented to respective forums for review and implementation. Test data analysis, health parameter plotting and test report generation was automated and these automations significantly reduced the time required for these activities and helped to avoid manual errors. Further, T&E cycle is optimized without compromising on quality aspects. These specific measures helped to achieve zero defect delivery of inertial systems for RLV application.

RisQ: Recognizing Smoking Gestures with Inertial Sensors on a Wristband

Science.gov (United States)

Parate, Abhinav; Chiu, Meng-Chieh; Chadowitz, Chaniel; Ganesan, Deepak; Kalogerakis, Evangelos

2015-01-01

Smoking-induced diseases are known to be the leading cause of death in the United States. In this work, we design RisQ, a mobile solution that leverages a wristband containing a 9-axis inertial measurement unit to capture changes in the orientation of a person's arm, and a machine learning pipeline that processes this data to accurately detect smoking gestures and sessions in real-time. Our key innovations are fourfold: a) an arm trajectory-based method that extracts candidate hand-to-mouth gestures, b) a set of trajectory-based features to distinguish smoking gestures from confounding gestures including eating and drinking, c) a probabilistic model that analyzes sequences of hand-to-mouth gestures and infers which gestures are part of individual smoking sessions, and d) a method that leverages multiple IMUs placed on a person's body together with 3D animation of a person's arm to reduce burden of self-reports for labeled data collection. Our experiments show that our gesture recognition algorithm can detect smoking gestures with high accuracy (95.7%), precision (91%) and recall (81%). We also report a user study that demonstrates that we can accurately detect the number of smoking sessions with very few false positives over the period of a day, and that we can reliably extract the beginning and end of smoking session periods. PMID:26688835

Validation of a Step Detection Algorithm during Straight Walking and Turning in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Older Adults Using an Inertial Measurement Unit at the Lower Back

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minh H. Pham

2017-09-01

Full Text Available IntroductionInertial measurement units (IMUs positioned on various body locations allow detailed gait analysis even under unconstrained conditions. From a medical perspective, the assessment of vulnerable populations is of particular relevance, especially in the daily-life environment. Gait analysis algorithms need thorough validation, as many chronic diseases show specific and even unique gait patterns. The aim of this study was therefore to validate an acceleration-based step detection algorithm for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD and older adults in both a lab-based and home-like environment.MethodsIn this prospective observational study, data were captured from a single 6-degrees of freedom IMU (APDM (3DOF accelerometer and 3DOF gyroscope worn on the lower back. Detection of heel strike (HS and toe off (TO on a treadmill was validated against an optoelectronic system (Vicon (11 PD patients and 12 older adults. A second independent validation study in the home-like environment was performed against video observation (20 PD patients and 12 older adults and included step counting during turning and non-turning, defined with a previously published algorithm.ResultsA continuous wavelet transform (cwt-based algorithm was developed for step detection with very high agreement with the optoelectronic system. HS detection in PD patients/older adults, respectively, reached 99/99% accuracy. Similar results were obtained for TO (99/100%. In HS detection, Bland–Altman plots showed a mean difference of 0.002 s [95% confidence interval (CI −0.09 to 0.10] between the algorithm and the optoelectronic system. The Bland–Altman plot for TO detection showed mean differences of 0.00 s (95% CI −0.12 to 0.12. In the home-like assessment, the algorithm for detection of occurrence of steps during turning reached 90% (PD patients/90% (older adults sensitivity, 83/88% specificity, and 88/89% accuracy. The detection of steps during non-turning phases

Measurements of strongly localized potential well profiles in an inertial electrostatic fusion neutron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, K.; Takiyama, K.; Koyama, T.

2001-01-01

Direct measurements of localized electric fields are made by the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method by use of the Stark effects in the central cathode core region of an Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement Fusion (IECF) neutron (proton) source, which is expected for various applications, such as luggage security inspection, non-destructive testing, land mine detector, or positron emitter production for cancer detection, currently producing continuously about 10 7 n/sec D-D neutrons. Since 1967 when the first fusion reaction was successfully proved experimentally in a very compact IECF device, potential well formation due to space charge associated with spherically converging ion beams has been a central key issue to be clarified in the beam-beam colliding fusion, which is the major mechanism of the IECF neutron source. Many experiments, but indirect, were made so far to clarify the potential well, but none of them produced definitive evidence, however. Results by the present LIF method show a double well potential profile with a slight concave for ion beams with relatively larger angular momenta, whereas for ions with smaller angular momenta, potential but much steeper peak to develop. (author)

A Novel Spectrometer for Measuring Laser-Produced Plasma X-Ray in Inertial Confinement Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Gang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the experimental investigations of inertial confinement fusion, the laser-produced high-temperature plasma contains very abundant information, such as the electron temperature and density, ionization. In order to diagnose laser-plasma distribution in space and evolution in time, an elliptical curved crystal spectrometer has been developed and applied to diagnose X-ray of laser-produced plasma in 0.2~2.46 nm region. According to the theory of Bragg diffraction, four kinds of crystal including LiF, PET, MiCa, and KAP were chosen as dispersive elements. The distance of crystal lattice varies from 0.4 to 2.6 nm. Bragg angle is in the range of 30°~67.5°, and the spectral detection angle is in 55.4°~134°. The curved crystal spectrometer mainly consists of elliptical curved crystal analyzer, vacuum configuration, aligning device, spectral detectors and three-dimensional microadjustment devices. The spectrographic experiment was carried out on the XG-2 laser facility. Emission spectrum of Al plasmas, Ti plasma, and Au plasmas have been successfully recorded by using X-ray CCD camera. It is demonstrated experimentally that the measured wavelength is accorded with the theoretical value.

Status of light ion inertial fusion research at NRL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooperstein, G.; Barker, R.J.; Colombant, D.G.; Goldstein, S.A.; Meger, R.A.; Mosher, D.; Neri, J.M.; Ottinger, P.F.

1984-01-01

This chapter reports on the use of high-brightness proton beams, extracted from axial pinch-reflex diodes mounted on the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Gamble II generator, to study light ion inertial fusion. Topics covered include the modular approach, ion beam brightness studies, light-ion beam transport, final focusing, the single diode approach, the inductive storage approach, an energy loss experiment, and future plans. Analysis of a modular inertial confinement fusion (ICF) system using axial pinch-reflex diodes shows that an operational window for transport of light-ion species exists. A proof-of-principle experiment for the required final focusing cell was conducted on Gamble II. Preliminary experiments using vacuum inductive storage and plasma opening switches have demonstrated factorof-three pulse compressions, with corresponding power and voltage multiplications for pulse durations of interest to PBFA II. The stopping power of deuterons in hot plasmas was measured in other experiments. It is demonstrated that about 40% enhancement in stopping power over that in cold targets when the deuteron beam is focused on the target to about .25 MA/cm 2 . Includes 6 diagrams

Ultrasensitive Inertial and Force Sensors with Diamagnetically Levitated Magnets

Science.gov (United States)

Prat-Camps, J.; Teo, C.; Rusconi, C. C.; Wieczorek, W.; Romero-Isart, O.

2017-09-01

We theoretically show that a magnet can be stably levitated on top of a punctured superconductor sheet in the Meissner state without applying any external field. The trapping potential created by such induced-only superconducting currents is characterized for magnetic spheres ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of millimeters. Such a diamagnetically levitated magnet is predicted to be extremely well isolated from the environment. We propose to use it as an ultrasensitive force and inertial sensor. A magnetomechanical readout of its displacement can be performed by using superconducting quantum interference devices. An analysis using current technology shows that force and acceleration sensitivities on the order of 10-23 N /√{Hz } (for a 100-nm magnet) and 10-14 g /√{Hz } (for a 10-mm magnet) might be within reach in a cryogenic environment. Such remarkable sensitivities, both in force and acceleration, can be used for a variety of purposes, from designing ultrasensitive inertial sensors for technological applications (e.g., gravimetry, avionics, and space industry), to scientific investigations on measuring Casimir forces of magnetic origin and gravitational physics.

Hydrodynamic instabilities in inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, N.M.

1994-01-01

This report discusses topics on hydrodynamics instabilities in inertial confinement: linear analysis of Rayleigh-Taylor instability; ablation-surface instability; bubble rise in late-stage Rayleigh-Taylor instability; and saturation and multimode interactions in intermediate-stage Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Comparison of quantitative evaluation between cutaneous and transosseous inertial sensors in anterior cruciate ligament deficient knee: A cadaveric study.

Science.gov (United States)

Murase, Atsunori; Nozaki, Masahiro; Kobayashi, Masaaki; Goto, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Masahito; Yasuma, Sanshiro; Takenaga, Tetsuya; Nagaya, Yuko; Mizutani, Jun; Okamoto, Hideki; Iguchi, Hirotaka; Otsuka, Takanobu

2017-09-01

Recently several authors have reported on the quantitative evaluation of the pivot-shift test using cutaneous fixation of inertial sensors. Before utilizing this sensor for clinical studies, it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of cutaneous sensor in assessing rotational knee instability. To evaluate the accuracy of inertial sensors, we compared cutaneous and transosseous sensors in the quantitative assessment of rotational knee instability in a cadaveric setting, in order to demonstrate their clinical applicability. Eight freshly frozen human cadaveric knees were used in this study. Inertial sensors were fixed on the tibial tuberosity and directly fixed to the distal tibia bone. A single examiner performed the pivot shift test from flexion to extension on the intact knees and ACL deficient knees. The peak overall magnitude of acceleration and the maximum rotational angular velocity in the tibial superoinferior axis was repeatedly measured with the inertial sensor during the pivot shift test. Correlations between cutaneous and transosseous inertial sensors were evaluated, as well as statistical analysis for differences between ACL intact and ACL deficient knees. Acceleration and angular velocity measured with the cutaneous sensor demonstrated a strong positive correlation with the transosseous sensor (r = 0.86 and r = 0.83). Comparison between cutaneous and transosseous sensor indicated significant difference for the peak overall magnitude of acceleration (cutaneous: 10.3 ± 5.2 m/s 2 , transosseous: 14.3 ± 7.6 m/s 2 , P sensors. Therefore, this study indicated that the cutaneous inertial sensors could be used clinically for quantifying rotational knee instability, irrespective of the location of utilization. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inertial fusion energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mima, K.

2001-01-01

Reviewed is the present status of the inertial confinement energy (IFE) research. The highlights of the IFE presentations are as follows. Toward demonstrating ignition and burning of imploded plasmas, ignition facilities of mega jule class blue laser system are under construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the CEA laboratory of Bordeaux. The central ignition by both indirect drive and direct drive will be explored by the middle of 2010's. A new ignition concept so called 'fast ignition' has also been investigated intensively in the last two years. Peta watt level (1PW∼0.1PW output) CPA lasers have been used for heating solid targets and imploded plasmas. With 50J∼500J/psec pulses, solid targets are found to be heated up to 300eV. They were measured by X-ray spectroscopy, neutron energy spectrum, and so on. Summarized are also researches on simulation code developments, target design and fabrication, heavy ion beam fusion, Z-pinch based X-ray source, and laser driver technology. (author)

Evaluation of the Inertial Response of Variable-Speed Wind Turbines Using Advanced Simulation: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholbrock, Andrew K [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Muljadi, Eduard [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gevorgian, Vahan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Scholbrock, Andrew K [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wang, Xiao [Northeastern University; Gao, Wenzhong [University of Denver; Yan, Weihang [University of Denver; Wang, Jianhui [Northeastern University

2017-08-09

In this paper, we focus on the temporary frequency support effect provided by wind turbine generators (WTGs) through the inertial response. With the implemented inertial control methods, the WTG is capable of increasing its active power output by releasing parts of the stored kinetic energy when the frequency excursion occurs. The active power can be boosted temporarily above the maximum power points, but the rotor speed deceleration follows and an active power output deficiency occurs during the restoration of rotor kinetic energy. In this paper, we evaluate and compare the inertial response induced by two distinct inertial control methods using advanced simulation. In the first stage, the proposed inertial control methods are analyzed in offline simulation. Using an advanced wind turbine simulation program, FAST with TurbSim, the response of the researched wind turbine is comprehensively evaluated under turbulent wind conditions, and the impact on the turbine mechanical components are assessed. In the second stage, the inertial control is deployed on a real 600-kW wind turbine, the three-bladed Controls Advanced Research Turbine, which further verifies the inertial control through a hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Various inertial control methods can be effectively evaluated based on the proposed two-stage simulation platform, which combines the offline simulation and real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation. The simulation results also provide insights in designing inertial control for WTGs.

Tritium burning in inertial electrostatic confinement fusion facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohnishi, Masami, E-mail: onishi@kansai-u.ac.jp [Department of Science and Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-8680 (Japan); Yamamoto, Yasushi; Osawa, Hodaka [Department of Science and Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-8680 (Japan); Hatano, Yuji; Torikai, Yuji [Hydrogen Isotope Science Center, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555 (Japan); Murata, Isao [Faculty of Engineering Environment and Energy Department, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Kamakura, Keita; Onishi, Masaaki; Miyamoto, Keiji; Konda, Hiroki [Department of Science and Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-8680 (Japan); Masuda, Kai [Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011 (Japan); Hotta, Eiki [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuda-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • An experiment on tritium burning is conducted in an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) facility. • A deuterium–tritium gas mixture with 93% deuterium and 7% tritium is used. • The neutron production rate is measured to be 5–8 times more than that of pure deuterium gas. • The neutron production rate of the D–T gas mixture in 1:1 ratio is expected to be more than 10{sup 8}(1/sec) in the present D–T experiment. - Abstract: An experiment on tritium burning is conducted to investigate the enhancement in the neutron production rate in an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) facility. The facility is designed such that it is shielded from the outside for safety against tritium and a getter pump is used for evacuating the vacuum chamber and feeding the fuel gas. A deuterium–tritium gas mixture with 93% deuterium and 7% tritium is used, and its neutron production rate is measured to be 5–8 times more than that of pure deuterium gas. Moreover, the results show good agreement with those of a simplified theoretical estimation of the neutron production rate. After tritium burning, the exhausted fuel gas undergoes a tritium recovery procedure through a water bubbler device. The amount of gaseous tritium released by the developed IECF facility after tritium burning is verified to be much less than the threshold set by regulations.

Tritium burning in inertial electrostatic confinement fusion facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, Masami; Yamamoto, Yasushi; Osawa, Hodaka; Hatano, Yuji; Torikai, Yuji; Murata, Isao; Kamakura, Keita; Onishi, Masaaki; Miyamoto, Keiji; Konda, Hiroki; Masuda, Kai; Hotta, Eiki

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An experiment on tritium burning is conducted in an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) facility. • A deuterium–tritium gas mixture with 93% deuterium and 7% tritium is used. • The neutron production rate is measured to be 5–8 times more than that of pure deuterium gas. • The neutron production rate of the D–T gas mixture in 1:1 ratio is expected to be more than 10"8(1/sec) in the present D–T experiment. - Abstract: An experiment on tritium burning is conducted to investigate the enhancement in the neutron production rate in an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion (IECF) facility. The facility is designed such that it is shielded from the outside for safety against tritium and a getter pump is used for evacuating the vacuum chamber and feeding the fuel gas. A deuterium–tritium gas mixture with 93% deuterium and 7% tritium is used, and its neutron production rate is measured to be 5–8 times more than that of pure deuterium gas. Moreover, the results show good agreement with those of a simplified theoretical estimation of the neutron production rate. After tritium burning, the exhausted fuel gas undergoes a tritium recovery procedure through a water bubbler device. The amount of gaseous tritium released by the developed IECF facility after tritium burning is verified to be much less than the threshold set by regulations.

Inertial particle manipulation in microscale oscillatory flows

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Siddhansh; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Raju, David; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

2017-11-01

Recent work has shown that inertial effects in oscillating flows can be exploited for simultaneous transport and differential displacement of microparticles, enabling size sorting of such particles on extraordinarily short time scales. Generalizing previous theory efforts, we here derive a two-dimensional time-averaged version of the Maxey-Riley equation that includes the effect of an oscillating interface to model particle dynamics in such flows. Separating the steady transport time scale from the oscillatory time scale results in a simple and computationally efficient reduced model that preserves all slow-time features of the full unsteady Maxey-Riley simulations, including inertial particle displacement. Comparison is made not only to full simulations, but also to experiments using oscillating bubbles as the driving interfaces. In this case, the theory predicts either an attraction to or a repulsion from the bubble interface due to inertial effects, so that versatile particle manipulation is possible using differences in particle size, particle/fluid density contrast and streaming strength. We also demonstrate that these predictions are in agreement with experiments.

Lower limb spasticity assessment using an inertial sensor: a reliability study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterpi, I; Colombo, R; Caroli, A; Meazza, E; Maggioni, G; Pistarini, C

2013-01-01

Spasticity is a common motor impairment in patients with neurological disorders that can prevent functional recovery after rehabilitation. In the clinical setting, its assessment is carried out using standardized clinical scales. The aim of this study was to verify the applicability of inertial sensors for an objective measurement of quadriceps spasticity and evaluate its test–retest and inter-rater reliability during the implementation of the Wartenberg pendulum test. Ten healthy subjects and 11 patients in vegetative state with severe brain damage were enrolled in this study. Subjects were evaluated three times on three consecutive days. The test–retest reliability of measurement was assessed in the first two days. The third day was devoted to inter-rater reliability assessment. In addition, the lower limb muscle tone was bilaterally evaluated at the knee joint by the modified Ashworth scale. The factorial ANOVA analysis showed that the implemented method allowed us to discriminate between healthy and pathological conditions. The fairly low SEM and high ICC values obtained for the pendulum parameters indicated a good test–retest and inter-rater reliability of measurement. This study shows that an inertial sensor can be reliably used to characterize leg kinematics during the Wartenberg pendulum test and provide quantitative evaluation of quadriceps spasticity. (paper)

Models and analyses for inertial-confinement fusion-reactor studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohachevsky, I.O.

1981-05-01

This report describes models and analyses devised at Los Alamos National Laboratory to determine the technical characteristics of different inertial confinement fusion (ICF) reactor elements required for component integration into a functional unit. We emphasize the generic properties of the different elements rather than specific designs. The topics discussed are general ICF reactor design considerations; reactor cavity phenomena, including the restoration of interpulse ambient conditions; first-wall temperature increases and material losses; reactor neutronics and hydrodynamic blanket response to neutron energy deposition; and analyses of loads and stresses in the reactor vessel walls, including remarks about the generation and propagation of very short wavelength stress waves. A discussion of analytic approaches useful in integrations and optimizations of ICF reactor systems concludes the report

Magnetic Probe to Study Plasma Jets for Magneto-Inertial Fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martens, Daniel [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hsu, Scott C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2012-08-16

A probe has been constructed to measure the magnetic field of a plasma jet generated by a pulsed plasma rail-gun. The probe consists of two sets of three orthogonally-oriented commercial chip inductors to measure the three-dimensional magnetic field vector at two separate positions in order to give information about the magnetic field evolution within the jet. The strength and evolution of the magnetic field is one of many factors important in evaluating the use of supersonic plasma jets for forming imploding spherical plasma liners as a standoff driver for magneto-inertial fusion.

Five years in the life of an inertial system operating in orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, R. A.; Denhard, W. G.

1978-01-01

The paper describes the in-orbit performance of the gyroscopes and strapdown attitude reference system for the OAO-C (Copernicus) satellite, launched on Aug. 21, 1972. In order to fulfill NASA requirements, the inertial system had to: (1) operate for at least one year in orbit without failure, (2) maintain an inertial reference with an uncertainty of 50 microradians or less for at least one hour, and (3) control attitude changes with an accuracy of at least 30 parts per million. During the orbit period, the inertial system has demonstrated a capability for maintaining an inertial reference that is significantly better than these performance goals.

Inertial confinement fusion: present status and future potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, W.J.

1984-01-01

Power from inertial confinement fusion holds much promise for society. This paper points out many of the benefits relative to combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and fission power. Potential problems are also identified and put in perspective. The progress toward achieving inertial fusion power is described and results of recent work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are presented. Key phenomenological uncertainties are described and experimental goals for the Nova laser system are given. Several ICF reactor designs are discussed

Inertial fusion results from Nova and implication for the future of ICF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilkenny, J.D.; Cable, M.D.; Campbell, E.M.

1988-10-01

A key objective of the US Inertial Confinement Fusion Program is to obtain high yield (100-1000 MJ) implosions in a laboratory environment. This requires high grain from an inertial fusion target from a driver capable of delivering about 10 MJ. Recent results have been sufficiently encouraging that the US Department of Energy is planning for such a capability called the Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF). In the past two years, we have conducted implosion-related experiments with approximately 20 kJ of 0.35-μm laser light in 1-ns temporally flat-topped pulses. These experiments were done with the Nova laser, the primary US facility devoted to radiatively driven inertial confinement fusion. Our results show that we can accurately model a significant fraction of the phenomena required to obtain the fuel conditions needed for high gain. Both the x-ray conversion efficiency and the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor hydrodynamic instabilities are shown to be at acceptable levels. Targets designed so that the shape of the stagnated fuel can be imaged show that the x-ray drive in our hohlraums can be made isotropic to better than 3%. With this optimized drive and temporally unshaped laser pulses many critical implosion parameters are measured on targets designed for higher density. Good agreement is obtained with one-dimensional simulations. Maximum compressions of between 20--30 in radius are measured with a variety of diagnostics. Improvements in the driver technology are demonstrated; we anticipate operation of Nova at the 50-kJ level at 3ω. 18 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

Apparatus, system, and method for traffic monitoring

KAUST Repository

Claudel, Christian G.; Mousa, Mustafa; Abdulaal, Mohammed

2016-01-01

An apparatus, system, and method for traffic monitory can have a Lagrangian inertial measurement unit. The Lagrangian inertial measurement unit can have a processor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and/or a wireless transmitter. The processor can

Properties of gravi-inertial systems of reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dozmorov, I.M.

1977-01-01

A number of papers of the author have been summarized devoted to gravi-inertial systems of reference in which the following problems are solved: a) analogs of inertial systems of reference (ISR), gravi-ISR, have been introduced into the general relativity the ory (GRT); b) using transformations between such ISR as symmetry transformation, obtained by variational methods are values with clear physical sense; c) using the gravi-ISR basis as the zero level of the deformation reading, the theory of elasticity in GRT has been constructed and someof its applications considered. The results are compared with those of other authors

Inertial and interference effects in optical spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karstens, W; Smith, D Y

2015-01-01

Interference between free-space and material components of the displacement current plays a key role in determining optical properties. This is illustrated by an analogy between the Lorentz optical model and a-c circuits. Phase shifts in material-polarization currents, which are inertial, relative to the non-inertial vacuum-polarization current cause interference in the total displacement current and, hence, variation in E-M wave propagation. If the displacement-current is reversed, forward propagation is inhibited yielding the semimetallic reflectivity exhibited by intrinsic silicon. Complete cancellation involves material currents offsetting free-space currents to form current-loops that correspond to plasmons. (paper)

A Dynamic Precision Evaluation Method for the Star Sensor in the Stellar-Inertial Navigation System.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jiazhen; Lei, Chaohua; Yang, Yanqiang

2017-06-28

Integrating the advantages of INS (inertial navigation system) and the star sensor, the stellar-inertial navigation system has been used for a wide variety of applications. The star sensor is a high-precision attitude measurement instrument; therefore, determining how to validate its accuracy is critical in guaranteeing its practical precision. The dynamic precision evaluation of the star sensor is more difficult than a static precision evaluation because of dynamic reference values and other impacts. This paper proposes a dynamic precision verification method of star sensor with the aid of inertial navigation device to realize real-time attitude accuracy measurement. Based on the gold-standard reference generated by the star simulator, the altitude and azimuth angle errors of the star sensor are calculated for evaluation criteria. With the goal of diminishing the impacts of factors such as the sensors' drift and devices, the innovative aspect of this method is to employ static accuracy for comparison. If the dynamic results are as good as the static results, which have accuracy comparable to the single star sensor's precision, the practical precision of the star sensor is sufficiently high to meet the requirements of the system specification. The experiments demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Torsional Moment Measurement on Bucket Wheel Shaft of Giant Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří FRIES

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Bucket wheel loading at the present time (torsional moment on wheel shaft, peripheral cutting force is determined from electromotor incoming power or reaction force measured on gearbox hinge. Both methods together are weighted by steel construction absorption of driving units and by inertial forces of motor rotating parts. In the article is described direct method of the torsional moment measurement, which eliminates mentioned unfavourable impacts except absorption of steel construction of bucket wheel itself.

Near-Inertial Surface Currents and their influence on Surface Dispersion in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico near the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Science.gov (United States)

Gough, M.; Reniers, A.; MacMahan, J. H.; Howden, S. D.

2014-12-01

The continental shelf along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico is transected by the critical latitude (30°N) for inertial motions. At this latitude the inertial period is 24 hours and diurnal surface current oscillations can amplify due to resonance with diurnal wind and tidal forcing. Tidal amplitudes are relatively small in this region although K1 tidal currents can be strong over the shelf west of the DeSoto Canyon where the K1 tide propagates onshore as a Sverdrup wave. Other sources of diurnal motions include internal tidal currents, Poincaré waves, and basin resonance. It is therefore very difficult to separate inertial wind-driven motions from other diurnal motions. Spatiotemporal surface currents were measured using hourly 6 km resolution HF radar data collected in June 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and July 2012 during the Grand Lagrangian Deployment (GLAD). Surface currents were also measured using GLAD GPS-tracked drifters. NDBC buoy wind data were used to determine wind-forcing, and OSU Tidal Inversion Software (OTIS) were used to predict tidal currents. The relative spatiotemporal influence of diurnal wind and tidal forcing on diurnal surface current oscillations is determined through a series of comparative analyses: phase and amplitude of bandpassed timeseries, wavelet analyses, wind-driven inertial oscillation calculations, and tidal current predictions. The wind-driven inertial ocean response is calculated by applying a simple "slab" model where wind-forcing is allowed to excite a layer of low-density water riding over high density water. The spatial variance of diurnal motions are found to be correlated with satellite turbidity imagery indicating that stratification influences the sea surface inertial response to wind-forcing. Surface dispersion is found to be minimized in regions of high diurnal variance suggesting that mean surface transport is restricted in regions of inertial motions associated with stratification.

System and method for three-dimensional image reconstruction using an absolute orientation sensor

KAUST Repository

Giancola, Silvio; Ghanem, Bernard; Schneider, Jens; Wonka, Peter

2018-01-01

A three-dimensional image reconstruction system includes an image capture device, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and an image processor. The image capture device captures image data. The inertial measurement unit (IMU) is affixed to the image

Tanscranial Threshold of Inertial Cavitation Induced by Diagnosticc Ultrasound and Microbubbles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, J.; Gao, S.; Porter, T.R.; Everbach, C; Shi, W.; Vignon, F.; Powers, J.; Lof, J.; Turner, J.; Xie, F.

2011-01-01

Background: Inertial cavitation may cause hazardous bioeffects whileusing ultrasound and microbubble mediated thrombolysis. The purposeof this study was to investigate the influence of ultrasound pulselength and temporal bone on inertial cavitation thresholds within the brain utilizing transtemporal

Inertial confinement: concept and early history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linhart, J.G.

1986-01-01

The concept of inertial confinement is linked to the general theme of energy compression and staging. It is shown how it arose from the ideas and experiments on dynamic pinches towards the end of the fifties and how the important key concept of a linear was further developed during the sixties. THe various attempts at driving linears to speeds in excess of 1 cm/μs are reviewed in chronological order, mentioning the important impetus given to this field by the consideration of laser as a driver. It is concluded that the field of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is becoming ever richer in possibilities, and the understanding of the physics of high-energy density has reached now a satisfactory level

The dynamics of small inertial particles in weakly stratified turbulence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Aartrijk, M.; Clercx, H.J.H.

We present an overview of a numerical study on the small-scale dynamics and the large-scale dispersion of small inertial particles in stably stratified turbulence. Three types of particles are examined: fluid particles, light inertial particles (with particle-to-fluid density ratio 1Ͽp/Ͽf25) and

Decoherence and Multipartite Entanglement of Non-Inertial Observers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramzan, M.

2012-01-01

The decoherence effect on multipartite entanglement in non-inertial frames is investigated. The GHZ state is considered to be shared between partners with one partner in the inertial frame whereas the other two are in accelerated frames. One-tangle and π-tangles are used to quantify the entanglement of the multipartite system influenced by phase damping and phase flip channels. It is seen that for the phase damping channel, entanglement sudden death (ESD) occurs for p > 0.5 in the infinite acceleration limit. On the other hand, in the case of the phase flip channel, ESD behavior occurs at p = 0.5. It is also seen that entanglement sudden birth (ESB) occurs in the case of phase flip channel just after ESD, i.e. p > 0.5. Furthermore, it is seen that the effect of the environment on multipartite entanglement is much stronger than that of the acceleration of non-inertial frames. (general)

Saturation of equatorial inertial instability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kloosterziel, R.C.; Orlandi, P.; Carnevale, G.F.

2015-01-01

Inertial instability in parallel shear flows and circular vortices in a uniformly rotating system ( $f$f-plane) redistributes absolute linear momentum or absolute angular momentum in such a way as to neutralize the instability. In previous studies we showed that, in the absence of other

Zero velocity interval detection based on a continuous hidden Markov model in micro inertial pedestrian navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wei; Ding, Wei; Yan, Huifang; Duan, Shunli

2018-06-01

Shoe-mounted pedestrian navigation systems based on micro inertial sensors rely on zero velocity updates to correct their positioning errors in time, which effectively makes determining the zero velocity interval play a key role during normal walking. However, as walking gaits are complicated, and vary from person to person, it is difficult to detect walking gaits with a fixed threshold method. This paper proposes a pedestrian gait classification method based on a hidden Markov model. Pedestrian gait data are collected with a micro inertial measurement unit installed at the instep. On the basis of analyzing the characteristics of the pedestrian walk, a single direction angular rate gyro output is used to classify gait features. The angular rate data are modeled into a univariate Gaussian mixture model with three components, and a four-state left–right continuous hidden Markov model (CHMM) is designed to classify the normal walking gait. The model parameters are trained and optimized using the Baum–Welch algorithm and then the sliding window Viterbi algorithm is used to decode the gait. Walking data are collected through eight subjects walking along the same route at three different speeds; the leave-one-subject-out cross validation method is conducted to test the model. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately detect different walking gaits of zero velocity interval. The location experiment shows that the precision of CHMM-based pedestrian navigation improved by 40% when compared to the angular rate threshold method.

INTEGRATION OF DISTRIBUTED INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEMS BUILT AROUND FIBER-OPTIC AND MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SENSORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Chernodarov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The current state of airborne measuring-and-computing complexes (MCCs is characterized by the inclusion of distributed strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINSs as components of these complexes. This is associated with the necessity of the provision of navigational support not only for aircraft (Acft, but also for airborne Earth surface surveillance systems in which the SINSs are included as components. Among such systems are radar systems, video monitors, laser scanners (lidars, and other surveillance devices. At the same time, when the DSINSs are united into a single structure, new functional possibilities for such integrated navigation systems appear, namely: redundancy and mutual support of SINSs, and also an increase in MCC information reliability on this basis; mutual monitoring and mutual diagnosis of SINSs; optimization of DSINS structure for providing the required accuracy of navigation and attitude control under severe conditions of Acft operation. Such conditions are connected with Acft maneuvering, with a loss of the signals of satellite navigation systems (SNSs. The purpose of this paper is to study the capabilities of DSINS which are built around fiberoptic and micromechanical sensors when they are united into a closely connected information-measuring structure. In the solution of the problem formulated above, an object-oriented modular technology for the creation of integrated navigation systems was taken as a basis. The use of such a technology has permitted us to realize the new functional possibilities of the DSINSs, and also to take into account the following features of the construction and functioning of DSINSs as components of MCCs: need for mutual information exchange among DSINS modules via an MCC airborne top-level computing system; synchronization of measuring-and-computing procedures that are realized in the DSINS. In addition, due to restrictions on overall dimensions and weight, SINSs of surveillance systems are

Inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.H.; Wood, L.L.

1988-01-01

Edward Teller has been a strong proponent of harnessing nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. There are two approaches: Plowshare, which utilizes macro- explosions, and inertial confinement fusion, which utilizes microexplosions. The development of practical fusion power plants is a principal goal of the inertial program. It is remarkable that Teller's original thermonuclear problem, how to make super high yield nuclear explosions, and the opposite problem, how to make ultra low yield nuclear explosions, may both be solved by Teller's radiation implosion scheme. This paper reports on the essential physics of these two thermonuclear domains, which are separated by nine orders of magnitude in yield, provided by Teller's similarity theorem and its exceptions. Higher density makes possible thermonuclear burn of smaller masses of fuel. The leverage is high: the scale of the explosion diminishes with the square of the increase in density. The extraordinary compressibility of matter, first noticed by Teller during the Los Alamos atomic bomb program, provides an almost incredible opportunity to harness fusion. The energy density of thermonuclear fuels isentropically compressed to super high-- -densities---even to ten thousand times solid density---is small compared to the energy density at thermonuclear ignition temperatures. In small masses of fuel imploded to these super high matter densities, the energy required to achieve ignition may be greatly reduced by exploiting thermonuclear propagation from a relatively small hot spot

Inertial effects in systems with magnetic charge

Science.gov (United States)

Armitage, N. P.

2018-05-01

This short article sets out some of the basic considerations that go into detecting the mass of quasiparticles with effective magnetic charge in solids. Effective magnetic charges may be appear as defects in particular magnetic textures. A magnetic monopole is a defect in this texture and as such these are not monopoles in the actual magnetic field B, but instead in the auxiliary field H. They may have particular properties expected for such quasiparticles such as magnetic charge and mass. This effective mass may-in principle-be detected in the same fashion that the mass is detected of other particles classically e.g. through their inertial response to time-dependent electromagnetic fields. I discuss this physics in the context of the "simple" case of the quantum spin ices, but aspects are broadly applicable. Based on extensions to Ryzkhin's model for classical spin ice, a hydrodynamic formulation can be given that takes into account inertial and entropic forces. Ultimately, a form for the susceptibility is obtained that is equivalent to the Rocard equation, which is a classic form used to account for inertial effects in the context of Debye-like relaxation.

[Potential of using inertial sensors in high level sports].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruzova, T K; Andreev, D A; Shchukin, A I

2013-01-01

The article thoroughly covers development of wireless inertial sensors technology in medicine. The authors describe main criteria of diagnostic value of inertial sensors, advantages and prospects of using these systems in sports medicine, in comparison with other conventional methods of biomechanical examination in sports medicine. The results obtained necessitate further development of this approach, specifically creation of algorithms and methods of biomechanic examination of highly qualified athletes in high achievements sports.

Implementation and Performance of a GPS/INS Tightly Coupled Assisted PLL Architecture Using MEMS Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youssef Tawk

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The use of global navigation satellite system receivers for navigation still presents many challenges in urban canyon and indoor environments, where satellite availability is typically reduced and received signals are attenuated. To improve the navigation performance in such environments, several enhancement methods can be implemented. For instance, external aid provided through coupling with other sensors has proven to contribute substantially to enhancing navigation performance and robustness. Within this context, coupling a very simple GPS receiver with an Inertial Navigation System (INS based on low-cost micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS inertial sensors is considered in this paper. In particular, we propose a GPS/INS Tightly Coupled Assisted PLL (TCAPLL architecture, and present most of the associated challenges that need to be addressed when dealing with very-low-performance MEMS inertial sensors. In addition, we propose a data monitoring system in charge of checking the quality of the measurement flow in the architecture. The implementation of the TCAPLL is discussed in detail, and its performance under different scenarios is assessed. Finally, the architecture is evaluated through a test campaign using a vehicle that is driven in urban environments, with the purpose of highlighting the pros and cons of combining MEMS inertial sensors with GPS over GPS alone.

Implementation and Performance of a GPS/INS Tightly Coupled Assisted PLL Architecture Using MEMS Inertial Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Tawk, Youssef; Tomé, Phillip; Botteron, Cyril; Stebler, Yannick; Farine, Pierre-André

2014-01-01

The use of global navigation satellite system receivers for navigation still presents many challenges in urban canyon and indoor environments, where satellite availability is typically reduced and received signals are attenuated. To improve the navigation performance in such environments, several enhancement methods can be implemented. For instance, external aid provided through coupling with other sensors has proven to contribute substantially to enhancing navigation performance and robustness. Within this context, coupling a very simple GPS receiver with an Inertial Navigation System (INS) based on low-cost micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors is considered in this paper. In particular, we propose a GPS/INS Tightly Coupled Assisted PLL (TCAPLL) architecture, and present most of the associated challenges that need to be addressed when dealing with very-low-performance MEMS inertial sensors. In addition, we propose a data monitoring system in charge of checking the quality of the measurement flow in the architecture. The implementation of the TCAPLL is discussed in detail, and its performance under different scenarios is assessed. Finally, the architecture is evaluated through a test campaign using a vehicle that is driven in urban environments, with the purpose of highlighting the pros and cons of combining MEMS inertial sensors with GPS over GPS alone. PMID:24569773

High performance inertial fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.H.; Bangerter, R.O.; Lindl, J.D.; Mead, W.C.; Pan, Y.L.

1977-01-01

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) designs are considered which may have very high gains (approximately 1000) and low power requirements (<100 TW) for input energies of approximately one megajoule. These include targets having very low density shells, ultra thin shells, central ignitors, magnetic insulation, and non-ablative acceleration

Centrifuges and inertial shear forces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loon, van J.J.W.A.; Folgering, H.T.E.; Bouten, C.V.C.; Smit, T.H.

2004-01-01

Centrifuges are often used in biological studies for 1xg control samples in space flight microgravity experiments as well as in ground based research. Using centrifugation as a tool to generate an Earth like acceleration introduces unwanted inertial shear forces to the sample. Depending on the

Inertial cavitation threshold of nested microbubbles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, N; Dicker, S; Lewin, Peter; Wrenn, S P

2015-04-01

Cavitation of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) promotes both beneficial and detrimental bioeffects in vivo (Radhakrishnan et al., 2013) [1]. The ability to determine the inertial cavitation threshold of UCA microbubbles has potential application in contrast imaging, development of therapeutic agents, and evaluation of localized effects on the body (Ammi et al., 2006) [2]. This study evaluates a novel UCA and its inertial cavitation behavior as determined by a home built cavitation detection system. Two 2.25 MHz transducers are placed at a 90° angle to one another where one transducer is driven by a high voltage pulser and the other transducer receives the signal from the oscillating microbubble. The sample chamber is placed in the overlap of the focal region of the two transducers where the microbubbles are exposed to a pulser signal consisting of 600 pulse trains per experiment at a pulse repetition frequency of 5 Hz where each train has four pulses of four cycles. The formulation being analyzed is comprised of an SF6 microbubble coated by a DSPC PEG-3000 monolayer nested within a poly-lactic acid (PLA) spherical shell. The effect of varying shell diameters and microbubble concentration on cavitation threshold profile for peak negative pressures ranging from 50 kPa to 2 MPa are presented and discussed in this paper. The nesting shell decreases inertial cavitation events from 97.96% for an un-nested microbubble to 19.09% for the same microbubbles nested within a 2.53 μm shell. As shell diameter decreases, the percentage of inertially cavitating microbubbles also decreases. For nesting formulations with average outer capsule diameters of 20.52, 14.95, 9.95, 5.55, 2.53, and 1.95 μm, the percentage of sample destroyed at 1 MPa was 51.02, 38.94, 33.25, 25.27, 19.09, and 5.37% respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Historic overview of inertial confinement fusion: What have we learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, A.J.

1986-01-01

Although laser fusion has been the subject of research since the early 1960s, it has only been intensively studied for about 14 years. During that time, substantive advances have been made in our understanding of the complex physics of laser-heated plasmas, in the development of sophisticated diagnostic instrumentation, and in the technology of fusion targets and inertial fusion drivers. These advances will be reviewed. Of equal importance are the lessons learned in the economic and political arenas. These lessons may be of greater significance for scientific endeavors in other fields of research. The economic and political issues surrounding inertial fusion research will be discussed. Possible future directions for inertial fusion development will be presented

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Dupuis

Full Text Available Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Dupuis

1995-10-01

Full Text Available Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Dupuis, Hélène; Weill, Alain; Katsaros, Kristina; Taylor, Peter K.

1995-10-01

Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

The Physics of Inertial Fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedev, S

2004-01-01

The growing effort in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research, with the upcoming new MJ class laser facilities, NIF in USA and LMJ in France, and the upgraded MJ z-pinch ZR facility in the USA, makes the appearance of this book by Atzeni and Meyer-ter-Vehn very timely. This book is an excellent introduction for graduate or masters level students and for researchers just entering the field. It is written in a very pedagogical way with great attention to the basic understanding of the physical processes involved. The book should also be very useful to researchers already working in the field as a reference containing many key formulas from different relevant branches of physics; experimentalists will especially appreciate the presence of 'ready-to-use' numerical formulas written in convenient practical units. The book starts with a discussion of thermonuclear reactions and conditions required to achieve high gain in ICF targets, emphasizing the importance of high compression of the D-T fuel, and compares the magnetic confinement fusion and inertial confinement fusion approaches. The next few chapters discuss in detail the basic concepts of ICF: the hydrodynamics of a spherically imploding capsule, ignition and energy gain. This is followed by a thorough discussion of the physics of thermal waves, ablative drive and hydrodynamic instabilities, with primary focus on the Rayleigh--Taylor instability. The book also contains very useful chapters discussing the properties of hot dense matter (ionization balance, equation of state and opacity) and the interaction of laser and energetic ion beams with plasma. The book is based on and reflects the research interests of the authors and, more generally, the European activity in this area. This could explain why, in my opinion, some topics are covered in less detail than they deserve, e.g. the chapter on hohlraum physics is too brief. On the other hand, the appearance in the book of an interesting chapter on the concept of

High performance inertial fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.H.; Bangerter, R.O.; Lindl, J.D.; Mead, W.C.; Pan, Y.L.

1978-01-01

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target designs are considered which may have very high gains (approximately 1000) and low power requirements (< 100 TW) for input energies of approximately one megajoule. These include targets having very low density shells, ultra thin shells, central ignitors, magnetic insulation, and non-ablative acceleration

Turbulence modeling of the Von Karman flow: Viscous and inertial stirrings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poncet, Sebastien; Schiestel, Roland; Monchaux, Romain

2008-01-01

The present work considers the turbulent Von Karman flow generated by two counter-rotating smooth flat (viscous stirring) or bladed (inertial stirring) disks. Numerical predictions based on one-point statistical modeling using a low-Reynolds number second-order full stress transport closure (RSM model) are compared to velocity measurements performed at CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, France). The main and significant novelty of this paper is the use of a drag force in the momentum equations to reproduce the effects of inertial stirring instead of modeling the blades themselves. The influences of the rotational Reynolds number, the aspect ratio of the cavity, the rotating disk speed ratio and of the presence or not of impellers are investigated to get a precise knowledge of both the dynamics and the turbulence properties in the Von Karman configuration. In particular, we highlighted the transition between the merged and separated boundary layer regimes and the one between the Batchelor [Batchelor, G.K., 1951. Note on a class of solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations representing steady rotationally-symmetric flow. Quat. J. Mech. Appl. Math. 4 (1), 29-41] and the Stewartson [Stewartson, K., 1953. On the flow between two rotating coaxial disks. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 49, 333-341] flow structures in the smooth disk case. We determined also the transition between the one cell and the two cell regimes for both viscous and inertial stirrings

The US inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition programme and the inertial fusion energy (IFE) programme

Science.gov (United States)

Lindl, J. D.; Hammel, B. A.; Logan, B. Grant; Meyerhofer, David D.; Payne, S. A.; Sethian, John D.

2003-12-01

There has been rapid progress in inertial fusion in the past few years. This progress spans the construction of ignition facilities, a wide range of target concepts and the pursuit of integrated programmes to develop fusion energy using lasers, ion beams and z-pinches. Two ignition facilities are under construction, the national ignition facility (NIF) in the United States and the laser megajoule (LMJ) in France, and both projects are progressing towards an initial experimental capability. The laser integration line prototype beamline for LMJ and the first four beams of NIF will be available for experiments in 2003. The full 192 beam capability of NIF will be available in 2009 and ignition experiments are expected to begin shortly after that time. There is steady progress in target science and target fabrication in preparation for indirect-drive ignition experiments on NIF. Advanced target designs may lead to 5 10 times more yield than initial target designs. There has also been excellent progress on the science of ion beam and z-pinch-driven indirect-drive targets. Excellent progress on direct-drive targets has been obtained on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester. This includes improved performance of targets with a pulse shape predicted to result in reduced hydrodynamic instability. Rochester has also obtained encouraging results from initial cryogenic implosions. There is widespread interest in the science of fast ignition because of its potential for achieving higher target gain with lower driver energy and relaxed target fabrication requirements. Researchers from Osaka have achieved outstanding implosion and heating results from the Gekko XII Petawatt facility and implosions suitable for fast ignition have been tested on the Omega laser. A broad-based programme to develop lasers and ion beams for inertial fusion energy (IFE) is under way with excellent progress in drivers, chambers, target fabrication and target injection. KrF and diode pumped solid

The US inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition programme and the inertial fusion energy (IFE) programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindl, J D; Hammel, B A; Logan, B Grant; Meyerhofer, David D; Payne, S A; Sethian, John D

2003-01-01

There has been rapid progress in inertial fusion in the past few years. This progress spans the construction of ignition facilities, a wide range of target concepts and the pursuit of integrated programmes to develop fusion energy using lasers, ion beams and z-pinches. Two ignition facilities are under construction, the national ignition facility (NIF) in the United States and the laser megajoule (LMJ) in France, and both projects are progressing towards an initial experimental capability. The laser integration line prototype beamline for LMJ and the first four beams of NIF will be available for experiments in 2003. The full 192 beam capability of NIF will be available in 2009 and ignition experiments are expected to begin shortly after that time. There is steady progress in target science and target fabrication in preparation for indirect-drive ignition experiments on NIF. Advanced target designs may lead to 5-10 times more yield than initial target designs. There has also been excellent progress on the science of ion beam and z-pinch-driven indirect-drive targets. Excellent progress on direct-drive targets has been obtained on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester. This includes improved performance of targets with a pulse shape predicted to result in reduced hydrodynamic instability. Rochester has also obtained encouraging results from initial cryogenic implosions. There is widespread interest in the science of fast ignition because of its potential for achieving higher target gain with lower driver energy and relaxed target fabrication requirements. Researchers from Osaka have achieved outstanding implosion and heating results from the Gekko XII Petawatt facility and implosions suitable for fast ignition have been tested on the Omega laser. A broad-based programme to develop lasers and ion beams for inertial fusion energy (IFE) is under way with excellent progress in drivers, chambers, target fabrication and target injection. KrF and diode pumped solid

Extraction and Analysis of Respiratory Motion Using Wearable Inertial Sensor System during Trunk Motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Apoorva Gaidhani

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Respiratory activity is an essential vital sign of life that can indicate changes in typical breathing patterns and irregular body functions such as asthma and panic attacks. Many times, there is a need to monitor breathing activity while performing day-to-day functions such as standing, bending, trunk stretching or during yoga exercises. A single IMU (inertial measurement unit can be used in measuring respiratory motion; however, breathing motion data may be influenced by a body trunk movement that occurs while recording respiratory activity. This research employs a pair of wireless, wearable IMU sensors custom-made by the Department of Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University. After appropriate sensor placement for data collection, this research applies principles of robotics, using the Denavit-Hartenberg convention, to extract relative angular motion between the two sensors. One of the obtained relative joint angles in the “Sagittal” plane predominantly yields respiratory activity. An improvised version of the proposed method and wearable, wireless sensors can be suitable to extract respiratory information while performing sports or exercises, as they do not restrict body motion or the choice of location to gather data.

Prospects for developing attractive inertial fusion concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornwall, T.; Bodner, S.; Herrmannsfeldt, W.B.; Hogan, W.; Storm, E.; VanDevender, J.P.

1986-01-01

The authors discuss the role of inertial fusion in relationship to defense activities as well as in relation to energy alternatives. Other general advantages to inertial fusion besides maintaining the system more cheaply and easily, are discussed such as certain designs and the use of very short wavelength with a very modest laser intensity. A discussion on the direct illumination approach is offered. The progress made in high-gain target physics and the potential for development of solid-state lasers as a potential multimegajoule driver and a potential high-rep-rate fusion driver are discussed. Designs for reaction chambers are examined, as is the heavy-ion fusion program. Light-ion accelerators are also discussed

The history and hopes of inertial confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linhart, J.G.

1987-01-01

The development of the concept of inertial confinement is followed through its several incarnations starting from hammer and anvil, tamping of chemical explosives to Veksler's idea of collective and impact acceleration. The application of inertial confinement to the controlled nuclear fusion appears as a natural extension of these previous applications. The early association with the research on macroparticle-acceleration is also mentioned. Follows a brief description of the development of ideas on liner-acceleration, including those linked with a rocket-propulsion, or as it is known today-ablation. The recent trends in liner-acceleration, energy-compression and energy-staging are mentioned, as well as the hopes and fears connected with reactor projects

History and measurement of the base and derived units

CERN Document Server

Treese, Steven A

2018-01-01

This book discusses how and why historical measurement units developed, and reviews useful methods for making conversions as well as situations in which dimensional analysis can be used. It starts from the history of length measurement, which is one of the oldest measures used by humans. It highlights the importance of area measurement, briefly discussing the methods for determining areas mathematically and by measurement. The book continues on to detail the development of measures for volume, mass, weight, time, temperature, angle, electrical units, amounts of substances, and light intensity. The seven SI/metric base units are highlighted, as well as a number of other units that have historically been used as base units. Providing a comprehensive reference for interconversion among the commonly measured quantities in the different measurement systems with engineering accuracy, it also examines the relationships among base units in fields such as mechanical/thermal, electromagnetic and physical flow rates and...

Unified theory of dislocation motion including thermal activation and inertial effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaac, R.D.; Granato, A.V.

1979-01-01

Transition-state rate theory has generally been used to explain the temperature dependence of the flow stress of a crystal. However, the existence of a change in the flow stress during the superconducting transition indicates the presence of inertial effects in which dislocations overcome obstacles mechanically rather than thermally. It is shown here that the thermally activated and the inertial overcoming of obstacles are not unrelated but can both be derived from principles of stochastic motion. This leads to a theory of dislocation motion that includes both thermal activation and inertial effects. It is also shown that a distribution of activation energies must be considered to account for the experimental data

Inertial Confinement Fusion at Los Alamos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, D.C.

1989-09-01

This report discusses the following topics on inertial confinement fusion: distribution of electron-beam energy in KrF laser media; electron collision processes in KrF laser media; Krf laser kinetics; and properties of the KrF laser medium

Knee Motion Generation Method for Transfemoral Prosthesis Based on Kinematic Synergy and Inertial Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Hiroshi; Wada, Takahiro

2017-12-01

Previous research has shown that the effective use of inertial motion (i.e., less or no torque input at the knee joint) plays an important role in achieving a smooth gait of transfemoral prostheses in the swing phase. In our previous research, a method for generating a timed knee trajectory close to able-bodied individuals, which leads to sufficient clearance between the foot and the floor and the knee extension, was proposed using the inertial motion. Limb motions are known to correlate with each other during walking. This phenomenon is called kinematic synergy. In this paper, we measure gaits in level walking of able-bodied individuals with a wide range of walking velocities. We show that this kinematic synergy also exists between the motions of the intact limbs and those of the knee as determined by the inertial motion technique. We then propose a new method for generating the motion of the knee joint using its inertial motion close to the able-bodied individuals in mid-swing based on its kinematic synergy, such that the method can adapt to the changes in the motion velocity. The numerical simulation results show that the proposed method achieves prosthetic walking similar to that of able-bodied individuals with a wide range of constant walking velocities and termination of walking from steady-state walking. Further investigations have found that a kinematic synergy also exists at the start of walking. Overall, our method successfully achieves knee motion generation from the initiation of walking through steady-state walking with different velocities until termination of walking.

Influence of the whispering-gallery mode resonators shape on its inertial movement sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Filatov, Yuri V.; Kukaev, Alexander S.; Shalymov, Egor V.; Venediktov, Vladimir Yu.

2018-01-01

The optical whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators are axially symmetrical resonators with smooth edges, supporting the existence of the WGMs by the total internal reflection on the surface of the resonator. As of today, various types of such resonators have been developed, namely the ball shaped, tor shaped, bottle shaped, disk shaped, etc. The movement of WGM resonators in inertial space causes the changes in their shape. The result is a spectral shift of the WGMs. Optical methods allow to register this shift with high precision. It can be used in particular for the measurement of angular velocities in inertial orientation and navigation systems. However, different types of resonators react to the movement in different manners. In addition, their sensitivity to movement can be changed when changing the geometric parameters of these resonators. The work is devoted to investigation of these aspects.

Inertial Symmetry Breaking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, Christopher T.

2018-03-19

We review and expand upon recent work demonstrating that Weyl invariant theories can be broken "inertially," which does not depend upon a potential. This can be understood in a general way by the "current algebra" of these theories, independently of specific Lagrangians. Maintaining the exact Weyl invariance in a renormalized quantum theory can be accomplished by renormalization conditions that refer back to the VEV's of fields in the action. We illustrate the computation of a Weyl invariant Coleman-Weinberg potential that breaks a U(1) symmetry together,with scale invariance.

Inertial Confinement Fusion at Los Alamos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, D.C.

1989-09-01

This report discusses the following topics on Inertial Confinement Fusion: ICF contributions to science and technology; target fabrication; laser-target interaction; KrF laser development; advanced KrF lasers; KrF laser technology; and plasma physics for light-ion program

Inertial forces and physics teaching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliva Martinez, J.M.; Pontes Pedrajas, A.

1996-01-01

An epistemological and didactic analysis about inertial forces and the role of validity of Newton's Laws seen from several reference systems is performed. On the basis of considerations fulfilled, a discussion about the necessity of introducing these topics in the curriculum of physics teaching at different levels is also carried out. (Author) 21 refs

Use of LiDAR to Assist in Delineating Waters of the United States, Including Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-01

components: a mounting platform, a laser and scanning mirror, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a global positioning system (GPS) antenna and...including but not limited to TIFF, ASC , IMG, and KML files or compressed as a KMZ file. These files are quickly imported and viewed using GIS such as...sediment transport processes and hydraulics. Sedimentology 56:2024–2043. Hogg, A., and J. Holland. 2008. An evaluation of DEMs derived from LiDAR

Recent diagnostic development for inertial confinement fusion research at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, T.J.; Oertel, J.A.; Archuleta, T.N. [and others

1997-09-01

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments require sophisticated diagnostics with temporal resolution measured in tens of picoseconds and spatial resolutions measured in microns. The Los Alamos ICF Program is currently supporting a number of diagnostics on the Nova and Triden laser facilities, and is developing new diagnostics for use on the Omega laser facility. New systems and technologies are being developed for use on the National Ignition Facility, which is expected to be operational early in the next decade.

Recent diagnostic development for inertial confinement fusion research at Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, T.J.; Oertel, J.A.; Archuleta, T.N.

1997-01-01

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments require sophisticated diagnostics with temporal resolution measured in tens of picoseconds and spatial resolutions measured in microns. The Los Alamos ICF Program is currently supporting a number of diagnostics on the Nova and Triden laser facilities, and is developing new diagnostics for use on the Omega laser facility. New systems and technologies are being developed for use on the National Ignition Facility, which is expected to be operational early in the next decade

Evaluation of the threshold trimming method for micro inertial fluidic switch based on electrowetting technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingting Liu

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The switch based on electrowetting technology has the advantages of no moving part, low contact resistance, long life and adjustable acceleration threshold. The acceleration threshold of switch can be fine-tuned by adjusting the applied voltage. This paper is focused on the electrowetting properties of switch and the influence of microchannel structural parameters, applied voltage and droplet volume on acceleration threshold. In the presence of process errors of micro inertial fluidic switch and measuring errors of droplet volume, there is a deviation between test acceleration threshold and target acceleration threshold. Considering the process errors and measuring errors, worst-case analysis is used to analyze the influence of parameter tolerance on the acceleration threshold. Under worst-case condition the total acceleration threshold tolerance caused by various errors is 9.95%. The target acceleration threshold can be achieved by fine-tuning the applied voltage. The acceleration threshold trimming method of micro inertial fluidic switch is verified.

Numerical investigation of the inertial cavitation threshold under multi-frequency ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Suo, Dingjie; Govind, Bala; Zhang, Shengqi; Jing, Yun

2018-03-01

Through the introduction of multi-frequency sonication in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), enhancement of efficiency has been noted in several applications including thrombolysis, tissue ablation, sonochemistry, and sonoluminescence. One key experimental observation is that multi-frequency ultrasound can help lower the inertial cavitation threshold, thereby improving the power efficiency. However, this has not been well corroborated by the theory. In this paper, a numerical investigation on the inertial cavitation threshold of microbubbles (MBs) under multi-frequency ultrasound irradiation is conducted. The relationships between the cavitation threshold and MB size at various frequencies and in different media are investigated. The results of single-, dual and triple frequency sonication show reduced inertial cavitation thresholds by introducing additional frequencies which is consistent with previous experimental work. In addition, no significant difference is observed between dual frequency sonication with various frequency differences. This study, not only reaffirms the benefit of using multi-frequency ultrasound for various applications, but also provides a possible route for optimizing ultrasound excitations for initiating inertial cavitation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Subsea Acoustically Aided Inertial Navigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Martin Juhl

time is expensive so lots of effort is put into cutting down on time spent on all tasks. Accuracy demanding tasks such as subsea construction and surveying are subject to strict quality control requirements taking up a lot of time. Offshore equipment is rugged and sturdy as the environmental conditions...... are harsh, likewise should the use of it be simple and robust to ensure that it actually works. The contributions of this thesis are all focused on enhancing accuracy and time efficiency while bearing operational reliability and complexity strongly in mind. The basis of inertial navigation, the inertial...... at desired survey points; the other uses a mapping sensor such as subsea lidar to simply map the area in question. Both approaches are shown to work in practice. Generating high resolution maps, as the latter approach, is how the author anticipates all subsea surveys will be conducted in the near future....

Inertial thermonuclear fusion by laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watteau, J.P.

1993-12-01

The principles of deuterium tritium (DT) magnetic or inertial thermonuclear fusion are given. Even if results would be better with heavy ions beams, most of the results on fusion are obtained with laser beams. Technical and theoretical aspects of the laser fusion are presented with an extrapolation to the future fusion reactor. (A.B.). 34 refs., 17 figs

Effectiveness of Variable-Gain Kalman Filter Based on Angle Error Calculated from Acceleration Signals in Lower Limb Angle Measurement with Inertial Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Takashi

2013-01-01

The wearable sensor system developed by our group, which measured lower limb angles using Kalman-filtering-based method, was suggested to be useful in evaluation of gait function for rehabilitation support. However, it was expected to reduce variations of measurement errors. In this paper, a variable-Kalman-gain method based on angle error that was calculated from acceleration signals was proposed to improve measurement accuracy. The proposed method was tested comparing to fixed-gain Kalman filter and a variable-Kalman-gain method that was based on acceleration magnitude used in previous studies. First, in angle measurement in treadmill walking, the proposed method measured lower limb angles with the highest measurement accuracy and improved significantly foot inclination angle measurement, while it improved slightly shank and thigh inclination angles. The variable-gain method based on acceleration magnitude was not effective for our Kalman filter system. Then, in angle measurement of a rigid body model, it was shown that the proposed method had measurement accuracy similar to or higher than results seen in other studies that used markers of camera-based motion measurement system fixing on a rigid plate together with a sensor or on the sensor directly. The proposed method was found to be effective in angle measurement with inertial sensors. PMID:24282442

Inertial Gait Phase Detection for control of a drop foot stimulator: Inertial sensing for gait phase detection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kotiadis, D.; Hermens, Hermanus J.; Veltink, Petrus H.

An Inertial Gait Phase Detection system was developed to replace heel switches and footswitches currently being used for the triggering of drop foot stimulators. A series of four algorithms utilising accelerometers and gyroscopes individually and in combination were tested and initial results are

Automatic control unit for neutron transmission measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adib, M.; Abdel-Kawy, A.; Eid, Y.; Ashry, A.; Mostafa, M.; Hamouda, I. (Atomic Energy Establishment, Inshas (Egypt). Reactor and Neutron Physics Dept.)

1981-01-01

An automatic transistorized unit has been designed to control the neutron transmission measurements carried out using the time-of-flight spectrometer. The function of the automatic unit is to control the measurements of the neutron counting rate distribution transmitted through a sample at a selected channel group of the time analyzer for a certain preadjusted time period. At the end of this time, the unit removes the sample out of the neutron beam, selects a second equal channel group of the time analyzer and provides the measurement of the neutron counting rate distribution for the same time period as in the case with the sample on. Such a measuring cycle can be repeated as much as the experiment requires. At the end of these cycles the stored information can be immediately obtained through the analyzer read out unit. It is found that the time of removing the sample out of the neutron beam or returning it back does not exceed 20 seconds instead of the five minutes required in case of manual operation. The most important advantages of using such an automatic unit are saving about 20 percent of the reactor operating time avoidng unnecessary radiation exposure of the experimentalists.

Mooring observations of the near-inertial wave wake of Hurricane Ida (2009)

Science.gov (United States)

Pallàs-Sanz, Enric; Candela, Julio; Sheinbaum, Julio; Ochoa, José

2016-12-01

The near-inertial wave wake of Hurricane Ida is examined of the basis of horizontal velocity observations acquired from 7 moorings instrumented with acoustic Doppler current profilers deployed across the shelf break, slope, and at the abyssal plain of the Yucatan Peninsula, from 130 m to ∼3300 m. During the forced stage, background mean-flow consisted on a dominant cyclonic circulation of ∼100 km of diameter intensified toward the Yucatan's shelf (topographic constraint) and bounded by anticyclonic vorticity northeastward (north 25° N). In the low frequency band, subinertial signals of ∈ [5.5-7.5] day period propagating along the Yucatan shelf break. After the passage of Hurricane Ida, energetic near-inertial oscillations spread away from the storm's track over cyclonic vorticity. The wave's Eulerian frequency increases shoreward and toward the Yucatan's shelf. After Ida's passage, mooring data show a contrasting velocity response: semi-diurnal and diurnal tides are enhanced at the shelf break of the Yucatan Peninsula and near-inertial oscillations at the slope and abyssal plain. The near-inertial kinetic energy is largest to the right of the storm track because of the asymmetric wind-stress and amplified due to vorticity trapping near z =-500 m, which is a proxy of the base of the mesoscale structure and where the mean-flow is nearly zero. The blue frequency shifted wave wake propagates downward at ∼57-70 m day-1 and horizontally at 23-28 km day-1 leading a downward vertical energy flux of [1.3-1.6] × 10-2 W m-2. This represents a 7-9% of the total wind power input to near-inertial oscillations that, ultimately, became available for interior ocean mixing. The results suggest that the most energetic wave packet propagated poleward and downward from a broad upwelling region located near the Hurricane's track. The vertical structure of the near-inertial kinetic energy is described as a sum of the first 12 standing vertical modes and as vertically

Improving inertial Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning by detecting unmodified switched-on lamps in buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, Antonio R; Zampella, Francisco; Seco, Fernando

2014-01-03

This paper explores how inertial Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR) location systems can be improved with the use of a light sensor to measure the illumination gradients created when a person walks under ceiling-mounted unmodified indoor lights. The process of updating the inertial PDR estimates with the information provided by light detections is a new concept that we have named Light-matching (LM). The displacement and orientation change of a person obtained by inertial PDR is used by the LM method to accurately propagate the location hypothesis, and vice versa; the LM approach benefits the PDR approach by obtaining an absolute localization and reducing the PDR-alone drift. Even from an initially unknown location and orientation, whenever the person passes below a switched-on light spot, the location likelihood is iteratively updated until it potentially converges to a unimodal probability density function. The time to converge to a unimodal position hypothesis depends on the number of lights detected and the asymmetries/irregularities of the spatial distribution of lights. The proposed LM method does not require any intensity illumination calibration, just the pre-storage of the position and size of all lights in a building, irrespective of their current on/off state. This paper presents a detailed description of the light-matching concept, the implementation details of the LM-assisted PDR fusion scheme using a particle filter, and several simulated and experimental tests, using a light sensor-equipped Galaxy S3 smartphone and an external foot-mounted inertial sensor. The evaluation includes the LM-assisted PDR approach as well as the fusion with other signals of opportunity (WiFi, RFID, Magnetometers or Map-matching) in order to compare their contribution in obtaining high accuracy indoor localization. The integrated solution achieves a localization error lower than 1 m in most of the cases.

FLIGHT DEVELOPMENT OF A DISTRIBUTED INERTIAL SATELLITE MICRONAVIGATTION SYSTEM FOR SYNTHETIC - APERTURE RADAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Vladimirovich Chernodarov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The current state of the onboard systems is characterized by the integration of aviation and radio-electronic equipment systems for solving problems of navigation and control. These problems include micro-navigation of the anten- na phase center (APC of the radar during the review of the Earth's surface from aboard the aircraft. Increasing of the reso- lution of the radar station (RLS by hardware increasing the antenna size is not always possible due to restrictions on the aircraft onboard equipment weight and dimensions. Therefore the implementation of analytic extension of the radiation pattern by "gluing" the images, obtained by RLS on the aircraft motion trajectory is embodied. The estimations are con- verted into amendments to the signals of RLS with synthetic aperture RSA to compensate instabilities. The purpose of the research is building a theoretical basis and a practical implementation of procedures for evaluating the trajectory APS in- stabilities using a distributed system of inertial-satellite micro-navigation (DSMN taking into account the RSA flight oper- ations actual conditions. The technology of evaluation and compensation of RSA trajectory instabilities via DSMN is con- sidered. The implementation of this technology is based on the mutual support of inertial, satellite and radar systems. Syn- chronization procedures of inertial and satellite measurements in the evaluation of DSMN errors are proposed. The given results of DSMN flight testing justify the possibility and expediency to apply the proposed technology in order to improve the resolution of RSA. The compensation of aircraft trajectory instabilities in RSA signals can be provided by inertial- satellite micro-navigation system, taking into account the actual conditions of the RSA flight operations. The researches show that in order to achieve the required resolution of RSA it seems to be appropriate to define the rational balance be- tween accuracy DSMN characteristics

Improving Inertial Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning by Detecting Unmodified Switched-on Lamps in Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio R. Jiménez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explores how inertial Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR location systems can be improved with the use of a light sensor to measure the illumination gradients created when a person walks under ceiling-mounted unmodified indoor lights. The process of updating the inertial PDR estimates with the information provided by light detections is a new concept that we have named Light-matching (LM. The displacement and orientation change of a person obtained by inertial PDR is used by the LM method to accurately propagate the location hypothesis, and vice versa; the LM approach benefits the PDR approach by obtaining an absolute localization and reducing the PDR-alone drift. Even from an initially unknown location and orientation, whenever the person passes below a switched-on light spot, the location likelihood is iteratively updated until it potentially converges to a unimodal probability density function. The time to converge to a unimodal position hypothesis depends on the number of lights detected and the asymmetries/irregularities of the spatial distribution of lights. The proposed LM method does not require any intensity illumination calibration, just the pre-storage of the position and size of all lights in a building, irrespective of their current on/off state. This paper presents a detailed description of the light-matching concept, the implementation details of the LM-assisted PDR fusion scheme using a particle filter, and several simulated and experimental tests, using a light sensor-equipped Galaxy S3 smartphone and an external foot-mounted inertial sensor. The evaluation includes the LM-assisted PDR approach as well as the fusion with other signals of opportunity (WiFi, RFID, Magnetometers or Map-matching in order to compare their contribution in obtaining high accuracy indoor localization. The integrated solution achieves a localization error lower than 1 m in most of the cases.

Development and Flight Test of a Robust Optical-Inertial Navigation System Using Low-Cost Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

2008-03-01

for this test. Though, marketed as a GPS/INS, it was in fact used simply as an IMU for this test. The raw inertial measurement data (from the...Performance Evaluation of Low Cost MEMS-Based IMU Integrated With GPS for Land Vehicle Navigation Application. MS Thesis, UCGE Reports Number

Inertial-particle dynamics in turbulent flows: caustics, concentration fluctuations and random uncorrelated motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustavsson, K; Mehlig, B; Meneguz, E; Reeks, M

2012-01-01

We have performed numerical simulations of inertial particles in random model flows in the white-noise limit (at zero Kubo number, Ku = 0) and at finite Kubo numbers. Our results for the moments of relative inertial-particle velocities are in good agreement with recent theoretical results (Gustavsson and Mehlig 2011a) based on the formation of phase-space singularities in the inertial-particle dynamics (caustics). We discuss the relation between three recent approaches describing the dynamics and spatial distribution of inertial particles suspended in turbulent flows: caustic formation, real-space singularities of the deformation tensor and random uncorrelated motion. We discuss how the phase- and real-space singularities are related. Their formation is well understood in terms of a local theory. We summarise the implications for random uncorrelated motion. (paper)

X-ray sources by Z-pinch for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Hidenori; Katsuki, Sunao; Lisitsyn, Igor

1999-01-01

Inertial confinement nuclear fusion driven by X-ray from Z-pinch plasmas has been developed. Recently, extremely high X-ray power (290 TW) and energy (1.8 MJ) were produced in fast Z-pinch implosions on the Z accelerator (Sandia National Laboratories). Wire arrays are used to produce the initial plasma. The X-ray from Z-pinch plasmas produced by pulsed power has great potential as a driver of inertial confinement nuclear fusion. (author)

Developing inertial fusion energy - Where do we go from here?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, W.R.; Logan, G.

1996-01-01

Development of inertial fusion energy (IFE) will require continued R ampersand D in target physics, driver technology, target production and delivery systems, and chamber technologies. It will also require the integration of these technologies in tests and engineering demonstrations of increasing capability and complexity. Development needs in each of these areas are discussed. It is shown how IFE development will leverage off the DOE Defense Programs funded inertial confinement fusion (ICF) work

Estimating Orientation Using Magnetic and Inertial Sensors and Different Sensor Fusion Approaches: Accuracy Assessment in Manual and Locomotion Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Bergamini

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Magnetic and inertial measurement units are an emerging technology to obtain 3D orientation of body segments in human movement analysis. In this respect, sensor fusion is used to limit the drift errors resulting from the gyroscope data integration by exploiting accelerometer and magnetic aiding sensors. The present study aims at investigating the effectiveness of sensor fusion methods under different experimental conditions. Manual and locomotion tasks, differing in time duration, measurement volume, presence/absence of static phases, and out-of-plane movements, were performed by six subjects, and recorded by one unit located on the forearm or the lower trunk, respectively. Two sensor fusion methods, representative of the stochastic (Extended Kalman Filter and complementary (Non-linear observer filtering, were selected, and their accuracy was assessed in terms of attitude (pitch and roll angles and heading (yaw angle errors using stereophotogrammetric data as a reference. The sensor fusion approaches provided significantly more accurate results than gyroscope data integration. Accuracy improved mostly for heading and when the movement exhibited stationary phases, evenly distributed 3D rotations, it occurred in a small volume, and its duration was greater than approximately 20 s. These results were independent from the specific sensor fusion method used. Practice guidelines for improving the outcome accuracy are provided.

Real-time precision pedestrian navigation solution using Inertial Navigation System and Global Positioning System

OpenAIRE

Yong-Jin Yoon; King Ho Holden Li; Jiahe Steven Lee; Woo-Tae Park

2015-01-01

Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System can be used to determine position and velocity. A Global Positioning System module is able to accurately determine position without sensor drift, but its usage is limited in heavily urbanized environments and heavy vegetation. While high-cost tactical-grade Inertial Navigation System can determine position accurately, low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system Inertial Navigation System sensors are plagued by significant errors. Global Po...

Estimation of vertical ground reaction forces and sagittal knee kinematics during running using three inertial sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wouda, Frank J.; Giuberti, Matteo; Bellusci, Giovanni; Maartens, Erik; Reenalda, Jasper; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Veltink, Peter H.

2018-01-01

Analysis of running mechanics has traditionally been limited to a gait laboratory using either force plates or an instrumented treadmill in combination with a full-body optical motion capture system. With the introduction of inertial motion capture systems, it becomes possible to measure kinematics

Heavy-ion accelerator research for inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

Thermonuclear fusion offers a most attractive long-term solution to the problem of future energy supplies: The fuel is virtually inexhaustible and the fusion reaction is notably free of long-lived radioactive by-products. Also, because the fuel is in the form of a plasma, there is no solid fuel core that could melt down. The DOE supports two major fusion research programs to exploit these virtues, one based on magnetic confinement and a second on inertial confinement. One part of the program aimed at inertial fusion is known as Heavy Ion Fusion Accelerator Research, or HIFAR. In this booklet, the aim is to place this effort in the context of fusion research generally, to review the brief history of heavy-ion fusion, and to describe the current status of the HIFAR program

Automatic identification of inertial sensor placement on human body segments during walking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weenk, D.; van Beijnum, Bernhard J.F.; Baten, Christian T.M.; Hermens, Hermanus J.; Veltink, Petrus H.

2013-01-01

We present a novel method for the automatic identification of inertial sensors on human body segments during walking. This method allows the user to place (wireless) inertial sensors on arbitrary body segments. Next, the user walks for just a few seconds and the segment to which each sensor is

Physics of Non-Inertial Reference Frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamalov, Timur F.

2010-01-01

Physics of non-inertial reference frames is a generalizing of Newton's laws to any reference frames. It is the system of general axioms for classical and quantum mechanics. The first, Kinematics Principle reads: the kinematic state of a body free of forces conserves and equal in absolute value to an invariant of the observer's reference frame. The second, Dynamics Principle extended Newton's second law to non-inertial reference frames and also contains additional variables there are higher derivatives of coordinates. Dynamics Principle reads: a force induces a change in the kinematic state of the body and is proportional to the rate of its change. It is mean that if the kinematic invariant of the reference frame is n-th derivative with respect the time, then the dynamics of a body being affected by the force F is described by the 2n-th differential equation. The third, Statics Principle reads: the sum of all forces acting a body at rest is equal to zero.

Generalized Lawson Criteria for Inertial Confinement Fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tipton, Robert E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-08-27

The Lawson Criterion was proposed by John D. Lawson in 1955 as a general measure of the conditions necessary for a magnetic fusion device to reach thermonuclear ignition. Over the years, similar ignition criteria have been proposed which would be suitable for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) designs. This paper will compare and contrast several ICF ignition criteria based on Lawson’s original ideas. Both analytical and numerical results will be presented which will demonstrate that although the various criteria differ in some details, they are closely related and perform similarly as ignition criteria. A simple approximation will also be presented which allows the inference of each ignition parameter directly from the measured data taken on most shots fired at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) with a minimum reliance on computer simulations. Evidence will be presented which indicates that the experimentally inferred ignition parameters on the best NIF shots are very close to the ignition threshold.

An in-flight radiography platform to measure hydrodynamic instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules at the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raman, K. S.; Smalyuk, V. A.; Casey, D. T.; Haan, S. W.; Hurricane, O. A.; Kroll, J. J.; Peterson, J. L.; Remington, B. A.; Robey, H. F.; Clark, D. S.; Hammel, B. A.; Landen, O. L.; Marinak, M. M.; Munro, D. H.; Salmonson, J. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Hoover, D. E.; Nikroo, A. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121 (United States); Peterson, K. J. [Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87125 (United States)

2014-07-15

A new in-flight radiography platform has been established at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules. The platform has been tested up to a convergence ratio of 4. An experimental campaign is underway to measure the growth of pre-imposed sinusoidal modulations of the capsule surface, as a function of wavelength, for a pair of ignition-relevant laser drives: a “low-foot” drive representative of what was fielded during the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) [Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] and the new high-foot [Dittrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055002 (2014); Park et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055001 (2014)] pulse shape, for which the predicted instability growth is much lower. We present measurements of Legendre modes 30, 60, and 90 for the NIC-type, low-foot, drive, and modes 60 and 90 for the high-foot drive. The measured growth is consistent with model predictions, including much less growth for the high-foot drive, demonstrating the instability mitigation aspect of this new pulse shape. We present the design of the platform in detail and discuss the implications of the data it generates for the on-going ignition effort at NIF.

An in-flight radiography platform to measure hydrodynamic instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules at the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raman, K. S.; Smalyuk, V. A.; Casey, D. T.; Haan, S. W.; Hurricane, O. A.; Kroll, J. J.; Peterson, J. L.; Remington, B. A.; Robey, H. F.; Clark, D. S.; Hammel, B. A.; Landen, O. L.; Marinak, M. M.; Munro, D. H.; Salmonson, J.; Hoover, D. E.; Nikroo, A.; Peterson, K. J.

2014-01-01

A new in-flight radiography platform has been established at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instability growth in inertial confinement fusion capsules. The platform has been tested up to a convergence ratio of 4. An experimental campaign is underway to measure the growth of pre-imposed sinusoidal modulations of the capsule surface, as a function of wavelength, for a pair of ignition-relevant laser drives: a “low-foot” drive representative of what was fielded during the National Ignition Campaign (NIC) [Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] and the new high-foot [Dittrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055002 (2014); Park et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 055001 (2014)] pulse shape, for which the predicted instability growth is much lower. We present measurements of Legendre modes 30, 60, and 90 for the NIC-type, low-foot, drive, and modes 60 and 90 for the high-foot drive. The measured growth is consistent with model predictions, including much less growth for the high-foot drive, demonstrating the instability mitigation aspect of this new pulse shape. We present the design of the platform in detail and discuss the implications of the data it generates for the on-going ignition effort at NIF

Global exponential stability of inertial memristor-based neural networks with time-varying delays and impulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Huang, Tingwen; He, Xing; Li, Chuandong

2017-11-01

In this study, we investigate the global exponential stability of inertial memristor-based neural networks with impulses and time-varying delays. We construct inertial memristor-based neural networks based on the characteristics of the inertial neural networks and memristor. Impulses with and without delays are considered when modeling the inertial neural networks simultaneously, which are of great practical significance in the current study. Some sufficient conditions are derived under the framework of the Lyapunov stability method, as well as an extended Halanay differential inequality and a new delay impulsive differential inequality, which depend on impulses with and without delays, in order to guarantee the global exponential stability of the inertial memristor-based neural networks. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control of a laser inertial confinement fusion-fission power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Moses, Edward I.; Latkowski, Jeffery F.; Kramer, Kevin J.

2015-10-27

A laser inertial-confinement fusion-fission energy power plant is described. The fusion-fission hybrid system uses inertial confinement fusion to produce neutrons from a fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium. The fusion neutrons drive a sub-critical blanket of fissile or fertile fuel. A coolant circulated through the fuel extracts heat from the fuel that is used to generate electricity. The inertial confinement fusion reaction can be implemented using central hot spot or fast ignition fusion, and direct or indirect drive. The fusion neutrons result in ultra-deep burn-up of the fuel in the fission blanket, thus enabling the burning of nuclear waste. Fuels include depleted uranium, natural uranium, enriched uranium, spent nuclear fuel, thorium, and weapons grade plutonium. LIFE engines can meet worldwide electricity needs in a safe and sustainable manner, while drastically shrinking the highly undesirable stockpiles of depleted uranium, spent nuclear fuel and excess weapons materials.

Frequency Support of PMSG-WTG Based on Improved Inertial Control: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Z.; Wang, X.; Gao, W.; Kang, M.; Hwang, M.; Kang, Y.; Gevorgian, Vahan; Muljadi, Eduard

2016-03-15

With increasing integrations of large-scale systems based on permanent magnet synchronous generator wind turbine generators (PMSG-WTGs), the overall inertial response of a power system will tend to deteriorate as a result of the decoupling of rotor speed and grid frequency through the power converter as well as the scheduled retirement of conventional synchronous generators. Thus, PMSG-WTGs can provide value to an electric grid by contributing to the system's inertial response by utilizing the inherent kinetic energy stored in their rotating masses and fast power control. In this work, an improved inertial control method based on the maximum power point tracking operation curve is introduced to enhance the overall frequency support capability of PMSG-WTGs in the case of large supply-demand imbalances. Moreover, this method is implemented in the CART2-PMSG integrated model in MATLAB/Simulink to investigate its impact on the wind turbine's structural loads during the inertial response process. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method can effectively reduce the frequency nadir, arrest the rate of change of frequency, and mitigate the secondary frequency drop while imposing no negative impact on the major mechanical components of the wind turbine.

Energy production by means of inertially confined plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoernqvist, N.; Witalis, E.

1984-01-01

An account is given, about the general but rather intricate physical principles which are fundamental for the ignition, propagation and burning of some listed energy-producing nuclear fusion reactions. Further, the theory is extended to describe the necessary but high performance combination studied or proposed to be achieved by the radiation sources (drivers) in order to bring about, in particular, the increase density of the nuclear fuel by means of a radiation-driven ablative compression. The analysis is extended by conditions and limitations also for technical and economic reasons. This leads to the identification followed by discussions of five critical parameters, each of which is a necessary condition to obtain inertial fusion. In the sequel, components and assemblies for inertial fusion are described, i.e. drivers (lasers, light ions, x-radiation, heavy ions), the structure and properties of fuel pellets and reactor proposals. Special regard is given to known or anticipated limitations of technical, physical or economic nature. A brief description is given about progress and present situation for magnetic confinement fusion. This provides a background of an attempt for a comparison with inertial fusion. It is then claimed that none of these two main-line techiques of fusion research can at present be regarded or expected to be more likely to succeed in providing economic fusion energy production. In the summary recommendations are given about theoretical studies in combination with close observations of the general and international progress of research. An experimental effort, however, is considered as too much of an expensive venture, in particular with regard to present uncertainties in judging techniques involving accelerator-generated heavy ions and x-ray generation methods for driving the implosion processes of inertial fusion. (Author)

Inertial fusion and energy production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzrichter, J.F.

1982-01-01

Inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) is a technology for releasing nuclear energy from the fusion of light nuclei. For energy production, the most reactive hydrogen isotopes (deuterium (D) and tritium (T)) are commonly considered. The energy aplication requires the compression of a few milligrams of a DT mixture to great density, approximately 1000 times its liquid-state density, and to a high temperature, nearly 100 million 0 K. Under these conditions, efficient nuclear-fusion reactions occur, which can result in over 30% burn-up of the fusion fuel. The high density and temperature can be achieved by focusing very powerful laser or ion beams onto the target. The resultant ablation of the outer layers of the target compresses the fuel in the target, DT ignition occurs, and burn-up of the fuel results as the thermonuclear burn wave propagates outward. The DT-fuel burn-up occurs in about 199 picoseconds. On this short time scale, inertial forces are sufficiently strong to prevent target disassembly before fuel burn-up occurs. The energy released by the DT fusion is projected to be several hundred times greater than the energy delivered by the driver. The present statuds of ICF technology is described

Laboratory Validation of Inertial Body Sensors to Detect Cigarette Smoking Arm Movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bethany R. Raiff

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Traditional in-clinic cessation interventions may fail to intervene and interrupt the rapid progression to relapse that typically occurs following a quit attempt. The ability to detect actual smoking behavior in real-time is a measurement challenge for health behavior research and intervention. The successful detection of real-time smoking through mobile health (mHealth methodology has substantial implications for developing highly efficacious treatment interventions. The current study was aimed at further developing and testing the ability of inertial sensors to detect cigarette smoking arm movements among smokers. The current study involved four smokers who smoked six cigarettes each in a laboratory-based assessment. Participants were outfitted with four inertial body movement sensors on the arms, which were used to detect smoking events at two levels: the puff level and the cigarette level. Two different algorithms (Support Vector Machines (SVM and Edge-Detection based learning were trained to detect the features of arm movement sequences transmitted by the sensors that corresponded with each level. The results showed that performance of the SVM algorithm at the cigarette level exceeded detection at the individual puff level, with low rates of false positive puff detection. The current study is the second in a line of programmatic research demonstrating the proof-of-concept for sensor-based tracking of smoking, based on movements of the arm and wrist. This study demonstrates efficacy in a real-world clinical inpatient setting and is the first to provide a detection rate against direct observation, enabling calculation of true and false positive rates. The study results indicate that the approach performs very well with some participants, whereas some challenges remain with participants who generate more frequent non-smoking movements near the face. Future

Inertial-confinement-fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendricks, C.D.

1981-01-01

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets are made as simple flat discs, as hollow shells or as complicated multilayer structures. Many techniques have been devised for producing the targets. Glass and metal shells are made by using drop and bubble techniques. Solid hydrogen shells are also produced by adapting old methods to the solution of modern problems. Some of these techniques, problems and solutions are discussed. In addition, the applications of many of the techniques to fabrication of ICF targets is presented

Long-range forces affecting equilibrium inertial focusing behavior in straight high aspect ratio microfluidic channels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reece, Amy E.; Oakey, John, E-mail: joakey@uwyo.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071 (United States)

2016-04-15

The controlled and directed focusing of particles within flowing fluids is a problem of fundamental and technological significance. Microfluidic inertial focusing provides passive and precise lateral and longitudinal alignment of small particles without the need for external actuation or sheath fluid. The benefits of inertial focusing have quickly enabled the development of miniaturized flow cytometers, size-selective sorting devices, and other high-throughput particle screening tools. Straight channel inertial focusing device design requires knowledge of fluid properties and particle-channel size ratio. Equilibrium behavior of inertially focused particles has been extensively characterized and the constitutive phenomena described by scaling relationships for straight channels of square and rectangular cross section. In concentrated particle suspensions, however, long-range hydrodynamic repulsions give rise to complex particle ordering that, while interesting and potentially useful, can also dramatically diminish the technique’s effectiveness for high-throughput particle handling applications. We have empirically investigated particle focusing behavior within channels of increasing aspect ratio and have identified three scaling regimes that produce varying degrees of geometrical ordering between focused particles. To explore the limits of inertial particle focusing and identify the origins of these long-range interparticle forces, we have explored equilibrium focusing behavior as a function of channel geometry and particle concentration. Experimental results for highly concentrated particle solutions identify equilibrium thresholds for focusing that scale weakly with concentration and strongly with channel geometry. Balancing geometry mediated inertial forces with estimates for interparticle repulsive forces now provide a complete picture of pattern formation among concentrated inertially focused particles and enhance our understanding of the fundamental limits

Present status of inertial confinement fusion in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, Chiyoe

1984-01-01

The Japanese inertial fusion program has made important progress towards implosion fusion process and the technical development required for realizing the breakeven of inertial fusion energy. The key issues for the ICF research are the development of a high power driver, the pertinent pellet design for implosion by a super computer code, and the diagnostics of implosion process with high space and time resolution. The Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE), Osaka University, is the central laboratory for ICF research in Japan. The ILE Osaka has advanced the Kongo Project aiming at the breakeven of inertial fusion since 1980, and as the first phase, the Gekko 12 Nd glass laser of 20 kJ having 12 beams was constructed. The ILE has also the Lekko 8 CO 2 laser and the Reiden 4 light ion beam machine. In the second phase, a 100 kJ class driver will be provided. At the ILE, rare gas halide lasers such as KrF and ArF have been investigated. Laser plasma coupling, the scaling law for implosion pressure, the invention of a new type target ''Cannonball'', and the development of computer codes are described. Also the activities in universities, government laboratories and industrial companies are reported. (Kako, I.)

A Robust Method to Detect Zero Velocity for Improved 3D Personal Navigation Using Inertial Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhengyi; Wei, Jianming; Zhang, Bo; Yang, Weijun

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a robust zero velocity (ZV) detector algorithm to accurately calculate stationary periods in a gait cycle. The proposed algorithm adopts an effective gait cycle segmentation method and introduces a Bayesian network (BN) model based on the measurements of inertial sensors and kinesiology knowledge to infer the ZV period. During the detected ZV period, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is used to estimate the error states and calibrate the position error. The experiments reveal that the removal rate of ZV false detections by the proposed method increases 80% compared with traditional method at high walking speed. Furthermore, based on the detected ZV, the Personal Inertial Navigation System (PINS) algorithm aided by EKF performs better, especially in the altitude aspect. PMID:25831086

Self-similarity in the inertial region of wall turbulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Klewicki, J; Philip, J; Marusic, I; Chauhan, K; Morrill-Winter, C

2014-12-01

The inverse of the von Kármán constant κ is the leading coefficient in the equation describing the logarithmic mean velocity profile in wall bounded turbulent flows. Klewicki [J. Fluid Mech. 718, 596 (2013)] connects the asymptotic value of κ with an emerging condition of dynamic self-similarity on an interior inertial domain that contains a geometrically self-similar hierarchy of scaling layers. A number of properties associated with the asymptotic value of κ are revealed. This is accomplished using a framework that retains connection to invariance properties admitted by the mean statement of dynamics. The development leads toward, but terminates short of, analytically determining a value for κ. It is shown that if adjacent layers on the hierarchy (or their adjacent positions) adhere to the same self-similarity that is analytically shown to exist between any given layer and its position, then κ≡Φ(-2)=0.381966..., where Φ=(1+√5)/2 is the golden ratio. A number of measures, derived specifically from an analysis of the mean momentum equation, are subsequently used to empirically explore the veracity and implications of κ=Φ(-2). Consistent with the differential transformations underlying an invariant form admitted by the governing mean equation, it is demonstrated that the value of κ arises from two geometric features associated with the inertial turbulent motions responsible for momentum transport. One nominally pertains to the shape of the relevant motions as quantified by their area coverage in any given wall-parallel plane, and the other pertains to the changing size of these motions in the wall-normal direction. In accord with self-similar mean dynamics, these two features remain invariant across the inertial domain. Data from direct numerical simulations and higher Reynolds number experiments are presented and discussed relative to the self-similar geometric structure indicated by the analysis, and in particular the special form of self

Entanglement concentration for two-mode Gaussian states in non-inertial frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Noia, Maurizio; Giraldi, Filippo; Petruccione, Francesco

2017-01-01

Entanglement creation and concentration by means of a beam splitter (BS) is analysed for a generic two-mode bipartite Gaussian state in a relativistic framework. The total correlations, the purity and the entanglement in terms of logarithmic negativity are analytically studied for observers in an inertial state and in a non-inertial state of uniform acceleration. The dependence of entanglement on the BS transmissivity due to the Unruh effect is analysed in the case when one or both observers undergo uniform acceleration. Due to the Unruh effect, depending on the initial Gaussian state parameters and observed accelerations, the best condition for entanglement generation limited to the two modes of the observers in their regions is not always a balanced beam splitter, as it is for the inertial case. (paper)

Sensorimotor Adaptation Following Exposure to Ambiguous Inertial Motion Cues

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, S. J.; Clement, G. R.; Rupert, A. H.; Reschke, M. F.; Harm, D. L.; Guedry, F. E.

2007-01-01

The central nervous system must resolve the ambiguity of inertial motion sensory cues in order to derive accurate spatial orientation awareness. Adaptive changes in how inertial cues from the otolith system are integrated with other sensory information lead to perceptual and postural disturbances upon return to Earth s gravity. The primary goals of this ground-based research investigation are to explore physiological mechanisms and operational implications of tilt-translation disturbances during and following re-entry, and to evaluate a tactile prosthesis as a countermeasure for improving control of whole-body orientation during tilt and translation motion.

Experimental characterization of extreme events of inertial dissipation in a turbulent swirling flow

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, E. -W.; Kuzzay, D.; Faranda, D.; Guittonneau, A.; Daviaud, F.; Wiertel-Gasquet, C.; Padilla, V.; Dubrulle, B.

2016-01-01

The three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, which describe the motion of many fluids, are the cornerstones of many physical and engineering sciences. However, it is still unclear whether they are mathematically well posed, that is, whether their solutions remain regular over time or develop singularities. Even though it was shown that singularities, if exist, could only be rare events, they may induce additional energy dissipation by inertial means. Here, using measurements at the dissipative scale of an axisymmetric turbulent flow, we report estimates of such inertial energy dissipation and identify local events of extreme values. We characterize the topology of these extreme events and identify several main types. Most of them appear as fronts separating regions of distinct velocities, whereas events corresponding to focusing spirals, jets and cusps are also found. Our results highlight the non-triviality of turbulent flows at sub-Kolmogorov scales as possible footprints of singularities of the Navier–Stokes equation. PMID:27578459

Quantum metrology foundation of units and measurements

CERN Document Server

Goebel, Ernst O

2015-01-01

The International System of Units (SI) is the world's most widely used system of measurement, used every day in commerce and science, and is the modern form of the metric system. It currently comprises the meter (m), the kilogram (kg), the second (s), the ampere (A), the kelvin (K), the candela (cd) and the mole (mol)). The system is changing though, units and unit definitions are modified through international agreements as the technology of measurement progresses, and as the precision of measurements improves. The SI is now being redefined based on constants of nature and their realization by quantum standards. Therefore, the underlying physics and technologies will receive increasing interest, and not only in the metrology community but in all fields of science. This book introduces and explains the applications of modern physics concepts to metrology, the science and the applications of measurements. A special focus is made on the use of quantum standards for the realization of the forthcoming new SI (the...

A 6 D.O.F. opto-inertial tracker for virtual reality experiments in microgravity

Science.gov (United States)

Zaoui, Mohamed; Wormell, Dean; Altshuler, Yury; Foxlin, Eric; McIntyre, Joseph

2001-08-01

Gravity plays a role in many different levels of human motor behavior. It dictates the laws of motion of our body and limbs, as well as of the objects in the external world with which we wish to interact. The dynamic interaction of our body with the world is molded within gravity's constraints. The role played by gravity in the perception of visual stimuli and the elaboration of human movement is an active research theme in the field of Neurophysiology. Conditions of microgravity, coupled with techniques from the world of virtual reality, provide a unique opportunity to address these questions concerning the function of the human sensorimotor system [1]. The ability to measure movements of the head and to update in real time the visual scene presented to the subject based on these measurements is a key element in producing a realistic virtual environment. A variety of head-tracking hardware exists on the market today [2-4], but none seem particularly well suited to the constraints of working with a space station environment. Nor can any of the existing commercial systems meet the more stringent requirements for physiological experimentation (high accuracy, high resolution, low jitter, low lag) in a wireless configuration. To this end, we have developed and tested a hybrid opto-inertial 6 degree-of-freedom tracker based on existing inertial technology [5-8]. To confirm that the inertial components and algorithms will function properly, this system was tested in the microgravity conditions of parabolic flight. Here we present the design goals of this tracker, the system configuration and the results of 0g and 1g testing.

Time and Relative Distance Inertial Sensor, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Precise location information is critical for crewmembers for safe EVA Moon and Mars exploration. Current inertial navigation systems are too bulky, fragile, and...

Hohlraum manufacture for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foreman, L.R.; Gobby, P.; Bartos, J.

1994-01-01

Hohlraums are an integral part of indirect drive targets for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) research. Hohlraums are made by an electroforming process that combines elements of micromachining and coating technology. The authors describe how these target element are made and extension of the method that allow fabrication of other, more complex target components

Error and Performance Analysis of MEMS-based Inertial Sensors with a Low-cost GPS Receiver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Gao

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS, have been widely utilized and their applications are becoming popular, not only in military or commercial applications, but also for everyday life. Although GPS measurements are the essential information for currently developed land vehicle navigation systems (LVNS, GPS signals are often unavailable or unreliable due to signal blockages under certain environments such as urban canyons. This situation must be compensated in order to provide continuous navigation solutions. To overcome the problems of unavailability and unreliability using GPS and to be cost and size effective as well, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS based inertial sensor technology has been pushing for the development of low-cost integrated navigation systems for land vehicle navigation and guidance applications. This paper will analyze the characterization of MEMS based inertial sensors and the performance of an integrated system prototype of MEMS based inertial sensors, a low-cost GPS receiver and a digital compass. The influence of the stochastic variation of sensors will be assessed and modeled by two different methods, namely Gauss-Markov (GM and AutoRegressive (AR models, with GPS signal blockage of different lengths. Numerical results from kinematic testing have been used to assess the performance of different modeling schemes.

Diagnostic technique for measuring fusion reaction rate for inertial confinement fusion experiments at Shen Guang-III prototype laser facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Feng; Peng Xiao-Shi; Liu Shen-Ye; Xu Tao; Kang Dong-Guo

2013-01-01

A study is conducted using a two-dimensional simulation program (Lared-s) with the goal of developing a technique to evaluate the effect of Rayleigh-Taylor growth in a neutron fusion reaction region. Two peaks of fusion reaction rate are simulated by using a two-dimensional simulation program (Lared-s) and confirmed by the experimental results. A neutron temporal diagnostic (NTD) system is developed with a high temporal resolution of ∼ 30 ps at the Shen Guang-III (SG-III) prototype laser facility in China, to measure the fusion reaction rate history. With the shape of neutron reaction rate curve and the spherical harmonic function in this paper, the degree of Rayleigh-Taylor growth and the main source of the neutron yield in our experiment can be estimated qualitatively. This technique, including the diagnostic system and the simulation program, may provide important information for obtaining a higher neutron yield in implosion experiments of inertial confinement fusion

Observation of interior and boundary-layer mixing processes due to near-inertial waves in a stratified basin without tides

Science.gov (United States)

van der Lee, Eefke; Umlauf, Lars

2010-05-01

Near-inertial waves form an important contribution to oceanic energy and shear spectra, and thus play a major role in mixing the ocean's interior. Here, we compare internal-wave mixing processes in the interior of a stratified basin to those occurring on the sloping boundaries. We use the virtually tideless Baltic Sea as a natural laboratory, allowing us to isolate the effect of near-inertial waves that is otherwise (often) overshadowed by internal tides. The measurements presented here consist of moored ADCPs and CTD loggers in the center of the basin and on the slopes, combined with densely spaced shear-microstructure and ADCP cross-slope transects. During summer stratification, a three-layer density structure, with a thermocline and a deeper halocline, was observed with clear signals of downward near-inertial energy propagation after a short wind event. These motions are interpreted as near-inertial wave modes interacting with the sloping topography. Dissipation rates observed in the center of the basin scale with shear and stratification parameters in the way suggested by MacKinnon and Gregg (2003) for the shelf. On the slopes, microstructure transects reveal a periodic near-bed dissipation rate signal and a growing and decaying bottom boundary layer (BBL) thickness; both signals are triggered by near-bottom currents oscillating with a near-inertial frequency. Near-bottom dissipation rates are greatly enhanced compared to the interior, and, due to the straining of lateral density gradients by the cross-slope velocity, mixing is rather efficient, and contributes significantly to the basin-scale mixing.

Modeling and Experimental Study on Characterization of Micromachined Thermal Gas Inertial Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Su

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Micromachined thermal gas inertial sensors based on heat convection are novel devices that compared with conventional micromachined inertial sensors offer the advantages of simple structures, easy fabrication, high shock resistance and good reliability by virtue of using a gaseous medium instead of a mechanical proof mass as key moving and sensing elements. This paper presents an analytical modeling for a micromachined thermal gas gyroscope integrated with signal conditioning. A simplified spring-damping model is utilized to characterize the behavior of the sensor. The model relies on the use of the fluid mechanics and heat transfer fundamentals and is validated using experimental data obtained from a test-device and simulation. Furthermore, the nonideal issues of the sensor are addressed from both the theoretical and experimental points of view. The nonlinear behavior demonstrated in experimental measurements is analyzed based on the model. It is concluded that the sources of nonlinearity are mainly attributable to the variable stiffness of the sensor system and the structural asymmetry due to nonideal fabrication.

Effective Inertial Frame in an Atom Interferometric Test of the Equivalence Principle

Science.gov (United States)

Overstreet, Chris; Asenbaum, Peter; Kovachy, Tim; Notermans, Remy; Hogan, Jason M.; Kasevich, Mark A.

2018-05-01

In an ideal test of the equivalence principle, the test masses fall in a common inertial frame. A real experiment is affected by gravity gradients, which introduce systematic errors by coupling to initial kinematic differences between the test masses. Here we demonstrate a method that reduces the sensitivity of a dual-species atom interferometer to initial kinematics by using a frequency shift of the mirror pulse to create an effective inertial frame for both atomic species. Using this method, we suppress the gravity-gradient-induced dependence of the differential phase on initial kinematic differences by 2 orders of magnitude and precisely measure these differences. We realize a relative precision of Δ g /g ≈6 ×10-11 per shot, which improves on the best previous result for a dual-species atom interferometer by more than 3 orders of magnitude. By reducing gravity gradient systematic errors to one part in 1 013 , these results pave the way for an atomic test of the equivalence principle at an accuracy comparable with state-of-the-art classical tests.

Activity classification based on inertial and barometric pressure sensors at different anatomical locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Moncada-Torres, A; Leuenberger, K; Gonzenbach, R; Luft, A; Gassert, R

2014-07-01

Miniature, wearable sensor modules are a promising technology to monitor activities of daily living (ADL) over extended periods of time. To assure both user compliance and meaningful results, the selection and placement site of sensors requires careful consideration. We investigated these aspects for the classification of 16 ADL in 6 healthy subjects under laboratory conditions using ReSense, our custom-made inertial measurement unit enhanced with a barometric pressure sensor used to capture activity-related altitude changes. Subjects wore a module on each wrist and ankle, and one on the trunk. Activities comprised whole body movements as well as gross and dextrous upper-limb activities. Wrist-module data outperformed the other locations for the three activity groups. Specifically, overall classification accuracy rates of almost 93% and more than 95% were achieved for the repeated holdout and user-specific validation methods, respectively, for all 16 activities. Including the altitude profile resulted in a considerable improvement of up to 20% in the classification accuracy for stair ascent and descent. The gyroscopes provided no useful information for activity classification under this scheme. The proposed sensor setting could allow for robust long-term activity monitoring with high compliance in different patient populations.

Activity classification based on inertial and barometric pressure sensors at different anatomical locations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moncada-Torres, A; Leuenberger, K; Gassert, R; Gonzenbach, R; Luft, A

2014-01-01

Miniature, wearable sensor modules are a promising technology to monitor activities of daily living (ADL) over extended periods of time. To assure both user compliance and meaningful results, the selection and placement site of sensors requires careful consideration. We investigated these aspects for the classification of 16 ADL in 6 healthy subjects under laboratory conditions using ReSense, our custom-made inertial measurement unit enhanced with a barometric pressure sensor used to capture activity-related altitude changes. Subjects wore a module on each wrist and ankle, and one on the trunk. Activities comprised whole body movements as well as gross and dextrous upper-limb activities. Wrist-module data outperformed the other locations for the three activity groups. Specifically, overall classification accuracy rates of almost 93% and more than 95% were achieved for the repeated holdout and user-specific validation methods, respectively, for all 16 activities. Including the altitude profile resulted in a considerable improvement of up to 20% in the classification accuracy for stair ascent and descent. The gyroscopes provided no useful information for activity classification under this scheme. The proposed sensor setting could allow for robust long-term activity monitoring with high compliance in different patient populations. (paper)

Lifting style and participant’s sex do not affect optimal inertial sensor location for ambulatory assessment of trunk inclination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faber, G.S.; Chang, C.C.; Kingma, I.; Dennerlein, J.T.

2013-01-01

Trunk inclination (TI) is often used as a measure to quantify back loading in ergonomic workplace evaluation. The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of lifting style and participant's sex on the optimal inertial sensor (IS) location on the back of the trunk for the measurement of

Improved servo-controlled inertial clock for laboratory tests of general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leyh, C.H.

1984-01-01

An inertial clock, consisting of a protected macroscopic rotor as the time base, was developed and tested preliminarily and partially by Cheung. This research offers considerable refinement of the equipment and the operating software, and includes serious testing of the experimental behavior. The inertial clock uses magnetic suspension to levitate a capped hollow cylindrical rotor (called the shroud rotor) within a vacuum chamber. A second rotor (called the proof rotor) is magnetically suspended within the shroud rotor. The shroud rotor is caused to corotate precisely with the rotating proof rotor by a microcomputer-controlled eddy current drive feedback servo loop. This produces a drag-free environment for the proof rotor which becomes the inertial timekeeper. In this way corotation effectively eliminates the residual gas drag on the proof rotor and the magnetic suspension bearing reduces bearing drag

A Novel AHRS Inertial Sensor-Based Algorithm for Wheelchair Propulsion Performance Analysis

OpenAIRE

Jonathan Bruce Shepherd; Tomohito Wada; David Rowlands; Daniel Arthur James

2016-01-01

With the increasing rise of professionalism in sport, athletes, teams, and coaches are looking to technology to monitor performance in both games and training in order to find a competitive advantage. The use of inertial sensors has been proposed as a cost effective and adaptable measurement device for monitoring wheelchair kinematics; however, the outcomes are dependent on the reliability of the processing algorithms. Though there are a variety of algorithms that have been proposed to monito...

Inertial reference frames and gravitational forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santavy, I.

1981-01-01

The connection between different definitions of inertial, i.e. fundamental, reference frames and the corresponding characterisation of gravitational fields by gravitational forces are considered from the point of view of their possible interpretation in university introductory courses. The introduction of a special class of reference frames, denoted 'mixed reference frames' is proposed and discussed. (author)

ENEA-Frascati inertial confinement fusion: Multi-channel digitizer control, acquisition and analysis system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caruso, A.; Strangio, C.; Elman, G.; Hugh, J. Mc; Rogers, G.; Pastina, E.; Raimondi, F.; Umbro, A.

1991-09-01

The ICF (Inertial Confinement Fusion) data acquisition and analysis system described in this paper incorporates digitizer channels, signal switching, an instrument controller, a graphic hardcopy unit, laser printer and software. The digitizers, signal switching and instrument controller are standard components appropriate to acquire the single fast shot signals (rise-time: from about 100 picoseconds to nanoseconds). The input signals are switched to the digitizers through the TSI-8150 test system interface by TSS40 switch controller cards and TSS46 18GHz microwave switches. Graphic hardcopy is accomplished using either a 4693PX colour hardcopy unit or a laser printer connected through a printer spooler/multiplexer. The software is based on an existing package from Ressler called RAI/DAC reviewed by Fus-Inerz and Tektronix-Italy to define the modifications needed for data acquisition and handling. The adopted software solution is based on an IBM PC compatible instrument controller running software developed by Ressler Associates.

Inertial fusion with heavy ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bock, R.; Hofmann, I.; Arnold, R.

1984-01-01

The underlying principle of inertial confinement is the irradiation of a small pellet filled with DT-fuel by laser or particle beams in order to compress the fuel and ignite it. As 'drivers' for this process large laser installations and light-ion devices have been built since then and the results obtained during the past few years have increased our confidence, that the ignition conditions might be reached. Further conditions, however, have to be fulfilled for operating a power plant. In particular, the driver needs to have enough efficiency to be economical, and for a continuous energy production a high repetition rate and availability is required. It is less than ten years since it was realized that heavy ion beams might be a promising candidate for achieving inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Due to the evolution of high-energy and heavy-ion physics during the past 25 years, accelerators have attained a high technical and technological standard and an excellent operational reliability. Nevertheless, the heavy ion driver for a fusion power plant requires beam specifications exceeding those of existing accelerators considerably. (Auth.)

Miniaturized inertial impactor for personal airborne particulate monitoring: Prototyping

Science.gov (United States)

Pasini, Silvia; Bianchi, Elena; Dubini, Gabriele; Cortelezzi, Luca

2017-11-01

Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations allowed us to conceive and design a miniaturized inertial impactor able to collect fine airborne particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1). We created, by 3D printing, a prototype of the impactor. We first performed a set of experiments by applying a suction pump to the outlets and sampling the airborne particulate of our laboratory. The analysis of the slide showed a collection of a large number of particles, spanning a wide range of sizes, organized in a narrow band located below the exit of the nozzle. In order to show that our miniaturized inertial impactor can be truly used as a personal air-quality monitor, we performed a second set of experiments where the suction needed to produce the airflow through the impactor is generated by a human being inhaling through the outlets of the prototype. To guarantee a number of particles sufficient to perform a quantitative characterization, we collected particles performing ten consecutive deep inhalations. Finally, the potentiality for realistic applications of our miniaturized inertial impactor used in combination with a miniaturized single-particle detector will be discussed. CARIPLO Fundation - project MINUTE (Grant No. 2011-2118).

Magnetic and inertial CTR: present status and outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, L.

1975-01-01

Some of the successes of controlled fusion research in both inertial confinement and magnetic confinement are described. The possibilities of scaled-up experiments are also discussed with respect to cost and economics

IMU-Based Joint Angle Measurement for Gait Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Seel

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This contribution is concerned with joint angle calculation based on inertial measurement data in the context of human motion analysis. Unlike most robotic devices, the human body lacks even surfaces and right angles. Therefore, we focus on methods that avoid assuming certain orientations in which the sensors are mounted with respect to the body segments. After a review of available methods that may cope with this challenge, we present a set of new methods for: (1 joint axis and position identification; and (2 flexion/extension joint angle measurement. In particular, we propose methods that use only gyroscopes and accelerometers and, therefore, do not rely on a homogeneous magnetic field. We provide results from gait trials of a transfemoral amputee in which we compare the inertial measurement unit (IMU-based methods to an optical 3D motion capture system. Unlike most authors, we place the optical markers on anatomical landmarks instead of attaching them to the IMUs. Root mean square errors of the knee flexion/extension angles are found to be less than 1° on the prosthesis and about 3° on the human leg. For the plantar/dorsiflexion of the ankle, both deviations are about 1°.

Inertial Pocket Navigation System: Unaided 3D Positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estefania Munoz Diaz

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Inertial navigation systems use dead-reckoning to estimate the pedestrian’s position. There are two types of pedestrian dead-reckoning, the strapdown algorithm and the step-and-heading approach. Unlike the strapdown algorithm, which consists of the double integration of the three orthogonal accelerometer readings, the step-and-heading approach lacks the vertical displacement estimation. We propose the first step-and-heading approach based on unaided inertial data solving 3D positioning. We present a step detector for steps up and down and a novel vertical displacement estimator. Our navigation system uses the sensor introduced in the front pocket of the trousers, a likely location of a smartphone. The proposed algorithms are based on the opening angle of the leg or pitch angle. We analyzed our step detector and compared it with the state-of-the-art, as well as our already proposed step length estimator. Lastly, we assessed our vertical displacement estimator in a real-world scenario. We found that our algorithms outperform the literature step and heading algorithms and solve 3D positioning using unaided inertial data. Additionally, we found that with the pitch angle, five activities are distinguishable: standing, sitting, walking, walking up stairs and walking down stairs. This information complements the pedestrian location and is of interest for applications, such as elderly care.

Inertial Pocket Navigation System: Unaided 3D Positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz Diaz, Estefania

2015-01-01

Inertial navigation systems use dead-reckoning to estimate the pedestrian's position. There are two types of pedestrian dead-reckoning, the strapdown algorithm and the step-and-heading approach. Unlike the strapdown algorithm, which consists of the double integration of the three orthogonal accelerometer readings, the step-and-heading approach lacks the vertical displacement estimation. We propose the first step-and-heading approach based on unaided inertial data solving 3D positioning. We present a step detector for steps up and down and a novel vertical displacement estimator. Our navigation system uses the sensor introduced in the front pocket of the trousers, a likely location of a smartphone. The proposed algorithms are based on the opening angle of the leg or pitch angle. We analyzed our step detector and compared it with the state-of-the-art, as well as our already proposed step length estimator. Lastly, we assessed our vertical displacement estimator in a real-world scenario. We found that our algorithms outperform the literature step and heading algorithms and solve 3D positioning using unaided inertial data. Additionally, we found that with the pitch angle, five activities are distinguishable: standing, sitting, walking, walking up stairs and walking down stairs. This information complements the pedestrian location and is of interest for applications, such as elderly care. PMID:25897501

Magnetic and inertial fusion status and development plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correll, D.; Storm, E.

1987-01-01

Controlled fusion, pursued by investigators in both the magnetic and inertial confinement research programs, continues to be a strong candidate as an intrinsically safe and virtually inexhaustible long-term energy source. We describe the status of magnetic and inertial confinement fusion in terms of the accomplishments made by the research programs for each concept. The improvement in plasma parameters (most frequently discussed in terms of the Tn tau product of ion temperature, T, density, n, and confinement time, tau) can be linked with the construction and operation of experimental facilities. The scientific progress exhibited by larger scale fusion experiments within the US, such as Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's Fusion Test Reactor for magnetic studies and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Nova laser for inertial studies, has been optimized by the theoretical advances in plasma and computational physics. Both TFTR and Nova have exhibited ion temperatures in excess of 10 keV at confinement parameters of n tau near 10 13 cm -3 . sec. At slightly lower temperatures (near a few keV), the value of n tau has exceeded 10 14 cm -3 . sec in both devices. Near-term development plans in fusion research include experiments within the US, Europe, and Japan to improve the plasma performance to reach conditions where the rate of fusion energy production equals or exceeds the heating power incident upon the plasma. 9 refs., 7 figs

Inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion fundamentals and applications

CERN Document Server

Miley, George H

2014-01-01

This book provides readers with an introductory understanding of Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC), a type of fusion meant to retain plasma using an electrostatic field. IEC provides a unique approach for plasma confinement, as it offers a number of spin-off applications, such as a small neutron source for Neutron Activity Analysis (NAA), that all work towards creating fusion power. The IEC has been identified in recent times as an ideal fusion power unit because of its ability to burn aneutronic fuels like p-B11 as a result of its non-Maxwellian plasma dominated by beam-like ions. This type of fusion also takes place in a simple mechanical structure small in size, which also contributes to its viability as a source of power. This book posits that the ability to study the physics of IEC in very small volume plasmas makes it possible to rapidly investigate a design to create a power-producing device on a much larger scale. Along with this hypothesis the book also includes a conceptual experiment propose...

Inertial sensor-based smoother for gait analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Young Soo

2014-12-17

An off-line smoother algorithm is proposed to estimate foot motion using an inertial sensor unit (three-axis gyroscopes and accelerometers) attached to a shoe. The smoother gives more accurate foot motion estimation than filter-based algorithms by using all of the sensor data instead of using the current sensor data. The algorithm consists of two parts. In the first part, a Kalman filter is used to obtain initial foot motion estimation. In the second part, the error in the initial estimation is compensated using a smoother, where the problem is formulated in the quadratic optimization problem. An efficient solution of the quadratic optimization problem is given using the sparse structure. Through experiments, it is shown that the proposed algorithm can estimate foot motion more accurately than a filter-based algorithm with reasonable computation time. In particular, there is significant improvement in the foot motion estimation when the foot is moving off the floor: the z-axis position error squared sum (total time: 3.47 s) when the foot is in the air is 0.0807 m2 (Kalman filter) and 0.0020 m2 (the proposed smoother).

Vertical Jump Height Estimation Algorithm Based on Takeoff and Landing Identification Via Foot-Worn Inertial Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianren; Xu, Junkai; Shull, Peter B

2018-03-01

Vertical jump height is widely used for assessing motor development, functional ability, and motor capacity. Traditional methods for estimating vertical jump height rely on force plates or optical marker-based motion capture systems limiting assessment to people with access to specialized laboratories. Current wearable designs need to be attached to the skin or strapped to an appendage which can potentially be uncomfortable and inconvenient to use. This paper presents a novel algorithm for estimating vertical jump height based on foot-worn inertial sensors. Twenty healthy subjects performed countermovement jumping trials and maximum jump height was determined via inertial sensors located above the toe and under the heel and was compared with the gold standard maximum jump height estimation via optical marker-based motion capture. Average vertical jump height estimation errors from inertial sensing at the toe and heel were -2.2±2.1 cm and -0.4±3.8 cm, respectively. Vertical jump height estimation with the presented algorithm via inertial sensing showed excellent reliability at the toe (ICC(2,1)=0.98) and heel (ICC(2,1)=0.97). There was no significant bias in the inertial sensing at the toe, but proportional bias (b=1.22) and fixed bias (a=-10.23cm) were detected in inertial sensing at the heel. These results indicate that the presented algorithm could be applied to foot-worn inertial sensors to estimate maximum jump height enabling assessment outside of traditional laboratory settings, and to avoid bias errors, the toe may be a more suitable location for inertial sensor placement than the heel.

Experimental evaluation of indoor magnetic distortion effects on gait analysis performed with wearable inertial sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palermo, E; Patanè, F; Cappa, P; Rossi, S

2014-01-01

Magnetic inertial measurement unit systems (MIMU) offer the potential to perform joint kinematics evaluation as an alternative to optoelectronic systems (OS). Several studies have reported the effect of indoor magnetic field disturbances on the MIMU's heading output, even though the overall effect on the evaluation of lower limb joint kinematics is not yet fully explored. The aim of the study is to assess the influence of indoor magnetic field distortion on gait analysis trials conducted with a commercial MIMU system. A healthy adult performed gait analysis sessions both indoors and outdoors. Data collected indoors were post-processed with and without a heading correction methodology performed with OS at the start of the gait trial. The performance of the MIMU system is characterized in terms of indices, based on the mean value of lower limb joint angles and the associated ROM, quantifying the system repeatability. We find that the effects of magnetic field distortion, such as the one we experienced in our lab, were limited to the transverse plane of each joint and to the frontal plane of the ankle. Sagittal plane values, instead, showed sufficient repeatability moving from outdoors to indoors. Our findings provide indications to clinicians on MIMU performance in the measurement of lower limb kinematics. (paper)

Assessing the Performance of Sensor Fusion Methods: Application to Magnetic-Inertial-Based Human Body Tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ligorio, Gabriele; Bergamini, Elena; Pasciuto, Ilaria; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Cappozzo, Aurelio; Sabatini, Angelo Maria

2016-01-26

Information from complementary and redundant sensors are often combined within sensor fusion algorithms to obtain a single accurate observation of the system at hand. However, measurements from each sensor are characterized by uncertainties. When multiple data are fused, it is often unclear how all these uncertainties interact and influence the overall performance of the sensor fusion algorithm. To address this issue, a benchmarking procedure is presented, where simulated and real data are combined in different scenarios in order to quantify how each sensor's uncertainties influence the accuracy of the final result. The proposed procedure was applied to the estimation of the pelvis orientation using a waist-worn magnetic-inertial measurement unit. Ground-truth data were obtained from a stereophotogrammetric system and used to obtain simulated data. Two Kalman-based sensor fusion algorithms were submitted to the proposed benchmarking procedure. For the considered application, gyroscope uncertainties proved to be the main error source in orientation estimation accuracy for both tested algorithms. Moreover, although different performances were obtained using simulated data, these differences became negligible when real data were considered. The outcome of this evaluation may be useful both to improve the design of new sensor fusion methods and to drive the algorithm tuning process.

Assessing hopping developmental level in childhood using wearable inertial sensor devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Masci, Ilaria; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Getchell, Nancy; Cappozzo, Aurelio

2012-07-01

Assessing movement skills is a fundamental issue in motor development. Current process-oriented assessments, such as developmental sequences, are based on subjective judgments; if paired with quantitative assessments, a better understanding of movement performance and developmental change could be obtained. Our purpose was to examine the use of inertial sensors to evaluate developmental differences in hopping over distance. Forty children executed the task wearing the inertial sensor and relevant time durations and 3D accelerations were obtained. Subjects were also categorized in different developmental levels according to the hopping developmental sequence. Results indicated that some time and kinematic parameters changed with some developmental levels, possibly as a function of anthropometry and previous motor experience. We concluded that, since inertial sensors were suitable in describing hopping performance and sensitive to developmental changes, this technology is promising as an in-field and user-independent motor development assessment tool.

Inertial effects in three-dimensional spinodal decomposition of a symmetric binary fluid mixture: a lattice Boltzmann study

Science.gov (United States)

Kendon, Vivien M.; Cates, Michael E.; Pagonabarraga, Ignacio; Desplat, J.-C.; Bladon, Peter

2001-08-01

The late-stage demixing following spinodal decomposition of a three-dimensional symmetric binary fluid mixture is studied numerically, using a thermodynamically consistent lattice Boltzmann method. We combine results from simulations with different numerical parameters to obtain an unprecedented range of length and time scales when expressed in reduced physical units. (These are the length and time units derived from fluid density, viscosity, and interfacial tension.) Using eight large (2563) runs, the resulting composite graph of reduced domain size l against reduced time t covers 1 [less, similar] l [less, similar] 105, 10 [less, similar] t [less, similar] 108. Our data are consistent with the dynamical scaling hypothesis that l(t) is a universal scaling curve. We give the first detailed statistical analysis of fluid motion, rather than just domain evolution, in simulations of this kind, and introduce scaling plots for several quantities derived from the fluid velocity and velocity gradient fields. Using the conventional definition of Reynolds number for this problem, Re[phi] = ldl/dt, we attain values approaching 350. At Re[phi] [greater, similar] 100 (which requires t [greater, similar] 106) we find clear evidence of Furukawa's inertial scaling (l [similar] t2/3), although the crossover from the viscous regime (l [similar] t) is both broad and late (102 [less, similar] t [less, similar] 106). Though it cannot be ruled out, we find no indication that Re[phi] is self-limiting (l [similar] t1/2) at late times, as recently proposed by Grant & Elder. Detailed study of the velocity fields confirms that, for our most inertial runs, the RMS ratio of nonlinear to viscous terms in the Navier Stokes equation, R2, is of order 10, with the fluid mixture showing incipient turbulent characteristics. However, we cannot go far enough into the inertial regime to obtain a clear length separation of domain size, Taylor microscale, and Kolmogorov scale, as would be needed to test a

Inertial Fusion Program. Progress report, January-December 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-05-01

This report summarizes research and development effort in support of the Inertial Confinement Fusion program, including absorption measurements with an integrating sphere, generation of high CO 2 -laser harmonics in the backscattered light from laser plasmas, and the effects of hydrogen target contamination on the hot-electron temperature and transport. The development of new diagnostics is outlined and measurements taken with a proximity-focused x-ray streak camera are presented. High gain in phase conjugation using germanium was demonstrated, data were obtained on retropulse isolation by plasmas generated from metal shutters, damage thresholds for copper mirrors at high fluences were characterized, and phase conjugation in the ultraviolet was demonstrated. Significant progress in the characterization of targets, new techniques in target coating, and important advances in the development of low-density, small-cell-size plastic foam that permit highly accurate machining to any desired shape are presented. The results of various fusion reactor system studies are summarized

Inertial Fusion Program. Progress report, January-December 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-05-01

This report summarizes research and development effort in support of the Inertial Confinement Fusion program, including absorption measurements with an integrating sphere, generation of high CO/sub 2/-laser harmonics in the backscattered light from laser plasmas, and the effects of hydrogen target contamination on the hot-electron temperature and transport. The development of new diagnostics is outlined and measurements taken with a proximity-focused x-ray streak camera are presented. High gain in phase conjugation using germanium was demonstrated, data were obtained on retropulse isolation by plasmas generated from metal shutters, damage thresholds for copper mirrors at high fluences were characterized, and phase conjugation in the ultraviolet was demonstrated. Significant progress in the characterization of targets, new techniques in target coating, and important advances in the development of low-density, small-cell-size plastic foam that permit highly accurate machining to any desired shape are presented. The results of various fusion reactor system studies are summarized.

In-situ high resolution particle sampling by large time sequence inertial spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prodi, V.; Belosi, F.

1990-09-01

In situ sampling is always preferred, when possible, because of the artifacts that can arise when the aerosol has to flow through long sampling lines. On the other hand, the amount of possible losses can be calculated with some confidence only when the size distribution can be measured with a sufficient precision and the losses are not too large. This makes it desirable to sample directly in the vicinity of the aerosol source or containment. High temperature sampling devices with a detailed aerodynamic separation are extremely useful to this purpose. Several measurements are possible with the inertial spectrometer (INSPEC), but not with cascade impactors or cyclones. INSPEC - INertial SPECtrometer - has been conceived to measure the size distribution of aerosols by separating the particles while airborne according to their size and collecting them on a filter. It consists of a channel of rectangular cross-section with a 90 degree bend. Clean air is drawn through the channel, with a thin aerosol sheath injected close to the inner wall. Due to the bend, the particles are separated according to their size, leaving the original streamline by a distance which is a function of particle inertia and resistance, i.e. of aerodynamic diameter. The filter collects all the particles of the same aerodynamic size at the same distance from the inlet, in a continuous distribution. INSPEC particle separation at high temperature (up to 800 C) has been tested with Zirconia particles as calibration aerosols. The feasibility study has been concerned with resolution and time sequence sampling capabilities under high temperature (700 C)

Generalisation of the test theory of special relativity to non-inertial frames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abolghasem, G.H.; Khajehpour, M.R.H.; Mansouri, R.

1989-01-01

We present a generalised test theory of special relativity, using a non-inertial frame. Within the framework of the special theory of relativity the transport and Einstein synchronisations are equivalent on a rigidly rotating disc. But in any theory with a preferred frame, such an equivalence does not hold. The time difference resulting from the two synchronisation procedures is a measurable quantity within the reach of existing clock systems on the Earth. The final result contains a term which depends on the angular velocity of the rotating system, and hence measures an absolute effect. This term is of crucial importance in our test theory of special relativity. (Author)

Observations of inertial oscillations affected by mesoscale activity in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Aguiar-González, B.; Hormazábal, S.; Rodríguez-Santana, A.; Cisneros-Aguirre, J.; Martínez-Marrero, A.

2012-04-01

Observations of surface drifters launched over the continental slope of Portugal (Bay of Setúbal) are analyzed with the Rotary Wavelet Spectrum Method to study the contribution of mesoscale activity to near-inertial variability. Drifter data used here are part of the MREA04 (Maritime Rapid Environmental Assessment 2004) sea trial carried out by the NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) off the west coast of Portugal. Altimetry data from AVISO on a 1/3° Mercator grid are used to compute vertical relative vorticity (ζ) maps and track near-inertial variability along the drifter records. Subsequently, the local Coriolis (f) and effective Coriolis (feff = f + 1/2ζ) frequencies are estimated for every drifter position. In this work we take a special interest in the area of Cape St. Vicent where a remarkable blue shift of near-inertial oscillations is observed in association with a cyclonic eddy migrating northward along the Portuguese coast. Results of the Rotary Wavelet Method highlight the consistency of near-inertial variability observed in the drifter records with the subinertial geostrophic activity computed with altimetry data.

A novel particle filter approach for indoor positioning by fusing WiFi and inertial sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Nan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available WiFi fingerprinting is the method of recording WiFi signal strength from access points (AP along with the positions at which they were recorded, and later matching those to new measurements for indoor positioning. Inertial positioning utilizes the accelerometer and gyroscopes for pedestrian positioning. However, both methods have their limitations, such as the WiFi fluctuations and the accumulative error of inertial sensors. Usually, the filtering method is used for integrating the two approaches to achieve better location accuracy. In the real environments, especially in the indoor field, the APs could be sparse and short range. To overcome the limitations, a novel particle filter approach based on Rao Blackwellized particle filter (RBPF is presented in this paper. The indoor environment is divided into several local maps, which are assumed to be independent of each other. The local areas are estimated by the local particle filter, whereas the global areas are combined by the global particle filter. The algorithm has been investigated by real field trials using a WiFi tablet on hand with an inertial sensor on foot. It could be concluded that the proposed method reduces the complexity of the positioning algorithm obviously, as well as offers a significant improvement in position accuracy compared to other conventional algorithms, allowing indoor positioning error below 1.2 m.

VRACK: measuring pedal kinematics during stationary bike cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Farjadian, Amir B; Kong, Qingchao; Gade, Venkata K; Deutsch, Judith E; Mavroidis, Constantinos

2013-06-01

Ankle impairment and lower limb asymmetries in strength and coordination are common symptoms for individuals with selected musculoskeletal and neurological impairments. The virtual reality augmented cycling kit (VRACK) was designed as a compact mechatronics system for lower limb and mobility rehabilitation. The system measures interaction forces and cardiac activity during cycling in a virtual environment. The kinematics measurement was added to the system. Due to the constrained problem definition, the combination of inertial measurement unit (IMU) and Kalman filtering was recruited to compute the optimal pedal angular displacement during dynamic cycling exercise. Using a novel benchmarking method the accuracy of IMU-based kinematics measurement was evaluated. Relatively accurate angular measurements were achieved. The enhanced VRACK system can serve as a rehabilitation device to monitor biomechanical and physiological variables during cycling on a stationary bike.

Microencapsulation and fabrication of fuel pellets for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolen, R.L. Jr.; Kool, L.B.

1981-01-01

Various microencapsulation techniques were evaluated for fabrication of thermonuclear fuel pellets for use in existing experimental facilities studying inertial confinement fusion and in future fusion-power reactors. Coacervation, spray drying, in situ polymerization, and physical microencapsulation methods were employed. Highly spherical, hollow polymeric shells were fabricated ranging in size from 20 to 7000 micron. In situ polymerization microencapsulation with poly(methyl methacrylate) provided large shells, but problems with local wall defects still must be solved. Extension to other polymeric systems met with limited success. Requirements for inertial confinement fusion targets are described, as are the methods that were used

Inertial Confinement Fusion quarterly report, January--March 1995. Volume 5, No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The ICF quarterly report is published by the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Topics included this quarter include: the role of the National Ignition Facility in the development of Inertial Confinement Fusion, laser-plasma interactions in large gas-filled hohlraums, evolution of solid-state induction modulators for a heavy-ion recirculator, the National Ignition Facility project, and terminal-level relaxation in Nd-doped laser material

Installation with magnetic suspension of test bodies for measurement of small forces. Verification of equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalebin, S.M.

1988-01-01

Torsion installation with magnetic suspension of test bodies for detection of small forces is considered. Installation application for verification of equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass in the case of test body incidence on the Earth (Etvesh experiment) and in the case of their incidene on the Sun (Dicke experiment) is discussed. The total mass of test bodies, produced in the form of cylinders with 3 cm radius, equals 50 kg (one lead body and one copper body); beam radius of test bodies equals 3 cm (the cylinders are tight against one another); ferrite cylinder with 3 cm radius and 10 cm height is used for their suspension in magnetic field. Effect of thermal noise and electromagnetic force disturbances on measurement results is considered. Conducted calculations show that suggested installation enables to improve the accuracy of verifying mentioned equivalence at least by one order and upwards. This suggests that such installation is a matter of interest for experiments on small force detection

3D gait assessment in young and elderly subjects using foot-worn inertial sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mariani, B.; Hoskovec, C.; Rochat, S.; Büla, C.; Penders, J.; Aminian, K.

2010-01-01

This study describes the validation of a new wearable system for assessment of 3D spatial parameters of gait. The new method is based on the detection of temporal parameters, coupled to optimized fusion and de-drifted integration of inertial signals. Composed of two wirelesses inertial modules

Upper Limb Kinematics Using Inertial and Magnetic Sensors: Comparison of Sensor-to-Segment Calibrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brice Bouvier

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Magneto-Inertial Measurement Unit sensors (MIMU display high potential for the quantitative evaluation of upper limb kinematics, as they allow monitoring ambulatory measurements. The sensor-to-segment calibration step, consisting of establishing the relation between MIMU sensors and human segments, plays an important role in the global accuracy of joint angles. The aim of this study was to compare sensor-to-segment calibrations for the MIMU-based estimation of wrist, elbow, and shoulder joint angles, by examining trueness (“close to the reference” and precision (reproducibility validity criteria. Ten subjects performed five sessions with three different operators. Three classes of calibrations were studied: segment axes equal to technical MIMU axes (TECH, segment axes generated during a static pose (STATIC, and those generated during functional movements (FUNCT. The calibrations were compared during the maximal uniaxial movements of each joint, plus an extra multi-joint movement. Generally, joint angles presented good trueness and very good precision in the range 5°–10°. Only small discrepancy between calibrations was highlighted, with the exception of a few cases. The very good overall accuracy (trueness and precision of MIMU-based joint angle data seems to be more dependent on the level of rigor of the experimental procedure (operator training than on the choice of calibration itself.

Adaptive inertial shock-absorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faraj, Rami; Holnicki-Szulc, Jan; Knap, Lech; Seńko, Jarosław

2016-01-01

This paper introduces and discusses a new concept of impact absorption by means of impact energy management and storage in dedicated rotating inertial discs. The effectiveness of the concept is demonstrated in a selected case-study involving spinning management, a recently developed novel impact-absorber. A specific control technique performed on this device is demonstrated to be the main source of significant improvement in the overall efficiency of impact damping process. The influence of various parameters on the performance of the shock-absorber is investigated. Design and manufacturing challenges and directions of further research are formulated. (paper)

The effects of nonlinear wave propagation on the stability of inertial cavitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinden, D; Stride, E; Saffari, N

2009-01-01

In the context of forecasting temperature and pressure fields generated by high-intensity focussed ultrasound, the accuracy of predictive models is critical for the safety and efficacy of treatment. In such fields 'inertial' cavitation is often observed. Classically, estimations of cavitation thresholds have been based on the assumption that the incident wave at the surface of a bubble is the same as in the far-field, neglecting the effect of nonlinear wave propagation. By modelling the incident wave as a solution to Burgers' equation using weak shock theory, the effects of nonlinear wave propagation on inertial cavitation are investigated using both numerical and analytical techniques. From radius-time curves for a single bubble, it is observed that there is a reduction in the maximum size of a bubble undergoing inertial cavitation and that the inertial collapse occurs earlier in contrast with the classical case. Corresponding stability thresholds for a bubble whose initial radius is slightly below the critical Blake radius are calculated, providing a lower bound for the onset of instability. Bifurcation diagrams and frequency-response curves are presented associated with the loss of stability. The consequences and physical implications of the results are discussed with respect to the classical results.

Inertial Fusion Driven By Intense Heavy-Ion Beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, W.M.; Friedman, A.; Grote, D.P.; Barnard, J.J.; Cohen, R.H.; Dorf, M.A.; Lund, S.M.; Perkins, L.J.; Terry, M.R.; Logan, B.G.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Faltens, A.; Henestroza, E.; Jung, J.Y.; Kwan, J.W.; Lee, E.P.; Lidia, S.M.; Ni, P.A.; Reginato, L.L.; Roy, P.K.; Seidl, P.A.; Takakuwa, J.H.; Vay, J.-L.; Waldron, W.L.; Davidson, R.C.; Gilson, E.P.; Kaganovich, I.D.; Qin, H.; Startsev, E.; Haber, I.; Kishek, R.A.; Koniges, A.E.

2011-01-01

Intense heavy-ion beams have long been considered a promising driver option for inertial-fusion energy production. This paper briefly compares inertial confinement fusion (ICF) to the more-familiar magnetic-confinement approach and presents some advantages of using beams of heavy ions to drive ICF instead of lasers. Key design choices in heavy-ion fusion (HIF) facilities are discussed, particularly the type of accelerator. We then review experiments carried out at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) over the past thirty years to understand various aspects of HIF driver physics. A brief review follows of present HIF research in the US and abroad, focusing on a new facility, NDCX-II, being built at LBNL to study the physics of warm dense matter heated by ions, as well as aspects of HIF target physics. Future research directions are briefly summarized.

Two-dimensional dynamics of elasto-inertial turbulence and its role in polymer drag reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Sid, S.; Terrapon, V. E.; Dubief, Y.

2018-02-01

The goal of the present study is threefold: (i) to demonstrate the two-dimensional nature of the elasto-inertial instability in elasto-inertial turbulence (EIT), (ii) to identify the role of the bidimensional instability in three-dimensional EIT flows, and (iii) to establish the role of the small elastic scales in the mechanism of self-sustained EIT. Direct numerical simulations of viscoelastic fluid flows are performed in both two- and three-dimensional straight periodic channels using the Peterlin finitely extensible nonlinear elastic model (FENE-P). The Reynolds number is set to Reτ=85 , which is subcritical for two-dimensional flows but beyond the transition for three-dimensional ones. The polymer properties selected correspond to those of typical dilute polymer solutions, and two moderate Weissenberg numbers, Wiτ=40 ,100 , are considered. The simulation results show that sustained turbulence can be observed in two-dimensional subcritical flows, confirming the existence of a bidimensional elasto-inertial instability. The same type of instability is also observed in three-dimensional simulations where both Newtonian and elasto-inertial turbulent structures coexist. Depending on the Wi number, one type of structure can dominate and drive the flow. For large Wi values, the elasto-inertial instability tends to prevail over the Newtonian turbulence. This statement is supported by (i) the absence of typical Newtonian near-wall vortices and (ii) strong similarities between two- and three-dimensional flows when considering larger Wi numbers. The role of small elastic scales is investigated by introducing global artificial diffusion (GAD) in the hyperbolic transport equation for polymers. The aim is to measure how the flow reacts when the smallest elastic scales are progressively filtered out. The study results show that the introduction of large polymer diffusion in the system strongly damps a significant part of the elastic scales that are necessary to feed

Development of a facility using robotics for testing automation of inertial instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Greig, Joy Y.; Lamont, Gary B.; Biezad, Daniel J.; Lewantowicz, Zdsislaw H.; Greig, Joy Y.

1987-01-01

The Integrated Robotics System Simulation (ROBSIM) was used to evaluate the performance of the PUMA 560 arm as applied to testing of inertial sensors. Results of this effort were used in the design and development of a feasibility test environment using a PUMA 560 arm. The implemented facility demonstrated the ability to perform conventional static inertial instrument tests (rotation and tumble). The facility included an efficient data acquisitions capability along with a precision test servomechanism function resulting in various data presentations which are included in the paper. Analysis of inertial instrument testing accuracy, repeatability and noise characteristics are provided for the PUMA 560 as well as for other possible commercial arm configurations. Another integral aspect of the effort was an in-depth economic analysis and comparison of robot arm testing versus use of contemporary precision test equipment.

An innovative accelerator-driven inertial electrostatic confinement device using converging ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, T. H.; Wigeland, R. A.

1999-01-01

Fundamental physics issues facing development of fusion power on a small-scale are assessed with emphasis on the idea of Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC). The authors propose a new concept of accelerator-driven IEC fusion, termed Converging Beam Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (CB-IEC). CB-IEC offers a number of innovative features that make it an attractive pathway toward resolving fundamental physics issues and assessing the ultimate viability of the IEC concept for power generation

Eulerian derivation of non-inertial Navier-Stokes equations for compressible flow in constant, pure rotation

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Combrinck, ML

2015-07-01

Full Text Available be either inertial or non-inertial depending on the cases analyzed. This frame shares an origin with the rotational frame Ô. Frame Ô is the non-inertial, rotational frame and is therefore not orientation preserving. Now consider a point P which can... Descriptions This point is described in frame O from where a modified Galilean transformation, GM, will be used to describe it in frame O’. The rotational transform, RΩt, will then be used to transform the resulting equations (as described in frame O...

Motion sickness and tilts of the inertial force environment : Active suspension systems vs. active passengers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Golding, J. F.; van der Bles, W.; Bos, J. E.; Haynes, T.; Gresty, M. A.

2003-01-01

Background: Maneuvering in vehicles exposes occupants to low frequency forces (<1 Hz) which can provoke motion sickness. Hypothesis: Aligning with the tilting inertial resultant (gravity + imposed horizontal acceleration: gravito-inertial force (GIF)) may reduce motion sickness when tilting is

Inertial Effects on Flow and Transport in Heterogeneous Porous Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Nissan, Alon; Berkowitz, Brian

2018-02-02

We investigate the effects of high fluid velocities on flow and tracer transport in heterogeneous porous media. We simulate fluid flow and advective transport through two-dimensional pore-scale matrices with varying structural complexity. As the Reynolds number increases, the flow regime transitions from linear to nonlinear; this behavior is controlled by the medium structure, where higher complexity amplifies inertial effects. The result is, nonintuitively, increased homogenization of the flow field, which leads in the context of conservative chemical transport to less anomalous behavior. We quantify the transport patterns via a continuous time random walk, using the spatial distribution of the kinetic energy within the fluid as a characteristic measure.

Postural strategies assessed with inertial sensors in healthy and parkinsonian subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Baston, Chiara; Mancini, Martina; Schoneburg, Bernadette; Horak, Fay; Rocchi, Laura

2014-01-01

The present study introduces a novel instrumented method to characterize postural movement strategies to maintain balance during stance (ankle and hip strategy), by means of inertial sensors, positioned on the legs and on the trunk. We evaluated postural strategies in subjects with 2 types of Parkinsonism: idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), and in age-matched control subjects standing under perturbed conditions implemented by the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Coordination between the upper and lower segments of the body during postural sway was measured using a covariance index over time, by a sliding-window algorithm. Afterwards, a postural strategy index was computed. We also measured the amount of postural sway, as adjunctive information to characterize balance, by the root mean square of the horizontal trunk acceleration signal (RMS). showed that control subjects were able to change their postural strategy, whilst PSP and PD subjects persisted in use of an ankle strategy in all conditions. PD subjects had RMS values similar to control subjects even without changing postural strategy appropriately, whereas PSP subjects showed much larger RMS values than controls, resulting in several falls during the most challenging SOT conditions (5 and 6). Results are in accordance with the corresponding clinical literature describing postural behavior in the same kind of subjects. The proposed strategy index, based on the use of inertial sensors on the upper and lower body segments, is a promising and unobtrusive tool to characterize postural strategies performed to attain balance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inertial particle focusing in serpentine channels on a centrifugal platform

Science.gov (United States)

Shamloo, Amir; Mashhadian, Ali

2018-01-01

Inertial particle focusing as a powerful passive method is widely used in diagnostic test devices. It is common to use a curved channel in this approach to achieve particle focusing through balancing of the secondary flow drag force and the inertial lift force. Here, we present a focusing device on a disk based on the interaction of secondary flow drag force, inertial lift force, and centrifugal forces to focus particles. By choosing a channel whose cross section has a low aspect ratio, the mixing effect of the secondary flow becomes negligible. To calculate inertial lift force, which is exerted on the particle from the fluid, the interaction between the fluid and particle is investigated accurately through implementation of 3D Direct Numerical Solution (DNS) method. The particle focusing in three serpentine channels with different corner angles of 75°, 85°, and 90° is investigated for three polystyrene particles with diameters of 8 μm, 9.9 μm, and 13 μm. To show the simulation reliability, the results obtained from the simulations of two examples, namely, particle focusing and centrifugal platform, are verified against experimental counterparts. The effects of angular velocity of disk on the fluid velocity and on the focusing parameters are studied. Fluid velocity in a channel with corner angle of 75° is greater than two other channels. Furthermore, the particle equilibrium positions at the cross section of channel are obtained at the outlet. There are two equilibrium positions located at the centers of the long walls. Finally, the effect of particle density on the focusing length is investigated. A particle with a higher density and larger diameter is focused in a shorter length of the channel compared to its counterpart with a lower density and shorter diameter. The channel with a corner angle of 90° has better focusing efficiency compared to other channels. This design focuses particles without using any pump or sheath flow. Inertial particle focusing

Motion sickness and tilts of the inertial force environment: active suspension systems vs. active passengers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Golding, J.F.; Bles, W.; Bos, J.E.; Haynes, T.; Gresty, M.A.

2003-01-01

Maneuvering in vehicles exposes occupants to low frequency forces (<1 Hz) which can provoke motion sickness. Hypothesis: Aligning with the tilting inertial resultant (gravity + imposed horizontal acceleration: gravito-inertial force (GIF)) may reduce motion sickness when tilting is either 'active'

Inertial modes and their transition to turbulence in a differentially rotating spherical gap flow

Science.gov (United States)

Hoff, Michael; Harlander, Uwe; Andrés Triana, Santiago; Egbers, Christoph

2016-04-01

We present a study of inertial modes in a spherical shell experiment. Inertial modes are Coriolis-restored linear wave modes, often arise in rapidly-rotating fluids (e.g. in the Earth's liquid outer core [1]). Recent experimental works showed that inertial modes exist in differentially rotating spherical shells. A set of particular inertial modes, characterized by (l,m,ˆω), where l, m is the polar and azimuthal wavenumber and ˆω = ω/Ωout the dimensionless frequency [2], has been found. It is known that they arise due to eruptions in the Ekman boundary layer of the outer shell. But it is an open issue why only a few modes develop and how they get enhanced. Kelley et al. 2010 [3] showed that some modes draw their energy from detached shear layers (e.g. Stewartson layers) via over-reflection. Additionally, Rieutord et al. (2012) [4] found critical layers within the shear layers below which most of the modes cannot exist. In contrast to other spherical shell experiments, we have a full optical access to the flow. Therefore, we present an experimental study of inertial modes, based on Particle-Image-Velocimetry (PIV) data, in a differentially rotating spherical gap flow where the inner sphere is subrotating or counter-rotating at Ωin with respect to the outer spherical shell at Ωout, characterized by the Rossby number Ro = (Ωin - Ωout)/Ωout. The radius ratio of η = 1/3, with rin = 40mm and rout = 120mm, is close to that of the Earth's core. Our apparatus is running at Ekman numbers (E ≈ 10-5, with E = ν/(Ωoutrout2), two orders of magnitude higher than most of the other experiments. Based on a frequency-Rossby number spectrogram, we can partly confirm previous considerations with respect to the onset of inertial modes. In contrast, the behavior of the modes in the counter-rotation regime is different. We found a triad interaction between three dominant inertial modes, where one is a slow axisymmetric Rossby mode [5]. We show that the amplitude of the most

Are inertial forces ever of significance in cricket, golf and other sports?

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Garry; Robinson, Ian

2017-04-01

In previous papers we investigated the motion of a spherical projectile rotating about an arbitrary axis, subject to a drag force, a lift or Magnus force, and in the presence of a wind. The aim was to determine the motion of balls used in sporting games, primarily cricket. Newton’s laws of motion apply in an inertial (unaccelerated) coordinate system, but the rotating Earth is not an inertial system. In such a non-inertial system two additional forces are present, the Coriolis force which produces a side-ways movement, and the centrifugal force. Generally these two inertial forces produce noticeable effects only on the large scale, when either the time of travel and/or the path length is large. In this paper we have added both of these forces to the equations of motion. In addition, we have also included a ground friction force in order to simulate a ball rolling over a surface or, more generally, a body moving through a resistive medium such as water. Here we quantitatively investigate the magnitude and direction of the effect of the inertial forces in a number of cases. It is found that, as expected, the effects of the inertial forces are generally small for ball games. In cricket the side-ways movement is ≲1 cm for a throw from the boundary and ≲1 mm for a slow bowler’s delivery, and for a long drive in golf it is ≲10 cm. In lawn bowls the side-ways movement can be ∼2.8 cm, which may be significant, given the nature of this sport. The inertial forces are also potentially of relevance in sporting events not employing spherical projectiles. For example, in Olympic rowing we find that the side-ways movement can be more than 40 m for a 2 km race if it is not compensated for, and nearly 20 m for a 4 min mile event in athletics. The effect is also of significance in events such as swimming and horse racing. The importance of this is that athletes may not be aware of the effect and, in the case of rowing for example, may attribute it to side-ways currents

Collapse of Incoherent Light Beams in Inertial Bulk Kerr Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Ole; Edmundson, Darran; Królikowski, Wieslaw

1999-01-01

We use the coherent density function theory to show that partially coherent beams are unstable and may collapse in inertial bulk Kerr media. The threshold power for collapse, and its dependence on the degree of coherence, is found analytically and checked-numerically. The internal dynamics of the...... of the walk-off modes is illustrated for collapsing and diffracting partially coherent beams.......We use the coherent density function theory to show that partially coherent beams are unstable and may collapse in inertial bulk Kerr media. The threshold power for collapse, and its dependence on the degree of coherence, is found analytically and checked-numerically. The internal dynamics...

Design and Implementation of High Precision Temperature Measurement Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xianzhen; Yu, Weiyu; Zhang, Zhijian; Liu, Hancheng

2018-03-01

Large-scale neutrino detector requires calibration of photomultiplier tubes (PMT) and electronic system in the detector, performed by plotting the calibration source with a group of designated coordinates in the acrylic sphere. Where the calibration source positioning is based on the principle of ultrasonic ranging, the transmission speed of ultrasonic in liquid scintillator of acrylic sphere is related to temperature. This paper presents a temperature measurement unit based on STM32L031 and single-line bus digital temperature sensor TSic506. The measurement data of the temperature measurement unit can help the ultrasonic ranging to be more accurate. The test results show that the temperature measurement error is within ±0.1°C, which satisfies the requirement of calibration source positioning. Take energy-saving measures, with 3.7V/50mAH lithium battery-powered, the temperature measurement unit can work continuously more than 24 hours.

Near-inertial motions over a mid-Ocean Ridge; Effects of topography and hydrothermal plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Richard E.; Roth, Sharon E.; Dymond, Jack

1990-05-01

We investigate the spatial structure of near-inertial motions in the vicinity of the Endeavour segment of Juan de Fuca Ridge (approximately 48°N, 129°W) in the northeast Pacific Ocean. On the basis of time series current and water property data collected from September 1984 to September 1987, near-inertial motions are ubiquitous features of the 2200-m water column, with root-mean-square (rms) current speeds comparable to those of the dominant M2 tidal currents. Within the lower 1000 m of the water column where most of the observations were obtained, near-inertial oscillations have rms current speeds of O(1 cm/s) and vertical isotherm displacements of O(10 m). The fluctuations are confined to the frequency band 0.966-1.079 f(f is the local Coriolis parameter) and have characteristic event durations of 1 week. Although the spectra of subsurface motions are dominated by the "blue-shifted" superinertial band, significant spectral peaks are found also in the subinertial and inertial frequency bands. Marked alteration of the near-inertial current amplitudes occurs over two well-defined depth zones within the study region. Within the 200-m zone immediately above the 2100-m ridge crest, current amplitudes are amplified by a factor of 1.2-1.7 because of bottom reflection and/or scattering of the downward propagating energy. Evidence that the amplification may be linked to bottom reflection rather than to scattering is provided by flattening and cross-slope rotation of the near-inertial current ellipses with increased proximity to the top of the ridge. Reflection would occur at grazing angles of less than 1° and would be associated with surface-generated waves originating at distances of over 100 km from the observational site. In contrast to the enhanced amplitudes immediately above the top of the ridge, near-inertial currents within the 1600- to 1800-m depth range undergo pronounced attenuation and frequency alteration. Amplitude attenuation is especially pronounced for

Eulerian derivations of non-inertial Navier-Stokes equations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Combrinck, MA

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an Eulerian derivation of the non-inertial Navier-Stokes equations as an alternative to the Lagrangian fluid parcel approach. This work expands on the work of Kageyama and Hyodo [1] who derived the incompressible momentum equation...

Fusion of Inertial Navigation and Imagery Data, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The innovations of the Fusion of Inertial Navigation and Imagery Data are the application of the concept to the dynamic entry-interface through near-landing phases,...

Simple method for absolute calibration of geophones, seismometers, and other inertial vibration sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kann, Frank van; Winterflood, John

2005-01-01

A simple but powerful method is presented for calibrating geophones, seismometers, and other inertial vibration sensors, including passive accelerometers. The method requires no cumbersome or expensive fixtures such as shaker platforms and can be performed using a standard instrument commonly available in the field. An absolute calibration is obtained using the reciprocity property of the device, based on the standard mathematical model for such inertial sensors. It requires only simple electrical measurement of the impedance of the sensor as a function of frequency to determine the parameters of the model and hence the sensitivity function. The method is particularly convenient if one of these parameters, namely the suspended mass is known. In this case, no additional mechanical apparatus is required and only a single set of impedance measurements yields the desired calibration function. Moreover, this measurement can be made with the device in situ. However, the novel and most powerful aspect of the method is its ability to accurately determine the effective suspended mass. For this, the impedance measurement is made with the device hanging from a simple spring or flexible cord (depending on the orientation of its sensitive axis). To complete the calibration, the device is weighed to determine its total mass. All the required calibration parameters, including the suspended mass, are then determined from a least-squares fit to the impedance as a function of frequency. A demonstration using both a 4.5 Hz geophone and a 1 Hz seismometer shows that the method can yield accurate absolute calibrations with an error of 0.1% or better, assuming no a priori knowledge of any parameters

CHAOTIC DUFFING TYPE OSCILLATOR WITH INERTIAL DAMPING

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamaševicius, Arunas; Mykolaitis, Gytis; Kirvaitis, Raimundas

2009-01-01

A novel Duffing-Holmes type autonomous chaotic oscillator is described. In comparison with the well-known non-autonomous Duffing-Holmes circuit it lacks the external periodic drive, but includes two extra linear feedback sub-circuits, namely a direct positive feedback loop, and an inertial negati...... feedback loop. SPICE simulation and hardware experimental results are presented....

A Personal Inertial Navigation System Based on Multiple Distributed, Nine-Degrees-Of-Freedom, Inertial Measurement Units

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

the gyroscope to calculate position changes during the swing phase, it is important to identify and take steps to mitigate these major error types [11...holding a constant bias, flicker noise causes the error bias to randomly wander within a bounded area. For example, if the gyroscope was stationary and...39]. Flicker noise is the cause of error bias stability issues and is dominant at low frequencies where the power of its degrading effects can be

Innovative United Kingdom Approaches To Measuring Service Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkworth, Ian

2001-01-01

Reports on approaches to measuring the service quality of academic libraries in the United Kingdom. Discusses the role of government and the national background of quality measurement; measurement frameworks; better use of statistics; benchmarking; measuring user satisfaction; and possible future development. (Author/LRW)

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuckolls, J.

1977-01-01

The principal goal of the inertial confinement fusion program is the development of a practical fusion power plant in this century. Rapid progress has been made in the four major areas of ICF--targets, drivers, fusion experiments, and reactors. High gain targets have been designed. Laser, electron beam, and heavy ion accelerator drivers appear to be feasible. Record-breaking thermonuclear conditions have been experimentally achieved. Detailed diagnostics of laser implosions have confirmed predictions of the LASNEX computer program. Experimental facilities are being planned and constructed capable of igniting high gain fusion microexplosions in the mid 1980's. A low cost long lifetime reactor design has been developed

Single particle train ordering in microchannel based on inertial and vortex effects

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Liang-Liang; Yan, Qing; Zhe, Jiang; Zhao, Liang

2018-06-01

A new microfluidic device for microparticle focusing and ordering in a single particle train is reported. The particle focusing and ordering are based on inertial and vortex effects in a microchannel with a series of suddenly contracted and widely expanded structures on one side. In the suddenly contracted regions, particles located near the contracted structures are subjected to a strong wall-effect lift force and momentum-change-induced inertial force due to the highly curved trajectory, migrating to the straight wall. A horizontal vortex is generated downstream of the contracted structure, which prevents the particle from getting close to the wall. In the widely expanded regions, the streamline is curved and no vortex is generated. The shear-gradient lift force and the momentum-change-induced inertial force are dominant for particle lateral migration, driving particles towards the wall of the expanded structures. Eventually, particles are focused and ordered in a single particle train by the combination effects of the inertial forces and the vortex. In comparison with other single-stream particle focusing methods, this device requires no sheath flow, is easy for fabrication and operation, and can work over a wide range of Reynolds numbers from 19.1–142.9. The highly ordered particle chain could be potentially utilized in a variety of lab-chip applications, including micro-flow cytometer, imaging and droplet-based cell entrapment.

Propagation of inertial-gravity waves on an island shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Bondur, V. G.; Sabinin, K. D.; Grebenyuk, Yu. V.

2015-09-01

The propagation of inertial-gravity waves (IGV) at the boundary of the Pacific shelf near the island of Oahu (Hawaii), whose generation was studied in the first part of this work [1], is analyzed. It is shown that a significant role there is played by the plane oblique waves; whose characteristics were identified by the method of estimating 3D wave parameters for the cases when the measurements are available only for two verticals. It is established that along with the descending propagation of energy that is typical of IGVs, wave packets ascend from the bottom to the upper layers, which is caused by the emission of waves from intense jets of discharged waters flowing out of a diffusor located at the bottom.

Deriving inertial wave characteristics from surface drifter velocities: Frequency variability in the Tropical Pacific

Science.gov (United States)

Poulain, Pierre-Marie; Luther, Douglas S.; Patzert, William C.

1992-11-01

Two techniques have been developed for estimating statistics of inertial oscillations from satellite-tracked drifters. These techniques overcome the difficulties inherent in estimating such statistics from data dependent upon space coordinates that are a function of time. Application of these techniques to tropical surface drifter data collected during the NORPAX, EPOCS, and TOGA programs reveals a latitude-dependent, statistically significant "blue shift" of inertial wave frequency. The latitudinal dependence of the blue shift is similar to predictions based on "global" internal wave spectral models, with a superposition of frequency shifting due to modification of the effective local inertial frequency by the presence of strongly sheared zonal mean currents within 12° of the equator.

Spin-1/2 particles in non-inertial reference frames. Low- and high-energy approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, D.; Papini, G.

2000-01-01

Spin-1/2 particles can be used to study inertial and gravitational effects by means of interferometers, particle accelerators, and ultimately quantum systems. These studies require, in general, knowledge of the Hamiltonian and of the inertial and gravitational quantum phases. The procedure followed gives both in the low- and high-energy approximations. The latter affords a more consistent treatment of mass at high energies. The procedure is based on general relativity and on a solution of the Dirac equation that is exact to first-order in the metric deviation. Several previously known acceleration- and rotation-induced effects are rederived in a comprehensive, unified way. Several new effects involve spin, electromagnetic and inertial/gravitational fields in different combinations

Modular finger and hand motion capturing system based on inertial and magnetic sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valtin Markus

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The assessment of hand posture and kinematics is increasingly important in various fields. This includes the rehabilitation of stroke survivors with restricted hand function. This paper presents a modular, ambulatory measurement system for the assement of the remaining hand function and for closed-loop controlled therapy. The device is based on inertial sensors and utilizes up to five interchangeable sensor strips to achieve modularity and to simplify the sensor attachment. We introduce the modular hardware design and describe algorithms used to calculate the joint angles. Measurements with two experimental setups demonstrate the feasibility and the potential of such a tracking device.

An inertial parameter identification method of eliminating system damping effect for a six-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Tixian

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A new simple and effective inertial parameter identification method based on sinusoidal vibrations of a six-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulator is proposed. Compared with previously known identification algorithms, the advantages of the new approach are there is no need to design the excitation trajectory to consider the condition number of the observation matrix and the inertial matrix can be accurately defined regardless of the effect of viscous friction. In addition, the use of a sinusoidal exciting trajectory allows calculation of the velocities and accelerations from the measured position response. Simulations show that the new approach has acceptable tolerance of dry friction when using a simple coupling parameter modified formula. The experimental application to the hydraulically driven Stewart platform demonstrates the capability and efficiency of the proposed identification method.

A compact proton spectrometer for measurement of the absolute DD proton spectrum from which yield and ρR are determined in thin-shell inertial-confinement-fusion implosions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, M J; Zylstra, A B; Frenje, J A; Rinderknecht, H G; Johnson, M Gatu; Waugh, C J; Séguin, F H; Sio, H; Sinenian, N; Li, C K; Petrasso, R D; Glebov, V Yu; Hohenberger, M; Stoeckl, C; Sangster, T C; Yeamans, C B; LePape, S; Mackinnon, A J; Bionta, R M; Talison, B; Casey, D T; Landen, O L; Moran, M J; Zacharias, R A; Kilkenny, J D; Nikroo, A

2014-10-01

A compact, step range filter proton spectrometer has been developed for the measurement of the absolute DD proton spectrum, from which yield and areal density (ρR) are inferred for deuterium-filled thin-shell inertial confinement fusion implosions. This spectrometer, which is based on tantalum step-range filters, is sensitive to protons in the energy range 1-9 MeV and can be used to measure proton spectra at mean energies of ∼1-3 MeV. It has been developed and implemented using a linear accelerator and applied to experiments at the OMEGA laser facility and the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Modeling of the proton slowing in the filters is necessary to construct the spectrum, and the yield and energy uncertainties are ±DD-neutron yield diagnostics at the NIF.

Environmental Measurements Laboratory 2002 Unit Performance Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2001-10-01

This EML Unit Performance Plan provides the key goals and performance measures for FY 2002 and continuing to FY 2003. The purpose of the Plan is to inform EML's stakeholders and customers of the Laboratory's products and services, and its accomplishments and future challenges. Also incorporated in the Unit Performance Plan is EML's Communication Plan for FY 2002.

Inertial confinement fusion target insertion concepts for the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laughon, G.J.; Schultz, K.R.

1996-01-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) will be used to demonstrate fusion ignition in a laboratory environment in order to support development of inertial fusion as a potential fusion energy source for civilian use. However, target insertion must first be addressed before inertial fusion can become a practical energy source. Since target insertion systems currently utilized are not suitable for multiple shots in quick succession, insertion concepts involving free-falling and artificially accelerated targets are developed and evaluated against a set of predetermined guidelines. It is shown that a system involving a fast retraction positioner would be suitable. 5 refs., 4 figs

Inertial fusion in the nineties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, D.; Dudziak, D.J.; Cartwright, D.C.

1987-01-01

The 1980s have proven to be an exciting time for the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) program. Major new laser and light-ion drivers have been constructed and have produced some encouraging results. The 1990s will be a crucial time for the ICF program. A decision for proceeding with the next facility is scheduled for the early 1990s. If the decision is positive, planning and construction of this facility will occur. Depending on the time required for design and construction, this next-generation facility could become operational near the turn of the century

Measurement units of physical values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debraine, P.

1955-01-01

The aim of this paper is twofold: 1) to give an analysis of the formation conditions of the various systems of units, 2) to show how the practical problems involving changes of units can be solved. This analysis leads to the conception of 'types' of systems, which is very useful to clarity the question of rationalized and non rationalized systems. The second point which consists essentially in: 1) finding the relationship between the measures of a given quantity in different systems, 2) deriving practical formulas, 3) deriving formulas in various 'types' of systems, is made easier by use of sets of: * definition formulas, * transformation formulas, * units of the various practical systems with useful numerical information covering the following fields: ** geometry, ** kinematics, ** mechanics, ** electricity and magnetism, ** thermodynamics, ** radiation, ** photometry, These sets being printed on coloured paper can be easily found. A number of numerical examples (21) show in a detailed way how to solve the various problems likely to occur. A chapter is particularly devoted to the Giorgi MKS system. (author) [fr

Target support for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, K.R.

1995-08-01

General Atomics (GA) plays an important industrial support role for the US Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program in the area of target technology. This includes three major activities: target fabrication support, target handling systems development, and target chamber design. The work includes target fabrication for existing ICF experiments, target and target system development for future experiments, and target research and target chamber design for experiments on future machines, such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

Finite-time and fixed-time synchronization analysis of inertial memristive neural networks with time-varying delays.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Ruoyu; Cao, Jinde; Alsaedi, Ahmed

2018-02-01

This paper investigates the finite-time synchronization and fixed-time synchronization problems of inertial memristive neural networks with time-varying delays. By utilizing the Filippov discontinuous theory and Lyapunov stability theory, several sufficient conditions are derived to ensure finite-time synchronization of inertial memristive neural networks. Then, for the purpose of making the setting time independent of initial condition, we consider the fixed-time synchronization. A novel criterion guaranteeing the fixed-time synchronization of inertial memristive neural networks is derived. Finally, three examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of our main results.

Noninvasive estimation of transmitral pressure drop across the normal mitral valve in humans: importance of convective and inertial forces during left ventricular filling

Science.gov (United States)

Firstenberg, M. S.; Vandervoort, P. M.; Greenberg, N. L.; Smedira, N. G.; McCarthy, P. M.; Garcia, M. J.; Thomas, J. D.

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that color M-mode (CMM) images could be used to solve the Euler equation, yielding regional pressure gradients along the scanline, which could then be integrated to yield the unsteady Bernoulli equation and estimate noninvasively both the convective and inertial components of the transmitral pressure difference. BACKGROUND: Pulsed and continuous wave Doppler velocity measurements are routinely used clinically to assess severity of stenotic and regurgitant valves. However, only the convective component of the pressure gradient is measured, thereby neglecting the contribution of inertial forces, which may be significant, particularly for nonstenotic valves. Color M-mode provides a spatiotemporal representation of flow across the mitral valve. METHODS: In eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, high-fidelity left atrial and ventricular pressure measurements were obtained synchronously with transmitral CMM digital recordings. The instantaneous diastolic transmitral pressure difference was computed from the M-mode spatiotemporal velocity distribution using the unsteady flow form of the Bernoulli equation and was compared to the catheter measurements. RESULTS: From 56 beats in 16 hemodynamic stages, inclusion of the inertial term ([deltapI]max = 1.78+/-1.30 mm Hg) in the noninvasive pressure difference calculation significantly increased the temporal correlation with catheter-based measurement (r = 0.35+/-0.24 vs. 0.81+/-0.15, pforces are significant components of the maximal pressure drop across the normal mitral valve. These can be accurately estimated noninvasively using CMM recordings of transmitral flow, which should improve the understanding of diastolic filling and function of the heart.

Inertial Effects on Finite Length Pipe Seismic Response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virginia Corrado

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A seismic analysis for soil-pipe interaction which accounts for length and constraining conditions at the ends of a continuous pipe is developed. The Winkler model is used to schematize the soil-structure interaction. The approach is focused on axial strains, since bending strains in a buried pipe due to the wave propagation are typically a second-order effect. Unlike many works, the inertial terms are considered in solving equations. Accurate numerical simulations are carried out to show the influence of pipe length and constraint conditions on the pipe seismic strain. The obtained results are compared with results inferred from other models present in the literature. For free-end pipelines, inertial effects have significant influence only for short length. On the contrary, their influence is always important for pinned pipes. Numerical simulations show that a simple rigid model can be used for free-end pipes, whereas pinned pipes need more accurate models.

High-energy krypton fluoride lasers for inertial fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Obenschain, Stephen; Lehmberg, Robert; Kehne, David; Hegeler, Frank; Wolford, Matthew; Sethian, John; Weaver, James; Karasik, Max

2015-11-01

Laser fusion researchers have realized since the 1970s that the deep UV light from excimer lasers would be an advantage as a driver for robust high-performance capsule implosions for inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Most of this research has centered on the krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser. In this article we review the advantages of the KrF laser for direct-drive ICF, the history of high-energy KrF laser development, and the present state of the art and describe a development path to the performance needed for laser fusion and its energy application. We include descriptions of the architecture and performance of the multi-kilojoule Nike KrF laser-target facility and the 700 J Electra high-repetition-rate KrF laser that were developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Nike and Electra are the most advanced KrF lasers for inertial fusion research and energy applications.

Integrated optical waveguides and inertial focussing microfluidics in silica for microflow cytometry applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butement, Jonathan T; Rowe, David J; Sessions, Neil P; Hua, Ping; Murugan, G Senthil; Wilkinson, James S; Clark, Owain; Chad, John E; Hunt, Hamish C

2016-01-01

A key challenge in the development of a microflow cytometry platform is the integration of the optical components with the fluidics as this requires compatible micro-optical and microfluidic technologies. In this work a microflow cytometry platform is presented comprising monolithically integrated waveguides and deep microfluidics in a rugged silica chip. Integrated waveguides are used to deliver excitation light to an etched microfluidic channel and also collect transmitted light. The fluidics are designed to employ inertial focussing, a particle positioning technique, to reduce signal variation by bringing the flowing particles onto the same plane as the excitation light beam. A fabrication process is described which exploits microelectronics mass production techniques including: sputtering, ICP etching and PECVD. Example devices were fabricated and the effectiveness of inertial focussing of 5.6 µ m fluorescent beads was studied showing lateral and vertical confinement of flowing beads within the microfluidic channel. The fluorescence signals from flowing calibration beads were quantified demonstrating a CV of 26%. Finally the potential of this type of device for measuring the variation in optical transmission from input to output waveguide as beads flowed through the beam was evaluated. (paper)

Inertial navigation sensor integrated motion analysis for autonomous vehicle navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Barry; Bhanu, Bir

1992-01-01

Recent work on INS integrated motion analysis is described. Results were obtained with a maximally passive system of obstacle detection (OD) for ground-based vehicles and rotorcraft. The OD approach involves motion analysis of imagery acquired by a passive sensor in the course of vehicle travel to generate range measurements to world points within the sensor FOV. INS data and scene analysis results are used to enhance interest point selection, the matching of the interest points, and the subsequent motion-based computations, tracking, and OD. The most important lesson learned from the research described here is that the incorporation of inertial data into the motion analysis program greatly improves the analysis and makes the process more robust.

Wearable inertial sensors in swimming motion analysis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

de Magalhaes, Fabricio Anicio; Vannozzi, Giuseppe; Gatta, Giorgio; Fantozzi, Silvia

2015-01-01

The use of contemporary technology is widely recognised as a key tool for enhancing competitive performance in swimming. Video analysis is traditionally used by coaches to acquire reliable biomechanical data about swimming performance; however, this approach requires a huge computational effort, thus introducing a delay in providing quantitative information. Inertial and magnetic sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers, have been recently introduced to assess the biomechanics of swimming performance. Research in this field has attracted a great deal of interest in the last decade due to the gradual improvement of the performance of sensors and the decreasing cost of miniaturised wearable devices. With the aim of describing the state of the art of current developments in this area, a systematic review of the existing methods was performed using the following databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar, Scopus and Science Direct. Twenty-seven articles published in indexed journals and conference proceedings, focusing on the biomechanical analysis of swimming by means of inertial sensors were reviewed. The articles were categorised according to sensor's specification, anatomical sites where the sensors were attached, experimental design and applications for the analysis of swimming performance. Results indicate that inertial sensors are reliable tools for swimming biomechanical analyses.

Diagnostic for determining the mix in inertial confinement fusion capsule hotspot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Shibei; Ding, Yongkun, E-mail: ding-yk@vip.sina.com; Miao, Wenyong; Zhang, Xing; Tu, Shaoyong; Yuan, Yongteng; Pu, Yudong; Yan, Ji; Wei, Minxi; Yin, Chuansheng [Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China)

2016-07-15

A diagnostic is developed for determining the hotspot mix in inertial confinement fusion experiments. A multi-channel pinhole camera measures Bremsstrahlung emissions from implosion capsules ranging from 6 keV to 30 keV and records an image of the hotspot. Meanwhile, a planar crystal spectrometer measures Ar line emissions used to deduce the electron density of the hotspot. An X-ray streaked camera records the burn duration. With the Bremsstrahlung spectrum, electron density, hotspot volume, and burn duration, the mix quantity is determined by solving a pair of linear equations. This inferred mix amount has an uncertainty due to the uncertainty of the electron density, but with the help of the measured neutron product, the most likely mix quantity value can be determined. This technique is applied to experimental images to infer the quantity of CH ablator mix into the hotspot.

Diagnostic for determining the mix in inertial confinement fusion capsule hotspot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Shibei; Ding, Yongkun; Miao, Wenyong; Zhang, Xing; Tu, Shaoyong; Yuan, Yongteng; Pu, Yudong; Yan, Ji; Wei, Minxi; Yin, Chuansheng

2016-01-01

A diagnostic is developed for determining the hotspot mix in inertial confinement fusion experiments. A multi-channel pinhole camera measures Bremsstrahlung emissions from implosion capsules ranging from 6 keV to 30 keV and records an image of the hotspot. Meanwhile, a planar crystal spectrometer measures Ar line emissions used to deduce the electron density of the hotspot. An X-ray streaked camera records the burn duration. With the Bremsstrahlung spectrum, electron density, hotspot volume, and burn duration, the mix quantity is determined by solving a pair of linear equations. This inferred mix amount has an uncertainty due to the uncertainty of the electron density, but with the help of the measured neutron product, the most likely mix quantity value can be determined. This technique is applied to experimental images to infer the quantity of CH ablator mix into the hotspot.

SI units for radiation measurements : for or against

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaratnam, A.; Reddy, A.R.

1975-01-01

The historical evolution of the International System of Units (SI) is traced and concepts regarding radiation quantities and units as given by the ICRU are presented. Implications of the changeover to SI units for radiation measurement from the conventional system of familiar units like curie, roentgen, rad and rem are discussed. The familiar units will be kept for the time being along with SI units. In order to avoid confusion in the changeover period, new names, namely, becquerel and gray have been suggested by the authors for the SI units for activity and absorbed dose respectively. One becquerel will be 1 nuclear transformation per second and is approximately equal to 2.703 x 10 -11 Ci. One gray will be 1 joule per kilogram and is exactly equal to 100 rad. (M.G.B.)

Data Integration from GPS and Inertial Navigation Systems for Pedestrians in Urban Area

OpenAIRE

Krzysztof Bikonis; Jerzy Demkowicz

2013-01-01

The GPS system is widely used in navigation and the GPS receiver can offer long-term stable absolute positioning information. The overall system performance depends largely on the signal environments. The position obtained from GPS is often degraded due to obstruction and multipath effect caused by buildings, city infrastructure and vegetation, whereas, the current performance achieved by inertial navigation systems (INS) is still relatively poor due to the large inertial sensor errors. The c...

Ion beam inertial fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bangerter, R.O.

1995-01-01

About twenty years ago, A. W. Maschke of Brookhaven National Laboratory and R. L. Martin of Argonne National Laboratory recognized that the accelerators that have been developed for high energy and nuclear physics are, in many ways, ideally suited to the requirements of inertial fusion power production. These accelerators are reliable, they have a long operating life, and they can be efficient. Maschke and Martin noted that they can focus ion beams to small focal spots over distances of many meters and that they can readily operate at the high pulse repetition rates needed for commercial power production. Fusion, however, does impose some important new constraints that are not important for high energy or nuclear physics applications. The most challenging new constraint from a scientific standpoint is the requirement that the accelerator deliver more than 10 14 W of beam power to a small quantity (less than 100 mg) of matter. The most challenging constraint from an engineering standpoint is accelerator cost. Maschke showed theoretically that accelerators could produce adequate work. Heavy-ion fusion is widely recognized to be a promising approach to inertial fusion power production. It provides an excellent opportunity to apply methods and technology developed for basic science to an important societal need. The pulsed-power community has developed a complementary, parallel approach to ion beam fusion known as light-ion fusion. The talk will discuss both heavy-ion and light-ion fusion. It will explain target physics requirements and show how they lead to constraints on the usual accelerator parameters such as kinetic energy, current, and emittance. The talk will discuss experiments that are presently underway, specifically experiments on high-current ion sources and injectors, pulsed-power machines recirculating induction accelerators, and transverse beam combining. The talk will give a brief description of a proposed new accelerator called Elise

Inertial fusion research: Annual technical report, 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, J.T.; Terry, N.C.

1986-03-01

This report describes the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research activities undertaken at KMS Fusion (KMSF) during 1985. It is organized into three main technical sections; the first covers fusion experiments and theoretical physics, the second is devoted to progress in materials development and target fabrication, and the third describes laser technology research. These three individual sections have been cataloged separately

An Innovative Strategy for Accurate Thermal Compensation of Gyro Bias in Inertial Units by Exploiting a Novel Augmented Kalman Filter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Fontanella

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an innovative model for integrating thermal compensation of gyro bias error into an augmented state Kalman filter. The developed model is applied in the Zero Velocity Update filter for inertial units manufactured by exploiting Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS gyros. It is used to remove residual bias at startup. It is a more effective alternative to traditional approach that is realized by cascading bias thermal correction by calibration and traditional Kalman filtering for bias tracking. This function is very useful when adopted gyros are manufactured using MEMS technology. These systems have significant limitations in terms of sensitivity to environmental conditions. They are characterized by a strong correlation of the systematic error with temperature variations. The traditional process is divided into two separated algorithms, i.e., calibration and filtering, and this aspect reduces system accuracy, reliability, and maintainability. This paper proposes an innovative Zero Velocity Update filter that just requires raw uncalibrated gyro data as input. It unifies in a single algorithm the two steps from the traditional approach. Therefore, it saves time and economic resources, simplifying the management of thermal correction process. In the paper, traditional and innovative Zero Velocity Update filters are described in detail, as well as the experimental data set used to test both methods. The performance of the two filters is compared both in nominal conditions and in the typical case of a residual initial alignment bias. In this last condition, the innovative solution shows significant improvements with respect to the traditional approach. This is the typical case of an aircraft or a car in parking conditions under solar input.

An Innovative Strategy for Accurate Thermal Compensation of Gyro Bias in Inertial Units by Exploiting a Novel Augmented Kalman Filter.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontanella, Rita; Accardo, Domenico; Moriello, Rosario Schiano Lo; Angrisani, Leopoldo; Simone, Domenico De

2018-05-07

This paper presents an innovative model for integrating thermal compensation of gyro bias error into an augmented state Kalman filter. The developed model is applied in the Zero Velocity Update filter for inertial units manufactured by exploiting Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) gyros. It is used to remove residual bias at startup. It is a more effective alternative to traditional approach that is realized by cascading bias thermal correction by calibration and traditional Kalman filtering for bias tracking. This function is very useful when adopted gyros are manufactured using MEMS technology. These systems have significant limitations in terms of sensitivity to environmental conditions. They are characterized by a strong correlation of the systematic error with temperature variations. The traditional process is divided into two separated algorithms, i.e., calibration and filtering, and this aspect reduces system accuracy, reliability, and maintainability. This paper proposes an innovative Zero Velocity Update filter that just requires raw uncalibrated gyro data as input. It unifies in a single algorithm the two steps from the traditional approach. Therefore, it saves time and economic resources, simplifying the management of thermal correction process. In the paper, traditional and innovative Zero Velocity Update filters are described in detail, as well as the experimental data set used to test both methods. The performance of the two filters is compared both in nominal conditions and in the typical case of a residual initial alignment bias. In this last condition, the innovative solution shows significant improvements with respect to the traditional approach. This is the typical case of an aircraft or a car in parking conditions under solar input.

Non-LTE effects in inertial confinement fusion target chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacFarlane, J.J.; Moses, G.A.; Peterson, R.R.

1989-01-01

In previous studies of transport processes in inertial confinement fusion target chambers, the radiative properties of the background plasma were calculated under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). In this paper, the authors present a study of the equation of state and the radiative properties of high temperature, low-to-moderate density ( 21 cm -3 ) plasmas for the determination of the conditions under which non-LTE effects become important and for an assessment of the importance of non-LTE processes in target chambers during high yield inertial fusion target explosions. For this purpose, two-body (radiative and dielectronic) and three-body (collisional) recombination and de-excitation processes are considered in calculating the steady state ionization and excitation populations. The results of this study indicate that non-LTE processes generally become important at temperatures of > or approx. 1, 10 and 100 eV for plasma densities of 10 18 , 10 19 and 10 21 cm -3 , respectively. Radiation hydrodynamic simulations utilizing the equation of state and the opacities for a non-LTE argon plasma were performed to study the response of a background gas to an inertial fusion target explosion. These calculations indicate that non-LTE processes are often the dominant atomic processes in the background plasma and that they can strongly affect the radiative and shock properties as energy is transported away from the point of the target explosion. (author). 22 refs, 10 figs, 1 tab

Some new results on stability and synchronization for delayed inertial neural networks based on non-reduced order method.

Science.gov (United States)