Microcomputer-based pneumatic controller for neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrd, J.S.; Sand, R.J.

1976-10-01

A microcomputer-based pneumatic controller for neutron activation analysis was designed and built at the Savannah River Laboratory for analysis of large numbers of geologic samples for locating potential supplies of uranium ore for the National Uranium Resource Evaluation program. In this system, commercially available microcomputer logic modules are used to transport sample capsules through a network of pressurized air lines. The logic modules are interfaced to pneumatic valves, solenoids, and photo-optical detectors. The system operates from programs stored in firmware (permanent software). It also commands a minicomputer and a hard-wired pulse height analyzer for data collection and bookkeeping tasks. The advantage of the system is that major system changes can be implemented in the firmware with no hardware changes. This report describes the hardware, firmware, and software for the electronics system

The sorption and crystallographic characteristics of alumina activated in a reactor for pneumatic transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LJILJANA ROZIC

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Active transition alumina powders were obtained by flash calcination of gibbsite in a reactor for pneumatic transport in the dilute, two-phase flow regime in the temperature interval from 883 to 943 K with a residence time between 0.4 and 0.9 s. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the activated alumina samples were either microcrystalline or amorphous. From nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, the specific surface areas of all samples were calculated by the BETmethod. Using the sorption data, the fractal dimension of the surface of the alumina samples was calculated according to a modified FHH method. By application of fractal geometry, using the values of the fractal dimension of the surface and of the specific surface area, the effective surface areas of the active aluminas were calculated for the adsorption of molecules having a cross-section area greater than that of the nitrogen molecule.

Alterations in rotation thromboelastometry (ROTEM®) parameters: point-of-care testing vs analysis after pneumatic tube system transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, J; Schuster, T; Moessmer, G; Kochs, E F; Wagner, K J

2012-10-01

Thromboelastometry as point-of-care (POC) testing enables the analysis of the clotting process at the bedside, providing rapid results to guide haemostatic therapy. However, POC testing utilizes medical staff who are managing critically ill patients, as non-laboratory personnel may not be sufficiently trained to run the devices. To resolve these problems, thromboelastometry can be performed in the central laboratory and rapid transport of samples can be accomplished via a pneumatic tube system (PTS). This study compares thromboelastometry parameters of blood samples analysed immediately with those analysed after PTS transport. In patients with normal haemostasis, two arterial blood samples were collected from each patient (n=92) in citrated plastic tubes to investigate the assays INTEM (n=35), EXTEM (n=27), and FIBTEM (n=30). One blood sample was analysed immediately, the other sample after PTS transport. Thromboelastometry was performed using a single ROTEM(®) device. The mean clot firmness values were significantly lower for PTS samples in both the INTEM (-0.7 mm cf. -1.1 mm) and EXTEM (-1.4 cf. -1.7 mm) assays. INTEM coagulation time (CT) was significantly lower in PTS samples with a mean difference of -13 s. EXTEM CT was significantly higher in PTS samples with a mean difference of +3.9 s. Thromboelastometry parameters of blood samples analysed after PTS transport are significantly altered compared with those analysed immediately. However, in patients with normal haemostasis, the alterations were small and without clinical consequence, implying that analysis after PTS transport is an acceptable alternative to prompt analysis at the bedside. Further studies should focus on patients with impaired haemostasis.

Additional Development and Systems Analyses of Pneumatic Technology for High Speed Civil Transport Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Englar, Robert J.; Willie, F. Scott; Lee, Warren J.

1999-01-01

In the Task I portion of this NASA research grant, configuration development and experimental investigations have been conducted on a series of pneumatic high-lift and control surface devices applied to a generic High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) model configuration to determine their potential for improved aerodynamic performance, plus stability and control of higher performance aircraft. These investigations were intended to optimize pneumatic lift and drag performance; provide adequate control and longitudinal stability; reduce separation flowfields at high angle of attack; increase takeoff/climbout lift-to-drag ratios; and reduce system complexity and weight. Experimental aerodynamic evaluations were performed on a semi-span HSCT generic model with improved fuselage fineness ratio and with interchangeable plain flaps, blown flaps, pneumatic Circulation Control Wing (CCW) high-lift configurations, plain and blown canards, a novel Circulation Control (CC) cylinder blown canard, and a clean cruise wing for reference. Conventional tail power was also investigated for longitudinal trim capability. Also evaluated was unsteady pulsed blowing of the wing high-lift system to determine if reduced pulsed mass flow rates and blowing requirements could be made to yield the same lift as that resulting from steady-state blowing. Depending on the pulsing frequency applied, reduced mass flow rates were indeed found able to provide lift augmentation at lesser blowing values than for the steady conditions. Significant improvements in the aerodynamic characteristics leading to improved performance and stability/control were identified, and the various components were compared to evaluate the pneumatic potential of each. Aerodynamic results were provided to the Georgia Tech Aerospace System Design Lab. to conduct the companion system analyses and feasibility study (Task 2) of theses concepts applied to an operational advanced HSCT aircraft. Results and conclusions from these

Electrokinetic sample preconcentration and hydrodynamic sample injection for microchip electrophoresis using a pneumatic microvalve.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Yongzheng; Katipamula, Shanta; Geng, Tao; Prost, Spencer A; Tang, Keqi; Kelly, Ryan T

2016-02-01

A microfluidic platform was developed to perform online electrokinetic sample preconcentration and rapid hydrodynamic sample injection for zone electrophoresis using a single microvalve. The polydimethylsiloxane microchip comprises a separation channel, a side channel for sample introduction, and a control channel which is used as a pneumatic microvalve aligned at the intersection of the two flow channels. The closed microvalve, created by multilayer soft lithography, serves as a nanochannel preconcentrator under an applied electric potential, enabling current to pass through while preventing bulk flow. Once analytes are concentrated, the valve is briefly opened and the stacked sample is pressure injected into the separation channel for electrophoretic separation. Fluorescently labeled peptides were enriched by a factor of ∼450 in 230 s. This method enables both rapid analyte concentration and controlled injection volume for high sensitivity, high-resolution CE. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pneumatic control technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tae, Seong Gil; Kim, Won Hoe; Nam, Dae Hyun

1993-03-01

This book contains property of pneumatic pressure drive, pneumatic pressure device like air cleaning, pressure control, lubricators, air pressure pipe, kinds and function of pneumatic pressure equipment like pneumatic cylinders, pneumatic motor, flow control valve, direction control valve, design of pneumatic control circuit, pneumatic system design, cause and measurement of pneumatic circuit failure, PLC and pneumatic control like introduction and system application and method of PLC programing.

The kinetics of the partial dehydration of gibbsite to activated alumina in a reactor for pneumatic transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NADEZDA JOVANOVIC

2001-04-01

Full Text Available The dehidration kinetics of gibbsite to activated alumina was investigated at four different temperatures between 883 K and 943 K in a reactor for pneumatic transport in the dilute two phase flow regime. The first order kinetic behavior of this reactionwith respect to the water content of the solid material was proved and an activation energy of 66.5 kJ/mol was calculated. The effect of residence time on the water content is given and compared with theoretical calculations. The water content and other characteristics of the products depend on two main parameters, one is the short residence time and the other is the temperature of the dehydration of gibbsite. The short residence time of the gibbsite particles in a reactor for pneumatic transport prevents crystallization into new phases, as established from XRD analysis data. Reactive amorphous alumina powder, with a specific surface area of 250 m2/g, suitable as a precursor for catalyst supports is obtained.

Pneumatic transfer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bichler, H.; Boeck, H.; Hammer, J.; Buchtela, K.

1988-11-01

A pneumatic transfer system for research reactors, including a sample changer system and to be used for neutron activation analysis, is described. The system can be obtained commercially from the Atominstitut. 2 figs. (qui)

Caudal pneumaticity and pneumatic hiatuses in the sauropod dinosaurs Giraffatitan and Apatosaurus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathew J Wedel

Full Text Available Skeletal pneumaticity is found in the presacral vertebrae of most sauropod dinosaurs, but pneumaticity is much less common in the vertebrae of the tail. We describe previously unrecognized pneumatic fossae in the mid-caudal vertebrae of specimens of Giraffatitan and Apatosaurus. In both taxa, the most distal pneumatic vertebrae are separated from other pneumatic vertebrae by sequences of three to seven apneumatic vertebrae. Caudal pneumaticity is not prominent in most individuals of either of these taxa, and its unpredictable development means that it may be more widespread than previously recognised within Sauropoda and elsewhere in Saurischia. The erratic patterns of caudal pneumatization in Giraffatitan and Apatosaurus, including the pneumatic hiatuses, show that pneumatic diverticula were more broadly distributed in the bodies of the living animals than are their traces in the skeleton. Together with recently published evidence of cryptic diverticula--those that leave few or no skeletal traces--in basal sauropodomorphs and in pterosaurs, this is further evidence that pneumatic diverticula were widespread in ornithodirans, both across phylogeny and throughout anatomy.

RaPToRS Sample Delivery System

Science.gov (United States)

Henchen, Robert; Shibata, Kye; Krieger, Michael; Pogozelski, Edward; Padalino, Stephen; Glebov, Vladimir; Sangster, Craig

2010-11-01

At various labs (NIF, LLE, NRL), activated material samples are used to measure reaction properties. The Rapid Pneumatic Transport of Radioactive Samples (RaPToRS) system quickly and safely moves these radioactive samples through a closed PVC tube via airflow. The carrier travels from the reaction chamber to the control and analysis station, pneumatically braking at the outlet. A reversible multiplexer routes samples from various locations near the shot chamber to the analysis station. Also, the multiplexer allows users to remotely load unactivated samples without manually approaching the reaction chamber. All elements of the system (pneumatic drivers, flow control valves, optical position sensors, multiplexers, Geiger counters, and release gates at the analysis station) can be controlled manually or automatically using a custom LabVIEW interface. A prototype is currently operating at NRL in Washington DC. Prospective facilities for Raptors systems include LLE and NIF.

Centrifugo-pneumatic multi-liquid aliquoting - parallel aliquoting and combination of multiple liquids in centrifugal microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwemmer, F; Hutzenlaub, T; Buselmeier, D; Paust, N; von Stetten, F; Mark, D; Zengerle, R; Kosse, D

2015-08-07

The generation of mixtures with precisely metered volumes is essential for reproducible automation of laboratory workflows. Splitting a given liquid into well-defined metered sub-volumes, the so-called aliquoting, has been frequently demonstrated on centrifugal microfluidics. However, so far no solution exists for assays that require simultaneous aliquoting of multiple, different liquids and the subsequent pairwise combination of aliquots with full fluidic separation before combination. Here, we introduce the centrifugo-pneumatic multi-liquid aliquoting designed for parallel aliquoting and pairwise combination of multiple liquids. All pumping and aliquoting steps are based on a combination of centrifugal forces and pneumatic forces. The pneumatic forces are thereby provided intrinsically by centrifugal transport of the assay liquids into dead end chambers to compress the enclosed air. As an example, we demonstrate simultaneous aliquoting of 1.) a common assay reagent into twenty 5 μl aliquots and 2.) five different sample liquids, each into four aliquots of 5 μl. Subsequently, the reagent and sample aliquots are simultaneously transported and combined into twenty collection chambers. All coefficients of variation for metered volumes were between 0.4%-1.0% for intra-run variations and 0.5%-1.2% for inter-run variations. The aliquoting structure is compatible to common assay reagents with a wide range of liquid and material properties, demonstrated here for contact angles between 20° and 60°, densities between 789 and 1855 kg m(-3) and viscosities between 0.89 and 4.1 mPa s. The centrifugo-pneumatic multi-liquid aliquoting is implemented as a passive fluidic structure into a single fluidic layer. Fabrication is compatible to scalable fabrication technologies such as injection molding or thermoforming and does not require any additional fabrication steps such as hydrophilic or hydrophobic coatings or integration of active valves.

Transport Velocities of Different Particulate Materials in Pneumatic Conveying

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hartman, Miloslav; Pohořelý, Michael; Trnka, Otakar

2006-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 1 (2006), s. 74-77 ISSN 0366-6352 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA4072201 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : fluidization * particle processing * pneumatic conveying Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 0.360, year: 2006

Multielement detection limits and sample nebulization efficiencies of an improved ultrasonic nebulizer and a conventional pneumatic nebulizer in inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, K.W.; Haas, W.J. Jr.; Fassel, V.A.

1977-01-01

Two important aspects of the analytical performance of a newly developed ultrasonic nebulizer and a specially designed pneumatic nebulizer have been compared for use in inductively coupled plasma--atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The ultrasonic nebulizer, when combined with a conventional aerosol desolvation apparatus, provided an order of magnitude or more improvement in simultaneous multielement detection limits as compared to those obtained when the pneumatic nebulizer was used either with or without desolvation. Application of a novel method for direct measurement of the overall efficiency of nebulization to the two systems showed that an approximately tenfold greater rate of sample delivery to the plasma torch was primarily responsible for the superior detection limits afforded by the ultrasonic nebulizer. A unique feature of the ultrasonic nebulizer described is the protection against chemical attack which is achieved by completely enclosing the transducer in an acoustically coupled borosilicate glass cylinder. Direct sample introduction, convenient sample change, and rapid cleanout are other important characteristics of the system which make it an attractive alternate to pneumatic nebulizer systems

Linear pneumatic actuator

OpenAIRE

Avram Mihai; Niţu Constantin; Bucşan Constantin; Grămescu Bogdan

2017-01-01

The paper presents a linear pneumatic actuator with short working stroke. It consists of a pneumatic motor (a simple stroke cylinder or a membrane chamber), two 2/2 pneumatic distributors “all or nothing” electrically commanded for controlling the intake/outtake flow to/from the active chamber of the motor, a position transducer and a microcontroller. There is also presented the theoretical analysis (mathematical modelling and numerical simulation) accomplished.

Linear pneumatic actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avram Mihai

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a linear pneumatic actuator with short working stroke. It consists of a pneumatic motor (a simple stroke cylinder or a membrane chamber, two 2/2 pneumatic distributors “all or nothing” electrically commanded for controlling the intake/outtake flow to/from the active chamber of the motor, a position transducer and a microcontroller. There is also presented the theoretical analysis (mathematical modelling and numerical simulation accomplished.

Laser-cutting pneumatics

OpenAIRE

Groenhuis, Vincent; Stramigioli, Stefano

2016-01-01

Pneumatic devices require tight tolerances to keep them leak-free. Specialized companies offer various off-the-shelf devices, while these work well for many applications, there are also situations where custom design and production of pneumatic parts are desired. Cost efficiency, design flexibility, rapid prototyping, and MRI compatibility requirements are reasons why we investigated a method to design and produce different pneumatic devices using a laser cutter from acrylic, acetal, and rubb...

Operation of the pneumatic exchanger of samples during the realization of TARC experiments at CERN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerro, E.; Gonzalez, O.; Bueno, J.; Aleixadre, J.; Tamarit, J.

1997-01-01

The CEDEX has designed and developed a pneumatic exchanger of samples (''Rabbit??) that has permitted to make several tests to validate the theoretical studies of the energy amplifier at CERN, under the program ''Nuclear Fission Safety'' of the Europe Union. In a previous article published in this review, issue 103/1996, it was described the design and development of the system. In this, it has described its location in the experimental area at CERN (Geneva), and the results of the performance during the main fast extraction week, the Rabbit was used full time. (Author)

Improving dynamic performances of PWM-driven servo-pneumatic systems via a novel pneumatic circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghizadeh, Mostafa; Ghaffari, Ali; Najafi, Farid

2009-10-01

In this paper, the effect of pneumatic circuit design on the input-output behavior of PWM-driven servo-pneumatic systems is investigated and their control performances are improved using linear controllers instead of complex and costly nonlinear ones. Generally, servo-pneumatic systems are well known for their nonlinear behavior. However, PWM-driven servo-pneumatic systems have the advantage of flexibility in the design of pneumatic circuits which affects the input-output linearity of the whole system. A simple pneumatic circuit with only one fast switching valve is designed which leads to a quasi-linear input-output relation. The quasi-linear behavior of the proposed circuit is verified both experimentally and by simulations. Closed loop position control experiments are then carried out using linear P- and PD-controllers. Since the output position is noisy and cannot be directly differentiated, a Kalman filter is designed to estimate the velocity of the cylinder. Highly improved tracking performances are obtained using these linear controllers, compared to previous works with nonlinear controllers.

Laser-cutting pneumatics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenhuis, Vincent; Stramigioli, Stefano

Pneumatic devices require tight tolerances to keep them leak-free. Specialized companies offer various off-the-shelf devices, while these work well for many applications, there are also situations where custom design and production of pneumatic parts are desired. Cost efficiency, design flexibility,

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietrala Dawid

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics. It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles shortening and values of loading forces, at a constant operational pressure (isobaric characteristics. It also shows the dependence of force generated by the muscle on the operating pressure, at a constant value of pneumatic muscles shortening (isometric characteristics. The paper also presents dynamic characteristics of a pneumatic muscle showing the response of an object to a gradual change in the operating pressure, at a constant loading force acting on the pneumatic muscle.

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrala, Dawid

The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics). It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles shortening and values of loading forces, at a constant operational pressure (isobaric characteristics). It also shows the dependence of force generated by the muscle on the operating pressure, at a constant value of pneumatic muscles shortening (isometric characteristics). The paper also presents dynamic characteristics of a pneumatic muscle showing the response of an object to a gradual change in the operating pressure, at a constant loading force acting on the pneumatic muscle.

Pneumatic transport systems for TRIGA reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolton, John A.

1970-01-01

Main parameters and advantages of pneumatically operated systems, primarily those operated by gas pressure are discussed. The special irradiation ends for the TRIGA reactor are described. To give some idea of the complexity of some modern systems, the author presents the large system currently operating at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington. In this system, 13 stations are located throughout the radiochemistry laboratories and three irradiation ends are located in the reactor, which is a 14-megawatt unit. The system incorporates practically every fail-safe device possible, including ball valves located on all capsule lines entering the reactor area, designed to close automatically in the event of a reactor scram, and at that time capsules within the reactor would be diverted by means of switches located on the inside of the reactor wall. The whole system is under final control of a permission control panel located in the reactor control room. Many other safety accessories of the system are described

Rotary pneumatic valve

Science.gov (United States)

Hardee, Harry C.

1991-01-01

A rotary pneumatic valve which is thrust balanced and the pneumatic pressure developed produces only radial loads on the valve cylinder producing negligible resistance and thus minimal torque on the bearings of the valve. The valve is multiplexed such that at least two complete switching cycles occur for each revolution of the cylinder spindle.

The characteristics of a pneumatic muscle

OpenAIRE

Pietrala Dawid

2017-01-01

The article presents static and dynamic characteristics of pneumatic muscles. It presents the structure of the laboratory stand used to test pneumatic muscles. It discusses the methodology for determination of static and dynamic characteristics. The paper also illustrates characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles length and operating pressure, at a constant loading force (isotonic characteristics). It presents characteristics showing the relationship of pneumatic muscles s...

Pneumatic pellet injector for JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andelfinger, C.; Buechl, K.; Jacobi, D.; Sandmann, W.; Schiedeck, J.; Schilling, H.B.; Weber, G.

1983-07-01

Pellet injection is a useful tool for plasma diagnostics of tokamaks. Pellets can be applied for investigation of particle, energy and impurity transport, fueling efficiency and magnetic surfaces. Design, operation and control of a single shot pneumatic pellet gun is described in detail including all supplies, the vacuum system and the diagnostics of the pellet. The arrangement of this injector in the torus hall and the interfaces to the JET system and CODAS are considered. A guide tube system for pellet injection is discussed but it will not be recommended for JET. (orig.)

Pneumatic conveying design guide

CERN Document Server

Mills, David

1990-01-01

Pneumatic Conveying Design Guide is a guide for the design of pneumatic conveying systems and includes detailed data and information on the conveying characteristics of a number of materials with a wide range of properties. This book includes logic diagrams for design procedures and scaling parameters for the conveying line configuration. It also explains how to improve the performance of pneumatic conveyors by optimizing, uprating, and extending the system or adapting it for a change of material. This book consists of 15 chapters divided into three sections and opens with an overview of the s

Vertebral Pneumaticity in the Ornithomimosaur Archaeornithomimus (Dinosauria: Theropoda Revealed by Computed Tomography Imaging and Reappraisal of Axial Pneumaticity in Ornithomimosauria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akinobu Watanabe

Full Text Available Among extant vertebrates, pneumatization of postcranial bones is unique to birds, with few known exceptions in other groups. Through reduction in bone mass, this feature is thought to benefit flight capacity in modern birds, but its prevalence in non-avian dinosaurs of variable sizes has generated competing hypotheses on the initial adaptive significance of postcranial pneumaticity. To better understand the evolutionary history of postcranial pneumaticity, studies have surveyed its distribution among non-avian dinosaurs. Nevertheless, the degree of pneumaticity in the basal coelurosaurian group Ornithomimosauria remains poorly known, despite their potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the early evolution of pneumatic bones along the lineage leading to birds. Historically, the identification of postcranial pneumaticity in non-avian dinosaurs has been based on examination of external morphology, and few studies thus far have focused on the internal architecture of pneumatic structures inside the bones. Here, we describe the vertebral pneumaticity of the ornithomimosaur Archaeornithomimus with the aid of X-ray computed tomography (CT imaging. Complementary examination of external and internal osteology reveals (1 highly pneumatized cervical vertebrae with an elaborate configuration of interconnected chambers within the neural arch and the centrum; (2 anterior dorsal vertebrae with pneumatic chambers inside the neural arch; (3 apneumatic sacral vertebrae; and (4 a subset of proximal caudal vertebrae with limited pneumatic invasion into the neural arch. Comparisons with other theropod dinosaurs suggest that ornithomimosaurs primitively exhibited a plesiomorphic theropod condition for axial pneumaticity that was extended among later taxa, such as Archaeornithomimus and large bodied Deinocheirus. This finding corroborates the notion that evolutionary increases in vertebral pneumaticity occurred in parallel among independent lineages of bird

Practical pneumatics

CERN Document Server

Stacey, Chris

2012-01-01

Pneumatic power is ideal for the ever increasing range of 'light' applications in which a cheap, clean, adaptable source of power is needed. Used in conjunction with microprocessor control it forms the basis of manufacturing automation from basic conveying and handling lines to complex robotic assembly systems. Training courses and books aimed at the technician have not kept pace with these developments. This book is written to cover the British Fluid Power Association Pneumatics Certificate, which is also awarded as part of CGLI scheme 2340, and is in the process of NVQ accreditation at level

A deceleration system for near-diameter spheres in pipeline transportation in a pebble bed reactor based on the resistance of a pneumatic cushion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hongbing; He, Ayada; Du, Dong; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Haiquan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A deceleration system for fuel transportation in a pebble bed reactor is designed. • Dynamic analysis and motion analysis of the deceleration process are conducted. • The effectiveness of the system is verified by the analysis and the experiment. • Some key design parameters are studied to achieve effective deceleration. • This research provides a guide for the design of a pebble bed reactor. - Abstract: The fuel elements cycle occurring inside and outside the core of a pebble bed reactor is carried out by pneumatic conveying. In some processes of conveyance, it is necessary to reduce the velocity of the moving fuel element in a short time to avoid damage to the fuel elements and the equipment. In this research, a deceleration system for near-diameter spheres in pipeline transportation based on the resistance of a pneumatic cushion is designed to achieve an effective and reliable deceleration process. Dynamic analysis and motion analysis of the deceleration process are conducted. The results show that when the fuel element is moving in the deceleration pipeline, the gas in the pipeline is compressed to create a pneumatic cushion which resists the movement of the fuel element. In this way, the velocity of the fuel element is decreased to below the target value. During this process, the deceleration is steady and reliable. On this basis some key design parameters are studied, such as the deceleration pipeline length, the ratio of the diameter of the fuel element to the internal diameter of the pipeline, etc. The experimental results are generally consistent with the analysis and demonstrate the considerable effectiveness of the deceleration process as well. This research provides a guide for the design of the fuel elements cycling system in a pebble bed reactor along with the optimization of its control

Pseudohyperkalaemia in leukaemic patients: the effect of test tube type and form of transport to the laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Dastych, Milan; Cermáková, Zdenka

2014-01-01

The present study was aimed at determining the effect of the tube type used for primary sample collection and the manner of transport prior to assessment (either manual or by pneumatic tube) on the degree of pseudohyperkalaemia in leukaemic patients. Blood from six leukaemic patients was collected into seven primary sample tubes (Monovette®, Sarstedt): sample A, heparinized blood gas syringe (potassium reference value); sample B, plasma Li-heparin without separator gel; sample C, plasma Li-heparin with separator gel; and sample D, serum with separator gel. The primary sample tubes designated B, C and D were transported to the laboratory manually. Duplicates of the same sample tubes, B(PT), C(PT) and D(PT), were sent to the laboratory by pneumatic tube. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), there was no increase in the concentration of potassium in samples B, C and D when compared to the reference value. Transport of the samples by pneumatic tube led to a pronounced increase in potassium concentration in samples B(PT) and C(PT), whereas there was no increase in sample D(PT) when compared to the reference value. In the patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), an increase in potassium concentration occurred in sample D and in samples B(PT), C(PT) and D(PT). A similar finding was observed in the patient with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL), furthermore with an extremely high concentration of potassium in samples C and C(PT). Manual transport of non-coagulable blood (plasma Li-heparin without separator gel) to the laboratory results in the least possible artificial increase in potassium concentration in the sample.

Comparison of a pneumatic conveyor and bucket elevator on an energy and economic basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rothwell, T.M.; Southwell, P.H. (Agricultural and Energy Engineering Ltd., Moorefield, ON (Canada)); Vigneault, C. (Agricultural Canada Research Station, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, PQ (Canada))

1991-07-01

Tests were performed at a commercial feed mill which was replacing an existing pneumatic conveyor with a bucket elevator, in order to compare the performance of the two types of conveyor on an energy and cost basis. The conveyors were used to transport ground corn from a hammermill at an average grinding rate of 8.5 tonnes/h. At the same conveying rate of ground product, the pneumatic conveyor required a power of 27.5 kW and an energy of 4.77 kWh/tonne while the bucket elevator required a power of 4.7 kW and an energy of 0.88 kWh/tonne. The financial costs of conveying energy were $8,350/y for the pneumatic system and $1,540/y for the bucket elevator, excluding peak demand charges for electricity. The tests therefore demonstrated that a bucket elevator is far more efficient than a pneumatic conveyor and should be considered in the design of new feed mills. For existing mills, a bucket elevator should be considered if there are problems with the pneumatic system already in place or if the capacity of the mill needs to be increased. 2 refs., 2 tabs.

Synthesis of Servo Pneumatic/Hydraulic Drive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K D. Efremova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Servo pneumatic and / or hydraulic drives are widely used in modern engineering and process control. The efficiency of using pneumatic / hydraulic drives depends on their parameters and characteristics. To select the optimal drive parameters, various methods are used, based on finding the minimum of the target (target or criteria function.The objective of this paper was to apply one crucial criterion (target function that provides determination of optimal parameters of the pneumatic / hydraulic drive with the translational motion of the end-effector as well as its use in the synthesis of the servo pneumatic cylinder. The article shows the form of the target function representing a set of drive parameters that do not have direct relationships with each other in a dimensionless form for the pneumatic / hydraulic drive with the translational motion of the end-effector. To calculate the parameters of the servo drive close to the optimal ones, a two-criteria LPτ search was used. As criteria, were used the decisive criterion - the proposed target function, and the power developed by the actuator of the pneumatic / hydraulic drive, which were presented in a dimensionless form. It is shown that the criterion for solution optimality is the minimum distance of the selected point in the space of the normalized criteria from the origin. This point was determined. In addition to the proposed criteria, non-formalised requirements were taken into account: actual and mass-produced components of drive, in terms of which its parameters close to the optimal ones were determined, and the maximum relative error of the obtained useful power value of the servo pneumatic drive was estimated. The paper presents design features of two types of the servo pneumatic drive created, taking into account the proposed target function, implemented according to the schemes "hidden" and "spaced apart". The experimental static characteristic of the servo pneumatic drive is

Sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill

Science.gov (United States)

Polsky, Yarom [Albuquerque, NM

2011-08-30

A pneumatic device control apparatus and method comprising a ported valve slidably fitted over a feed tube of the pneumatic device, and using a compliant biasing device to constrain motion of the valve to provide asymmetric timing for extended pressurization of a power chamber and reduced pressurization of a return chamber of the pneumatic device. The pneumatic device can be a pneumatic hammer drill.

Dust emissions eliminated in pneumatic harvesting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kallio, M.

1998-01-01

Pneumatic harvesting is the most efficient milled peat production method in unsteady weather conditions. In good summers, the best contractors harvest more than 1 000 m 3 /ha milled peat from suitable production fields. The greatest problem of the method is caused by dust emissions, in particular in fields close to settled areas. About 15 % of Finland's present peat production is collected using pneumatic harvesters. A pneumatic harvester with smaller dust emissions has been developed by VTT Energy and Vapo Oy. The wagon is based on two-stage separation of peat. The main part of the coarser milled peat is first separated, e.g. in a settling chamber, and fine dry peat dust in correctly dimensioned side by side cyclones. The first series of pneumatic harvesters based on the new separation technology was employed in summer 1996. Besides decreasing the dust emissions the harvesting capacity of the new equipment was increased. The collection capacity of the pneumatic harvester can be made more effective by enlarging the container size, be decreasing the weight, by increasing the driving speed and by developing the suction capacity. Using lighter and durable construction materials combined with advanced design lighter and stronger pneumatic harvesters have been constructed. Nozzles and their mounting have also been developed. In the improvement of nozzles, the former studies with pneumatic simulator of VTT Energy, have been of great help. Studies with the pneumatic simulator and field conditions have been made in collaboration with Turveruukki Oy, Turvemetalli Oy, Raussin Metalli Oy and Vapo Oy, as well as VNIITP of St. Petersburg, Russia

Soft Pneumatic Actuators for Rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guido Belforte

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic artificial muscles are pneumatic devices with practical and various applications as common actuators. They, as human muscles, work in agonistic-antagonistic way, giving a traction force only when supplied by compressed air. The state of the art of soft pneumatic actuators is here analyzed: different models of pneumatic muscles are considered and evolution lines are presented. Then, the use of Pneumatic Muscles (PAM in rehabilitation apparatus is described and the general characteristics required in different applications are considered, analyzing the use of proper soft actuators with various technical properties. Therefore, research activity carried out in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the field of soft and textile actuators is presented here. In particular, pneumatic textile muscles useful for active suits design are described. These components are made of a tubular structure, with an inner layer of latex coated with a deformable outer fabric sewn along the edge. In order to increase pneumatic muscles forces and contractions Braided Pneumatic Muscles are studied. In this paper, new prototypes are presented, based on a fabric construction and various kinds of geometry. Pressure-force-deformation tests results are carried out and analyzed. These actuators are useful for rehabilitation applications. In order to reproduce the whole upper limb movements, new kind of soft actuators are studied, based on the same principle of planar membranes deformation. As an example, the bellows muscle model and worm muscle model are developed and described. In both cases, wide deformations are expected. Another issue for soft actuators is the pressure therapy. Some textile sleeve prototypes developed for massage therapy on patients suffering of lymph edema are analyzed. Different types of fabric and assembly techniques have been tested. In general, these Pressure Soft Actuators are useful for upper/lower limbs treatments

Pneumatic conveying of sensitive compounds during nuclear fuel fabrication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sielck, Franz-Christian; Braehler, Georg [NUKEM Technologies GmbH (Germany)

2009-07-01

Any transport of nuclear material is associated with the risk of contamination after release into working areas or environment. stationary installed safe geometry vessels with pneumatic transfer between them offer unique safety features and reduce operating costs. The article describes the case of HTR fuel spheres, where a specially designed conveying system has been developed and the prototype conveyor has been tested.

Pneumatic conveying of sensitive compounds during nuclear fuel fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sielck, Franz-Christian; Braehler, Georg

2009-01-01

Any transport of nuclear material is associated with the risk of contamination after release into working areas or environment. stationary installed safe geometry vessels with pneumatic transfer between them offer unique safety features and reduce operating costs. The article describes the case of HTR fuel spheres, where a specially designed conveying system has been developed and the prototype conveyor has been tested.

Performance characterization of pneumatic single pellet injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuresko, D.D.; Milora, S.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Foster, C.A.; Combs, S.K.

1982-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory single-shot pellet injector, which has been used in plasma fueling experiments on ISX and PDX, has been upgraded and extensively instrumented in order to study the gas dynamics of pneumatic pellet injection. An improved pellet transport line was developed which utilizes a 0.3-cm-diam by 100-cm-long guide tube. Pellet gun performance was characterized by measurements of breech and muzzle dynamic pressures and by pellet velocity and mass determinations. Velocities up to 1.4 km/s were achieved for intact hydrogen pellets using hydrogen propellant at 5-MPa breech pressure. These data have been compared with new pellet acceleration calculations which include the effects of propellant friction, heat transfer, time-dependent boundary conditions, and finite gun geometry. These results provide a basis for the extrapolation of present-day pneumatic injection system performance to velocities in excess of 2 km/s

Performance characterization of pneumatic single pellet injection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuresko, D.D.; Milora, S.L.; Hogan, J.T.; Foster, C.A.; Combs, S.K.

1983-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory single-shot pellet injector, which has been used in plasma fueling experiments on ISX and PDX, has been upgraded and extensively instrumented in order to study the gas dyamics of pneumatic pellet injection. An improved pellet transport line was developed which utilizes a 0.3-cm-diam by 100-cm-long guide tube. Pellet gun performance was characterized by measurements of breech and muzzle dynamic pressures and by pellet velocity and mass determinations. Velocities of up to 1.4 km/s were achieved for intact hydrogen pellets using hydrogen propellant at 5-MPa breech pressure. These data have been compared with new pellet acceleration calculations which include the effects of propellant friction, heat transfer, time-dependent boundary conditions, and finite gun geometry. These results provide a basis for the extrapolation of present-day pneumatic injection system performance to velocities in excess of 2 km/s

An instrumentation for control and measurement of activated mineral samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skaarup, P.

1976-01-01

A description is given of an instrumentation for control of a pneumatic tube system used to transport mineral samples for activation in a reactor and from there to a detector arrangement. A possible content of uranium in the samples can be seen from the radiation measured. The instrumentation includes a PDP-11 computer and a CAMAC crate

Linear pneumatic motors – a comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deaconescu Tudor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a comparative study of the performance of single-acting cylinders, diaphragm cylinders and pneumatic muscles, and offers users information that allows the selection of an optimum technical solution. Such a study was necessary, in view of the numerous papers on pneumatic muscle applications found in literature, that assert the superiority of pneumatic muscles over other pneumatic linear motors in relation to quantities like dimensions, mass, developed force or energy-to-mass ratios, however without offering concrete data.

Revisiting the Closed-Loop Pneumatic Drive Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K D. Efremova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Compressibility of air used as a working medium in pneumatic control systems raise certain difficulties in calculating dynamic characteristics of the pneumatic drive and solving problems of its regulation. These difficulties are due to a number of factors:   - flow of compressed air through the narrow working splits of distributive and throttling devices of pneumatic control;   - filling in and discharging the pneumatic actuator cavities of variable volume (piston and rod cavities of the air-cylinder under conditions of heat and mass transfer;   - simultaneous filling in and discharging a pneumatic cavity of permanent volume (receiver;   - pneumatic cylinder piston end positioning alteration under variable loading and at the moment of shutdown;A number of factors have a significant impact on the piston end positioning alteration value, namely an initial positioning of the piston at the moment of its shutdown, which determines the volume of the pneumatic cylinder cavity; a value of the permanent component of the load at the moment the piston shuts down and its change during keeping time period; transmission coefficient of the positioning component of the load; a working area of the air-cylinder piston and also an atmospheric pressure reduction, which can significantly affect the operation of control systems of a small aircraft at high altitudes.With a view to deepening the problem of calculation and design of pneumatic actuators, it is shown that the relationship between the parameters of compressed air and their changes is determined by the properties of thermodynamic processes under conditions of heat and mass transfer. In pneumatic actuators for general industrial use, the pressure of compressed air does not exceed a value equal to 1 MPa. In this case, the working medium can be regarded as an ideal gas in simplified calculations.Based on the general equation of thermodynamics, the paper considers the particular cases of a changing gas

Pneumatic automation systems in coal mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shmatkov, N.A.; Kiklevich, Yu.N.

1981-04-01

Giprougleavtomatizatsiya, Avtomatgormash, Dongiprouglemash, VNIIGD and other plants develop 30 new pneumatic systems for mine machines and equipment control each year. The plants produce about 200 types of pneumatic systems. Major pneumatic systems for face systems, machines and equipment are reviewed: Sirena system for remote control of ANShch and AShchM face systems for steep coal seams, UPS control systems for pump stations, PAUZA control system for stowing machines, remote control system of B100-200 drilling machines, PUSK control system for coal cutter loaders with pneumatic drive (A-70, Temp), PUVSh control system for ventilation barriers activated from moving electric locomotives, PAZ control system for skip hoist loading. Specifications of the systems are given. Economic benefit produced by the pneumatic control systems are evaluated (from 1,500 to 40,000 rubles/year). Using the systems increases productivity of face machines and other machines used in black coal mines by 5 to 30%.

Identifying the potential of changes to blood sample logistics using simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Pelle; Jacobsen, Peter; Poulsen, Jørgen Hjelm

2013-01-01

Using simulation as an approach to display and improve internal logistics at hospitals has great potential. This study shows how a simulation model displaying the morning blood-taking round at a Danish public hospital can be developed and utilized with the aim of improving the logistics. The focus of the simulation was to evaluate changes made to the transportation of blood samples between wards and the laboratory. The average- (AWT) and maximum waiting time (MWT) from a blood sample was drawn at the ward until it was received at the laboratory, and the distribution of arrivals of blood samples in the laboratory were used as the evaluation criteria. Four different scenarios were tested and compared with the current approach: (1) Using AGVs (mobile robots), (2) using a pneumatic tube system, (3) using porters that are called upon, or (4) using porters that come to the wards every 45 minutes. Furthermore, each of the scenarios was tested in terms of what amount of resources would give the optimal result. The simulations showed a big improvement potential in implementing a new technology/mean for transporting the blood samples. The pneumatic tube system showed the biggest potential lowering the AWT and MWT with approx. 36% and 18%, respectively. Additionally, all of the scenarios had a more even distribution of arrivals except for porters coming to the wards every 45 min. As a consequence of the results obtained in the study, the hospital decided to implement a pneumatic tube system.

Determination dimension and technical specification of the cylindrical pneumatics for the tote movement on multipurpose the gamma irradiator BATAN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhammad Subhan; Ari Satmoko

2016-01-01

BATAN develops irradiator gamma category IV in cooperation with IZOTOP (Hungary). Transportation technology products that will be developed uses rail system to pool. Products that will be irradiated are put into tote then placed on the transportation rail, when tote has been in irradiated room tote enters into irradiated rack. The movement of the tote during on irradiated rack will be driven by the pneumatic system. Based on data from Isotop there are 14 cylindrical pneumatics that are in the irradiated room. Through the results analysis then used double acting cylinder type from the Festo pneumatics catalog. Through the results calculation that the force used on all types of cylinders for movement tote still much smaller than of force bent permitted. Beside that there are 4 group a pneumatic have common specifications they are group one cylindrical C1, C3, C12 and C14 they are group two cylindrical C2, C4, C11, and C13 they are group three cylindrical C7, C9, C15 and C17 they are group four cylindrical C10 and C17. (author)

Hydraulics and pneumatics

CERN Document Server

Parr, Andrew

2006-01-01

Nearly all industrial processes require objects to be moved, manipulated or subjected to some sort of force. This is frequently accomplished by means of electrical equipment (such as motors or solenoids), or via devices driven by air (pneumatics) or liquids (hydraulics).This book has been written by a process control engineer as a guide to the operation of hydraulic and pneumatic systems for all engineers and technicians who wish to have an insight into the components and operation of such a system.This second edition has been fully updated to include all recent developments su

A Study of Gas Economizing Pneumatic Cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, T C; Wu, H W; Kuo, M J

2006-01-01

The pneumatic cylinder is the most typical actuator in the pneumatic equipment, and its mechanism is so simple that it is often used to operate point to point driving without the feedback loop in various automatic machines. But, the energy efficiency of pneumatic system is very poor compared with electrical systems and hydraulic systems. So, it is very important to discuss the energy saving for the pneumatic cylinder systems. In this thesis, we proposed three methods to apply the reduction in the air consumed for pneumatic cylinder systems. An air charge accumulator is used to absorb the exhausted compress air and a boost valve boosted the air to the higher pressure for used again. From the experiments, the direct used cylinder exhaust air may save about 40% of compress air

Comparison of Pneumatic Dilation with Pneumatic Dilation Plus Botulinum Toxin for Treatment of Achalasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Bakhshipour

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Among the therapeutic options for achalasia are pneumatic dilatation (PD, an appropriate long-term therapy, and botulinum toxin injection (BT that is a relatively short-term therapy. This study aimed to compare therapeutic effect of repetitive pneumatic dilation with a combined method (botulinum toxin injection and pneumatic dilation in a group of achalasia patients who are low responder to two initial pneumatic dilations. Thirty- four patients with documented primary achalasia that had low response to two times PD (<50% decrease in symptom score and barium height at 5 minute in timed esophagogram after 3month of late PD were randomized to receive pneumatic dilation (n=18 or botulinum toxin injection and pneumatic dilation by four weeks interval (n=16, PD and BT+PD groups respectively. Symptom scores were evaluated before and at 1, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Clinical remission was defined as a decrease in symptom score ≥ 50% of baseline. There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age and achalasia type. Remission rate of patients in BT-PD group in comparison with PD group were 87.5% vs. 67.1% (P = 0.7, 87.5% vs. 61.1% (P = 0.59 and 87.5% vs. 55.5% (P = 0.53 at 1, 6 and 12 months respectively .There were no major complications in either group. The mean symptom score decreased by 62.71% in the BT-PD group (P < 0.002 and 50.77% in the PD group (P < 0.01 at the end of the first year. Despite a better response rate in BT+PD group, a difference was not statistically significant. A difference may be meaningful if a large numbers of patients are included in the study.

Research status on hydrodynamics and particle motion behavior of absorber sphere pneumatic conveying system in HTR-PM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Tianjin; Zhang He; Huang Zhiyong; Q, Weiwei; Bo Hanliang

2014-01-01

The absorber sphere pneumatic conveying system in pebble-bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor was a special application of pneumatic conveying technique. The whole conveying process was an intermittent circulation of absorber spheres between the side reflector boring and the sphere storage vessel in the reactor. The absorber spheres were designed to drop into the reflector borings by its own gravity when the sphere discharge valve was opened by the driving mechanism. The absorber spheres in the reflector boring were transported back to the sphere storage vessel when the reactor needs to be started up. The hydrodynamics and particle motion behavior characteristics of the absorber spheres were very important for the design and operation of this special pneumatic conveying system. The whole conveying process of absorber spheres was consisted of four subprocesses, i.e. the spheres discharge from the sphere storage vessel and the side reflector boring, entrainment of spheres in the feeder, conveying of spheres in the transport pipe, gas-solid separation and pile of spheres in the sphere storage vessel. The research status on hydrodynamics and particle motion behavior of the absorber spheres in the pneumatic conveying system of HTR-PM were introduced mainly from the viewpoint of granular flow and gas-solid flow. The experimental systems and apparatus constructed and numerical simulation work conducted for absorber sphere pneumatic conveying process investigation were introduced. Some typical experimental and numerical simulation results of the hydrodynamics and particle motion behavior characteristics of the absorber spheres conveying were briefly reported. (author)

Particle segregation in pneumatic conveying lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGlinchey, D.; Marjanovic, P.; Cook, S.; Jones, M.G. [Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow (United Kingdom). Centre for Industrial Bulk Solids Handling

2000-07-01

This investigation studied segregation of particles during pneumatic transport from a theoretical and experimental perspective. Dilute phase or suspension flow and dense phase (non-suspension flow) were both considered. A computer model was generated based on the conservation equations to investigate dilute phase conditions; an initial qualitative investigation of material behaviour being conveyed in dense phase was made with plastic pellets and salt as a segregating mixture in a small test rig and the results from a full scale test rig conveying two grades of coal of different size distributions are discussed. 11 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Identifying the potential of changes to blood sample logistics using simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Pelle Morten Thomas; Jacobsen, Peter; Poulsen, Jørgen Hjelm

2013-01-01

of the simulation was to evaluate changes made to the transportation of blood samples between wards and the laboratory. The average- (AWT) and maximum waiting time (MWT) from a blood sample was drawn at the ward until it was received at the laboratory, and the distribution of arrivals of blood samples......, each of the scenarios was tested in terms of what amount of resources would give the optimal result. The simulations showed a big improvement potential in implementing a new technology/mean for transporting the blood samples. The pneumatic tube system showed the biggest potential lowering the AWT...

Pneumatic soil removal tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuhaus, J.E.

1992-01-01

A soil removal tool is provided for removing radioactive soil, rock and other debris from the bottom of an excavation, while permitting the operator to be located outside of a containment for that excavation. The tool includes a fixed jaw, secured to one end of an elongate pipe, which cooperates with a movable jaw pivotably mounted on the pipe. Movement of the movable jaw is controlled by a pneumatic cylinder mounted on the pipe. The actuator rod of the pneumatic cylinder is connected to a collar which is slidably mounted on the pipe and forms part of the pivotable mounting assembly for the movable jaw. Air is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder through a handle connected to the pipe, under the control of an actuator valve mounted on the handle, to provide movement of the movable jaw. 3 figs

Pneumatic soil removal tool

Science.gov (United States)

Neuhaus, John E.

1992-01-01

A soil removal tool is provided for removing radioactive soil, rock and other debris from the bottom of an excavation, while permitting the operator to be located outside of a containment for that excavation. The tool includes a fixed jaw, secured to one end of an elongate pipe, which cooperates with a movable jaw pivotably mounted on the pipe. Movement of the movable jaw is controlled by a pneumatic cylinder mounted on the pipe. The actuator rod of the pneumatic cylinder is connected to a collar which is slidably mounted on the pipe and forms part of the pivotable mounting assembly for the movable jaw. Air is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder through a handle connected to the pipe, under the control of an actuator valve mounted on the handle, to provide movement of the movable jaw.

Fractional-Order Control of Pneumatic Position Servosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cao Junyi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A fractional-order control strategy for pneumatic position servosystem is presented in this paper. The idea of the fractional calculus application to control theory was introduced in many works, and its advantages were proved. However, the realization of fractional-order controllers for pneumatic position servosystems has not been investigated. Based on the relationship between the pressure in cylinder and the rate of mass flow into the cylinder, the dynamic model of pneumatic position servo system is established. The fractional-order controller for pneumatic position servo and its implementation in industrial computer is designed. The experiments with fractional-order controller are carried out under various conditions, which include sine position signal with different frequency and amplitude, step position signal, and variety inertial load. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and verify their fine control performance for pneumatic position servo system.

Prevalence and characteristics of pneumatized articular tubercle: First large series in Iranian people

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shokri, Abbas; Noruzi-Gangachin, Marruf [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Dental School, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Baharvand, Maryam; Mortazavi, Hamed [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-12-15

This study was performed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of pneumatized articular tubercle or eminence among a defined group of Iranian people. Digital panoramic radiographs of 1694 patients in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Hamadan Dental School, Iran were evaluated retrospectively to detect the above lesion. Finally, 1563 radiographs were selected according to inclusion criteria. Then, a review was done of 10 large case series found using a MEDLINE search of the literature. Chi-squared test was used to analyze the differences in variables such as age, gender, laterality, and locularity in our case series. The average age of our samples was 32.6±7.63 years. Pneumatized articular tubercle was found in 98 cases, representing a prevalence of 6.2% with a mean age of 22.8±7.9 and a range of 8 to 60 years. Sixty-four (65.3%) pneumatized articular tubercles were unilateral, with 30 lesions on the right and 34 on the left side. Bilateral lesions were found in 34 (34.7%) patients. 52 (53.06%) of the pneumatized articular tubercles were of the unilocular type and 46 (46.94%) were multilocular. The results showed no statistically significant differences regarding age (p=0.454), gender (p=0.634), laterality (p=0.252), or locularity (p=0.807) among the samples. Among ten large case series from other countries, the prevalence of pneumatized articular tubercle (6.2%) in Iranian patients was higher than that of all eight of the case series that used the same detection method as the present study of panoramic radiography.

21 CFR 882.4370 - Pneumatic cranial drill motor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Pneumatic cranial drill motor. 882.4370 Section 882.4370 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... drill motor. (a) Identification. A pneumatic cranial drill motor is a pneumatically operated power...

Modeling and Analysis of a Novel Pneumatic Artificial Muscle and Pneumatic Arm Exoskeleton

OpenAIRE

Yang, Hee Doo

2017-01-01

The soft robotics field is developing rapidly and is poised to have a wide impact in a variety of applications. Soft robots have intrinsic compliance, offering a number of benefits as compared to traditional rigid robots. Compliance can provide compatibility with biological systems such as the human body and can provide some benefits for human safety and control. Further research into soft robots can be advanced by further development of pneumatic actuators. Pneumatic actuators are a ...

Fractional-Order Control of Pneumatic Position Servosystems

OpenAIRE

Junyi, Cao; Binggang, Cao

2011-01-01

A fractional-order control strategy for pneumatic position servosystem is presented in this paper. The idea of the fractional calculus application to control theory was introduced in many works, and its advantages were proved. However, the realization of fractional-order controllers for pneumatic position servosystems has not been investigated. Based on the relationship between the pressure in cylinder and the rate of mass flow into the cylinder, the dynamic model of pneumatic position servo ...

Pneumatic tube system transport does not alter platelet function in optical and whole blood aggregometry, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, platelet count and fibrinogen in patients on anti-platelet drug therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Enko, Dietmar; Mangge, Harald; Münch, Andreas; Niedrist, Tobias; Mahla, Elisabeth; Metzler, Helfried; Prüller, Florian

2017-01-01

Introduction The aim of this study was to assess pneumatic tube system (PTS) alteration on platelet function by the light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and whole blood aggregometry (WBA) method, and on the results of platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and fibrinogen. Materials and methods Venous blood was collected into six 4.5 mL VACUETTE® 9NC coagulation sodium citrate 3.8% tubes (Greiner Bio-One International GmbH, Kremsmünster, Austria) from 49 intensive care unit (ICU) patients on dual anti-platelet therapy and immediately hand carried to the central laboratory. Blood samples were divided into 2 Groups: Group 1 samples (N = 49) underwent PTS (4 m/s) transport from the central laboratory to the distant laboratory and back to the central laboratory, whereas Group 2 samples (N = 49) were excluded from PTS forces. In both groups, LTA and WBA stimulated with collagen, adenosine-5’-diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA) and thrombin-receptor-activated-peptide 6 (TRAP-6) as well as platelet count, PT, APTT, and fibrinogen were performed. Results No statistically significant differences were observed between blood samples with (Group 1) and without (Group 2) PTS transport (P values from 0.064 – 0.968). The AA-induced LTA (bias: 68.57%) exceeded the bias acceptance limit of ≤ 25%. Conclusions Blood sample transportation with computer controlled PTS in our hospital had no statistically significant effects on platelet aggregation determined in patients with anti-platelet therapy. Although AA induced LTA showed a significant bias, the diagnostic accuracy was not influenced. PMID:28392742

Key issues in theoretical and functional pneumatic design

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Z. G.; Yang, D. Y.; Liu, W. M.; Liu, T. T.

2017-10-01

This paper studies the energy release of the pneumatic engine in different thermodynamic processes, the isothermal process is the highest power output process, while adiabatic process is the lowest energy output process, and the energy release of the pneumatic engine is a multi-state thermodynamic process between them. Therefore heat exchanging should be increased between the pneumatic engine and the outer space, the gas expansion process in the cylinder should be as close as possible to the isothermal process. Heat exchange should be increased between the cylinder and the external spaces. Secondly, the fin structure is studied to increase the heat exchanging between the cylinder body and the outside space. The upper part has fin structures and the lower cylinder has no fin structure, this structure improved the working efficiency of pneumatic engine. Finally the cam and the hydraulic bottle of pneumatic engines are designed. Simulation and theoretical calculation are used to the analysis of the whole structure, which lay the foundation for the manufacturing and design of the pneumatic engines.

Characteristic analysis and experiment of pneumatic servo valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong Soo; Lee, Won Hee; Choi, Byung Oh

2004-01-01

Electro-pneumatic servo valve is an electro-mechanical device which converts electric signals into a proper pneumatic flow rate or pressure. In order to improve the overall performance of pneumatic servo systems, electro-pneumatic servo valves are required, which have fast dynamic characteristics, no air leakage at a null point, and can be fabricated at a low-cost. The first objective of this research is to design and to fabricate a new electro-pneumatic servo valve which satisfies the above-mentioned requirements. In order to design the mechanism of the servo valve optimally, the flow inside the valve depending upon the position of spool was analyzed variously, and on the basis of such analysis results, the valve mechanism, which was formed by combination of the spool and the sleeve, was designed and manufactured. And a tester for conducting an overall performance test was designed and manufactured, and as a result of conducting the flow rate test, the pressure test and the frequency test on the developed pneumatic servo valve

Pneumatic and hydraulic microactuators: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Volder, Michaël; Reynaerts, Dominiek

2010-01-01

The development of MEMS actuators is rapidly evolving and continuously new progress in terms of efficiency, power and force output is reported. Pneumatic and hydraulic are an interesting class of microactuators that are easily overlooked. Despite the 20 years of research, and hundreds of publications on this topic, these actuators are only popular in microfluidic systems. In other MEMS applications, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are rare in comparison with electrostatic, thermal or piezo-electric actuators. However, several studies have shown that hydraulic and pneumatic actuators deliver among the highest force and power densities at microscale. It is believed that this asset is particularly important in modern industrial and medical microsystems, and therefore, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators could start playing an increasingly important role. This paper shows an in-depth overview of the developments in this field ranging from the classic inflatable membrane actuators to more complex piston–cylinder and drag-based microdevices. (topical review)

Levels of muscle enzymes in the serum after esophageal pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimchi, N A; Ron, Y; Abramowich, D; Shirin, H; Scapa, E; Avni, Y

2005-01-01

The success rate of pneumatic dilation of the esophagus in patients with achalasia is variable. We aim to assess whether levels of muscle enzymes in the serum are useful for predicting the efficacy of this procedure. Consecutive adults with symptomatic achalasia treated with pneumatic dilation were included. Blood samples were taken immediately before the procedure and after 12, 24 and 32 h. Clinical efficacy of the pneumatic dilation was evaluated on the basis of a symptom score defined prior to, and 2 months after the procedure. Eleven patients underwent 13 pneumatic dilations. In nine patients this was the first dilation attempt. Ten dilations were clinically effective. The study was discontinued after enzyme levels did not show a trend of increase in any of our patients. Moreover, a statistically significant unexpected decrease in creatine phosphokinase values was found 12 h after the procedure, among the 10 successful dilations. We believe that levels of muscle enzymes in the serum cannot predict the efficacy of pneumatic dilation in patients with achalasia.

Transport of solid commodities via freight pipeline: freight pipeline technology. Volume II. First year final report. [Slurry, pneumatic, pneumo-capsule, and hydro-capsule

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zandi, I.; Gimm, K.K.

1976-07-01

In order to determine the feasibility of pipeline as an intercity freight transportation mode, it was necessary to examine its technological feasibility and reliability. This report describes the technology of the major generic freight pipelines in terms of both historical and current trends and operations. Additionally, it presents a state-of-the-art review of calculating energy requirements of various generic freight pipelines. It was concluded that slurry and pneumatic pipelines are technologically feasible and reliable. There are many commercial installations of both types operating around the world. Based on European experience with pneumo-capsule pipelines for mail delivery and Russian gravel- and sand-transport installations, it appears that a pneumo-capsule pipeline is a technologically feasible and operationally reliable mode for transport of solids. Since no commercial pneumo-capsule pipeline installations yet exist in the U.S., it seems desirable that a service demonstration of the advantages and feasibility of this mode of transport be undertaken to attract the shippers' confidence. Hydro-capsule pipelines are technologically feasible, but its reliability within a commercial environment remains to be tested.

Variable camber wing based on pneumatic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Weilong; Liu, Libo; Chen, Yijin; Leng, Jinsong

2009-07-01

As a novel bionic actuator, pneumatic artificial muscle has high power to weight ratio. In this paper, a variable camber wing with the pneumatic artificial muscle is developed. Firstly, the experimental setup to measure the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle is designed. The relationship between the static output force and the air pressure is investigated. Experimental result shows the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle decreases nonlinearly with increasing contraction ratio. Secondly, the finite element model of the variable camber wing is developed. Numerical results show that the tip displacement of the trailing-edge increases linearly with increasing external load and limited with the maximum static output force of pneumatic artificial muscles. Finally, the variable camber wing model is manufactured to validate the variable camber concept. Experimental result shows that the wing camber increases with increasing air pressure and that it compare very well with the FEM result.

Achalasia: pneumatic Dilation. Experience in a reference hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garzon, Martin; Farfan, Yezid; Molano, Juan; Rey, Mario; Martinez, Julian; Marulanda, Juan

2005-01-01

Chalasia has an incidence of 1:100.000. The therapy for achalasia, focus on reducing the pressure gradient across the LES, which can be achieved by forceful pneumatic dilation of the gastroesophageal junction, surgical myotomy or by pharmacological agents, injected endoscopically or taken orally. Pneumatic balloon dilation is regarded as the first-Line treatment, with an initial success rate of 85% to 90%. The objective of this study is to show our experience with pneumatic balloon dilation in the patients with diagnosis of achalasia from the hospital La Samaritana during a period from February 2002 to February 2005. Patients diagnosed with achalasia from the department of gastroenterology and endoscopy of the Hospital La Samaritana during period of February 2002 to February 2005 was included. Procedures were made in fluoroscopy room. The patients received intravenous sedation and analgesia. We used a Regiflex balloon, 3.5 cm diameter. Balloons were inflated with saline water and water-soluble contrast during one minute. We diagnosed 19 patients with achalasia during period from February 2002 to February 2005, 14 were females and 5 males (26%); we made pneumatic dilation in 11 patients (60%), 9 were females (82%) with mean age 38.9 years (ranged from 16 to 13 years). Three patients (21%) underwent once pneumatic dilation and the rest (8 patients) underwent twice (73%). We don't report any perforation. So far we have followed the patients ambulatory during period from 6 months to 2 years. We find recurrence one year after of the pneumatic dilation in a female patient 22 years old (9%). The pneumatic dilation as cost-effective therapy, with a good initial success, but in the longer the follow-up lower the success rate and low morbidity (4). We suggest making only two pneumatic dilations. Today, there isn't consensus on the optimal endoscopic dilation technique and we believe that the sedation must be included in this procedure. In the future, we need more comparative

[Morphine self-administration by rats using a pneumatic syringe].

Science.gov (United States)

Akiyama, Y; Takayama, S

1988-06-01

An apparatus for drug self-administration by rats using a pneumatic syringe was developed by Weeks. A microliter syringe operated by a pneumatic cylinder supplies an accurate volume of drug solution within one second. When coefficient of variation of infusion volume was compared among pneumatic syringe, infusion pump, and peristaltic pump, pneumatic syringe showed higher accuracy in infusion volume than the other two pumps. Since the infusion speed by a pneumatic syringe is very rapid (less than one second per infusion), the effect of infusion speed on reinforcing property of morphine was investigated. When rats self-administered 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg/infusion of morphine by pneumatic syringes, the patterns of self-infusion were more stable, the number of self-infusions and the amount self-administered were larger, and a dose-response relationship was clearer in comparison with those self-infused the same doses of morphine for 5.6 seconds by infusion pumps or peristaltic pumps.

Experience and prospects of using the pneumatic designs in underground mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rakhutin, V.S. [National Mining University of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine)

1999-07-01

The article reviews the experience of application of pneumatic designs ('flexible shells') in coal mines (pneumatic cogs and supports), ore mines (pneumatic cofferdams and partitions in filling), and in the construction of mines and underground constructions (pneumatic casings, temporary (pilot) supports). 2 refs.

Investigating the grindability effect of loose material conveyed pneumatically

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bandrowski, J.; Fitka, H.; Krajzel, J.; Raczek, J.; Kaczmarzyk, G.

1979-10-01

Presents a mathematical analysis of the grindability effect during pneumatic conveying of coal, coke breeze and ash. Mathematical grindability models are shown. The dependence of the grindability effect of the transported material on the following factors is analyzed: diameter of the grains, speed of their flow, concentration of grains in the air within the conveying system and the conveying time. It is noted that the results of the analysis are identical with the results of investigations described in the literature. (7 refs.) (In Polish)

Rigidified pneumatic composites

Science.gov (United States)

van Dessel, Steven

2000-10-01

The overall objective of the research presented in this dissertation was to address global issues of adequate housing for all and the need for more sustainable human settlement. In order to address these, the emerging technology of rigidified pneumatic composites was investigated. Rigidified pneumatic composites (RPC) are defined as thin flexible membrane structures that are pneumatically deployed. After deployment, these structures harden due to chemical or physical change of the membrane. Because of this change, these structures do no longer require pneumatic pressure to maintain their shape. For the first time, a systematic listing of the various means available to develop polymeric materials useful in RPC technology is presented. With the aim to reduce the cost of RPC structures, a new material was proposed, developed, and evaluated. This material involved the formation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network based on poly vinyl chloride and an acrylate based reactive plasticizer. The economical and environmental performances of RPC structures using this new material were assessed by means of a case study. In this study, the performance of RPC technology was compared with that of a typical wood light frame structure in the application of a small single-family house. The study indicated that the cost of ownership in present day value for the RPC structure was approximately 33% less than the cost of a comparable wood light frame structure. The study also indicated that significant environmental benefits exist with the use of RPC structures. It was found that the RPC structure used significantly less resources compared to the wood light frame structure. About 3.5 times less materials coming from non-renewable fossil resources, about 2.5 times less materials coming from trees, and about 19 times less materials coming from inorganic resources was used in the RPC structure relative to the wood light frame structure. The study concluded with pointing out various

Treatments for pediatric achalasia: Heller myotomy or pneumatic dilatation?

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, C; Michaud, L; Mougenot, J-F; Lamblin, M-D; Philippe-Chomette, P; Cargill, G; Bonnevalle, M; Boige, N; Bellaïche, M; Viala, J; Hugot, J-P; Gottrand, F; Cezard, J-P

2010-03-01

The treatment of achalasia consists of reducing distal esophageal obstruction by either Heller myotomy surgery or endoscopic pneumatic dilatation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the short- and middle-term results of these procedures in children. For technical reasons, children under six years old (n=8) were treated by surgery only, whereas patients over six years old (n=14) were treated by either Heller myotomy or pneumatic dilatation. Of the children aged under six years, 75% were symptom-free at six months and 83% at 24 months of follow-up. Of the patients aged over six years, complete remission was achieved by Heller myotomy in 44.5% vs. 55.5% by pneumatic dilatation after six months, and in 40% vs. 65%, respectively, after 24 months. Both pneumatic dilatation and Heller myotomy showed significant rates of failure. These results suggest that pneumatic dilatation may be considered a primary treatment in children over six years old. Also, where necessary, Heller myotomy and pneumatic dilatation may be used as complementary treatments.

Method of sections in analytical calculations of pneumatic tires

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasov, V. N.; Boyarkina, I. V.

2018-01-01

Analytical calculations in the pneumatic tire theory are more preferable in comparison with experimental methods. The method of section of a pneumatic tire shell allows to obtain equations of intensities of internal forces in carcass elements and bead rings. Analytical dependencies of intensity of distributed forces have been obtained in tire equator points, on side walls (poles) and pneumatic tire bead rings. Along with planes in the capacity of secant surfaces cylindrical surfaces are used for the first time together with secant planes. The tire capacity equation has been obtained using the method of section, by means of which a contact body is cut off from the tire carcass along the contact perimeter by the surface which is normal to the bearing surface. It has been established that the Laplace equation for the solution of tasks of this class of pneumatic tires contains two unknown values that requires the generation of additional equations. The developed computational schemes of pneumatic tire sections and new equations allow to accelerate the pneumatic tire structure improvement process during engineering.

Development of pneumatic actuator with low-wave reflection characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, H.; Tsung, T. T.; Jwo, C. S.; Chiang, J. C.

2010-08-01

This study aims at the development of a less reflective electromagnetic pneumatic actuator often used in the anechoic chamber. Because a pneumatic actuator on the market is not appropriate for use in such a chamber and a metallic one has high dielectric constant which generates reflective electromagnetic waves to influence test parameters in the chamber. The newly developed pneumatic actuator is made from low dielectric constant plastics with less reflective of electromagnetic. A turbine-type air motor is used to develop the pneumatic actuator and a employ Prony tester is used to run the brake horsepower test for the performance test of pneumatic actuator. Test results indicate that the pneumatic actuator in the minimal starting flow is 17 l/min, and it generates a brake horsepower of 48 mW; in the maximum flow is 26 l/min, it generates a brake horsepower of 108 mW. Therefore, it works with a torque between 0.24 N-m and 0.55 N-m, and such a torque will be sufficient to drive the target button.

The relationship between presbycusis and mastoid pneumatization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pata, Yavuz Selim; Akbaş, Yucel; Unal, Murat; Duce, Meltem Nass; Akbaş, Tugana; Micozkadioğlu, Deniz

2004-02-29

Presbycusis is defined as the natural hearing loss accompanying aging, caused by degenerative changes in the inner ear. The etiology of presbycusis is uncertain. However, it would appear that a complex genetic cause is most likely. The determinants of mastoid size continue to be controversial. One of the pneumatization theories is the hereditary theory. In this study, the possible relationship between presbycusis and the extent of mastoid pneumatization was investigated. This study was carried out on 21 patients with presbycusis and 21 normal subjects of similar ages. The pneumatized volume was measured by computerized tomography. The temporal bone was scanned at 2 mm thickness intervals. Exposure (kV 130, mA105). The scan plane was parallel to the orbitomeatal line and the CT images covered the entire mastoid region. The average mastoid pneumatization in presbycusis group was 6.08 +/- 2.52 cm(3) in the right ear and 6.19 +/- 2.93 cm(3) in the left ear. However, in the control group it was 4.69 +/- 3.17 cm(3) in the right ear (p=0.12) and 5.10 +/- 3.49 cm(3) in the left ear (p=0.28). No significant difference was found between the presbycusis patients and normal subjects in terms of the volume of mastoid pneumatization.

Design and experiment of pneumatic EPB test platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianshi GONG

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In order to verify the accuracy and reliability of the function and control strategy of the pneumatic electronic parking brake(EPB system, a test platform of the pneumatic EPB system is designed. The working principle of the air pressure type EPB test platform is introduced, the composition of the platform is confirmed, including air press storage module, braking module, man-machine interaction module, signal imitation module, data collection module, and fault diagnosis module, and the function of rapid charging and discharging of the pneumatic EPB system is carried out. The results show that, compared with manual control valve, the air pressure EPB braking process is more sensitive, and the test platform can meet the test requirements of the pneumatic electronic brake system.

DETERMINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF THROTTLING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC SPRING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. H. Reidemeister

2018-02-01

variation of the pressure difference in the pneumatic cylinder and the auxiliary reservoir of the pneumatic suspension system. Also, the work proposes a method to determine the dependence of the working medium on the capacity of the throttling device and its geometric features. Practical value. The ability to predict the operating parameters of the pneumatic system depending on the pneumatic resistance of the throttling device will improve the car running characteristics, increase the comfort of passenger transport, and also reduce the wear of the rolling stock and track gauge due to vehicle-track interaction.

Pneumatic sample-transfer system for use with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory rotating target neutron source (RTNS-I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.E.

1981-07-01

A pneumatic sample-transfer system is needed to be able to rapidly retrieve samples irradiated with 14-MeV neutrons at the Rotating Target Neutron Source (RTNS-I). The rabbit system, already in place for many years, has been refurbished with modern system components controlled by an LSI-11 minicomputer. Samples can now be counted three seconds after an irradiation. There are many uses for this expanded 14-MeV neutron activation capability. Several fission products difficult to isolate from mixed fission fragments can be produced instead through (n,p) or (n,α) reactions with stable isotopes. Mass-separated samples of Nd, Mo, and Se, for example, can be irradiated to produce Pr, Nb, and As radionuclides sufficient for decay scheme studies. The system may also be used for multielement fast-neutron activation analysis because the neutron flux is greater than 2 x 10 11 n/cm 2 -sec. Single element analyses of Si and O are also possible. Finally, measurements of fast-neutron cross sections producing short-lived activation products can be performed with this system. A description of the rabbit system and instructions for its use are presented in this report

The effect of pneumatic dilation in management of postfundoplication dysphagia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunjaya, D; Podboy, A; Blackmon, S H; Katzka, D; Halland, M

2017-06-01

Fundoplication surgery is a commonly performed procedure for gastro-esophageal reflux disease or hiatal hernia repair. Up to 10% of patients develop persistent postoperative dysphagia after surgery. Data on the effectiveness of pneumatic dilation for treatment are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and identify clinical factors associated with successful response to pneumatic dilation among patients with persistent postfundoplication dysphagia (PPFD). We retrospectively evaluated patients who had undergone pneumatic dilation for PPFD between 1999 and 2016. Patients with dysphagia or achalasia prior to fundoplication were excluded. Demographic information, surgical history, severity of dysphagia, and clinical outcomes were collected. Data pertaining to esophagram, manometry, endoscopy, and pneumatic dilation were also collected. We identified 38 patients (82% female, 95% Caucasian, and median age 59 years) with PPFD who completed pneumatic dilation. The median postfundoplication dysphagia score was 2. Eleven patients had abnormal peristalsis on manometry. Seventeen patients reported response (seven complete) with an average decrease of 1 in their dysphagia score. Fifteen patients underwent reoperation due to PPFD. Hiatal hernia repair was the only factor that predicts a higher response rate to pneumatic dilation. Only one patient in our study developed complication (pneumoperitoneum) from pneumatic dilation. We found that pneumatic dilation to be a safe treatment option for PPFD with moderate efficacy. Patients who developed PPFD after a hiatal hernia repair may gain the greatest benefit after pneumatic dilation. We were not able to identify additional clinical, radiological, endoscopic, or manometric parameters that were predictive of response. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of the pneumatic service robot with a hybrid type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Cheol U; Choi, Hyeun Seok; Han, Chang Soo

2001-01-01

In this paper, the pneumatic service robot with a hybrid type is developed. A pneumatic has the advantage of good compliance, high payload-to-weight and payload-to-volume ratios, high speed and force capabilities. Using pneumatic actuators which have low stiffness, the service robot can guarantee safety. By suggesting a new serial-parallel hybrid type for the service robot which separates into positioning motion and orienting motion, we can achieve large workspace and high strength-to-moving-weight ratio at the same time. A sliding mode controller can be designed for tracking the desired output using the Lyapunov stability theory and structural properties of pneumatic servo systems. Through many experiments of circular trajectory, the pneumatic service robot is evaluated and verified

Intelligent Switching Control of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Manipulator

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Kyoung Kwan; Thanh, Tu Diep Cong; Ahn, Young Kong

Problems with the control, oscillatory motion and compliance of pneumatic systems have prevented their widespread use in advanced robotics. However, their compactness, power/weight ratio, ease of maintenance and inherent safety are the factors that could potentially be exploited in sophisticated dexterous manipulator designs. These advantages have led to the development of novel actuators such as the McKibben Muscle, Rubber Actuator and Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Manipulators. However, some limitations still exist, such as deterioration of the performance of transient response due to the change of the external inertia load in the pneumatic artificial muscle manipulator. To overcome this problem, switching algorithm of control parameter using learning vector quantization neural network (LVQNN) is newly proposed, which estimates the external inertia load of the pneumatic artificial muscle manipulator. The effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm is demonstrated through experiments with different external inertia loads.

Electro-Pneumatic Control System with Hydraulically Positioning Actuator Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Pilgunov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A compressibility of the actuating fluid of a pneumatic drive (compressed air leads to significant landing of the pneumatic cylinder piston at the time of stop and hold of the load, a constant component of which can fluctuate significantly for the holding period.There are a lot of factors, which have a significant impact on the landing value of piston. Those are: an initial position of the piston at its stop, which determines the volume of the an active area of the piston, a value of the constant load component at the time of stop and its variation for the holding period, a transfer coefficient of the position component of the load, an active area of the pneumatic cylinder piston, as well as reduction in atmospheric pressure, which can significantly affect the operation of the control systems of small aircrafts flying at high altitudes.To reduce the landing value of piston due to changing value of the constant load component for its holding period, it is proposed to use a hydraulic positioner, which comprises a hydraulic cylinder the rod of which is rigidly connected to the rod of the pneumatic cylinder through the traverse, a cross-feed valve of the hydro-cylinder cavities with discrete electro-magnetic control, and adjustable chokes.A programmable logic controller provides the hydraulic positioner control. At the moment the piston stops and the load is held the cross-feed valve overlaps the hydro-cylinder cavities thereby locking the pneumatic cylinder piston and preventing its landing. With available pneumatic cylinder-controlled signal the cross-feed valve connects the piston and rod cavities of the positioner hydro-cylinder, the pneumatic cylinder piston is released and becomes capable of moving.A numerical estimate of landing of the pneumatic cylinder piston and its positioning quality is of essential interest. For this purpose, a technique to calculate the landing of piston has been developed taking into consideration that different

Hydraulics and pneumatics a technician's and engineer's guide

CERN Document Server

Parr, Andrew

1991-01-01

Hydraulics and Pneumatics: A Technician's and Engineer's Guide provides an introduction to the components and operation of a hydraulic or pneumatic system. This book discusses the main advantages and disadvantages of pneumatic or hydraulic systems.Organized into eight chapters, this book begins with an overview of industrial prime movers. This text then examines the three different types of positive displacement pump used in hydraulic systems, namely, gear pumps, vane pumps, and piston pumps. Other chapters consider the pressure in a hydraulic system, which can be quickly and easily controlled

Hydraulics and pneumatics a technician's and engineer's guide

CERN Document Server

Parr, Andrew

2011-01-01

Nearly all industrial processes require objects to be moved, manipulated or subjected to some sort of force. Such movements and manipulations are frequently accomplished by means of devices driven by liquids (hydraulics) or air (pneumatics), the subject of this book. Hydraulics and Pneumatics is written by a practicing process control engineer as a guide to the successful operation of hydraulic and pneumatic systems for all engineers and technicians working with them. Keeping mathematics and theory to a minimum, this practical guide is thorough but accessible to technicians without a

High-pressure portable pneumatic drive unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Hete, B F; Savage, M; Batur, C; Smith, W A; Golding, L A; Nosé, Y

1989-12-01

The left ventricular assist device (LVAD) of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) is a single-chamber assist pump, driven by a high-pressure pneumatic cylinder. A low-cost, portable driver that will allow cardiac care patients, with a high-pressure pneumatic ventricle assist, more freedom of movement has been developed. The compact and light-weight configuration can provide periods of 2 h of freedom from a fixed position driver and does not use exotic technology.

Design considerations for single-stage and two-stage pneumatic pellet injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouge, M.J.; Combs, S.K.; Fisher, P.W.; Milora, S.L.

1988-09-01

Performance of single-stage pneumatic pellet injectors is compared with several models for one-dimensional, compressible fluid flow. Agreement is quite good for models that reflect actual breech chamber geometry and incorporate nonideal effects such as gas friction. Several methods of improving the performance of single-stage pneumatic pellet injectors in the near term are outlined. The design and performance of two-stage pneumatic pellet injectors are discussed, and initial data from the two-stage pneumatic pellet injector test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are presented. Finally, a concept for a repeating two-stage pneumatic pellet injector is described. 27 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

Baking Powder Actuated Centrifugo-Pneumatic Valving for Automation of Multi-Step Bioassays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Kinahan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available We report a new flow control method for centrifugal microfluidic systems; CO2 is released from on-board stored baking powder upon contact with an ancillary liquid. The elevated pressure generated drives the sample into a dead-end pneumatic chamber sealed by a dissolvable film (DF. This liquid incursion wets and dissolves the DF, thus opening the valve. The activation pressure of the DF valve can be tuned by the geometry of the channel upstream of the DF membrane. Through pneumatic coupling with properly dimensioned disc architecture, we established serial cascading of valves, even at a constant spin rate. Similarly, we demonstrate sequential actuation of valves by dividing the disc into a number of distinct pneumatic chambers (separated by DF membranes. Opening these DFs, typically through arrival of a liquid to that location on a disc, permits pressurization of these chambers. This barrier-based scheme provides robust and strictly ordered valve actuation, which is demonstrated by the automation of a multi-step/multi-reagent DNA-based hybridization assay.

Manually operatable on-chip bistable pneumatic microstructures for microfluidic manipulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Arnold; Pan, Tingrui

2014-09-07

Bistable microvalves are of particular interest because of their distinct nature of requiring energy consumption only during the transition between the open and closed states. This characteristic can be highly advantageous in reducing the number of external inputs and the complexity of control circuitries since microfluidic devices as contemporary lab-on-a-chip platforms are transferring from research settings to low-resource environments with high integrability and a small form factor. In this paper, we first present manually operatable, on-chip bistable pneumatic microstructures (BPMs) for microfluidic manipulation. The structural design and operation of the BPM devices can be readily integrated into any pneumatically powered microfluidic network consisting of pneumatic and fluidic channels. It is mainly composed of a vacuum activation chamber (VAC) and a pressure release chamber (PRC), of which users have direct control through finger pressing to switch either to the bistable vacuum state (VS) or the atmospheric state (AS). We have integrated multiple BPM devices into a 4-to-1 microfluidic multiplexor to demonstrate on-chip digital flow switching from different sources. Furthermore, we have shown its clinical relevance in a point-of-care diagnostic chip that processes blood samples to identify the distinct blood types (A/B/O) on-chip.

Buckling Pneumatic Linear Actuators Inspired by Muscle

OpenAIRE

Yang, Dian; Verma, Mohit Singh; So, Ju-Hee; Mosadegh, Bobak; Keplinger, Christoph; Lee, Benjamin; Khashai, Fatemeh; Lossner, Elton Garret; Suo, Zhigang; Whitesides, George McClelland

2016-01-01

The mechanical features of biological muscles are difficult to reproduce completely in synthetic systems. A new class of soft pneumatic structures (vacuum-actuated muscle-inspired pneumatic structures) is described that combines actuation by negative pressure (vacuum), with cooperative buckling of beams fabricated in a slab of elastomer, to achieve motion and demonstrate many features that are similar to that of mammalian muscle.

A new pneumatic suspension system with independent stiffness and ride height tuning capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Zhihong; Khajepour, Amir; Cao, Dongpu; Ebrahimi, Babak; Guo, Konghui

2012-12-01

This paper introduces a new pneumatic spring for vehicle suspension systems, allowing independent tuning of stiffness and ride height according to different vehicle operating conditions and driver preferences. The proposed pneumatic spring comprises a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, two accumulators and a tuning subsystem. This paper presents a detailed description of the pneumatic spring and its working principle. The mathematical model is established based on principles of thermo and fluid dynamics. An experimental setup has been designed and fabricated for testing and evaluating the proposed pneumatic spring. The analytical and experimental results confirm the capability of the new pneumatic spring system for independent tuning of stiffness and ride height. The mathematical model is verified and the capabilities of the pneumatic spring are further proved. It is concluded that this new pneumatic spring provides a more flexible suspension design alternative for meeting various conflicting suspension requirements for ride comfort and performance.

k{sub 0}-INAA method at the pneumatic station of the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor. Application to geological samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariano, Davi B.; Figueiredo, Ana Maria G.; Semmler, Renato, E-mail: davimariano@usp.br, E-mail: anamaria@ipen.br, E-mail: rsemmler@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

There is a significant number of analytically important elements, when geological samples are concerned, whose activation products are short-lived (seconds to minutes) or medium-lived radioisotopes (minutes to hours). As part of the process of implementation of the k{sub 0}-INAA standardization method at the Neutron Activation Laboratory (LAN-IPEN), Sao Paulo, Brazil, this study presents the results obtained for the analysis of short and medium-lived nuclides in geological samples by k{sub 0}-INAA using the program k{sub 0}-IAEA, provided by The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The elements Al, Dy, Eu, Na, K, Mn, Mg, Sr, V and Ti were determined with respect to gold ({sup 197}Au) using the pneumatic station facility of the IEA-R1 5 MW swimming pool nuclear research reactor, Sao Paulo. Characterization of the pneumatic station was carried out by using the -bare triple-monitor- method with {sup 197}Au-{sup 96}Zr-{sup 94}Zr. The Certified Reference Material IRMM-530R Al-0,1% Au alloy, high purity zirconium, Ni and Lu comparators were irradiated. The efficiency curves of the gamma-ray spectrometer used were determined by measuring calibrated radioactive sources at the usually utilized counting geometries. The method was validated by analyzing the reference materials basalt BE-N (IWG-GIT), basalt JB- 1 (GSJ), andesite AGV-1 (USGS), granite GS-N (IWG-GIT), SOIL-7 (IAEA) and sediment Buffalo River Sediment (NIST-BRS-8704), which represent different geological matrices. The concentration results obtained agreed with certified, reference and recommended values, showing relative errors less than 10% for most elements. (author)

Pneumatic Muscle Actuator Control

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lilly, John

2000-01-01

This research is relevant to the Air Fore mission because pneumatic muscle actuation devices arc advantageous for certain types of robotics as well as for strength and/or mobility assistance for humans...

TOPICAL REVIEW: Pneumatic and hydraulic microactuators: a review

Science.gov (United States)

De Volder, Michaël; Reynaerts, Dominiek

2010-04-01

The development of MEMS actuators is rapidly evolving and continuously new progress in terms of efficiency, power and force output is reported. Pneumatic and hydraulic are an interesting class of microactuators that are easily overlooked. Despite the 20 years of research, and hundreds of publications on this topic, these actuators are only popular in microfluidic systems. In other MEMS applications, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are rare in comparison with electrostatic, thermal or piezo-electric actuators. However, several studies have shown that hydraulic and pneumatic actuators deliver among the highest force and power densities at microscale. It is believed that this asset is particularly important in modern industrial and medical microsystems, and therefore, pneumatic and hydraulic actuators could start playing an increasingly important role. This paper shows an in-depth overview of the developments in this field ranging from the classic inflatable membrane actuators to more complex piston-cylinder and drag-based microdevices.

Soft pneumatic grippers embedded with stretchable electroadhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, J.; Elgeneidy, K.; Xiang, C.; Lohse, N.; Justham, L.; Rossiter, J.

2018-05-01

Current soft pneumatic grippers cannot robustly grasp flat materials and flexible objects on curved surfaces without distorting them. Current electroadhesive grippers, on the other hand, are difficult to actively deform to complex shapes to pick up free-form surfaces or objects. An easy-to-implement PneuEA gripper is proposed by the integration of an electroadhesive gripper and a two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper. The electroadhesive gripper was fabricated by segmenting a soft conductive silicon sheet into a two-part electrode design and embedding it in a soft dielectric elastomer. The two-fingered soft pneumatic gripper was manufactured using a standard soft lithography approach. This novel integration has combined the benefits of both the electroadhesive and soft pneumatic grippers. As a result, the proposed PneuEA gripper was not only able to pick-and-place flat and flexible materials such as a porous cloth but also delicate objects such as a light bulb. By combining two soft touch sensors with the electroadhesive, an intelligent and shape-adaptive PneuEA material handling system has been developed. This work is expected to widen the applications of both soft gripper and electroadhesion technologies.

Enhancing in situ bioremediation with pneumatic fracturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.B.; Peyton, B.M.; Liskowitz, J.L.; Fitzgerald, C.; Schuring, J.R.

1994-04-01

A major technical obstacle affecting the application of in situ bioremediation is the effective distribution of nutrients to the subsurface media. Pneumatic fracturing can increase the permeability of subsurface formations through the injection of high pressure air to create horizontal fracture planes, thus enhancing macro-scale mass-transfer processes. Pneumatic fracturing technology was demonstrated at two field sites at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tests were performed to increase the permeability for more effective bioventing, and evaluated the potential to increase permeability and recovery of free product in low permeability soils consisting of fine grain silts, clays, and sedimentary rock. Pneumatic fracturing significantly improved formation permeability by enhancing secondary permeability and by promoting removal of excess soil moisture from the unsaturated zone. Postfracture airflows were 500% to 1,700% higher than prefracture airflows for specific fractured intervals in the formation. This corresponds to an average prefracturing permeability of 0.017 Darcy, increasing to an average of 0.32 Darcy after fracturing. Pneumatic fracturing also increased free-product recovery rates of number 2 fuel from an average of 587 L (155 gal) per month before fracturing to 1,647 L (435 gal) per month after fracturing

Project, installation and operational tests of a pneumatic system for the IEA-R1 reactor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernando, Alberto de Jesus; Madi Filho, Tufic

2009-01-01

Pneumatic Transfer Systems (PTS) are equipment broadly and world widely used for the transport, movement and transfer of diverse types of materials, objects and cargo between two or more environments, near or distant from each other [1]. Due to their flexibility and quickness, the system application is present in several areas, such as medicine (hospitals and clinic analyses laboratories); industry (automobile, metallurgy, iron-making. chemical, food production) commerce (gasoline stations, cinemas, supermarkets, banks, tolls, on-line commerce, casinos); public service (public institutions, courts). In the nuclear field, the PTS has, also, a vast application, highlighting its use in the radioisotope and radiopharmaceuticals of short half life production, such as 67 Ga, 201 Tl, 18F and 123 I-ultra pure. The development of this work is directed to the application of the Pneumatic Transfer System in transport and transfer of materials that will be irradiated in the IEA-R1 reactor, located in the Institute of Energetic and Nuclear Research, IPEN/CNEN-SP, for application of the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). (author)

Development of a pneumatic transfer system for HTGR recycle fuel particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, J.E.; Johnson, D.R.

1978-02-01

In support of the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Fuel Refabrication Development Program, an experimental pneumatic transfer system was constructed to determine the feasibility of pneumatically conveying pyrocarbon-coated fuel particles of Triso and Biso designs. Tests were conducted with these particles in each of their nonpyrophoric forms to determine pressure drops, particle velocities, and gas flow requirements during pneumatic transfer as well as to evaluate particle wear and breakage. Results indicated that the material can be pneumatically conveyed at low pressures without excessive damage to the particles or their coatings

Safe-geometry pneumatic nuclear fuel powder blender

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyon, W.L.

1980-01-01

A safe geometry nuclear fuel powder is claimed blender of a pneumatic type having a plurality of narrow flat-walled blending chambers or ''slab tanks'' extending radially outward from a pneumatic spouting tube having an inlet and an outlet at bottom and top, respectively, open to each slab tank or blending chamber and contained within a cylindrical cone-bottomed shell filled with neutron-absorbing material between the blending chambers

Pneumatic pellet injectors for TFTR and JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Milora, S.L.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the development of pneumatic hydrogen pellet injectors for plasma fueling applications on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) and the Joint European Torus (JET). The performance parameters of these injectors represent an extension of previous experience and include pellet sizes in the range 2-6 mm in diameter and speeds approaching 2 km/s. Design features and operating characteristics of these pneumatic injectors are presented

A high resolution pneumatic stepping actuator for harsh reactor environments

Science.gov (United States)

Tippetts, Thomas B.; Evans, Paul S.; Riffle, George K.

1993-01-01

A reactivity control actuator for a high-power density nuclear propulsion reactor must be installed in close proximity to the reactor core. The energy input from radiation to the actuator structure could exceed hundreds of W/cc unless low-cross section, low-absorptivity materials are chosen. Also, for post-test handling and subsequent storage, materials should not be used that are activated into long half-life isotopes. Pneumatic actuators can be constructed from various reactor-compatible materials, but conventional pneumatic piston actuators generally lack the stiffness required for high resolution reactivity control unless electrical position sensors and compensated electronic control systems are used. To overcome these limitations, a pneumatic actuator is under development that positions an output shaft in response to a series of pneumatic pulses, comprising a pneumatic analog of an electrical stepping motor. The pneumatic pulses are generated remotely, beyond the strong radiation environment, and transmitted to the actuator through tubing. The mechanically simple actuator uses a nutating gear harmonic drive to convert motion of small pistons directly to high-resolution angular motion of the output shaft. The digital nature of this actuator is suitable for various reactor control algorithms but is especially compatible with the three bean salad algorithm discussed by Ball et al. (1991).

Sample Transport for a European Sample Curation Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Berthoud, L.; Vrublevskis, J. B.; Bennett, A.; Pottage, T.; Bridges, J. C.; Holt, J. M. C.; Dirri, F.; Longobardo, A.; Palomba, E.; Russell, S.; Smith, C.

2018-04-01

This work has looked at the recovery of Mars Sample Return capsule once it arrives on Earth. It covers possible landing sites, planetary protection requirements, and transportation from the landing site to a European Sample Curation Facility.

Radionuclide esophageal emptying study before and after pneumatic dilatation in achalasia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ujiie, Hiroaki; Hongo, Michio; Lin, Yih-Fong; Satake, Kenzo; Asaki, Shigeru; Goto, Yoshio; Okuyama, Shinichi

1987-11-01

The therapeutic effect of pneumatic dilatation was evaluated quantitatively by radionuclide transit study in 11 achalasia patients. Before pneumatic dilatation, marked retention with more than 80 % of isotope in the esophagus at 15 minutes after ingestion was noted in all patients. Marked improvement in emptying was shown after pneumatic dilatation. Pneumatic dilatation is a safe and effective therapeutic aid for achalasia treatment, and radionuclide transit study is not only noninvasive and physiologic but also its procedure is easily performed. We conclude that radionuclide transit study is a good method to evaluate the result of the treatment quantitatively in achalasia patients.

Experimental Verification of a Pneumatic Transport System for the Rapid Evacuation of Tunnels, Part II - Test Program

Science.gov (United States)

1978-12-01

This study is the final phase of a muck pipeline program begun in 1973. The objective of the study was to evaluate a pneumatic pipeline system for muck haulage from a tunnel excavated by a tunnel boring machine. The system was comprised of a muck pre...

Pneumatic tourniquets in extremity surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Wakai, A

2012-02-03

Pneumatic tourniquets maintain a relatively bloodless field during extremity surgery, minimize blood loss, aid identification of vital structures, and expedite the procedure. However, they may induce an ischemia-reperfusion injury with potentially harmful local and systemic consequences. Modern pneumatic tourniquets are designed with mechanisms to regulate and maintain pressure. Routine maintenance helps ensure that these systems are working properly. The complications of tourniquet use include postoperative swelling, delay of recovery of muscle power, compression neurapraxia, wound hematoma with the potential for infection, vascular injury, tissue necrosis, and compartment syndrome. Systemic complications can also occur. The incidence of complications can be minimized by use of wider tourniquets, careful preoperative patient evaluation, and adherence to accepted principles of tourniquet use.

Cranial base morphology and temporal bone pneumatization in Asian Homo erectus.

Science.gov (United States)

Balzeau, Antoine; Grimaud-Hervé, Dominique

2006-10-01

The external morphological features of the temporal bone are used frequently to determine taxonomic affinities of fossils of the genus Homo. Temporal bone pneumatization has been widely studied in great apes and in early hominids. However, this feature is rarely examined in the later hominids, particularly in Asian Homo erectus. We provide a comparative morphological and quantitative analysis of Asian Homo erectus from the sites of Ngandong, Sambungmacan, and Zhoukoudian, and of Neandertals and anatomically modern Homo sapiens in order to discuss causes and modalities of temporal bone pneumatization during hominid evolution. The evolution of temporal bone pneumatization in the genus Homo is more complex than previously described. Indeed, the Zhoukoudian fossils have a unique pattern of temporal bone pneumatization, whereas Ngandong and Sambungmacan fossils, as well as the Neandertals, more closely resemble the modern human pattern. Moreover, these Chinese fossils are characterized by a wide midvault and a relatively narrow occipital bone. Our results support the point of view that cell development does not play an active role in determining cranial base morphology. Instead, pneumatization is related to available space and to temporal bone morphology, and its development is related to correlated morphology and the relative disposition of the bones and cerebral lobes. Because variation in pneumatization is extensive within the same species, the phyletic implications of pneumatization are limited in the taxa considered here.

Mechanical implications of pneumatic neck vertebrae in sauropod dinosaurs

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz-Wings, Daniela; Meyer, Christian A.; Frey, Eberhard; Manz-Steiner, Hans-Rudolf; Schumacher, Ralf

2010-01-01

The pre-sacral vertebrae of most sauropod dinosaurs were surrounded by interconnected, air-filled diverticula, penetrating into the bones and creating an intricate internal cavity system within the vertebrae. Computational finite-element models of two sauropod cervical vertebrae now demonstrate the mechanical reason for vertebral pneumaticity. The analyses show that the structure of the cervical vertebrae leads to an even distribution of all occurring stress fields along the vertebrae, concentrated mainly on their external surface and the vertebral laminae. The regions between vertebral laminae and the interior part of the vertebral body including thin bony struts and septa are mostly unloaded and pneumatic structures are positioned in these regions of minimal stress. The morphology of sauropod cervical vertebrae was influenced by strongly segmented axial neck muscles, which require only small attachment areas on each vertebra, and pneumatic epithelia that are able to resorb bone that is not mechanically loaded. The interaction of these soft tissues with the bony tissue of the vertebrae produced lightweight, air-filled vertebrae in which most stresses were borne by the external cortical bone. Cervical pneumaticity was therefore an important prerequisite for neck enlargement in sauropods. Thus, we expect that vertebral pneumaticity in other parts of the body to have a similar role in enabling gigantism. PMID:19801376

Intermittent pneumatic compression of legs increases microcirculation in distant skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, K; Chen, L E; Seaber, A V; Johnson, G W; Urbaniak, J R

1999-01-01

Intermittent pneumatic compression has been established as a method of clinically preventing deep vein thrombosis, but the mechanism has not been documented. This study observed the effects of intermittent pneumatic compression of legs on the microcirculation of distant skeletal muscle. The cremaster muscles of 80 male rats were exposed, a specially designed intermittent pneumatic-compression device was applied to both legs for 60 minutes, and the microcirculation of the muscles was assessed by measurement of the vessel diameter in three categories (10-20, 21-40, and 41-70 microm) for 120 minutes. The results showed significant vasodilation in arterial and venous vessels during the application of intermittent pneumatic compression, which disappeared after termination of the compression. The vasodilation reached a maximum 30 minutes after initiation of the compression and could be completely blocked by an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (10 micromol/min). A 120-minute infusion of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, beginning coincident with 60 minutes of intermittent pneumatic compression, resulted in a significant decrease in arterial diameter that remained at almost the same level after termination of the compression. The magnitude of the decrease in diameter in the group treated with intermittent pneumatic compression and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine was comparable with that in the group treated with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine alone. The results imply that the production of nitric oxide is involved in the positive influence of intermittent pneumatic compression on circulation. It is postulated that the rapid increase in venous velocity induced by intermittent pneumatic compression produces strong shear stress on the vascular endothelium, which stimulates an increased release of nitric oxide and thereby causes systemic vasodilation.

A survey on pneumatic muscle actuators modeling

OpenAIRE

Kelasidi, Eleni; Andrikopoulos, Georgios; Nikolakopoulos, George; Manesis, Stamatis

2012-01-01

The aim of this article is to provide a survey on the most popular modeling approaches for Pneumatic Muscle Actuators (PMAs). PMAs are highly non-linear pneumatic actuators where their elongation is proportional to the interval pressure. During the last decade, there has been an increase in the industrial and scientific utilization of PMAs, due to their advantages such as high strength and small weight, while various types of PMAs with different technical characteristics have been appeared in...

Fractional Order Models of Industrial Pneumatic Controllers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolhassan Razminia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses a new approach for modeling of versatile controllers in industrial automation and process control systems such as pneumatic controllers. Some fractional order dynamical models are developed for pressure and pneumatic systems with bellows-nozzle-flapper configuration. In the light of fractional calculus, a fractional order derivative-derivative (FrDD controller and integral-derivative (FrID are remodeled. Numerical simulations illustrate the application of the obtained theoretical results in simple examples.

Development of myopia as a hazard for workers in pneumatic caissons

Science.gov (United States)

Onoo, A; Kiyosawa, M; Takase, H; Mano, Y

2002-01-01

Background/aim: Pneumatic caisson engineering has been developed for large civil engineering constructions. Because of complaints of blurred vision by personnel working in pneumatic caissons, the development of myopia was suspected. The aim of this study was to determine the cause of the blurred vision and the mechanism underlying the changes. Methods: 12 caisson workers underwent a complete ophthalmological examination after completing up to 11 weeks of work (4 days/week) in a pneumatic caisson. Six months later, nine of the workers were examined again. Results: Nine subjects were myopic at the initial examination, and seven of these were considered to have developed the myopia after starting to work in the pneumatic caisson. Six months after completion of the work, the mean refractive change was significantly towards hyperopia. Conclusions: The blurred vision in pneumatic caisson workers was in all likelihood due to the development of myopia. The refractive shift towards hyperopia after completion of work in the pneumatic caisson supports this and demonstrates that the changes were temporary. The myopia is similar to the myopia seen in patients treated by hyperbaric oxygen. Careful monitoring of the refraction of caisson workers should be performed for industrial health control. PMID:12386088

A study on the design of a low-friction, high-speed pneumatic cylinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Do Tae; Kim, Dong Soo; Ju, Min Jin

2008-01-01

Of all of pneumatic components utilized in the make up of pneumatic circuits on either automatic assembly machine or industrial equipment, the pneumatic cylinder is more oriented toward being a structural as well as a pneumatic member. The structural design must be based to a large degree on the end of application of the cylinder on the equipment it is operating. In this paper, design studies of a double-acting pneumatic cushion type cylinder with low-friction and high-speed driving have been developed. Of interest here is to investigate the structural analysis of cylinder tube, piston rod, end cover, and to analyze the buckling of piston rod. Also, a relief valve type cushion mechanism is considered. This cushion mechanism is found to be adequate under a high-speed driving of pneumatic cylinders

Embedded Triboelectric Active Sensors for Real-Time Pneumatic Monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xian Peng; Bu, Tian Zhao; Xi, Feng Ben; Cheng, Ting Hai; Zhang, Chi; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-09-20

Pneumatic monitoring sensors have great demands for power supply in cylinder systems. Here, we present an embedded sliding triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) in air cylinder as active sensors for position and velocity monitoring. The embedded TENG is composed of a circular poly(tetrafluoroethylene) polymer and a triangular copper electrode. The working mechanism as triboelectric active sensors and electric output performance are systematically investigated. By integrating into the pneumatic system, the embedded triboelectric active sensors have been used for real-time air pressure/flow monitoring and energy storage. Air pressures are measured from 0.04 to 0.12 MPa at a step of 0.02 MPa with a sensitivity of 49.235 V/MPa, as well as airflow from 50 to 250 L/min at a step of 50 L/min with a sensitivity of 0.002 μA·min/L. This work has first demonstrated triboelectric active sensors for pneumatic monitoring and may promote the development of TENG in intelligent pneumatic system.

Air Space Proportion in Pterosaur Limb Bones Using Computed Tomography and Its Implications for Previous Estimates of Pneumaticity

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Elizabeth G.; Palmer, Colin

2014-01-01

Air Space Proportion (ASP) is a measure of how much air is present within a bone, which allows for a quantifiable comparison of pneumaticity between specimens and species. Measured from zero to one, higher ASP means more air and less bone. Conventionally, it is estimated from measurements of the internal and external bone diameter, or by analyzing cross-sections. To date, the only pterosaur ASP study has been carried out by visual inspection of sectioned bones within matrix. Here, computed tomography (CT) scans are used to calculate ASP in a small sample of pterosaur wing bones (mainly phalanges) and to assess how the values change throughout the bone. These results show higher ASPs than previous pterosaur pneumaticity studies, and more significantly, higher ASP values in the heads of wing bones than the shaft. This suggests that pneumaticity has been underestimated previously in pterosaurs, birds, and other archosaurs when shaft cross-sections are used to estimate ASP. Furthermore, ASP in pterosaurs is higher than those found in birds and most sauropod dinosaurs, giving them among the highest ASP values of animals studied so far, supporting the view that pterosaurs were some of the most pneumatized animals to have lived. The high degree of pneumaticity found in pterosaurs is proposed to be a response to the wing bone bending stiffness requirements of flight rather than a means to reduce mass, as is often suggested. Mass reduction may be a secondary result of pneumaticity that subsequently aids flight. PMID:24817312

Development of Pneumatic Transport System (PTS) for safe handling of uranium oxide powder in UMP/UED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manna, S.; Satpati, S.K.; Roy, S.B.

2009-01-01

Tonnage quantity radioactive uranium oxide powder of particle size sub micron to 100 micron is handled in Uranium Metal Plant (UMP), UED/BARC for production of nuclear grade uranium metal, required for fuelling research reactors - Dhruva and Cirus. A Pneumatic Transfer System (PTS) using vacuum has been introduced and is being used for handling radioactive powder to improve radiation protection

Design and Dynamic Model of a Frog-inspired Swimming Robot Powered by Pneumatic Muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ji-Zhuang; Zhang, Wei; Kong, Peng-Cheng; Cai, He-Gao; Liu, Gang-Feng

2017-09-01

Pneumatic muscles with similar characteristics to biological muscles have been widely used in robots, and thus are promising drivers for frog inspired robots. However, the application and nonlinearity of the pneumatic system limit the advance. On the basis of the swimming mechanism of the frog, a frog-inspired robot based on pneumatic muscles is developed. To realize the independent tasks by the robot, a pneumatic system with internal chambers, micro air pump, and valves is implemented. The micro pump is used to maintain the pressure difference between the source and exhaust chambers. The pneumatic muscles are controlled by high-speed switch valves which can reduce the robot cost, volume, and mass. A dynamic model of the pneumatic system is established for the simulation to estimate the system, including the chamber, muscle, and pneumatic circuit models. The robot design is verified by the robot swimming experiments and the dynamic model is verified through the experiments and simulations of the pneumatic system. The simulation results are compared to analyze the functions of the source pressure, internal volume of the muscle, and circuit flow rate which is proved the main factor that limits the response of muscle pressure. The proposed research provides the application of the pneumatic muscles in the frog inspired robot and the pneumatic model to study muscle controller.

Pneumatic wrench retains or discharges nuts or bolts as desired

Science.gov (United States)

Bouille, J. R.

1966-01-01

Pneumatic wrench grips, screws or unscrews, and discharges a nut or bolt as desired. The device consists of a standard pneumatic wrench modified with a special hex bolt head socket assembly and a diaphragm air cylinder.

Integration of Pneumatic Technology in Powered Mobility Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Daveler, Brandon; Wang, Hongwu; Gebrosky, Benjamin; Grindle, Garrett G; Schneider, Urs; Cooper, Rory A

2017-01-01

Advances in electric motors, electronics, and control systems have enhanced the capability and drivability of electric power mobility devices over the last 60 years. Yet, battery technologies used in powered mobility devices (PMDs) have not kept pace. Recent advances in pneumatic technology, primarily the high torque, low speed design of rotary piston air motors, directly align with the needs of PMD. Pneumatic technology has advantages over battery-powered technology, including lighter weight, lower operating costs, decreased environmental impact, better reliability, and increased safety. Two prototypes were created that incorporated rotary piston air motors, high-pressure air tanks, and air-pressure regulators. Prototype 1 was created by modifying an existing electric PMD. Range tests were performed to determine the feasibility of pneumatic technology and the optimal combination of components to allow the longest range possible at acceptable speeds over ideal conditions. Using a 1.44 L air tank for feasibility testing, prototype 1 was capable of traveling 800 m, which confirmed the feasibility of pneumatic technology usage in PMDs. Prototype 2 was designed based on the testing results from prototype 1. After further optimization of prototype 2, the average maximum range was 3,150 m. Prototype 2 is up to 28.3% lighter than an equivalent size electric PMD and can be fully recharged in approximately 2 minutes. It decreases the cost of PMDs by approximately $1,500, because batteries do not need to be replaced over the lifetime of the device. The results provide justification for the use of pneumatic technology in PMDs.

A Pneumatic Actuated Microfluidic Beads-Trapping Device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Guocheng; Cai, Ziliang; Wang, Jun; Wang, Wanjun; Lin, Yuehe

2011-08-20

The development of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic microbeads trapping device is reported in this paper. Besides fluid channels, the proposed device includes a pneumatic control chamber and a beads-trapping chamber with a filter array structure. The pneumatic flow control chamber and the beads-trapping chamber are vertically stacked and separated by a thin membrane. By adjusting the pressure in the pneumatic control chamber, the membrane can either be pushed against the filter array to set the device in trapping mode or be released to set the device in releasing mode. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics simulation was conducted to optimize the geometry design of the filter array structure; the device fabrication was also carried out. The prototype device was tested and the preliminary experimental results showed that it can be used as a beads-trapping unit for various biochemistry and analytical chemistry applications, especially for flow injection analysis systems.

Quantification of dynamic property of pneumatic muscle actuator for design of therapeutic robot control.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Sivakumar; Huang, He; He, Jiping

2006-01-01

Robot-assisted therapy has shown potential in neuromotor rehabilitation. A therapeutic robot driven by pneumatic muscle actuators has been developed in our research group. However, the design of fine and real-time feedback robot control is a challenge. One of the difficulties is the lack of a general dynamic model of the pneumatic muscle actuator. In this study, a phenomenological model has been developed to quantify the dynamic behavior of pneumatic muscle actuator by fitting the experimental length response of the pneumatic muscle, to a step pressure input. In addition, comparison of the dynamic responses of two pneumatic muscles of different dimensions has also been studied. Several control strategies for the pneumatic muscle actuator are discussed based on the results from this study.

Ballistic electron transport in mesoscopic samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaconescu, D.

2000-01-01

In the framework of this thesis, the electron transport in the ballistic regime has been studied. Ballistic means that the lateral sample dimensions are smaller than the mean free path of the electrons, i.e. the electrons can travel through the whole device without being scattered. This leads to transport characteristics that differ significantly from the diffusive regime which is realised in most experiments. Making use of samples with high mean free path, features of ballistic transport have been observed on samples with sizes up to 100 μm. The basic device used in ballistic electron transport is the point contact, from which a collimated beam of ballistic electrons can be injected. Such point contacts were realised with focused ion beam (FIB) implantation and the collimating properties were analysed using a two opposite point contact configuration. The typical angular width at half maximum is around 50 , which is comparable with that of point contacts defined by other methods. (orig.)

Model analysis of mechanisms controlling pneumatic soil vapor extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høier, Camilla Kruse; Sonnenborg, Torben Obel; Jensen, Karsten Høgh

2009-01-01

of heterogeneous soils by enforcing large fluctuating pressure fronts through the contaminated area. Laboratory experiments have suggested that pneumatic SVE considerably improves the recovery rate from low-permeable units. We have analyzed the experimental results using a numerical code and quantified......The efficiency of traditional soil venting or soil vapor extraction (SVE) highly depends on the architecture of the subsurface because imposed advective air flow tends to bypass low-permeable contaminated areas. Pneumatic SVE is a technique developed to enhance remediation efficiency...... level the pneumatic venting technology is superior to the traditional technique, and that the method is particularly efficient in cases where large permeability contrasts exist between soil units in the subsurface....

An update on Lab Rover: A hospital material transporter

Science.gov (United States)

Mattaboni, Paul

1994-01-01

The development of a hospital material transporter, 'Lab Rover', is described. Conventional material transport now utilizes people power, push carts, pneumatic tubes and tracked vehicles. Hospitals are faced with enormous pressure to reduce operating costs. Cyberotics, Inc. developed an Autonomous Intelligent Vehicle (AIV). This battery operated service robot was designed specifically for health care institutions. Applications for the AIV include distribution of clinical lab samples, pharmacy drugs, administrative records, x-ray distribution, meal tray delivery, and certain emergency room applications. The first AIV was installed at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. Lab Rover was beta tested for one year and has been 'on line' for an additional 2 years.

A Study on the Bandwidth Characteristics of Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rino Versluys

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Pleated pneumatic artificial muscles have interesting properties that can be of considerable significance in robotics and automation. With a view to the potential use of pleated pneumatic artificial muscles as actuators for a fatigue test bench (high forces and small displacements, the bandwidth characteristics of a muscle-valve system were investigated. Bandwidth is commonly used for linear systems, as the Bode plot is independent of the amplitude of the input signal. However, due to the non-linear behaviour of pleated pneumatic artificial muscles, the system's gain becomes dependent on the amplitude of the input sine wave. As a result, only one Bode plot is insufficient to clearly describe or identify a non-linear system. In this study, the bandwidth of a muscle-valve system was assessed from two perspectives: a varying amplitude and a varying offset of the input sine wave. A brief introduction to pneumatic artificial muscles is given. The concept of pleated pneumatic artificial muscles is explained. Furthermore, the different test methods and experimental results are presented.

Introducing PneuAct: Parametrically-Designed MRI-Compatible Pneumatic Stepper Actuator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sojoodi Farimani, F.; Misra, Sarthak

2018-01-01

Pneumatic stepper motors are one of the promising alternative actuation methods for motion control in environments where electromagnetic (EM) motors cannot be used. Due to the lack of commercial off-the-shelf products, researchers working on MR compatible robotics have to develop their own pneumatic

The influence of variable operating conditions on the design and exploitation of fly ash pneumatic transport systems in thermal power plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Stanojević

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of an air-slide pneumatic conveying system depends, first of all, on several basic elements chosen or calculated during the design of a plant: air-slide design parameters, air mover characteristics, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the material to be transported. However, during the exploitation of this type of system which is used for handling ash in thermal-power plants, either gradual and/or sudden changes in the operating conditions can arise. This may be due to changes both in the proportion of ash content, and in the flow characteristics of the porous membrane. The consequences of changes in these conditions on the performance of the ash handling system are analyzed, based upon the results of the experimental work carried out on the test rig at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, and upon the on-site measurements at the thermal-power plant "Nikola Tesla B".

The influence of variable operating conditions on the design and exploitation of fly ash pneumatic transport systems in thermal power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanojevic, M.; Radic, D.; Jovovic, A. (and others) [University of Belgrade, Belgrade (Serbia). Dept. of Processing Engineering

2008-10-15

The efficiency of an air-slide pneumatic conveying system depends, first of all, on several basic elements chosen or calculated during the design of a plant: air-slide design parameters, air mover characteristics, as well as the physical and chemical properties of the material to be transported. However, during the exploitation of this type of system which is used for handling ash in thermal-power plants, either gradual and/or sudden changes in the operating conditions can arise. This may be due to changes both in the proportion of ash content and in the flow characteristics of the porous membrane. The consequences of changes in these conditions on the performance of the ash handling system are analyzed, based upon the results of the experimental work carried out on the test rig at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, and upon the on-site measurements at the thermal-power plant 'Nikola Tesla B'. 5 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Study of Pneumatic Servo Loading System in Double-Sided Polishing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, N; Ruan, J; Li, W

2006-01-01

The precise double-sided polishing process is one of the main methods to get the ultra-smooth surface of workpiece. In double-sided polishing machine, a loading system is required to be able to precisely control the load superimposed on the workpiece, while the polishing is being carried out. A pneumatic servo loading system is proposed for this purpose. In the pneumatic servo system, the servo valve, which acts both the electrical to mechanical converter and the power amplifier, has a substantial influence on the performance of the loading system. Therefore a specially designed pneumatic digital servo valve is applied in the control system. In this paper, the construction of the pneumatic servo loading system in double-sided polishing machine and control strategy associated with the digital servo valve are first addressed. The mathematical model of the system established and the hardware of the pneumatic servo system is designed. Finally, the experiments are carried out by measuring the practical load on the workpiece and the quality of the surface finish. It is demonstrated that the error rate of load is less than 5% and a super-smooth surface of silicon wafer with roughness Ra 0.401 nm can be obtained

Pneumatic stepper motor and device comprising at least one such pneumatic stepper motor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenhuis, Vincent; Siepel, Françoise Jeanette; Stramigioli, Stefano

2018-01-01

The invention relates to a pneumatic stepper motor, comprising: - a housing, said housing accommodating at least part of: - a rack or geared axle comprising a plurality of gear elements; and - two pistons, each comprising at least two teeth, said pistons being arranged to cooperate with said rack or

Force Control for a Pneumatic Cylinder Using Generalized Predictive Controller Approach

OpenAIRE

Mohd Faudzi, Ahmad ’Athif; Mustafa, Nu’man Din; Osman, Khairuddin

2014-01-01

Pneumatic cylinder is a well-known device because of its high power to weight ratio, easy use, and environmental safety. Pneumatic cylinder uses air as its power source and converts it to a possible movement such as linear and rotary movement. In order to control the pneumatic cylinder, controller algorithm is needed to control the on-off solenoid valve with encoder and pressure sensor as the feedback inputs. In this paper, generalized predictive controller (GPC) is proposed as the control st...

Development and implementation of a new pneumatic transfer system for materials irradiation at IEA-R1 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernando, Alberto de Jesus

2011-01-01

Pneumatic Transfer Systems (PTS) are classified as mechanical equipment largely operated all over the world for transport of a huge sort of objects, samples and materials located at nearly terminals or even at separated ones. System applicability is often recognized in many activities, such as medicine (hospital settings, clinical analysis labs), industry (steel, automobiles, mining, chemical, food, construction), trading (gas station, movies, supermarkets, banks, e-commerce) and federal agencies (post services, federal courts, public enterprises). In the nuclear settings, PTS shows also a vast array of applications, being a part of radioisotope production, as well as short-lived radiopharmaceuticals, including 67 Ga, 201 Tl, 18 F and 123 I-ultra pure. Besides, PTS are also used at radioactive waste management plants and research institutes that apply neutron activation analysis (NAA). This work was directed toward the design and operation of a new PTS for the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor settled at Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN) for NAA application. With this aim, it was calculated the charge of reactor core grid plate and sample transport testing. Neutron flux at irradiating position was determined as 3,70 ± 0,26 10 12 n cm -2 s -1 . (author)

Analytical Solution to the Pneumatic Transient Rod System at ACRR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fehr, Brandon Michael [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-01-08

The ACRR pulse is pneumatically driven by nitrogen in a system of pipes, valves and hoses up to the connection of the pneumatic system and mechanical linkages of the transient rod (TR). The main components of the TR pneumatic system are the regulator, accumulator, solenoid valve and piston-cylinder assembly. The purpose of this analysis is to analyze the flow of nitrogen through the TR pneumatic system in order to develop a motion profile of the piston during the pulse and be able to predict the pressure distributions inside both the cylinder and accumulators. The predicted pressure distributions will be validated against pressure transducer data, while the motion profile will be compared to proximity switch data. By predicting the motion of the piston, pulse timing will be determined and provided to the engineers/operators for verification. The motion profile will provide an acceleration distribution to be used in Razorback to more accurately predict reactivity insertion into the system.

Analytical Solution to the Pneumatic Transient Rod System at ACRR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fehr, Brandon Michael

2016-01-01

The ACRR pulse is pneumatically driven by nitrogen in a system of pipes, valves and hoses up to the connection of the pneumatic system and mechanical linkages of the transient rod (TR). The main components of the TR pneumatic system are the regulator, accumulator, solenoid valve and piston-cylinder assembly. The purpose of this analysis is to analyze the flow of nitrogen through the TR pneumatic system in order to develop a motion profile of the piston during the pulse and be able to predict the pressure distributions inside both the cylinder and accumulators. The predicted pressure distributions will be validated against pressure transducer data, while the motion profile will be compared to proximity switch data. By predicting the motion of the piston, pulse timing will be determined and provided to the engineers/operators for verification. The motion profile will provide an acceleration distribution to be used in Razorback to more accurately predict reactivity insertion into the system.

Utilization of pneumatic energy in industries and Nuclear Energy Unit - a brief review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhd Noor Muhd Yunus

1984-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent of utilisation of pneumatic energy in UTN, besides depicting the capabilities of pneumatics in various field, especially in nuclear industry. Thus, a few examples of the usage of this energy in industry and UTN are explained and listed briefly. Comparisons and advantages of the pneumatics with respect to other forms of energy also discussed briefly. It is hoped that this pneumatic technology will advanced in UTN and becoming one of the alternatives of offered apart from other form of energy like hyrdaulics and electricity. (author)

Project and construction of a pneumatic system for the transference of samples to a neutron generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, A.N. de

1983-01-01

A prototype of a system for the transport of irradiated samples to and from a neutron generator, was constructed, using compressed air as propeller agent. Compressed air was injected through electrically driven values. The sample, transported by the pressure wave, was inserted into a PVC tube 50m long and weighing 23.0 g. The first tests were carried out in order to determine the times needed to transport the above-mentioned PVC support along a PVC tube of 3m length and 3/4 diameter for different air pressures applied; it was verified that for pressures between 3.0 and 8.0 kgf/cm 2 , transport times were always smaller than 2 seconds. These results showed the viability of constructing a definitive system, already projected. (C.L.B.) [pt

Electric-Pneumatic Actuator: A New Muscle for Locomotion

OpenAIRE

Ahmad Sharbafi, Maziar; Shin, Hirofumi; Zhao, Guoping; Hosoda, Koh; Seyfarth, Andre

2017-01-01

A better understanding of how actuator design supports locomotor function may help develop novel and more functional powered assistive devices or robotic legged systems. Legged robots comprise passive parts (e.g., segments, joints and connections) which are moved in a coordinated manner by actuators. In this study, we propose a novel concept of a hybrid electric-pneumatic actuator (EPA) as an enhanced variable impedance actuator (VIA). EPA is consisted of a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) a...

Design and experiment of pneumatic EPB test platform

OpenAIRE

Jianshi GONG; Tianle JIA; Dali TIAN; Hongliang WANG; Di HUANG

2017-01-01

In order to verify the accuracy and reliability of the function and control strategy of the pneumatic electronic parking brake(EPB) system, a test platform of the pneumatic EPB system is designed. The working principle of the air pressure type EPB test platform is introduced, the composition of the platform is confirmed, including air press storage module, braking module, man-machine interaction module, signal imitation module, data collection module, and fault diagnosis module, and the funct...

Pneumatic Compression, But Not Exercise, Can Avoid Intradialytic Hypotension: A Randomized Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Álvares, Valeria R C; Ramos, Camila D; Pereira, Benedito J; Pinto, Ana Lucia; Moysés, Rosa M A; Gualano, Bruno; Elias, Rosilene M

2017-01-01

Conventional hemodialysis (HD) is associated with dialysis-induced hypotension (DIH) and ineffective phosphate removal. As the main source of extracellular fluid removed during HD are the legs, we sought to reduce DIH and increase phosphate removal by using cycling and pneumatic compression, which would potentially provide higher venous return, preserving central blood flow and also offering more phosphate to the dialyzer. We evaluated 21 patients in a randomized crossover fashion in which each patient underwent 3 different HD: control; cycling exercise during the first 60 min; and pneumatic compression during the first 60 min. Data obtained included bioelectrical impedance, hourly blood pressure measurement, biochemical parameters, and direct quantification of phosphate through the dialysate. DIH was defined as a drop in mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥20 mm Hg. There was no difference in the ultrafiltration rate (p = 0.628), delta weight (p = 0.415), delta of total, intra and extracellular body water among the control, cycling, and pneumatic compression (p = 0.209, p = 0.348, and p = 0.467 respectively). Delta MAP was less changed by pneumatic compression when compared to control, cycling, and pneumatic compression respectively (-4.7 [-17.2, 8.2], -4.7 [-20.5, -0.2], and -2.3 [-8.1, 9.0] mm Hg; p = 0.021). DIH occurred in 43, 38, and 24% of patients in control, cycling, and pneumatic compression respectively (p = 0.014). Phosphate removal did not increase in any intervention (p = 0.486). Higher phosphate removal was dependent on ultrafiltration, pre dialysis serum phosphate, and higher parathyroid hormone. Pneumatic compression during the first hour of dialysis was associated with less DIH, albeit there was no effect on fluid parameters. Neither exercise nor pneumatic compression increased phosphate removal. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Designed pneumatic valve actuators for controlled droplet breakup and generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae-Hoon; Lee, Seung-Kon; Lim, Jong-Min; Yang, Seung-Man; Yi, Gi-Ra

2010-02-21

The dynamic breakup of emulsion droplets was demonstrated in double-layered microfluidic devices equipped with designed pneumatic actuators. Uniform emulsion droplets, produced by shearing at a T-junction, were broken into smaller droplets when they passed downstream through constrictions formed by a pneumatically actuated valve in the upper control layer. The valve-assisted droplet breakup was significantly affected by the shape and layout of the control valves on the emulsion flow channel. Interestingly, by actuating the pneumatic valve immediately above the T-junction, the sizes of the emulsion droplets were controlled precisely in a programmatic manner that produced arrays of uniform emulsion droplets in various sizes and dynamic patterns.

Development of Pneumatic Robot Hand and Construction of Master-Slave System

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujiuchi, Nobutaka; Koizumi, Takayuki; Nishino, Shinya; Komatsubara, Hiroyuki; Kudawara, Tatsuwo; Hirano, Masanori

Recently, research and development has focused on robots that work in place of people. It is necessary for robots to perform the same flexible motions as people. Additionally, such robots need to incorporate high-level safety features in order not to injure people. For creation of such robots, we need to develop a robot hand that functions like a human hand. At the same time, this type of robot hand can be used as an artificial hand. Here, we present artificial muscle-type pneumatic actuators as the driving source of a robot hand that is both safe and flexible. Some development of robot hands using pneumatic actuators has already taken place. But, until now, when a pneumatic actuator is used, a big compressor is needed. So, the driving system also needs to be big; enlargement of the driving system is a major problem. Consequently, in this research, we develop a low-pressure, low-volume pneumatic actuator for driving a robot hand that works flexibly and safely on the assumption that it will be in contact with people. We develop a five-fingered robot hand with pneumatic actuators. And, we construct a master-slave system to enable the robot hand to perform the same operations as a human hand. We make a 1-link arm that has one degree of freedom using a pneumatic actuator, and construct a control system for the 1-link arm and verify its control performance.

A comparison of continuous pneumatic nebulization and flow injection-direct injection nebulization for sample introduction in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crain, J.S.; Kiely, J.T.

1995-08-01

Dilute nitric acid blanks and solutions containing Ni, Cd, Pb, and U (including two laboratory waste samples) were analyzed eighteen times over a two-month period using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Two different sample introduction techniques were employed: flow injection-direct injection nebulization (FI-DIN) and continuous pneumatic nebulization (CPN). Using comparable instrumental measurement procedures, FI-DIN analyses were 33% faster and generated 52% less waste than CPN analyses. Instrumental limits of detection obtained with FI-DIN and CPN were comparable but not equivalent (except in the case of Pb) because of nebulizer-related differences in sensitivity (i.e., signal per unit analyte concentration) and background. Substantial and statistically significant differences were found between FI-DIN and CPN Ni determinations, and in the case of the laboratory waste samples, there were also small but statistically significant differences between Cd determinations. These small (2 to 3%) differences were not related to polyatomic ion interference (e.g., 95 Mo 16 O + ), but in light of the time savings and waste reduction to be realized, they should not preclude the use of FI-DIN in place of CPN for determination of Cd, Pb, U and chemically

Costs and benefits of pneumatic collection in three specific New York City cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Benjamin; Spertus, Juliette; Kamga, Camille

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Pneumatic and truck collection were compared in three New York City locations. • Relative costs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions varied significantly. • Variations were due to location-specific factors (e.g., route density, truck type). • Under appropriate conditions, pneumatic collection reduces TMT, BTU, and GHG. • Pneumatic capex may be offset by operating savings and externality benefits. - Abstract: Truck-based collection of municipal solid waste imposes significant negative externalities on cities and constrains the efficiency of separate collection of recyclables and organics and of unit-price-based waste-reduction systems. In recent decades, hundreds of municipal-scale pneumatic collection systems have been installed in Europe and Asia. Relatively few prior studies have compared the economic or environmental impacts of these systems to those of truck collection. A critical factor to consider when making this comparison is the extent to which the findings reflect the specific geographic, demographic, and operational characteristics of the systems considered. This paper is based on three case studies that consider the specific characteristics of three locations, comparing pneumatic systems with conventional collection on the basis of actual waste tonnages, composition, sources, collection routes, truck trips, and facility locations. In one case, alternative upgrades to an existing pneumatic system are compared to a potential truck-collection operation. In the other cases, existing truck operations are compared to proposed pneumatic systems which, to reduce capital costs, would be installed without new trenching or tunneling through the use of existing linear infrastructure. For the two proposed retrofit pneumatic systems, up to 48,000 truck kilometers travelled would be avoided and energy use would be reduced by up to 60% at an incremental cost of up to $400,000 USD per year over the total operating-plus-capital cost of

Costs and benefits of pneumatic collection in three specific New York City cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, Benjamin, E-mail: BenjaminMiller@nyc.rr.com [University Transportation Research Center, Region 2, 910 Marshak Hall, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031 (United States); Spertus, Juliette, E-mail: Juliette.Spertus@gmail.com [19 Clifton Place, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (United States); Kamga, Camille, E-mail: CKamga@UTRC2.org [University Transportation Research Center, Region 2, 910 Marshak Hall, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031 (United States)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • Pneumatic and truck collection were compared in three New York City locations. • Relative costs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions varied significantly. • Variations were due to location-specific factors (e.g., route density, truck type). • Under appropriate conditions, pneumatic collection reduces TMT, BTU, and GHG. • Pneumatic capex may be offset by operating savings and externality benefits. - Abstract: Truck-based collection of municipal solid waste imposes significant negative externalities on cities and constrains the efficiency of separate collection of recyclables and organics and of unit-price-based waste-reduction systems. In recent decades, hundreds of municipal-scale pneumatic collection systems have been installed in Europe and Asia. Relatively few prior studies have compared the economic or environmental impacts of these systems to those of truck collection. A critical factor to consider when making this comparison is the extent to which the findings reflect the specific geographic, demographic, and operational characteristics of the systems considered. This paper is based on three case studies that consider the specific characteristics of three locations, comparing pneumatic systems with conventional collection on the basis of actual waste tonnages, composition, sources, collection routes, truck trips, and facility locations. In one case, alternative upgrades to an existing pneumatic system are compared to a potential truck-collection operation. In the other cases, existing truck operations are compared to proposed pneumatic systems which, to reduce capital costs, would be installed without new trenching or tunneling through the use of existing linear infrastructure. For the two proposed retrofit pneumatic systems, up to 48,000 truck kilometers travelled would be avoided and energy use would be reduced by up to 60% at an incremental cost of up to $400,000 USD per year over the total operating-plus-capital cost of

Empirical Analysis of Pneumatic Tire Friction on Ice

OpenAIRE

Holley, Troy Nigel

2010-01-01

Pneumatic tire friction on ice is an under-researched area of tire mechanics. This study covers the design and analysis of a series of pneumatic tire tests on a flat-level ice road surface. The terramechanics rig of the Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Lab (AVDL) is a single-wheel test rig that allows for the experimental analysis of the forces and moments on a tire, providing directly the data for the drawbar pull of said tire, thus supporting the calculation of friction based on this data. This...

Predictors of treatment failure for pneumatic retinopexy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rootman, Dan B; Luu, Shelly; M Conti, Stephen; Mandell, Mark; Devenyi, Robert; Lam, Wai-Ching; Kertes, Peter J

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was to define the overall anatomic success rate in pneumatic retinopexy and to identify morphologic features that may be predictive of treatment failure in pneumatic retinopexy. Prospective consecutive interventional case series of patients with new-onset primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments treated with pneumatic retinopexy. In this interventional case series, consecutive patients with new-onset primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were treated with pneumatic retinopexy and followed prospectively. Morphologic data were collected on 3-colour fundus drawings. The primary outcome measure was treatment failure, defined as requirement for scleral buckle or vitrectomy within the follow-up period. Rates of failure for each morphologic feature were compared and a logistic regression model was fit. A total of 113 eyes were included in the study. Anatomic success was achieved in 69.6% of patients. Morphologic criteria including the position and number of breaks, position and extent of lattice degeneration, size of the detached area, and macular status were all found not to be significantly related to failure. In multivariate analysis, only 3 predictors, pseudophakic status (p < 0.05, odds ratio [OR] 2.9, 95% CI, 1.06-7.88), presence of retinal break greater than 1 clock-hour (p < 0.05, OR 3.41, 1.06-11.02), and presence of grade C or D proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (p < 0.01, OR 31.83, 95% CI, 3.59-282.24), gained statistical significance. Only pseudophakia, a large retinal break, and/or PVR was associated with an increased likelihood of failure. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of the PZK system for pneumatic stowing along mine workings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makarevich, Yu S; Buzhin, N K; Churakov, V N

1983-07-01

The utilization of waste rock for pneumatic stowing in the Komsomolets Donbassa mine with coal seams to 1 m thick and dip angles from 3 to 11/sup 0/ is evaluated. Gate roads used for mine haulage by belt conveyors are controlled by cribbings made of timber and of concrete blocks, particularly at junction of working facese by belt conveyors are controlled by cribbings made of timber and of concrete blocks, particularly at junction of working faces with gate goads. Effects of pneumatic stowing on strata control cost and environmental protection are analyzed. Waste rock which has been dumped at spoil banks on the ground surface is crushed by the PZK system developed by Dongiproshakht. The PZK system is installed underground close to haulage roadways. Crushed rock material with size from 0 to 80 mm and compression strength coefficient from 3 to 5 degrees on the Protod'yakonov scale is hauled by mine cars to working faces and stowed by the DZM-2 pneumatic system. Strips of pneumatic stowing at each side of a gate road are from 12 to 15 m wide. Design of the PZM system and of a rock hopper used for accumulation of crushed rock as well as design of the DZM-2 system are shown in schemes. Economic analysis shows that use of pneumatic stowing reduces roof subsidence in the haulage gate road to 20% and eliminates cribbings. Use of pneumatic stowing for strata control in haulage gate roads economizes 65 rubles per 1 m of gate road.

Deep sedation during pneumatic reduction of intussusception.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilivitzki, Anat; Shtark, Luda Glozman; Arish, Karin; Engel, Ahuva

2012-05-01

Pneumatic reduction of intussusception under fluoroscopic guidance is a routine procedure. The unsedated child may resist the procedure, which may lengthen its duration and increase the radiation dose. We use deep sedation during the procedure to overcome these difficulties. The purpose of this study was to summarize our experience with deep sedation during fluoroscopic reduction of intussusception and assess the added value and complication rate of deep sedation. All children with intussusception who underwent pneumatic reduction in our hospital between January 2004 and June 2011 were included in this retrospective study. Anesthetists sedated the children using propofol. The fluoroscopic studies, ultrasound (US) studies and the childrens' charts were reviewed. One hundred thirty-one attempted reductions were performed in 119 children, of which 121 (92%) were successful and 10 (8%) failed. Two perforations (1.5%) occurred during attempted reduction. Average fluoroscopic time was 1.5 minutes. No complication to sedation was recorded. Deep sedation with propofol did not add any complication to the pneumatic reduction. The fluoroscopic time was short. The success rate of reduction was high,raising the possibility that sedation is beneficial, possibly by smooth muscle relaxation.

46 CFR 108.409 - Location and spacing of tubing in pneumatic fire detection system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... detection system. 108.409 Section 108.409 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED... and spacing of tubing in pneumatic fire detection system. (a) All tubing in a pneumatic fire detection... exposed in the space. (c) A pneumatic fire detection system must be set to activate after approximately a...

Vibration and recoil control of pneumatic hammers. [by air flow pressure regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Constantinescu, I. N.; Darabont, A. V.

1974-01-01

Vibration sources are described for pneumatic hammers used in the mining industry (pick hammers), in boiler shops (riveting hammers), etc., bringing to light the fact that the principal vibration source is the variation in air pressure inside the cylinder. The present state of the art of vibration control of pneumatic hammers as it is practiced abroad, and the solutions adopted for this purpose, are discussed. A new type of pneumatic hammer with a low noise and vibration level is presented.

49 CFR 571.119 - Standard No. 119; New pneumatic tires for motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... without interruption. (e) Immediately after running the tire the required time, measure the tire inflation...) Immediately after running the tire the required time, measure the tire inflation pressure. Remove the tire... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard No. 119; New pneumatic tires for motor...

Pneumatization of the Temporal Bones in a Greenlandic Inuit Anthropological Material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N

1991-01-01

The degree of pneumatization of the temporal bones correlates with exposure during childhood and adolescence to infectious middle ear diseases (IMED), both acute and chronic. The pneumatized area as seen on cranial X-rays can be measured. This was applied to an anthropological material in order...

Efficient control of servo pneumatic actuator system utilizing by-pass ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The issue of energy saving nowadays is very crucial. Pneumatic systems, constituting an important segment of almost every industry, represent large energy consumers. Also, a significant problem with servo pneumatic actuators is achieving accuracy in positioning. The higher the positioning accuracy, the higher the ...

Force Control for a Pneumatic Cylinder Using Generalized Predictive Controller Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad ’Athif Mohd Faudzi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic cylinder is a well-known device because of its high power to weight ratio, easy use, and environmental safety. Pneumatic cylinder uses air as its power source and converts it to a possible movement such as linear and rotary movement. In order to control the pneumatic cylinder, controller algorithm is needed to control the on-off solenoid valve with encoder and pressure sensor as the feedback inputs. In this paper, generalized predictive controller (GPC is proposed as the control strategy for the pneumatic cylinder force control. To validate and compare the performance, proportional-integral (PI controller is also presented. Both controllers algorithms GPC and PI are developed using existing linear model of the cylinder from previous research. Results are presented in simulation and experimental approach using MATLAB-Simulink as the platform. The results show that the GPC is capable of fast response with low steady state error and percentage overshoot compared to PI.

Slit Tubes for Semisoft Pneumatic Actuators.

Science.gov (United States)

Belding, Lee; Baytekin, Bilge; Baytekin, Hasan Tarik; Rothemund, Philipp; Verma, Mohit S; Nemiroski, Alex; Sameoto, Dan; Grzybowski, Bartosz A; Whitesides, George M

2018-03-01

This article describes a new principle for designing soft or 'semisoft' pneumatic actuators: SLiT (for SLit-in-Tube) actuators. Inflating an elastomeric balloon, when enclosed by an external shell (a material with higher Young's modulus) containing slits of different directions and lengths, produces a variety of motions, including bending, twisting, contraction, and elongation. The requisite pressure for actuation depends on the length of the slits, and this dependence allows sequential actuation by controlling the applied pressure. Different actuators can also be controlled using external "sliders" that act as reprogrammable "on-off" switches. A pneumatic arm and a walker constructed from SLiT actuators demonstrate their ease of fabrication and the range of motions they can achieve. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pneumatic artificial muscle and its application on driving variable trailing-edge camber wing

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Weilong; Liu, Libo; Chen, Yijin; Liu, Yanju; Leng, Jinsong

2010-04-01

As a novel bionic actuator, pneumatic artificial muscle has high power to weight ratio. In this paper, the experimental setup to measure the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle was designed and the relationship between the static output force and the air pressure was investigated. Experimental result shows the static output force of pneumatic artificial muscle decreases nonlinearly with increasing contraction ratio. A variable camber wing based on the pneumatic artificial muscle was developed and the variable camber wing model was manufactured to validate the variable camber concept. Wind tunnel tests were conducted in the low speed wind tunnel. Experimental result shows that the wing camber increases with increasing air pressure.

Complications of occipital bone pneumatization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moss, Mary; Roche, Jim; Biggs, Michael; Forer, Martin; Fagan, Paul; Davis, Martin

2004-01-01

Four cases of occipital bone pneumatization and subsequent complications are described, which include a pathological fracture of C 1 and the occipital bone, spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema and pneumatocele formation. Reviews of the published literature and possible aetiological factors have been discussed Copyright (2004) Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

Density-Gradient Mediated Band Extraction of Leukocytes from Whole Blood Using Centrifugo-Pneumatic Siphon Valving on Centrifugal Microfluidic Discs

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, Sinéad M.; Kilcawley, Niamh A.; Early, Philip L.; Glynn, Macdara T.; Ducrée, Jens

2016-01-01

Here we present retrieval of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells by density-gradient medium based centrifugation for subsequent analysis of the leukocytes on an integrated microfluidic “Lab-on-a-Disc” cartridge. Isolation of white blood cells constitutes a critical sample preparation step for many bioassays. Centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves are particularly suited for blood processing as they function without need of surface treatment and are ‘low-pass’, i.e., holding at high centrifugation speeds and opening upon reduction of the spin rate. Both ‘hydrostatically’ and ‘hydrodynamically’ triggered centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valving schemes are presented. Firstly, the geometry of the pneumatic chamber of hydrostatically primed centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves is optimised to enable smooth and uniform layering of blood on top of the density-gradient medium; this feature proves to be key for efficient Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell extraction. A theoretical analysis of hydrostatically primed valves is also presented which determines the optimum priming pressure for the individual valves. Next, ‘dual siphon’ configurations for both hydrostatically and hydrodynamically primed centrifugo-pneumatic siphon valves are introduced; here plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells are extracted through a distinct siphon valve. This work represents a first step towards enabling on disc multi-parameter analysis. Finally, the efficiency of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells extraction in these structures is characterised using a simplified design. A microfluidic mechanism, which we termed phase switching, is identified which affects the efficiency of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell extraction. PMID:27167376

An ankle-foot orthosis powered by artificial pneumatic muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, Daniel P; Czerniecki, Joseph M; Hannaford, Blake

2005-05-01

We developed a pneumatically powered orthosis for the human ankle joint. The orthosis consisted of a carbon fiber shell, hinge joint, and two artificial pneumatic muscles. One artificial pneumatic muscle provided plantar flexion torque and the second one provided dorsiflexion torque. Computer software adjusted air pressure in each artificial muscle independently so that artificial muscle force was proportional to rectified low-pass-filtered electromyography (EMG) amplitude (i.e., proportional myoelectric control). Tibialis anterior EMG activated the artificial dorsiflexor and soleus EMG activated the artificial plantar flexor. We collected joint kinematic and artificial muscle force data as one healthy participant walked on a treadmill with the orthosis. Peak plantar flexor torque provided by the orthosis was 70 Nm, and peak dorsiflexor torque provided by the orthosis was 38 Nm. The orthosis could be useful for basic science studies on human locomotion or possibly for gait rehabilitation after neurological injury.

A 14 MeV neutron irradiation facility with an automated fast cyclic pneumatic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M.T.; Yoho, M.D.; Biegalski, S.R.; Landsberger, S.; Welch, L.

2016-01-01

This work details the design criteria, construction, controls, and optimization of the 14 MeV neutron irradiation facility at the University of Texas, built with the motivation of performing neutron activation analysis on samples with short half-lives. The facility couples a D-T neutron generator with a pneumatic transfer system capable of transit of approximately one second between source and detector, while the cyclic automated nature allows for many irradiation/count trials with any number of samples, translating to significantly improved counting statistics. (author)

Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poindexter, A.M.

1977-01-01

An improved liquid-metal dip seal for sealing the annulus between rotating plugs in the reactor vessel head of a liquid-metal fast-breeder nuclear reactor has two legs of differing widths communicating under a seal blade; the wide leg is also in communication with cover gas of the reactor and the narrow leg is also in communication with an isolated plug annulus above the seal. The annulus contains inert gas which acts as a pneumatic spring. Upon increasing cover gas pressure which depresses the level in the wide leg and greatly increases the level in the narrow leg, the pneumatic spring is compressed, and resists further level changes, thus preventing radioactive cover gas from bubbling through the seal

Influence of Isoinertial-Pneumatic Mixed Resistances on Force-Velocity Relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Avrillon, Simon; Jidovtseff, Boris; Hug, François; Guilhem, Gaël

2017-03-01

Muscle strengthening is commonly based on the use of isoinertial loading, whereas variable resistances such as pneumatic loading may be implemented to optimize training stimulus. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of the ratio between pneumatic and isoinertial resistance on the force-velocity relationship during ballistic movements. A total of 15 participants performed 2 concentric repetitions of ballistic bench-press movements with intention to throw the bar at 30%, 45%, 60%, 75%, and 90% of the maximal concentric repetition with 5 resistance ratios including 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, or 0% of pneumatic resistance, the additional load being isoinertial. Force-, velocity-, and power-time patterns were assessed and averaged over the concentric phase to determine the force-velocity and power-velocity relationships for each resistance ratio. Each 25% increase in the pneumatic part in the resistance ratio elicited higher movement velocity (+0.11 ± 0.03 m/s from 0% to 80% of the concentric phase) associated with lower force levels (-43.6 ± 15.2 N). Increased isoinertial part in the resistance ratio resulted in higher velocity toward the end of the movement (+0.23 ± 0.01 m/s from 90% to 100%). The findings show that the resistance ratio could be modulated to develop the acceleration phase and force toward the end of the concentric phase (pneumatic-oriented resistance). Inversely, isoinertial-oriented resistance should be used to develop maximal force and maximal power. Resistance modality could, therefore, be considered an innovative variable to modulate the training stimulus according to athletic purposes.

The pneumatic carrier facility in Dhruva reactor: commissioning, characterization and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, A.V.R.; Newton Nathaniel, T.; Nair, A.G.C.; Acharya, R.; Lahiri, D.K.; Kulkarni, U.S.; Sengupta, C.; Duraisamy, S.; Shukla, D.K.; Chakrabarty, K.; Ghosh, R.; Mondal, S.K.; Gujar, H.G.

2007-11-01

The 100 MWt power Dhruva research reactor, BARC is provided with pneumatic carrier facility (PCF) to carry out R and D work using short-lived (seconds to minutes) radioisotopes in the fields like neutron activation analysis (NAA) and nuclear fission. The samples are kept inside a high density polypropylene capsule (rabbit), which is pneumatically sent to the irradiation position in the core and retrieved after a preset time of irradiation. After the irradiation, radioactivity assay is carried out using high resolution gamma ray spectrometry with HPGe detector coupled to PC based MCA. The availability of high neutron flux (∼ 5 x 10 13 cm -2 s -1 at 50 MWt power) and shorter retrieval time (∼5 seconds) make it possible to measure short-lived isotopes with enhanced sensitivity. This report describes the salient features of this facility, characterization of the neutron spectrum at this irradiation position and its utilization. The PCF is being extensively utilized for analytical applications using NAA as well as nuclear fission studies. A brief description of analysis of some samples of geological, environmental and biological origin, nuclear materials as well as reference materials is included in this report. Protocol and check list for carrying out PCF irradiations and gamma spectrometric assay are also given at the end of the report. (author)

Dreams of pneumatic servo and rail way cars in 2010; 2010 nen noyume kukiatsu servo to tetsudo sharyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, K. [Tokyo Precision Instruments Co. Ltd., Kanagawa (Japan)

2000-01-15

This paper describes pneumatic servo and railway cars. The comfort of railway cars is improved by reducing excess transverse centrifugal force, and longitudinal, transverse and vertical vibration. Pneumatic system plays a large role in the comfort. Pneumatic system is used for doors because of certain open/shut operation and protecting a hand caught in a door from excess tightening pressure. Pneumatic system is also used for mechanical brakes. Pneumatic spring for car suspensions improves the comfort considerably. The orifice and auxiliary tank of a pneumatic spring reduce a spring constant, and give damping to the vibration system of car bodies and springs. To reduce an outward excess centrifugal force by tilting a car body inward at curve, a body tilting equipment is used which is adopted for a pendulum car with pneumatic servo control, and a tilting car with height control of both side pneumatic springs. For transverse damping, semi-active equipment using oil damper is in wide use, while that using pneumatic servo is also in rial use. (NEDO)

Ultrasonic detection of solid phase mass flow ratio of pneumatic conveying fly ash

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Guang Bin; Pan, Hong Li; Wang, Yong; Liu, Zong Ming

2014-04-01

In this paper, ultrasonic attenuation detection and weight balance are adopted to evaluate the solid mass ratio in this paper. Fly ash is transported on the up extraction fluidization pneumatic conveying workbench. In the ultrasonic test. McClements model and Bouguer-Lambert-Beer law model were applied to formulate the ultrasonic attenuation properties of gas-solid flow, which can give the solid mass ratio. While in the method of weigh balance, the averaged mass addition per second can reveal the solids mass flow ratio. By contrast these two solid phase mass ratio detection methods, we can know, the relative error is less.

An integrated methodology for characterizing flow and transport processes in fractured rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Yu-Shu

2007-01-01

To investigate the coupled processes involved in fluid and heat flow and chemical transport in the highly heterogeneous, unsaturated-zone (UZ) fractured rock of Yucca Mountain, we present an integrated modeling methodology. This approach integrates a wide variety of moisture, pneumatic, thermal, and geochemical isotopic field data into a comprehensive three-dimensional numerical model for modeling analyses. The results of field applications of the methodology show that moisture data, such as water potential and liquid saturation, are not sufficient to determine in situ percolation flux, whereas temperature and geochemical isotopic data provide better constraints to net infiltration rates and flow patterns. In addition, pneumatic data are found to be extremely valuable in estimating large-scale fracture permeability. The integration of hydrologic, pneumatic, temperature, and geochemical data into modeling analyses is thereby demonstrated to provide a practical modeling approach for characterizing flow and transport processes in complex fractured formations

Statistical model estimating the occurrence of otitis media from temporal bone pneumatization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homøe, P; Lynnerup, N; Rasmussen, N

1994-01-01

In order to investigate the relationship between the pneumatization of temporal bones and the occurrence of otitis media in Greenlandic Inuit, 36 Greenlandic Inuit were examined by radiography of the temporal bones. The pneumatized cell area was measured planimetrically. All subjects answered...

Evaluation of Models of Pneumatic Tourniquet in Simulated Out-of-Hospital Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Kragh, John F; Aden, James K; Dubick, Michael A

2016-01-01

Pneumatic field tourniquets have been recommended for Military medics to stop bleeding from limb wounds, but no comparison of commercially available pneumatic models of tourniquet has been reported. The purpose of this study is to provide laboratory data on the differential performance of models of pneumatic tourniquets to inform decision-making of potential field assessment by military users. Models included the Emergency and Military Tourniquet (EMT), Tactical Pneumatic Tourniquet 2-inch (TPT2), and Tactical Pneumatic Tourniquet 3-inch (TPT3). One user tested the three tourniquet models 30 times each on a manikin to collect data on effectiveness (yes-no bleeding control), pulse cessation, time to stop bleeding, total time of application, after time (after bleeding was stopped), pressure applied, blood loss volume, composite outcome (whether all individual outcomes were good or not), and pump count of the bulb used to inflate the tourniquet. Neither tourniquet effectiveness nor pulse cessation (ρ = 1; likelihood ratio, 0 for both) differed among tourniquet models: all three models had 100% (30 of 30 tests) for both outcomes. The EMT had the best or tied for best performance in time to stop bleeding, total time, after time, pressure blood loss, composite outcome, and pump count. Each of the three models of pneumatic field tourniquet was 100% effective in stopping simulated bleeding. Among the three models, the EMT showed the best or tied for best performance in time to stop bleeding, blood loss, and composite outcomes. All models are suitable for future field assessment among military users. 2016.

Enhancing Mass Lesion of the Sphenoid: Atypical Presentation of Ongoing Pneumatization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Vallabhaneni

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sinus pneumatization is a complex variable process that begins in early life and continues for many years. We present a case of a 6-year-old boy with progressive headaches and neurologic symptoms suggestive of intracranial pathology. The presence of enhancing tissue within the sphenoid sinus created a diagnostic dilemma which leads to a transsphenoidal biopsy. Knowledge of imaging characteristics associated with incomplete pneumatization can help differentiate it from more ominous skull base pathology and prevent unnecessary testing. We describe four-year imaging follow-up in a patient with incomplete pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus presenting as an enhancing mass lesion with subsequent follow-up imaging demonstrating gradual regression and increased aeration of the sphenoid sinus.

Controllable pneumatic generator based on the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyung-Rok; Kim, Kyung-Soo; Kim, Soohyun

2014-01-01

This paper presents a novel compact and controllable pneumatic generator that uses hydrogen peroxide decomposition. A fuel micro-injector using a piston-pump mechanism is devised and tested to control the chemical decomposition rate. By controlling the injection rate, the feedback controller maintains the pressure of the gas reservoir at a desired pressure level. Thermodynamic analysis and experiments are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed pneumatic generator. Using a prototype of the pneumatic generator, it takes 6 s to reach 3.5 bars with a reservoir volume of 200 ml at the room temperature, which is sufficiently rapid and effective to maintain the repetitive lifting of a 1 kg mass

Controllable pneumatic generator based on the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyung-Rok; Kim, Kyung-Soo; Kim, Soohyun

2014-07-01

This paper presents a novel compact and controllable pneumatic generator that uses hydrogen peroxide decomposition. A fuel micro-injector using a piston-pump mechanism is devised and tested to control the chemical decomposition rate. By controlling the injection rate, the feedback controller maintains the pressure of the gas reservoir at a desired pressure level. Thermodynamic analysis and experiments are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed pneumatic generator. Using a prototype of the pneumatic generator, it takes 6 s to reach 3.5 bars with a reservoir volume of 200 ml at the room temperature, which is sufficiently rapid and effective to maintain the repetitive lifting of a 1 kg mass.

Frictional properties of lubrication greases with the addition of nickel nanoparticles in pneumatic cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ho; Lan, Chou-Wei; Guo, Jia-Bin

2011-12-01

This paper studies the influence of addition of 100 nm diameter nickel nano-particles on the friction properties of synthetic grease (Li base, VG100) in pneumatic cylinder. The friction force test of pneumatic cylinder equipment measures the frictional force between seal and cylinder bore in pneumatic cylinders. The lubricants with addition of nickel nano-particles were used for lubricating the contact interface between seal and cylinder bore. The friction force test equipment employ a load cell force sensor to measure the friction force between seals and cylinder bores. Results obtained from experimental tests are compared to determine the friction force between seals and cylinder bore in pneumatic cylinders. The study leads to the conclusion that the addition of nickel nano-particles to synthetic grease results in a decrease in friction force between seals and cylinder bores in pneumatic cylinder. This tribological behavior is closely related to the deposition of nano-particles on the rubbing surfaces

The impact of pneumatic tube system on routine laboratory parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapoula, Georgia V; Kontou, Panagiota I; Bagos, Pantelis G

2017-10-26

Pneumatic tube system (PTS) is a widely used method of transporting blood samples in hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the PTS transport in certain routine laboratory parameters as it has been implicated with hemolysis. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched (up until November 2016) to identify prospective studies evaluating the impact of PTS transport in hematological, biochemical and coagulation measurements. The random-effects model was used in the meta-analysis utilizing the mean difference (MD). Heterogeneity was quantitatively assessed using the Cohran's Q and the I2 index. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis, cumulative meta-analysis and assessment of publication bias were performed for all outcomes. From a total of 282 studies identified by the searching procedure, 24 were finally included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis yielded statistically significant results for potassium (K) [MD=0.04 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.015-0.065; p=0.002], lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (MD=10.343 U/L; 95% CI=6.132-14.554; panalysis and random-effects meta-regression analysis according to the speed and distance of the samples traveled via the PTS revealed that there is relation between the rate and the distance of PTS with the measurements of K, LDH, white blood cells and red blood cells. This meta-analysis suggests that PTS may be associated with alterations in K, LDH and AST measurements. Although these findings may not have any significant clinical effect on laboratory results, it is wise that each hospital validates their PTS.

Dynamic Friction Performance of a Pneumatic Cylinder with Al2O3 Film on Cylinder Surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ho; Lan, Chou-Wei; Wang, Hao-Xian

2015-11-01

A friction force system is proposed for accurately measuring friction force and motion properties produced by reciprocating motion of piston in a pneumatic cylinder. In this study, the proposed system is used to measure the effects of lubricating greases of different viscosities on the friction properties of pneumatic cylinder, and improvement of stick-slip motion for the cylinder bore by anodizing processes. A servo motor-driven ball screw is used to drive the pneumatic cylinder to be tested and to measure the change in friction force of the pneumatic cylinder. Experimental results show, that under similar test conditions, the lubricating grease with viscosity VG100 is best suited for measuring reciprocating motion of the piston of pneumatic cylinder. The wear experiment showed that, in the Al2O3 film obtained at a preset voltage 40 V in the anodic process, the friction coefficient and hardness decreased by 55% and increased by 274% respectively, thus achieving a good tribology and wear resistance. Additionally, the amplitude variation in the friction force of the pneumatic cylinder wall that received the anodizing treatment was substantially reduced. Additionally, the stick-slip motion of the pneumatic cylinder during low-speed motion was substantially improved.

Design and Experiment of 1LFQ-325 Pneumatic Reversible Plough

OpenAIRE

Zheng, Xuan; Chen, Xuefeng; Qin, Chaomin; Jia, Libo

2013-01-01

A pneumatic reversible plough is developed, which complements to the tractor of 25.7-36.8 kW. The plough adopts the cylinder as reversing mechanism between the right and left plough bodies, and the cylinder can substitute the mechanical reversing mechanism. The pneumatic turnover allows the plough to be operated easily and turned over flexibly. Field experiment results show that indicators of plough performance meet the requirements of the relevant national standards.

Electro-Pneumatic Control System with Hydraulically Positioning Actuator Motor

OpenAIRE

V. N. Pilgunov; K. D. Efremova

2016-01-01

A compressibility of the actuating fluid of a pneumatic drive (compressed air) leads to significant landing of the pneumatic cylinder piston at the time of stop and hold of the load, a constant component of which can fluctuate significantly for the holding period.There are a lot of factors, which have a significant impact on the landing value of piston. Those are: an initial position of the piston at its stop, which determines the volume of the an active area of the piston, a value of the con...

Powered Upper Limb Orthosis Actuation System Based on Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Chakarov, Dimitar; Veneva, Ivanka; Tsveov, Mihail; Venev, Pavel

2018-03-01

The actuation system of a powered upper limb orthosis is studied in the work. To create natural safety in the mutual "man-robot" interaction, an actuation system based on pneumatic artificial muscles (PAM) is selected. Experimentally obtained force/contraction diagrams for bundles, consisting of different number of muscles are shown in the paper. The pooling force and the stiffness of the pneumatic actuators is assessed as a function of the number of muscles in the bundle and the supply pressure. Joint motion and torque is achieved by antagonistic actions through pulleys, driven by bundles of pneumatic muscles. Joint stiffness and joint torques are determined on condition of a power balance, as a function of the joint position, pressure, number of muscles and muscles

Enema reduction of intussusception: the success rate of hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Khorana, Jiraporn; Singhavejsakul, Jesda; Ukarapol, Nuthapong; Laohapensang, Mongkol; Wakhanrittee, Junsujee; Patumanond, Jayanton

2015-01-01

Intussusception is a common surgical emergency in infants and children. The incidence of intussusception is from one to four per 2,000 infants and children. If there is no peritonitis, perforation sign on abdominal radiographic studies, and nonresponsive shock, nonoperative reduction by pneumatic or hydrostatic enema can be performed. The purpose of this study was to compare the success rates of both the methods. Two institutional retrospective cohort studies were performed. All intussusception patients (ICD-10 code K56.1) who had visited Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital from January 2006 to December 2012 were included in the study. The data were obtained by chart reviews and electronic databases, which included demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The patients were grouped according to the method of reduction followed into pneumatic reduction and hydrostatic reduction groups with the outcome being the success of the reduction technique. One hundred and seventy episodes of intussusception occurring in the patients of Chiang Mai University Hospital and Siriraj Hospital were included in this study. The success rate of pneumatic reduction was 61% and that of hydrostatic reduction was 44% (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis and adjusting of the factors by propensity scores were performed; the success rate of pneumatic reduction was 1.48 times more than that of hydrostatic reduction (P=0.036, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.03-2.13). Both pneumatic and hydrostatic reduction can be performed safely according to the experience of the radiologist or pediatric surgeon and hospital setting. This study showed that pneumatic reduction had a higher success rate than hydrostatic reduction.

Characterization of graphite dust produced by pneumatic lift

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Ke [Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Thermal Management Engineering and Materials, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong (China); Peng, Wei; Liu, Bing [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University, Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Cooperation Innovation Center, The Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100084 (China); Kang, Feiyu [Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Thermal Management Engineering and Materials, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong (China); Yang, Xiaoyong; Li, Weihua [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University, Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology Cooperation Innovation Center, The Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Engineering and Safety, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100084 (China); Yu, Suyuan, E-mail: suyuan@tsinghua.edu.cn [Center for Combustion Energy, The Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Ministry of Educations, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-08-15

Highlights: • Generation of graphite dust by pneumatic lift. • Determination of morphology and particle size distribution of graphite dust. • The size of graphite dust in this study is compared to AVR and THTR-300 results. • Graphite dust originates from both filler and binder of the matrix graphite. - Abstract: Graphite dust is an important safety concern of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR). The graphite dust could adsorb fission products, and the radioactive dust is transported by the coolant gas and deposited on the surface of the primary loop. The simulation of coagulation, aggregation, deposition, and resuspension behavior of graphite dust requires parameters such as particle size distribution and particle shape, but currently very limited data on graphite dust is available. The only data we have are from AVR and THTR-300, however, the AVR result is likely to be prejudiced by the oil ingress. In pebble-bed HTR, graphite dust is generally produced by mechanical abrasion, in particular, by the abrasion of graphite pebbles in the lifting pipe of the fuel handling system. Here we demonstrate the generation and characterization of graphite dust that were produced by pneumatic lift. This graphite dust could substitute the real dust in HTR for characterization. The dust, exhibiting a lamellar morphology, showed a number-weighted average particle size of 2.38 μm and a volume-weighted average size of 14.62 μm. These two sizes were larger than the AVR and THTR results. The discrepancy is possibly due to the irradiation effect and prejudice caused by the oil ingress accident. It is also confirmed by the Raman spectrum that both the filler particle and binder contribute to the dust generation.

The qualitative assessment of pneumatic actuators operation in terms of vibration criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Hetmanczyk, M. P.; Michalski, P.

2015-11-01

The work quality of pneumatic actuators can be assessed in terms of multiple criteria. In the case of complex systems with pneumatic actuators retained at end positions (with occurrence of piston impact in cylinder covers) the vibration criteria constitute the most reliable indicators. The paper presents an impact assessment on the operating condition of the rodless pneumatic cylinder regarding to selected vibrational symptoms. On the basis of performed analysis the authors had shown meaningful premises allowing an evaluation of the performance and tuning of end position damping piston movement with usage the most common diagnostic tools (portable vibration analyzers). The presented method is useful in tuning of parameters in industrial conditions.

Design and development of fast pneumatic transfer system (PTS) for instrumental neutron activation analysis at Jordan research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Yongsam; Kim, Sunha; Moon, Jonghwa; Choi, Jinbok; Lee, Jongmin; Ryu, Jungsu

2013-01-01

A pneumatic transfer system (PTS) is one of the important equipment used for an neutron irradiation of a target material for an instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in a research reactor. In particular, a rapid pneumatic transportation of irradiation capsule is essential for an accurate measurement of a short half-life nuclide. Three types of PTS for NAA facility at the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) were newly developed for a functional improvement involving a manual and an automatic system which is equipped with programmable logic controller, software, and 13 devices to facilitate optimal operation of the system. In this paper, the designs and construction of these PTS, the operation and control of the system are described. In addition, a functional and operational test of the system were carried out as one of the basic requirement and characteristic parameters, and the results were reported to provide a user information as well as for the management and safety of the reactor

System Analyses of Pneumatic Technology for High Speed Civil Transport Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Mavris, Dimitri N.; Tai, Jimmy C.; Kirby, Michelle M.; Roth, Bryce A.

1999-01-01

The primary aspiration of this study was to objectively assess the feasibility of the application of a low speed pneumatic technology, in particular Circulation Control (CC) to an HSCT concept. Circulation Control has been chosen as an enabling technology to be applied on a generic High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). This technology has been proven for various subsonic vehicles including flight tests on a Navy A-6 and computational application on a Boeing 737. Yet, CC has not been widely accepted for general commercial fixed-wing use but its potential has been extensively investigated for decades in wind tunnels across the globe for application to rotorcraft. More recently, an experimental investigation was performed at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) with application to an HSCT-type configuration. The data from those experiments was to be applied to a full-scale vehicle to assess the impact from a system level point of view. Hence, this study attempted to quantitatively assess the impact of this technology to an HSCT. The study objective was achieved in three primary steps: 1) Defining the need for CC technology; 2) Wind tunnel data reduction; 3) Detailed takeoff/landing performance assessment. Defining the need for the CC technology application to an HSCT encompassed a preliminary system level analysis. This was accomplished through the utilization of recent developments in modern aircraft design theory at Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL). These developments include the creation of techniques and methods needed for the identification of technical feasibility show stoppers. These techniques and methods allow the designer to rapidly assess a design space and disciplinary metric enhancements to enlarge or improve the design space. The takeoff and landing field lengths were identified as the concept "show-stoppers". Once the need for CC was established, the actual application of data and trends was assessed. This assessment entailed a reduction of the

Design and analysis of adaptive honeycomb structure with pneumatic muscle fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Weilong; Tian, Dongkui; Chen, Yijin

2012-04-01

The adaptive honeycomb structure actuated by pneumatic muscle fibers is proposed in this paper. The FE model of adaptive honeycomb structure is developed by use of ANSYS software. The elastics modulus of the developed pneumatic muscle fibers is experimentally determined and their output force is tested. The results show that the contraction ratio of the pneumatic muscle fibers with inner diameter of 2mm could reach up to 26.8% and the force could reach to a value of 27N when the applied pressure is 0.4MPa and the contraction ratio is zero. When the adaptive honeycomb has a certain load and an effective output displacement, the applied force must be greater than a certain value. The adaptive honeycomb must be consumed extra energy when the output displacement and force are produced.

A randomized trial of pneumatic reduction versus hydrostatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xiaolong; Wu, Yang; Wang, Qi; Zhao, Yiyang; Chen, Guobin; Xiang, Bo

2017-08-08

Data of randomly controlled trials comparing the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction for intussusception in pediatric patients as initial therapy are lacking. The aim of this study was to conduct a randomly controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of the hydrostatic and pneumatic reduction techniques. All intussusception patients who visited West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2014 to December 2015 were enrolled in this study in which they underwent pneumatic reduction or hydrostatic reduction. Patients were randomized into ultrasound-guided hydrostatic or X-ray-guided pneumatic reduction group. The data collected includes demographic data, symptoms, signs, and investigations. The primary outcome of the study was the success rate of reduction. And the secondary outcomes of the study were the rates of intestinal perforations and recurrence. A total of 124 children with intussusception who had met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The overall success rate of this study was 90.32%. Univariable analysis showed that the success rate of hydrostatic reduction with normal saline (96.77%) was significantly higher than that of pneumatic reduction with air (83.87%) (p=0.015). Perforation after reduction was found in only one of the pneumatic reduction group. The recurrence rate of intussusception in the hydrostatic reduction group was 4.84% compared with 3.23% of pneumatic reduction group. Our study found that ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction is a simple, safe and effective nonoperative treatment for pediatric patients suffering from intussusceptions, and should be firstly adopted in the treatment of qualified patients. Therapeutic study TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dielectric elastomer actuators used for pneumatic valve technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giousouf, Metin; Kovacs, Gabor

2013-01-01

Dielectric elastomer actuators have been investigated for applications in the field of pneumatic automation technology. We have developed different valve designs with stacked dielectric elastomer actuators and with integrated high voltage converters. The actuators were made using VHB-4910 material and a stacker machine for automated fabrication of the cylindrical actuators. Typical characteristics of pneumatic valves such as flow rate, power consumption and dynamic behaviour are presented. For valve construction the force and stroke parameters of the dielectric elastomer actuator have been measured. Further, benefits for valve applications using dielectric elastomers are shown as well as their potential operational area. Finally, challenges are discussed that are relevant for the use of elastomer actuators in valves for industrial applications. (paper)

Second Order Sliding Mode Controller Design for Pneumatic Artificial Muscle

OpenAIRE

Ammar Al-Jodah; Laith Khames

2018-01-01

In this paper, first and second order sliding mode controllers are designed for a single link robotic arm actuated by two Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs). A new mathematical model for the arm has been developed based on the model of large scale pneumatic muscle actuator model. Uncertainty in parameters has been presented and tested for the two controllers. The simulation results of the second-order sliding mode controller proves to have a low tracking error and chattering effect as compar...

Flow Rate Analysis of 3/2 Directional Pneumatic Valve by Means Of Ansys Cfx Software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slawomir BLASIAK

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper was to develop a selection method of the pneumatic connectors for directional 3/2 valve. The method was established to minimize resistance and loss of pressure in the valve with mounted pneumatic connections for the selected pipe diameters. Directional valve was modeled in 3D CAD software SolidWorks while 3D models of the air connections have been downloaded from the website of one of the leading suppliers of pneumatic. Based on developed solid model the simulation of compressed air flow in the software for computational fluid dynamics Ansys CFX was conducted. The studies using CFD methods helped to determine which air connections best meet the assumptions. Performed numerical tests enable proper selection of items to the newly designed pneumatic systems for a particular group of valves. As a consequence, this translates into a reduction in energy consumption and improve the efficiency of the entire pneumatic complex system.

System Identification and Embedded Controller Design for Pneumatic Actuator with Stiffness Characteristic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khairuddin Osman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents model and controller design applications to pneumatic actuator embedded system. Two model strategies of position and force are proposed to realize compliance control for stiffness characteristic. Model of the pneumatic actuator system (transfer function is obtained from system identification (SI method. Next, combination of predictive functional control with observer (PFC-O design is selected as a new control strategy for pneumatic system. Performance assessment of the controller is performed in MATLAB and validated through real-time experiments using national instrument (NI devices and programmable system on chip (PSoC microcontroller. Result shows that the new controller is adapted to the system and able to successfully control both simulation and real-time experiments.

Physics-Based Pneumatic Hammer Instability Model, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT) proposes to conduct research necessary to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model for hydrostatic bearings...

Control of pneumatic transfer system for neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, H. S.; Chung, Y. S.; Wu, J. S.; Kim, H. K.; Choi, Y. S.; Kim, S. H.; Moon, J. H.; Baek, S. Y.

2000-06-01

Pneumatic transfer system(PTS) is one of the facilities to be used in irradiation of target materials for neutron activation analysis(NAA) in the research reactor. There are two systems the manual and the automatic system in PTS of HANARO research reactor. The pneumatic transfer system consists of many devices, sends and loads the capsules from NAA laboratory into three holes in the reflector tank of reactor and retrieves irradiated capsules after irradiation. This report describes the part's design, control system and the operation procedures. All the algorithm described in the text will be used for maintenance and upgrading

Control of pneumatic transfer system for neutron activation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, H. S.; Chung, Y. S.; Wu, J. S.; Kim, H. K.; Choi, Y. S.; Kim, S. H.; Moon, J. H.; Baek, S. Y

2000-06-01

Pneumatic transfer system(PTS) is one of the facilities to be used in irradiation of target materials for neutron activation analysis(NAA) in the research reactor. There are two systems the manual and the automatic system in PTS of HANARO research reactor. The pneumatic transfer system consists of many devices, sends and loads the capsules from NAA laboratory into three holes in the reflector tank of reactor and retrieves irradiated capsules after irradiation. This report describes the part's design, control system and the operation procedures. All the algorithm described in the text will be used for maintenance and upgrading.

Adaptive robust trajectory tracking control of a parallel manipulator driven by pneumatic cylinders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ce Shang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Due to the compressibility of air, non-linear characteristics, and parameter uncertainties of pneumatic elements, the position control of a pneumatic cylinder or parallel platform is still very difficult while comparing with the systems driven by electric or hydraulic power. In this article, based on the basic dynamic model and descriptions of thermal processes, a controller integrated with online parameter estimation is proposed to improve the performance of a pneumatic cylinder controlled by a proportional valve. The trajectory tracking error is significantly decreased by applying this method. Moreover, the algorithm is expanded to the problem of posture trajectory tracking for the three-revolute prismatic spherical pneumatic parallel manipulator. Lyapunov’s method is used to give the proof of stability of the controller. Using NI-CompactRio, NI-PXI, and Veristand platform as the realistic controller hardware and data interactive environment, the adaptive robust control algorithm is applied to the physical system successfully. Experimental results and data analysis showed that the posture error of the platform could be about 0.5%–0.7% of the desired trajectory amplitude. By integrating this method to the mechatronic system, the pneumatic servo solutions can be much more competitive in the industrial market of position and posture control.

Spot-Welding Gun With Adjustable Pneumatic Spring

Science.gov (United States)

Burley, Richard K.

1990-01-01

Proposed spot-welding gun equipped with pneumatic spring, which could be bellows or piston and cylinder, exerts force independent of position along stroke. Applies accurate controlled force to joint welded, without precise positioning at critical position within stroke.

Design of a Soft Robot with Multiple Motion Patterns Using Soft Pneumatic Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Yu; Dong, Wei; Du, Zhijiang

2017-11-01

Soft robots are made of soft materials and have good flexibility and infinite degrees of freedom in theory. These properties enable soft robots to work in narrow space and adapt to external environment. In this paper, a 2-DOF soft pneumatic actuator is introduced, with two chambers symmetrically distributed on both sides and a jamming cylinder along the axis. Fibers are used to constrain the expansion of the soft actuator. Experiments are carried out to test the performance of the soft actuator, including bending and elongation characteristics. A soft robot is designed and fabricated by connecting four soft pneumatic actuators to a 3D-printed board. The soft robotic system is then established. The pneumatic circuit is built by pumps and solenoid valves. The control system is based on the control board Arduino Mega 2560. Relay modules are used to control valves and pressure sensors are used to measure pressure in the pneumatic circuit. Experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed soft robot.

Design of the Modular Pneumatic Valve Terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakub E. TAKOSOGLU

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The paper presents design of the modular pneumatic valve terminal, which was made on the basis of the patent application No A1 402905 „A valve for controlling fluid power drives, specially for pneumatic actuators, and the control system for fluid power drives valves”. The authors describe a method of operation of the system with double-acting valve and 5/2 (five ways and two position valve. Functions of the valve, and an example of application of the valve terminal in the production process were presented. 3D solid models of all the components of the valve were made. The paper presents a complete 3D model of the valve in various configurations. Using CAD-embedded SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation computational fluid dynamics CFD analysis was also carried out of compressed air flow in the ways of the valve elements

A pneumatic cylinder driving polyhedron mobile mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Wan; Kim, Sung-Chan; Yao, Yan-An

2012-03-01

A novel pneumatic cylinder driving polyhedron mobile mechanism is proposed in this paper. The mechanism is comprised of 5 tetrahedrons which includes a pneumatic cylinder in each edge. It locomotes by rolling and the rolling principle refers to the center of mass (CM) of the mechanism moved out of the supporting area and let it tip over through the controlling of the motion sequence of these cylinders. Firstly, the mathematical model is built to analysis the relation between the configuration and the CM of the mechanism. Then, a binary control strategy is developed to simplify and improve the control of this mobile mechanism. After that, dynamic simulation is performed to testify the analytical validity and feasibility of the rolling gaits. At last, a prototype is fabricated to achieve the rolling successfully to demonstrate the proposed concept.

Design and Characterization of a Quasi-Passive Pneumatic Foot-Ankle Prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeffrey D; Mooney, Luke M; Rouse, Elliott J

2017-07-01

The majority of commercially available passive prosthetic feet are not capable of providing joint mechanics that match that of the intact human ankle. Due to their cantilever design, their stiffness characteristics contrast with what has been observed in the biological ankle, namely, an increase in stiffness during the stance phase of walking. In this paper, we introduce the design and control of a pneumatic foot-ankle prosthesis that attempts to provide biomimetic mechanics. The prosthesis is comprised of a pneumatic cylinder in series with a fiberglass leaf spring, and a solenoid valve to control the flow of air between the two sides of the cylinder. The solenoid valve acts as a mechanical clutch, enabling resetting of the ankle's equilibrium position. By adjusting the pressure inside the cylinder, the prosthesis can be customized to provide a range of ankle mechanics. A mechanical testing machine is used to compare the torque-angle curve of the pneumatic prosthesis with a low-profile passive prosthetic foot. Finally, data are presented of one transtibial amputee walking with the prosthesis at 1.2 m/s. The testing shows that the pneumatic prosthesis is capable of providing an appropriate range of motion as well a maximum torque of 94 Nm, while returning approximately 11.5 J of energy.

Design Methodology of Camshaft Driven Charge Valves for Pneumatic Engine Starts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moser Michael M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Idling losses constitute a significant amount of the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines. Therefore, shutting down the engine during idling phases can improve its overall efficiency. For driver acceptance a fast restart of the engine must be guaranteed. A fast engine start can be performed using a powerful electric starter and an appropriate battery which are found in hybrid electric vehicles, for example. However, these devices involve additional cost and weight. An alternative method is to use a tank with pressurized air that can be injected directly into the cylinders to start the engine pneumatically. In this paper, pneumatic engine starts using camshaft driven charge valves are discussed. A general methodology for an air-optimal charge valve design is presented which can deal with various requirements. The proposed design methodology is based on a process model representing pneumatic engine operation. A design example for a two-cylinder engine is shown, and the resulting optimized pneumatic start is experimentally verified on a test bench engine. The engine’s idling speed of 1200 rpm can be reached within 350 ms for an initial pressure in the air tank of 10 bar. A detailed system analysis highlights the characteristics of the optimal design found.

Physics-Based Pneumatic Hammer Instability Model, Phase II

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The objective of this project is to develop a physics-based pneumatic hammer instability model that accurately predicts the stability of hydrostatic bearings...

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Jin-Huat; Yeow, Chen-Hua

2016-08-02

Soft compliant gripping is essential in delicate surgical manipulation for minimizing the risk of tissue grip damage caused by high stress concentrations at the point of contact. It can be achieved by complementing traditional rigid grippers with soft robotic pneumatic gripper devices. This manuscript describes a rod-based approach that combined both 3D-printing and a modified soft lithography technique to fabricate the soft pneumatic gripper. In brief, the pneumatic featureless mold with chamber component is 3D-printed and the rods were used to create the pneumatic channels that connect to the chamber. This protocol eliminates the risk of channels occluding during the sealing process and the need for external air source or related control circuit. The soft gripper consists of a chamber filled with air, and one or more gripper arms with a pneumatic channel in each arm connected to the chamber. The pneumatic channel is positioned close to the outer wall to create different stiffness in the gripper arm. Upon compression of the chamber which generates pressure on the pneumatic channel, the gripper arm will bend inward to form a close grip posture because the outer wall area is more compliant. The soft gripper can be inserted into a 3D-printed handling tool with two different control modes for chamber compression: manual gripper mode with a movable piston, and robotic gripper mode with a linear actuator. The double-arm gripper with two actuatable arms was able to pick up objects of sizes up to 2 mm and yet generate lower compressive forces as compared to elastomer-coated and non-coated rigid grippers. The feasibility of having other designs, such as single-arm or hook gripper, was also demonstrated, which further highlighted the customizability of the soft gripper device, and it's potential to be used in delicate surgical manipulation to reduce the risk of tissue grip damage.

Characterization of a piezoelectric valve for an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikułowski, Grzegorz; Wiszowaty, Rafał; Holnicki-Szulc, Jan

2013-01-01

This paper describes a pneumatic valve based on a multilayer piezoelectric actuator and Hörbiger plates. The device was designed to operate in an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber. The adaptive pneumatic shock absorber was considered as a piston–cylinder device and the valve was intended to be installed inside the piston. The main objective for the valve application was regulating the gas flow between the cylinder’s chambers in order to maintain the desired value of the reaction force generated by the shock absorber. The paper describes the design constraints and requirements, together with results of analytical modelling of fluid flow verified versus experimentally obtained data. The presented results indicate that the desired performance characteristics of the valve were obtained. The geometrical constraints of the flow ducts were studied and the actuator’s functional features analysed. (paper)

Characterization of a piezoelectric valve for an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber

Science.gov (United States)

Mikułowski, Grzegorz; Wiszowaty, Rafał; Holnicki-Szulc, Jan

2013-12-01

This paper describes a pneumatic valve based on a multilayer piezoelectric actuator and Hörbiger plates. The device was designed to operate in an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber. The adaptive pneumatic shock absorber was considered as a piston-cylinder device and the valve was intended to be installed inside the piston. The main objective for the valve application was regulating the gas flow between the cylinder’s chambers in order to maintain the desired value of the reaction force generated by the shock absorber. The paper describes the design constraints and requirements, together with results of analytical modelling of fluid flow verified versus experimentally obtained data. The presented results indicate that the desired performance characteristics of the valve were obtained. The geometrical constraints of the flow ducts were studied and the actuator’s functional features analysed.

Unsaturated flow and transport through fractured rock related to high-level waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, D.D.; Rasmussen, T.C.

1991-01-01

Research results are summarized for a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission contract with the University of Arizona focusing on field and laboratory methods for characterizing unsaturated fluid flow and solute transport related to high-level radioactive waste repositories. Characterization activities are presented for the Apache Leap Tuff field site. The field site is located in unsaturated, fractured tuff in central Arizona. Hydraulic, pneumatic, and thermal characteristics of the tuff are summarized, along with methodologies employed to monitor and sample hydrologic and geochemical processes at the field site. Thermohydrologic experiments are reported which provide laboratory and field data related to the effects conditions and flow and transport in unsaturated, fractured rock. 29 refs., 17 figs., 21 tabs

Transport Powder and Liquid Samples by Surface Acoustic Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea; Louyeh, Sahar

2009-01-01

Sample transport is an important requirement for In-situ analysis of samples in NASA planetary exploration missions. Tests have shown that powders or liquid drops on a surface can be transported by surface acoustic waves (SAW) that are generated on the surface using interdigital transducers. The phenomena were investigated experimentally and to generate SAWs interdigital electrodes were deposited on wafers of 128 deg rotated Y-cut LiNbO?. Transporting capability of the SAW device was tested using particles of various sizes and drops of various viscosities liquids. Because of different interaction mechanisms with the SAWs, the powders and the liquid drops were observed to move in opposite directions. In the preliminary tests, a speed of 180 mm/s was achieved for powder transportation. The detailed experimental setup and results are presented in this paper. The transporting mechanism can potentially be applied to miniaturize sample analysis system or " lab-on-chip" devices.

Pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckle for repairing simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatef, Elham; Sena, Dayse F; Fallano, Katherine A; Crews, Jonathan; Do, Diana V

2015-05-07

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a full-thickness break in the sensory retina, caused by vitreous traction on the retina. While pneumatic retinopexy, scleral buckle, and vitrectomy are the accepted surgical interventions for eyes with RRD, their relative effectiveness has remained controversial.  The objectives of this review were to assess the effectiveness and safety of pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckle or pneumatic retinopexy versus a combination treatment of scleral buckle and vitrectomy for people with RRD. The secondary objectives were to summarize any data on economic measures and quality of life. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (2014, Issue 12), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to January 2015), EMBASE (January 1980 to January 2015), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (January 1982 to January 2015), the ISRCTN registry (www.isrctn.com/editAdvancedSearch), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 13 January 2015. We included all randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckle (with or without vitrectomy) for eyes with RRD. After screening for eligibility, two review authors independently extracted study characteristics, methods, and outcomes. We followed systematic review standards as set forth by The Cochrane Collaboration. We included two randomized controlled trials (218 eyes of 216 participants) comparing the effectiveness of pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckle for eyes with RRD. We identified no studies

Pneumatic devices in isotope technology. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egri, B.; Csoeke, A.

1974-01-01

A detailed survey has been given about the following pneumatic devices used in the isotope technology: working cylinders, membrane motors, valves, detectors, hydropneumatic units. The characteristics of the units of various control systems have been described in tables. (K.A.)

The Photo-Pneumatic CO2 Analyzer, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We are proposing to build a new technology, the photo-pneumatic analyzer. It is small, solid-state, inexpensive, and appropriate for observations of atmospheric...

[The forensic medical characteristics of the entrance bullet holes created by the shots from pneumatic rifles].

Science.gov (United States)

Legin, G A; Bondarchuk, A O; Perebetjuk, A N

2015-01-01

The objective of the present study was to compare the injurious action of three types of the bullets for the pneumatic weapons shot from different distances using the Gamo pump air pistol and the BAM B22-1 pneumatic rifle. The following four kinds of the bullets were tested: "the fireball", "Luman cap 0.3", "Luman Field Target 0.68" and "DIABOLO". It was experimentally shown that the injurious action of the bullets fired from the same distance from the pneumatic weapons depends on the type of both the bullet and the weapon, as well as the properties of the target material. Specifically, the action of bullets fired from the piston pneumatic rifle remained stable whereas that of the bullets shot from the gas-balloon air pistol decreased as the gas was exhausted. The studies by the contact-diffusion method have demonstrated that the entrance bullet holes created by the shots from pneumatic weapons are surrounded by dispersed metal particles which makes it possible to estimate the shooting distance. Moreover, the bullets fired from the pneumatic weapons leave the muzzle face imprint on certain target materials.

An investigation of the effects of pneumatic actuator design on slip control for heavy vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Jonathan I.; Cebon, David

2013-01-01

Progress in reducing actuator delays in pneumatic brake systems is opening the door for advanced anti-lock braking algorithms to be used on heavy goods vehicles. However, little has been published on slip controllers for air-braked heavy vehicles, or the effects of slow pneumatic actuation on their design and performance. This paper introduces a sliding mode slip controller for air-braked heavy vehicles. The effects of pneumatic actuator delays and flow rates on stopping performance and air (energy) consumption are presented through vehicle simulations. Finally, the simulations are validated with experiments using a hardware-in-the-loop rig. It is shown that for each wheel, pneumatic valves with delays smaller than 3 ms and orifice diameters around 8 mm provide the best performance.

Position control of a single pneumatic artificial muscle with hysteresis compensation based on modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Xizhe; Liu, Yixiang; Heng, Shuai; Lin, Zhenkun; Zhao, Jie

2017-01-01

High-performance position control of pneumatic artificial muscles is limited by their inherent nonlinearity and hysteresis. This study aims to model the length/pressure hysteresis of a single pneumatic artificial muscle and to realize its accurate position tracking control with forward hysteresis compensation. The classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii model is widely used in hysteresis modelling and compensation. But it is only effective for symmetric hysteresis. Therefore, a modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii model is built to characterize the asymmetric length/pressure hysteresis of a single pneumatic artificial muscle, by replacing the classical play operators with two more flexible elementary operators to independently describe the ascending branch and descending branch of hysteresis loops. On the basis, a position tracking controller, which is composed of cascade forward hysteresis compensation and simple proportional pressure controller, is designed for the pneumatic artificial muscle. Experiment results show that the MPI model can reproduce the length/pressure hysteresis of the pneumatic artificial muscle, and the proposed controller for the pneumatic artificial muscle can track the reference position signals with high accuracy. By modelling the length/pressure hysteresis with the modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii model and using its inversion for compensation, precise position control of a single pneumatic artificial muscle is achieved.

Design and control of a pneumatic musculoskeletal biped robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Xizhe; Liu, Yixiang; Liu, Xinyu; Zhao, Jie

2016-04-29

Pneumatic artificial muscles are quite promising actuators for humanoid robots owing to their similar characteristics with human muscles. Moreover, biologically inspired musculoskeletal systems are particularly important for humanoid robots to perform versatile dynamic tasks. This study aims to develop a pneumatic musculoskeletal biped robot, and its controller, to realize human-like walking. According to the simplified musculoskeletal structure of human lower limbs, each leg of the biped robot is driven by nine muscles, including three pairs of monoarticular muscles which are arranged in the flexor-extensor form, as well as three biarticular muscles which span two joints. To lower cost, high-speed on/off solenoid valves rather than proportional valves are used to control the muscles. The joint trajectory tracking controller based on PID control method is designed to achieve the desired motion. Considering the complex characteristics of pneumatic artificial muscles, the control model is obtained through parameter identification experiments. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the biped robot is able to walk with this control strategy. The proposed musculoskeletal structure and control strategy are effective for the biped robot to achieve human-like walking.

Design and Control of a Pneumatically Actuated Transtibial Prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hao; Shen, Xiangrong

2015-04-01

This paper presents the design and control of a pneumatically actuated transtibial prosthesis, which utilizes a pneumatic cylinder-type actuator to power the prosthetic ankle joint to support the user's locomotion. The pneumatic actuator has multiple advantages over the traditional electric motor, such as light weight, low cost, and high power-to-weight ratio. The objective of this work is to develop a compact and lightweight transtibial prosthesis, leveraging the multiple advantages provided by this highly competitive actuator. In this paper, the design details of the prosthesis are described, including the determination of performance specifications, the layout of the actuation mechanism, and the calculation of the torque capacity. Through the authors' design calculation, the prosthesis is able to provide sufficient range of motion and torque capacity to support the locomotion of a 75 kg individual. The controller design is also described, including the underlying biomechanical analysis and the formulation of the finite-state impedance controller. Finally, the human subject testing results are presented, with the data indicating that the prosthesis is able to generate a natural walking gait and sufficient power output for its amputee user.

Pneumatic pellet injector for JT-60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, Masanori; Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo.

1990-01-01

The pneumatic 4-shot pellet injector has been installed and operated for JT-60 (JAERI Tokamak-60). The performance tests have proven that the device provides high speed pellets as planned. The maximum pellet velocity obtained in the hydrogen pellet tests is greater than 2.3km/s at 100 bar propellant gas. (author)

Pneumatic pellet injector for JT-60

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, Masanori (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)); Hiratsuka, Hajime; Kawasaki, Kouzo

1990-11-01

The pneumatic 4-shot pellet injector has been installed and operated for JT-60 (JAERI Tokamak-60). The performance tests have proven that the device provides high speed pellets as planned. The maximum pellet velocity obtained in the hydrogen pellet tests is greater than 2.3km/s at 100 bar propellant gas. (author).

Model for pneumatic pellet injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, J.T.; Milora, S.L.; Schuresko, D.D.

1983-07-01

A hydrodynamic code has been developed to model the performance of pneumatic pellet injection systems. The code describes one dimensional, unsteady compressible gas dynamics, including gas friction and heat transfer to the walls in a system with variable area. The mass, momentum, and energy equations are solved with an iterated Lax-Wendroff scheme with additional numerical viscosity. The code is described and comparisons with experimental data are presented

Pneumatic control system for rapid vertical rectangular movements of heavy loads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huettel, G; Krause, H [Zentralinstitut fuer Kernforschung, Rossendorf bei Dresden (German Democratic Republic)

1975-01-01

A new control system has been developed in order to realize the physically necessary short transition times between the dead points of a pneumatic oscillator even for heavy loads and high working speeds. Integral element of this system is the external control of braking process provided for in addition to the end position brake installed in the working cylinder. This control system is applicable not only to pile oscillators, but also universally applicable to pneumatic apparatuses.

Sliding mode control of a "Soft" 2-DOF Planar Pneumatic Manipulator

Science.gov (United States)

Van Damme, M.; Vanderborght, B.; Beyl, P.; Versluys, R.; Vanderniepen, I.; Van Ham, R.; Cherelle, P.; Daerden, F.; Lefeber, D.

2008-10-01

This paper presents a sliding mode controller for a "Soft" 2-DOF Planar Pneumatic Manipulator actuated by pleated pneumatic artificial muscle actuators. Since actuator dynamics is not negligible, an approximate model for pressure dynamics was taken into account, which made it necessary to perform full input-output feedback linearization in order to design a sliding mode controller. The design of the controller is presented in detail, and experimental results obtained by implementing the controller are discussed

Pneumatic load compensating or controlling system

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, J. R. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

A pneumatic load compensating or controlling system for restraining a load with a predetermined force or applying a predetermined force to the load is described; it includes a source of pressurized air, a one-way pneumatic actuator operatively connected to a load, and a fluid conduit fluidically connecting the actuator with the source of pressurized air. The actuator is of the piston and cylinder type, and the end of the fluid conduit is connected to the upper or lower portion of the cylinder whereby the actuator alternatively and selectively restrains the load with a predetermined force or apply a predetermined force to the load. Pressure regulators are included within the system for variably selectively adjusting the pressurized fluid to predetermined values as desired or required; a pressure amplifier is included within the system for multiplying the pressurized values so as to achieve greater load forces. An accumulator is incorporated within the system as a failsafe operating mechanism, and visual and aural alarm devices, operatively associated with pressure detecting apparatus, readily indicate the proper or improper functioning of the system.

Pneumatic Rotary Actuator Position Servo System Based on ADE-PD Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeming Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In order to accurately control the rotation position of a pneumatic rotary actuator, the flow state of the gas and the motion state of the pneumatic rotary actuator in the pneumatic rotary actuator position servo system are analyzed in this paper. The mathematical model of the system and the experiment platform are established after that. An Adaptive Differential Evolution (ADE algorithm which adaptively ameliorates the scaling factor and crossover probability in the process of individual evolution is proposed and applied to the parameter optimization of PD controller. The experimental platform is used to compare the controller with Differential Evolution (DE algorithm and NCD-PID controller. Finally, the characteristics of the system are tested by increasing the inertial load. The experimental results illustrate that system using ADE-PD control strategy has greater position precision and faster response than using DE-PD and NCD-PID strategies, and shows great robustness.

Electric-Pneumatic Actuator: A New Muscle for Locomotion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maziar Ahmad Sharbafi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A better understanding of how actuator design supports locomotor function may help develop novel and more functional powered assistive devices or robotic legged systems. Legged robots comprise passive parts (e.g., segments, joints and connections which are moved in a coordinated manner by actuators. In this study, we propose a novel concept of a hybrid electric-pneumatic actuator (EPA as an enhanced variable impedance actuator (VIA. EPA is consisted of a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM and an electric motor (EM. In contrast to other VIAs, the pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM within the EPA provides not only adaptable compliance, but also an additional powerful actuator with muscle-like properties, which can be arranged in different combinations (e.g., in series or parallel to the EM. The novel hybrid actuator shares the advantages of both integrated actuator types combining precise control of EM with compliant energy storage of PAM, which are required for efficient and adjustable locomotion. Experimental and simulation results based on the new dynamic model of PAM support the hypothesis that combination of the two actuators can improve efficiency (energy and peak power and performance, while does not increase control complexity and weight, considerably. Finally, the experiments on EPA adapted bipedal robot (knee joint of the BioBiped3 robot show improved efficiency of the actuator at different frequencies.

Pneumatic capsule with a measuring system for in-pile irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, Keiichi; Yamazaki, Yasaburo; Hirata, Mitsuho; Ishii, Toshio; Shimozawa, Ryohei.

1967-01-01

A prior-art in-pile irradiation apparatus wherein a rabbit containing an irradiation specimen therein is inserted into and removed from a pile by a pneumatic system does not include means for measuring the temperature and pressure of the specimen under irradiation. When the rabbit is deformed during irradiation, it cannot be reliably recovered. A pneumatic capsule assembly with a measuring system according to this invention has a double structure which consists of an inner capsule containing the specimen therein and an outer capsule evacuated or filled with a gas. A thermocouple lace wire and a strain gauge are welded on the outside surface of the inner capsule as detection terminals for measuring the temperature and pressure. A rupture plate which bursts when the pressure in the inner capsule reaches a predetermined value is provided at a part of the inner capsule, and a fin for heat transmission is provided between the inner and outer capsules to thus prevent the deformation of the pneumatic capsule assembly as a whole. (Takasuka, S.)

Endoscopic Pneumatic Dilation for Esophageal Achalasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Markar, Sheraz; Zaninotto, Giovanni

2018-04-01

Pneumatic dilation is a well-established treatment modality that has withstood the test of time. Prospective and randomized trials have shown that in expert hands, it provides results similar to a laparoscopic Heller myotomy with fundoplication. In addition, it should be considered the primary form of treatment in patients who experience recurrence of symptoms after a surgical myotomy.

Synthesis of pneumatic controll systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Nowak

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Currently, the basic tool for automating the production processes are the PLCs. However, in many areas application of the pneumaticcontrol systems may be more reasonable. The main factor determining choice of the control technology are costs. In the case of pneumaticsystems, the costs shall be determined by the number of elements used. Therefore, during the design works it is important to choose anappropriate method for the pneumatic control systems synthesis. The article presents the MTS method, which may be used for a discretetechnological processes modeling and PLC programming, as well as for a pneumatic control systems designing. An important element ofthe MTS method is the network of actions, which graphically presents an algorithm of the implemented process. Based on the actionnetwork and operating machine’s functional diagram, the diagram of different states is determinated, which graphically shows changes ofthe control system’s input and output signals. Analysis of the diagram of different states, makes it easy to determine a schematic equation, which shall be the basis for the control system implementation. Advantage of the MTS method is the lack of restrictions on the number of the control system’s input and output signals. The resulting solution is characterized by a minimum number of elements needed to implement the control system.

Second Order Sliding Mode Controller Design for Pneumatic Artificial Muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ammar Al-Jodah

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, first and second order sliding mode controllers are designed for a single link robotic arm actuated by two Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs. A new mathematical model for the arm has been developed based on the model of large scale pneumatic muscle actuator model. Uncertainty in parameters has been presented and tested for the two controllers. The simulation results of the second-order sliding mode controller proves to have a low tracking error and chattering effect as compared to the first order one. The verification has been done by using MATLAB and Simulink software.

An artificial flexible robot arm based on pneumatic muscle actuators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renn Jyh-Chyang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel human-friendly artificial flexible robot arm using four parallel-connected pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs. The PMA is a flexible silicone rubber actuator which has some behaviors nearest to the real biological muscle including translational and rotational motions. An inverse kinematic model for the motion control is also developed. Finally, from experiment results, it is proved that not only the axial contraction control of a single PMA but also the attitude control of the whole pneumatic flexible robot arm using PID controller are satisfactory.

Operating a pneumatic-mechanical flotation machine for coal-slurry flotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shmaenok, N M; Bedran, N G; Konstantinov, V K; Kochetkov, Yu I; Sysoev, V S

1976-01-01

The FPM-GMO-1.6 pneumatic-mechanical flotation machine is easy to operate and regulate and maintains a high throughput at a low energy consumption. The flotation process is stable, the quality of the concentrate and tailings satisfactory, and the selectivity of separation high. The machine cannot handle coal slurries at higher throughputs because the rate of froth removal is too low across the entire flotation front. Experience on the pneumatic-mechanical flotation machine at the ''Kolosnikovskaya'' Central Washery indicates that a similar machine should be developed for a throughput of 1000 m/sup 3//hr.

A pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis-Pre-clinical trials of controlling the voice onset and offset.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, Farzaneh; Noorian, Farzad; Novakovic, Daniel; van Schaik, André

2018-01-01

Despite emergent progress in many fields of bionics, a functional Bionic Voice prosthesis for laryngectomy patients (larynx amputees) has not yet been achieved, leading to a lifetime of vocal disability for these patients. This study introduces a novel framework of Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses as an electronic adaptation of the Pneumatic Artificial Larynx (PAL) device. The PAL is a non-invasive mechanical voice source, driven exclusively by respiration with an exceptionally high voice quality, comparable to the existing gold standard of Tracheoesophageal (TE) voice prosthesis. Following PAL design closely as the reference, Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses seem to have a strong potential to substitute the existing gold standard by generating a similar voice quality while remaining non-invasive and non-surgical. This paper designs the first Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis and evaluates its onset and offset control against the PAL device through pre-clinical trials on one laryngectomy patient. The evaluation on a database of more than five hours of continuous/isolated speech recordings shows a close match between the onset/offset control of the Pneumatic Bionic Voice and the PAL with an accuracy of 98.45 ±0.54%. When implemented in real-time, the Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis controller has an average onset/offset delay of 10 milliseconds compared to the PAL. Hence it addresses a major disadvantage of previous electronic voice prostheses, including myoelectric Bionic Voice, in meeting the short time-frames of controlling the onset/offset of the voice in continuous speech.

Development of Hybrid Type Flexible Pneumatic Cylinder for Considering Less Air Consumption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamaki Hiroaki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Inexpensive rehabilitation devices that can be used at home are required because of a lack of PT and welfare workers. In the previous study, the low-cost portable rehabilitation device using a flexible spherical actuator that consists of flexible pneumatic cylinder was proposed and tested. However, a compact and high power compressor that supplies air pressure to pneumatic actuator has not been developed yet. In particular, the heat generated by compressing air prevents to miniaturize it. To realize a home rehabilitation, the small-sized compressors or less air consuming flexible actuators are required. In this study, a hybrid type flexible pneumatic cylinder driven by electric motors and air pressure is proposed and tested. The concept, the construction and the operating principle of the proposed actuator were described. The position control using the tested actuator is also carried out.

Application of the k{sub 0}-INAA method for analysis of biological samples at the pneumatic station of the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Puerta, Daniel C.; Figueiredo, Ana Maria G.; Semmler, Renato, E-mail: dcpuerta@hotmail.com, E-mail: anamaria@ipen.br, E-mail: rsemmler@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Jacimovic, Radojko, E-mail: radojko.jacimovic@ijs.si [Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), Ljubljana, LJU (Slovenia). Department of Environmental Sciences

2013-07-01

As part of the process of implementation of the k{sub 0}-INAA standardization method at the Neutron Activation Laboratory (LAN-IPEN), Sao Paulo, Brazil, this study presents the results obtained for the analysis of short and medium-lived nuclides in biological samples by k{sub 0}-INAA using the program k{sub 0}-IAEA, provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The elements Al, Ba, Br, Na, K, Mn, Mg, Sr and V were determined with respect to gold ({sup 197}Au) using the pneumatic station facility of the IEA-R1 4.5 MW swimming pool nuclear research reactor, Sao Paulo. Characterization of the pneumatic station was carried out by using the 'bare triple-monitor' method with {sup 197}Au-{sup 96}Zr-{sup 94}Zr. The Certified Reference Material IRMM-530R Al-0.1%Au alloy and high purity zirconium comparators were used. The efficiency curves of the gamma-ray spectrometer used were determined by measuring calibrated radioactive sources at the usually utilized counting geometries. The method was validated by analyzing the reference materials NIST SRM 1547 Peach Leaves, INCT-MPH-2 Mixed Polish Herbs and NIST SRM 1573a Tomato Leaves. The concentration results obtained agreed with certified, reference and recommended values, showing relative errors (bias, %) less than 30% for most elements. The Coefficients of Variation were below 20%, showing a good reproducibility of the results. The E{sub n}-number showed that all results, except Na in NIST SRM 1547 and NIST SRM 1573a and Al in INCT-MPH-2, were within 95% confidence interval. (author)

Recent Trends in Lower-Limb Robotic Rehabilitation Orthosis: Control Scheme and Strategy for Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Gait Trainers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Azuwan Mat Dzahir

2014-04-01

Full Text Available It is a general assumption that pneumatic muscle-type actuators will play an important role in the development of an assistive rehabilitation robotics system. In the last decade, the development of a pneumatic muscle actuated lower-limb leg orthosis has been rather slow compared to other types of actuated leg orthoses that use AC motors, DC motors, pneumatic cylinders, linear actuators, series elastic actuators (SEA and brushless servomotors. However, recent years have shown that the interest in this field has grown exponentially, mainly due to the demand for a more compliant and interactive human-robotics system. This paper presents a survey of existing lower-limb leg orthoses for rehabilitation, which implement pneumatic muscle-type actuators, such as McKibben artificial muscles, rubbertuators, air muscles, pneumatic artificial muscles (PAM or pneumatic muscle actuators (PMA. It reviews all the currently existing lower-limb rehabilitation orthosis systems in terms of comparison and evaluation of the design, as well as the control scheme and strategy, with the aim of clarifying the current and on-going research in the lower-limb robotic rehabilitation field.

Transportable aerosol sampling station with fixed volume (15 l) DMPA-15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giolu, G.; Guta, V.

1999-01-01

The mobile installation is used for air-sampling operations with fixed intake volumes, to be analysed by laboratories of routine environmental air monitoring. The station consists of several units, installed on a two-wheel mobile carriage-type platform: - a double - diaphragm pump (ensuring oil separation) that provides air intake and its evacuation to the air-analysers. The sampling and control unit has the following functions: - intake ensured by the pump that aspirates fixed volumes of air from the ambient atmosphere and feeding with it an inflatable rubber chamber. Air intake is automatically stopped as the cushion is filled up completely. A separation clamp is provided to seal up the cushion; - exhaust - allows the residual air to be evacuated from the cushion, ensuring its 'self-cleaning'; - shut down, manually operated; - analyse, the aerosol containing sample is aspirated from the inflatable rubber chamber and evacuated through a flow regulator to the analyser; - stop, canceling any previous commands. A relay unit controls the pneumatic lines and a pressure relay provides automatic stop of air intake process. The following technical features are given: - The fixed air volume in the chamber, 15 l - the air flow at the exit from the flow-meter, 0 - 15 l/min; - power requirements, 220 V/ 50 Hz; - power consumption, max. 1,5 kW; - overall dimensions, 460 x 500 x 820 mm; - weight, 53 kg. (authors)

Test–Retest Reliability and Concurrent Validity of an fMRI-Compatible Pneumatic Vibrator to Stimulate Muscle Proprioceptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Goossens, Nina; Janssens, Lotte; Pijnenburg, Madelon; Caeyenberghs, Karen; Van Rompuy, Charlotte; Meugens, Paul; Sunaert, Stefan; Brumagne, Simon

Processing proprioceptive information in the brain is essential for optimal postural control and can be studied with proprioceptive stimulation, provided by muscle vibration, during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Classic electromagnetic muscle vibrators, however, cannot be used in the high-strength magnetic field of the fMRI scanner. Pneumatic vibrators offer an fMRI-compatible alternative. However, whether these devices produce reliable and valid proprioceptive stimuli has not been investigated, although this is essential for these devices to be used in longitudinal research. Test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of the postural response to muscle vibration, provided by custom-made fMRI-compatible pneumatic vibrators, were assessed in a repeated-measures design. Mean center of pressure (CoP) displacements during, respectively, ankle muscle and back muscle vibration (45–60 Hz, 0.5 mm) provided by an electromagnetic and a pneumatic vibrator were measured in ten young healthy subjects. The test was repeated on the same day and again within one week. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess (a) intra- and interday reliability of the postural responses to, respectively, pneumatic and electromagnetic vibration, and (b) concurrent validity of the response to pneumatic compared to electromagnetic vibration. Test–retest reliability of mean CoP displacements during pneumatic vibration was good to excellent (ICCs = 0.64–0.90) and resembled that of responses to electromagnetic vibration (ICCs = 0.64–0.94). Concurrent validity of the postural effect of pneumatic vibration was good to excellent (ICCs = 0.63–0.95). In conclusion, the proposed fMRI-compatible pneumatic vibrator can be used with confidence to stimulate muscle spindles during fMRI to study central processing of proprioception.

A pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis-Pre-clinical trials of controlling the voice onset and offset.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzaneh Ahmadi

Full Text Available Despite emergent progress in many fields of bionics, a functional Bionic Voice prosthesis for laryngectomy patients (larynx amputees has not yet been achieved, leading to a lifetime of vocal disability for these patients. This study introduces a novel framework of Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses as an electronic adaptation of the Pneumatic Artificial Larynx (PAL device. The PAL is a non-invasive mechanical voice source, driven exclusively by respiration with an exceptionally high voice quality, comparable to the existing gold standard of Tracheoesophageal (TE voice prosthesis. Following PAL design closely as the reference, Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses seem to have a strong potential to substitute the existing gold standard by generating a similar voice quality while remaining non-invasive and non-surgical. This paper designs the first Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis and evaluates its onset and offset control against the PAL device through pre-clinical trials on one laryngectomy patient. The evaluation on a database of more than five hours of continuous/isolated speech recordings shows a close match between the onset/offset control of the Pneumatic Bionic Voice and the PAL with an accuracy of 98.45 ±0.54%. When implemented in real-time, the Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis controller has an average onset/offset delay of 10 milliseconds compared to the PAL. Hence it addresses a major disadvantage of previous electronic voice prostheses, including myoelectric Bionic Voice, in meeting the short time-frames of controlling the onset/offset of the voice in continuous speech.

A pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis—Pre-clinical trials of controlling the voice onset and offset

Science.gov (United States)

Noorian, Farzad; Novakovic, Daniel; van Schaik, André

2018-01-01

Despite emergent progress in many fields of bionics, a functional Bionic Voice prosthesis for laryngectomy patients (larynx amputees) has not yet been achieved, leading to a lifetime of vocal disability for these patients. This study introduces a novel framework of Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses as an electronic adaptation of the Pneumatic Artificial Larynx (PAL) device. The PAL is a non-invasive mechanical voice source, driven exclusively by respiration with an exceptionally high voice quality, comparable to the existing gold standard of Tracheoesophageal (TE) voice prosthesis. Following PAL design closely as the reference, Pneumatic Bionic Voice Prostheses seem to have a strong potential to substitute the existing gold standard by generating a similar voice quality while remaining non-invasive and non-surgical. This paper designs the first Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis and evaluates its onset and offset control against the PAL device through pre-clinical trials on one laryngectomy patient. The evaluation on a database of more than five hours of continuous/isolated speech recordings shows a close match between the onset/offset control of the Pneumatic Bionic Voice and the PAL with an accuracy of 98.45 ±0.54%. When implemented in real-time, the Pneumatic Bionic Voice prosthesis controller has an average onset/offset delay of 10 milliseconds compared to the PAL. Hence it addresses a major disadvantage of previous electronic voice prostheses, including myoelectric Bionic Voice, in meeting the short time-frames of controlling the onset/offset of the voice in continuous speech. PMID:29466455

Soft Pneumatic Bending Actuator with Integrated Carbon Nanotube Displacement Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Giffney

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The excellent compliance and large range of motion of soft actuators controlled by fluid pressure has lead to strong interest in applying devices of this type for biomimetic and human-robot interaction applications. However, in contrast to soft actuators fabricated from stretchable silicone materials, conventional technologies for position sensing are typically rigid or bulky and are not ideal for integration into soft robotic devices. Therefore, in order to facilitate the use of soft pneumatic actuators in applications where position sensing or closed loop control is required, a soft pneumatic bending actuator with an integrated carbon nanotube position sensor has been developed. The integrated carbon nanotube position sensor presented in this work is flexible and well suited to measuring the large displacements frequently encountered in soft robotics. The sensor is produced by a simple soft lithography process during the fabrication of the soft pneumatic actuator, with a greater than 30% resistance change between the relaxed state and the maximum displacement position. It is anticipated that integrated resistive position sensors using a similar design will be useful in a wide range of soft robotic systems.

Position Control of Pneumatic Actuator Using Self-Regulation Nonlinear PID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed Najib Syed Salim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The enhancement of nonlinear PID (N-PID controller for a pneumatic positioning system is proposed to improve the performance of this controller. This is executed by utilizing the characteristic of rate variation of the nonlinear gain that is readily available in N-PID controller. The proposed equation, namely, self-regulation nonlinear function (SNF, is used to reprocess the error signal with the purpose of generating the value of the rate variation, continuously. With the addition of this function, a new self-regulation nonlinear PID (SN-PID controller is proposed. The proposed controller is then implemented to a variably loaded pneumatic actuator. Simulation and experimental tests are conducted with different inputs, namely, step, multistep, and random waveforms, to evaluate the performance of the proposed technique. The results obtained have been proven as a novel initiative at examining and identifying the characteristic based on a new proposal controller resulting from N-PID controller. The transient response is improved by a factor of 2.2 times greater than previous N-PID technique. Moreover, the performance of pneumatic positioning system is remarkably good under various loads.

Effects of commercially available pneumatic compression on muscle glycogen recovery after exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Keck, Nathan A; Cuddy, John S; Hailes, Walter S; Dumke, Charles L; Ruby, Brent C

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pneumatic compression pants on postexercise glycogen resynthesis. Active male subjects (n = 10) completed 2 trials consisting of a 90-minute glycogen depleting ride, followed by 4 hours of recovery with either a pneumatic compression device (PCD) or passive recovery (PR) in a random counterbalanced order. A carbohydrate beverage (1.8 g·kg bodyweight) was provided at 0 and 2 hours after exercise. Muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were obtained immediately and 4 hours after exercise for glycogen analyses. Blood samples were collected throughout recovery to measure glucose and insulin. Eight fingerstick blood samples for lactate were collected in the last 20 minutes of the exercise period and during the initial portion of the recovery period. Heart rate was monitored throughout the trial. During the PCD trial, subjects recovered using a commercially available recovery device (NormaTec PCD) operational at 0-60 and 120-180 minutes into recovery period. The same PCD was worn during the PR trial but was not turned on to create pulsatile pressures. There was no difference in muscle glycogen resynthesis during the recovery period (6.9 ± 0.8 and 6.9 ± 0.5 mmol·kg wet wt·h for the PR and PCD trials, respectively). Blood glucose, insulin, and lactate concentrations changed with respect to time but were not different between trials (p > 0.05). The use of PCD did not alter the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis, blood lactate, or blood glucose and insulin concentrations associated with a postexercise oral glucose load.

Pneumatic Actuation of a 2-Link Robotic System

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012r

2014-10-16

Oct 16, 2014 ... are appropriate for “mixing, dumping, intermittent feeding, screw clamping ..... Let Aext be Area on which air is applied for extension. Let Aret ... Fext and Fret are the forces provided by the source of the pneumatic compressor.

Nonlinear Disturbance Observer Based Robust Tracking Control of Pneumatic Muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youssif Mohamed Toum Elobaid

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Presently pneumatic muscles (PMs are used in various applications due to their simple construction, lightweight, and high force-to-weight ratio. However, pneumatic muscles are facing various problems due to their nonlinear characteristics and various uncertainties in real applications. To cope with the uncertainties and strong nonlinearity of a PM model, a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO is designed to estimate the lumped disturbance. Based on the disturbance observer, the tracking control of PM is studied. Stability analysis based on Lyapunov method with respect to our proposed control law is discussed. The simulation results show the validity, effectiveness, and enhancing robustness of the proposed methods.

Pneumatic Variable Series Elastic Actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hao; Wu, Molei; Shen, Xiangrong

2016-08-01

Inspired by human motor control theory, stiffness control is highly effective in manipulation and human-interactive tasks. The implementation of stiffness control in robotic systems, however, has largely been limited to closed-loop control, and suffers from multiple issues such as limited frequency range, potential instability, and lack of contribution to energy efficiency. Variable-stiffness actuator represents a better solution, but the current designs are complex, heavy, and bulky. The approach in this paper seeks to address these issues by using pneumatic actuator as a variable series elastic actuator (VSEA), leveraging the compressibility of the working fluid. In this work, a pneumatic actuator is modeled as an elastic element with controllable stiffness and equilibrium point, both of which are functions of air masses in the two chambers. As such, for the implementation of stiffness control in a robotic system, the desired stiffness/equilibrium point can be converted to the desired chamber air masses, and a predictive pressure control approach is developed to control the timing of valve switching to obtain the desired air mass while minimizing control action. Experimental results showed that the new approach in this paper requires less expensive hardware (on-off valve instead of proportional valve), causes less control action in implementation, and provides good control performance by leveraging the inherent dynamics of the actuator.

Analysis of vibroprotection characteristics of pneumatic relaxation seat suspension with capability of vibration energy recuperation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lyashenko Mikhail

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes mechanism and control algorithm for pneumatic relaxation system of suspension with vibration energy recuperation applied to standard vehicle operator seat (“Sibeko” company. Mathematical model of the seat pneumatic relaxation suspension with two additional air volumes was created. Pneumatic motor – recuperator activated by means of air flow from the one additional volume to another is installed in air piping between additional volumes. Computational research was made in Matlab/Simulink. Amplitude-frequency characteristics of transmission coefficient for standard and proposed suspensions were plotted for preliminary evaluation of vibration protection properties of seat suspension. Performed comparative analysis of amplitude-frequency characteristics shows that noticeable improvement of vibration protection properties of pneumatic relaxation suspension system with vibration energy recuperation in comparison with standard system both in region of resonance disturbances and in above-resonance region. Main ways for further improvement of vibration protection properties of proposed system were marked out.

Driving the Phileas, a new automated public transport vehicle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Waard, Dick; Brookhuis, Karel; Fabriek, Eva; Van Wolffelaar, Peter C.

2004-01-01

Phileas is a high quality public transport vehicle combining characteristics of bus, tram, and the underground. Phileas is equipped with pneumatic tyres and complies with the statutory regulations for buses. Accordingly Phileas may drive everywhere on public roads where buses are allowed to drive.

Elbow joint rehabilitation equipment actuated by pneumatic muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vetrice Georgiana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The mobility of the limbs is an essential prerequisite for the individual’s physical autonomy. For persons suffering from post-traumatic affections of the elbow joint such limited mobility results in barriers in fulfilling personal or professional tasks. Passive motion has certain specific advantages and beneficial effects, thus being highly recommended for the recovery of injured joints. The paper presents a model of rehabilitation equipment that induces continuous passive motion of the elbow, as part of a recovery programme. The equipment is actuated by pneumatic muscles, using compressed air as the source of energy that generates force and motion. The main benefits of the pneumatic actuation system compared to other driving systems are its low cost, simple and robust construction and swift response to commands. Its constructive simplicity and reduced cost adds to the system’s eligibility for deployment in medical units.

A pneumatic control system for rapid vertical rectangular movements of heavy loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huettel, G.; Krause, H.

1975-01-01

A new control system has been developed in order to realize the physically necessary short transition times between the dead points of a pneumatic oscillator even for heavy loads and high working speeds. Integral element of this system is the external control of braking process provided for in addition to the end position brake installed in the working cylinder. This control system is applicable not only to pile oscillators, but also universally applicable to pneumatic apparatuses working like that. (author)

Modelling of pneumatic muscle actuator using Hill's model with different approximations of static characteristics of artificial muscle

OpenAIRE

Piteľ Ján; Tóthová Mária

2016-01-01

For modelling and simulation of pneumatic muscle actuators the mathematical dependence of the muscle force on the muscle contraction at different pressures in the muscles is necessary to know. For this purpose the static characteristics of the pneumatic artificial muscle type FESTO MAS-20-250N used in the experiments were approximated. In the paper there are shown some simulation results of the pneumatic muscle actuator dynamics using modified Hill's muscle model, in which four different appr...

Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Device Actuated with Pneumatic Muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioana Petre

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Year after year recovery clinics worldwide report significant numbers of lower limb bearing joint disabilities. An effective method for the speedy rehabilitation of patients with such afflictions is Continuous Passive Motion (CPM, drawing upon a range of specific equipment. This paper presents an innovative constructive solution for such orthopaedic rehabilitation equipment, designed to ensure a swift reintegration of patients at as low a cost as possible. The absolute novelty consists in the utilization of the linear pneumatic muscle as actuator of the orthopaedic rehabilitation equipment, thus achieving a light and highly compliant construction that satisfies safety requirements related to man-machine interaction. Pneumatic muscles are bio-inspired actuation systems characterized by a passive variable compliant behaviour. This property, deployed in rehabilitation systems, enables the development of human friendly devices, which are comfortable for the patients, and capable of safe interaction. This paper presents the constructive schematic of the orthopaedic rehabilitation equipment, the structure of the actuation and positioning system, and several of its functional characteristics.

Flowfield Analysis of a Pneumatic Solenoid Valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheam-Chyun Lin

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic solenoid valve has been widely used in the vehicle control systems for meeting the rapid-reaction demand triggered by the dynamic conditions encountered during the driving course of vehicle. For ensuring the safety of human being, the reliable and effective solenoid valve is in great demand to shorten the reaction time and thus becomes the topic of this research. This numerical study chooses a commercial 3/2-way solenoid valve as the reference valve for analysing its performance. At first, CFD software Fluent is adopted to simulate the flow field associated with the valve configuration. Then, the comprehensive flow visualization is implemented to identify the locations of adverse flow patterns. Accordingly, it is found that a high-pressure region exists in the zone between the nozzle exit and the top of iron core. Thereafter, the nozzle diameter and the distance between nozzle and spool are identified as the important design parameters for improving the pressure response characteristics of valve. In conclusion, this work establishes a rigorous and systematic CFD scheme to evaluate the performance of pneumatic solenoid valve.

Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Compliant Gripper Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deaconescu Andrea

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the stages of developing new, light, eco-friendly and bionic gripper systems. Gripping is achieved by means of original, self adaptive, bio-inspired systems, with a pneumatic muscle as motion generator. The method underlying the development of these new gripping systems is based on the creation of concepts by analogy, an instrument aimed at widening the inspiration horizon in designing by using models from nature.

Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Compliant Gripper Systems

OpenAIRE

Deaconescu Andrea

2016-01-01

The paper presents the stages of developing new, light, eco-friendly and bionic gripper systems. Gripping is achieved by means of original, self adaptive, bio-inspired systems, with a pneumatic muscle as motion generator. The method underlying the development of these new gripping systems is based on the creation of concepts by analogy, an instrument aimed at widening the inspiration horizon in designing by using models from nature.

[Study of the degree of pneumatization of the viscerocranium in man and pongidae].

Science.gov (United States)

Koppe, T; Schumacher, K U

1992-12-01

The volumes of the paranasal sinuses of 41 adult skulls of humans, gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans, were examined with use of a Computertomograph type SOMATOM DR. The percentage distribution of the volumes of the different paranasal sinuses showed that the maxillary sinus always had the greatest volume. The maxillary sinus of the humans showed the smallest volume percentage in comparison with the pongids. The typical differences between humans and pongids were observed in the ethmoidal cells and the sphenoidal sinus. The ethmoidal cells of the gorilla and the orangutan have to be defined as rudimentary. Those of the humans come to more than 20% of the total volume of the paranasal sinuses of all hominoids. Differing from the humans, the sphenoidal sinus of the pongids pneumatizes almost the whole sphenoid bone. This volume percentage of the pongids is twice as high as that of the humans. In addition, an index was calculated from the volume of the facial skeleton volume and the total volume of the paranasal sinuses and defined as the degree of pneumatization. We found that the gorilla has the highest degree of pneumatization followed by the chimpanzee, the orangutan, and the humans. The lowest degree of pneumatization of the humans may be related to the reduction of the jaws.

Pulse width modulation based pneumatic frequency tuner of the superconducting resonators at IUAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, A.; Suman, S.K.; Mathuria, D.S.

2015-01-01

The existing phase locking scheme of the quarter wave resonators (QWR) used in superconducting linear accelerator (LINAC) of IUAC consists of a fast time (electronic) and a slow time (pneumatic) control. Presently, piezo based mechanical tuners are being used to phase lock the resonators installed in the second and third accelerating modules of LINAC. However, due to space constraint, the piezo tuner can't be implemented on the resonators of the first accelerating module. Therefore, helium gas operated mechanical tuners are being used to phase lock the resonators against the master oscillator (MO) frequency. The present pneumatic frequency tuner has limitations of non-linearity, hysteresis and slow response time. To overcome these problems and to improve the dynamics of the existing tuner, a new pulse width modulation (PWM) based pneumatic frequency tuning system was adopted and successfully tested. After successful test, the PWM based pneumatic frequency tuner was installed in four QWR of the first accelerating module of LINAC. During beam run the PWM based frequency tuner performed well and the cavities could be phase locked at comparatively higher accelerating fields. A comparison of the existing tuning mechanism and the PWM based tuning system along with the test results will be presented in the paper. (author)

Simulation of biomass pneumatic drying with ascending swirling movement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bombino Matos, Eugenio F.; Pineda Revilla, Edel

2017-01-01

Considering the layer form acquired by the particles during the studying process it was necessary to define the relation cheap between the heat and mass transfer area and particles flow to simulate with more precision this kind of drying. The simulations results were compared, by a statistical analysis based in Statgraphics-Centurion V15 program, with the results obtained in others pneumatic bagasse dryers studies and were similar and for that reason it was categorical that is correct the definition made about the relation cheap area/material flow defined in this work and it’s possible to reduce pneumatic dryer height by using this method. This reduction that can be seen by the Height Reduction Sing (HRS) of the drying column, defined in the work, will permit more compact dryers. (author)

Transient Torsional Analysis of a Belt Conveyor Drive with Pneumatic Flexible Shaft Coupling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaššay Peter

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Development and application of pneumatic flexible shaft couplings have been in the center of our department research activities for a long time. These couplings are able to change torsional stiffness by changing pressure in their flexible elements – air bellows. Until now we have dealt with the use of pneumatic flexible shaft couplings for tuning mechanical systems working with periodically alternating load torque at steady state. Some mechanical systems, however, operate with a static load torque at constant speed (e.g. hoists, elevators, etc., where it is necessary to consider the suitability of shaft coupling in terms of load torque at transient conditions (run-up and braking. Therefore we decided to analyze the use of pneumatic flexible shaft couplings also in this type of mechanical systems on an example of conveyor belt drive.

Feasibility Analysis of a Type of Soft Firing Technology with Pneumatic Transmission

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YANG Jun-rong; MI Liang-chuan; ZHAO Hua

2006-01-01

Aimed at solving the conflict between the requirements of reducing gun recoil and increasing muzzle velocity, a new type of soft firing technology with pneumatic transmission is put forward. By mathematical model and instance simulation, the feasibility analysis of this technique is made. The result shows that the soft firing technology with pneumatic transmission can reduce the maximum pressure on the breechblock by 27 % and increase the muzzle velocity by 20 %. The proposed new approach has the significance to the compatibility of power and flexibility.

Innovation-Prototype. Making hydraulic and/or pneumatic plates using 3D printing technology

Science.gov (United States)

Alexa, V.; Rațiu, S. A.; Kiss, I.; Cioată, V. G.; Rackov, M.

2018-01-01

Start 3D printing allows hydraulic and/or pneumatic plates to be obtained from a single technological process without requiring further post-production operations. 3D printing with innovative materials in a rich colour range has several advantages such as: time-saving, cost is the same for any type of plate and its reported just to volume, fast and impossible realization of hydraulic and/or pneumatic links compared to traditional and high accuracy technologies.

Education for hydraulics and pneumatics in Nihon University; Nihon Daigaku ni okeru yukuatsu kyoiku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouchi, M. [Nihon Univ., Chiba (Japan). Coll. of Industrial Technology

2000-03-15

Described herein is education of hydraulics and pneumatics in Nihon University. Department of Mechanical Engineering of Faculty of Production Engineering has been holding up the educational aims of bringing up engineers and researchers who have ability and intelligence to cope with internationalization and contribute to society, and of bringing about creativity, among others. Control equipment is an optional subject for the sophomore class in the second semester, and is centered by mechatronics, including hydraulic and pneumatic control systems and equipment. The related subjects include fluid dynamics, control engineering, system controlling, hydraulic machines, robotics and automobile engineering. The drill course includes disassembling and assembling gear pumps, drills on pneumatic devices, system behavior and mechatronics, experiments on fan and hydraulic control circuits and on servo mechanisms, and machinery designs and drawings. Seminars are led by full-time or part-time lecturers for the themes related to hydraulic power. Many students are interested in hydraulic and pneumatic themes for their graduation theses, because of their relations with control, environments, energy saving and so on. We are now in the age of composite technologies, and hydraulic power basics are prerequisite for engineers, and important for education of students. (NEDO)

Intra-operative pneumatic tourniquet - perceptions of use and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

applied pressure alone or excessive applied pressure caused by use of faulty equipment. It needs to be emphasised to these surgeons that regular checking of the pneumatic tourniquet apparatus is necessary in order. MRC/UCT Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit, Department of. Physiology. University of Cape Town.

Pneumatic dilation and botulinum toxin: when and why?

Science.gov (United States)

Bozzi, Rosamaria; Di Martino, Vincenzo; Inzirillo, Antonio; D'Avenia, Eugenio; Inzirillo, Maurizio; Cattaneo, Fabio; Cattaneo, Domenico

2013-01-01

Pneumatic dilation and botulinum toxin:when and why? The endoscopic treatment options of achalasia include botulinum toxin (BT) injection and pneumatic dilation (PD) of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). BT can reduce the LES pressure by blocking the release of acetylcoline from presynaptic cholinergic nerve terminals in the myenteric plexus. Although the procedure is safe and good initial response is reported, there is a wide variability in the duration of the response and the effect tends to decrease over time. BT is usually recommended for elderly patients or patients with comorbid illnesses, who are poor candidates for more invasive procedures. PD aims at tearing the muscle fibers of the LES and is considered the most effective nonsurgical treatment for achalasia. Technical details of the procedure vary in different institutions and in many clinical settings the choice between PD or minimally invasive surgical myotomy depends upon local expertise in the procedures. Further endoscopic treatment options such as submucosal esophageal myotomy or self-expanding metallic stents are being studied.

Repeating pneumatic hydrogen pellet injector for plasma fueling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Milora, S.L.; Foust, C.R.; Foster, C.A.; Schuresko, D.D.

1985-01-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed for plasma fueling applications. The repetitive device extends pneumatic injector operation to steady state. The active mechanism consists of an extruder and a gun assembly that are cooled by flowing liquid-helium refrigerant. The extruder provides a continuous supply of solid hydrogen to the gun assembly, where a reciprocating gun barrel forms and chambers cylindrical pellet from the extrusion; pellets are then accelerated with compressed hydrogen gas (pressures up to 125 bar) to velocities -1 have been obtained with 2.1- , 3.4- , and 4.0-mm-diameter pellets. The present apparatus operates at higher firing rates in short bursts; for example, a rate of 6 s -1 for 2 s with the larger pellets. These pellet parameters are in the range applicable for fueling large present-day fusion devices such as the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). Experimental results are presented, including effects of propellant pressure and barrel length on gun performance

Asymmetric Fuzzy Control of a Positive and Negative Pneumatic Pressure Servo System

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Gang; Du, Jing-Min; Fu, Xiao-Yun; Li, Bao-Ren

2017-11-01

The pneumatic pressure control systems have been used in some fields. However, the researches on pneumatic pressure control mainly focus on constant pressure regulation. Poor dynamic characteristics and strong nonlinearity of such systems limit its application in the field of pressure tracking control. In order to meet the demand of generating dynamic pressure signal in the application of the hardware-in-the-loop simulation of aerospace engineering, a positive and negative pneumatic pressure servo system is provided to implement dynamic adjustment of sealed chamber pressure. A mathematical model is established with simulation and experiment being implemented afterwards to discuss the characteristics of the system, which shows serious asymmetry in the process of charging and discharging. Based on the analysis of the system dynamics, a fuzzy proportional integral derivative (PID) controller with asymmetric fuzzy compensator is proposed. Different from conventional adjusting mechanisms employing the error and change in error of the controlled variable as input parameters, the current chamber pressure and charging or discharging state are chosen as inputs of the compensator, which improves adaptability. To verify the effectiveness and performance of the proposed controller, the comparison experiments tracking sinusoidal and square wave commands are conducted. Experimental results show that the proposed controller can obtain better dynamic performance and relatively consistent control performance across the scope of work (2-140 kPa). The research proposes a fuzzy control method to overcome asymmetry and enhance adaptability for the positive and negative pneumatic pressure servo system.

APPLICATIONS OF PNEUMATIC MUSCLES DEVELOPED AT THE FESTO REGIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE OF BRAŞOV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tudor DEACONESCU

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Compressed air is one of the most important sources of energy in industry, pneumatic actuations tending to hold an increasing share in the conception of modern industrial systems. At present, due to the development of new pneumatic components and systems assemblies of high complexity can be achieved, many of them with applicability in robotics. Such a component is the pneumatic muscle, increasingly deployed in actuation systems, particularly in the field of industrial robots. The paper presents some of the results of research conducted at the Festo Regional Research and Training Centre (FRRTC at Transilvania University of Braşov.

An open-source, programmable pneumatic setup for operation and automated control of single- and multi-layer microfluidic devices

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Kara Brower

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic technologies have been used across diverse disciplines (e.g. high-throughput biological measurement, fluid physics, laboratory fluid manipulation but widespread adoption has been limited in part due to the lack of openly disseminated resources that enable non-specialist labs to make and operate their own devices. Here, we report the open-source build of a pneumatic setup capable of operating both single and multilayer (Quake-style microfluidic devices with programmable scripting automation. This setup can operate both simple and complex devices with 48 device valve control inputs and 18 sample inputs, with modular design for easy expansion, at a fraction of the cost of similar commercial solutions. We present a detailed step-by-step guide to building the pneumatic instrumentation, as well as instructions for custom device operation using our software, Geppetto, through an easy-to-use GUI for live on-chip valve actuation and a scripting system for experiment automation. We show robust valve actuation with near real-time software feedback and demonstrate use of the setup for high-throughput biochemical measurements on-chip. This open-source setup will enable specialists and novices alike to run microfluidic devices easily in their own laboratories. Keywords: Microfluidics, Pneumatics, Laboratory automation, Biochip, BioMEMs, Biohacking, Fluid handling, Micro total analysis systems (μTAS, Quake-style valves

Comparation of the impact of selected technical gases on properties of a pneumatic flexible coupling

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Grega Robert

2018-01-01

Full Text Available An important part of the oscillating mechanical drives are flexible shaft couplings. The special use of the pneumatic flexible coupling is possibility to serve as mechanical drives tuners. Being examined in tuners mechanical drives there is also a research focus on the impact of industrial gases on the change of dynamic characteristics of pneumatic couplings. The paper investigates five different industrial gases, namely: air, helium (He-4.6, a mixture of propane and butane gas (C3H8+C4H10, argon (Ar and nitrogen (N2 to see how these gases affect the dynamic characteristics of pneumatic flexible shaft coupling with marking 4-2/70 T-C.

Torque characteristics of a 122-centimeter butterfly valve with a hydro/pneumatic actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, F. N.; Moore, W. I.; Lundy, F. E.

1981-01-01

Actuating torque data from field testing of a 122-centimeter (48 in.) butterfly valve with a hydro/pneumatic actuator is presented. The hydraulic cylinder functions as either a forward or a reverse brake. Its resistance torque increases when the valve speeds up and decreases when the valve slows down. A reduction of flow resistance in the hydraulic flow path from one end of the hydraulic cylinder to the other will effectively reduce the hydraulic resistance torque and hence increase the actuating torque. The sum of hydrodynamic and friction torques (combined resistance torque) of a butterfly valve is a function of valve opening time. An increase in the pneumatic actuating pressure will result in a decrease in both the combined resistance torque and the actuator opening torque; however, it does shorten the valve opening time. As the pneumatic pressure increases, the valve opening time for a given configuration approaches an asymptotical value.

Design of sampling tools for Monte Carlo particle transport code JMCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shangguan Danhua; Li Gang; Zhang Baoyin; Deng Li

2012-01-01

A class of sampling tools for general Monte Carlo particle transport code JMCT is designed. Two ways are provided to sample from distributions. One is the utilization of special sampling methods for special distribution; the other is the utilization of general sampling methods for arbitrary discrete distribution and one-dimensional continuous distribution on a finite interval. Some open source codes are included in the general sampling method for the maximum convenience of users. The sampling results show sampling correctly from distribution which are popular in particle transport can be achieved with these tools, and the user's convenience can be assured. (authors)

Ground reaction force comparison of bilateral symmetry with pneumatic resistance squat device and free weights - biomed 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulus, David C; Schilling, Brian K

2009-01-01

The unloading of spaceflight leads to bone and muscle atrophy, and a pneumatic resistance squat exercise countermeasure has the potential to provide optimized controllable resistance in a lightweight and compact configuration. However each end of the barbell in the proposed device is connected to a separate resistance cylinder which could lead to bilaterally asymmetric loading. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to compare the unilateral ground reaction forces (GRF) of the new squat device compared to free weights. Four previously trained men (mean +/- SD; age = 20+/-2 years, body mass = 99+/-18 kg) performed three sets of three repetitions of maximal exertion squat exercises with pneumatically controlled constant resistance and free weights each with a resistance level set to half of the body weight of each subject. Unilateral GRF data for each lifting modality at the negative to positive transition of the squat exercise was measured with a force plate under each foot. The pneumatic resistance GRF (N; mean +/- SD) was 749+/-114 on the left leg and 786+/-123 on the right leg and the free weight GRF was 786+/-114 left and 861+/-111 right resulting in a 5% difference between left and right GRF with pneumatics and 9% difference with free weights. The correlation coefficient between left and right GRF was 0.92 with pneumatics and 0.80 with free weights. Because the pneumatic device elicited more bilaterally symmetric GRF than traditional free weights, the separate resistance cylinders are an acceptable design configuration.

Arrested Pneumatization of the Sphenoid Sinus on Large Field-of-View Cone Beam Computed Tomography Studies

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Mehrnaz Tahmasbi-Arashlow

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus is a normal anatomical variant. The aim of this report is to define cone beam computed tomography (CBCT characteristics of arrested pneumatization of sphenoid sinus in an effort to help differentiate it from invasive or lytic skull base lesions. Two cases are presented with incidental findings. Both studies, acquired for other diagnostic purposes, demonstrated unique osseous patterns that were eventually deemed to be anatomic variations in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms although the pattern of bone loss and remodeling was diagnosed as pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus by a panel of medical and maxillofacial radiologists following contrasted advanced imaging. It is important to differentiate arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus from lesions, such as arachnoid granulations, acoustic neuroma, glioma, metastatic lesions, meningioma, or chordoma, to prevent unnecessary biopsies or exploratory surgeries that would consequently reduce treatment costs and alleviate anxiety in patients.

Electric and pneumatic drives in an exact comparison; Elektrische und pneumatische Antriebe im exakten Vergleich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volk, Roland [Festo AG und Co. KG, Esslingen (Germany)

2013-04-01

The question, whether a pneumatic drive is more energy efficient than an electric drive, is very difficult to answer straightaway. In the automation technology, the energy efficiency always depends on the respective industrial application. Only the direct comparison of an electric and pneumatic drive having the same dimension in different conceptual formulations clears up with prejudices.

Numerical investigation of influence on heat transfer characteristics to pneumatically conveyed dense phase flow by selecting models and boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Y.; Liu, Q.; Li, Y.

2012-03-01

Solids moving with a gas stream in a pipeline can be found in many industrial processes, such as power generation, chemical, pharmaceutical, food and commodity transfer processes. A mass flow rate of the solids is important characteristic that is often required to be measured (and controlled) to achieve efficient utilization of energy and raw materials in pneumatic conveying systems. The methods of measuring the mass flow rate of solids in a pneumatic pipeline can be divided into direct and indirect (inferential) measurements. A thermal solids' mass flow-meter, in principle, should ideally provide a direct measurement of solids flow rate, regardless of inhomogeneities in solids' distribution and environmental impacts. One key issue in developing a thermal solids' mass flow-meter is to characterize the heat transfer between the hot pipe wall and the gas-solids dense phase flow. The Eulerian continuum modeling with gas-solid two phases is the most common method for pneumatic transport. To model a gas-solid dense phase flow passing through a heated region, the gas phase is described as a continuous phase and the particles as the second phase. This study aims to describe the heat transfer characteristics between the hot wall and the gas-solids dense phase flow in pneumatic pipelines by modeling a turbulence gas-solid plug passing through the heated region which involves several actual and crucial issues: selections of interphase exchange coefficient, near-wall region functions and different wall surface temperatures. A sensitivity analysis was discussed to identify the influence on the heat transfer characteristics by selecting different interphase exchange coefficient models and different boundary conditions. Simulation results suggest that sensitivity analysis in the choice of models is very significant. The simulation results appear to show that a combination of choosing the Syamlal-O'Brien interphase exchange coefficient model and the standard k-ɛ model along with

Modelling of pneumatic muscle actuator using Hill's model with different approximations of static characteristics of artificial muscle

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Piteľ Ján

2016-01-01

Full Text Available For modelling and simulation of pneumatic muscle actuators the mathematical dependence of the muscle force on the muscle contraction at different pressures in the muscles is necessary to know. For this purpose the static characteristics of the pneumatic artificial muscle type FESTO MAS-20-250N used in the experiments were approximated. In the paper there are shown some simulation results of the pneumatic muscle actuator dynamics using modified Hill's muscle model, in which four different approximations of static characteristics of artificial muscle were used.

On the Use of Importance Sampling in Particle Transport Problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksson, B

1965-06-15

The idea of importance sampling is applied to the problem of solving integral equations of Fredholm's type. Especially Bolzmann's neutron transport equation is taken into consideration. For the solution of the latter equation, an importance sampling technique is derived from some simple transformations at the original transport equation into a similar equation. Examples of transformations are given, which have been used with great success in practice.

On the Use of Importance Sampling in Particle Transport Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, B.

1965-06-01

The idea of importance sampling is applied to the problem of solving integral equations of Fredholm's type. Especially Bolzmann's neutron transport equation is taken into consideration. For the solution of the latter equation, an importance sampling technique is derived from some simple transformations at the original transport equation into a similar equation. Examples of transformations are given, which have been used with great success in practice

Effective Pneumatic Scheme and Control Strategy of a Climbing Robot for Class Wall Cleaning on High-rise Buildings

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Guanghua Zong

2008-11-01

Full Text Available A new kind of pneumatic climbing robot is presented to meet the requirements of glass-wall cleaning for high-rise buildings, which is totally actuated by pneumatic cylinders and attached to the glass wall with vacuum suckers. Using the pneumatic actuators the climbing robot can be made lightweight and dexterous. At the same time the movement driven by pneumatic actuators has the characteristic of passive compliance. In order to solve the problems of high speed movement for the Y cylinder and precise position control of the X cylinder, the applied pneumatic schemes of X and Y cylinders are employed to drive the high-speed on-off solenoid valves and an ordinary valve to adjust the air-flow and pressure to the cylinders. Furthermore a method of segment and variable bang-bang controller is proposed to implement the accurate control of the position servo system for the X cylinder during the sideways movement. Testing results show that the novel approach can effectively improve the control quality. This cleaning robot can meet the requirements of realization.

Effective Pneumatic Scheme and Control Strategy of a Climbing Robot for Class Wall Cleaning on High-rise Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Houxiang Zhang

2006-06-01

Full Text Available A new kind of pneumatic climbing robot is presented to meet the requirements of glass-wall cleaning for high-rise buildings, which is totally actuated by pneumatic cylinders and attached to the glass wall with vacuum suckers. Using the pneumatic actuators the climbing robot can be made lightweight and dexterous. At the same time the movement driven by pneumatic actuators has the characteristic of passive compliance. In order to solve the problems of high speed movement for the Y cylinder and precise position control of the X cylinder, the applied pneumatic schemes of X and Y cylinders are employed to drive the high-speed on-off solenoid valves and an ordinary valve to adjust the air-flow and pressure to the cylinders. Furthermore a method of segment and variable bang-bang controller is proposed to implement the accurate control of the position servo system for the X cylinder during the sideways movement. Testing results show that the novel approach can effectively improve the control quality. This cleaning robot can meet the requirements of realization.

Operation of the repeating pneumatic injector on TFTR and design of an 8-shot deuterium pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Combs, S.K.; Milora, S.L.; Foust, C.R.

1985-01-01

The repeating pneumatic hydrogen pellet injector, which was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has been installed and operated on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The injector combines high-speed extruder and pneumatic acceleration technologies to propel frozen hydrogen isotope pellets repetitively at high speeds. The pellets are transported to the plasma in an injection line that also serves to minimize the gas loading on the torus; the injection line incorporates a fast shutter valve and two stages of guide tubes with intermediate vacuum pumping stations. A remote, stand-alone control and data acquisition system is used for injector and vacuum system operation. In early pellet fueling experiments on TFTR, the injector has been used to deliver deuterium pellets at speeds ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 km/s into plasma discharges. First, single large (nominal 4-mm-dia) pellets provided high densities in TFTR (1.8 x 10 14 cm -3 on axis); after conversion to smaller (nominal 2.7-mm-dia) pellets, up to five pellets were injected at 0.25-s intervals into a plasma discharge, giving a line-averaged density of 1 x 10 14 cm -3 . Operating characteristics and performance of the injector in initial tests on TFTR are presented

Pneumatic hybridization of a diesel engine using compressed air storage for wind-diesel energy generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basbous, Tammam; Younes, Rafic; Ilinca, Adrian; Perron, Jean

2012-01-01

In this paper, we are studying an innovative solution to reduce fuel consumption and production cost for electricity production by Diesel generators. The solution is particularly suitable for remote areas where the cost of energy is very high not only because of inherent cost of technology but also due to transportation costs. It has significant environmental benefits as the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation is a significant source of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions. The use of hybrid systems that combine renewable sources, especially wind, and Diesel generators, reduces fuel consumption and operation cost and has environmental benefits. Adding a storage element to the hybrid system increases the penetration level of the renewable sources, that is the percentage of renewable energy in the overall production, and further improves fuel savings. In a previous work, we demonstrated that CAES (Compressed Air Energy Storage) has numerous advantages for hybrid wind-diesel systems due to its low cost, high power density and reliability. The pneumatic hybridization of the Diesel engine consists to introduce the CAES through the admission valve. We have proven that we can improve the combustion efficiency and therefore the fuel consumption by optimizing Air/Fuel ratio thanks to the CAES assistance. As a continuation of these previous analyses, we studied the effect of the intake pressure and temperature and the exhaust pressure on the thermodynamic cycle of the diesel engine and determined the values of these parameters that will optimize fuel consumption. -- Highlights: ► Fuel economy analysis of a simple pneumatic hybridization of the Diesel engine using stored compressed air. ► Thermodynamic analysis of the pneumatic hybridization of diesel engines for hybrid wind-diesel energy systems. ► Analysis of intake pressure and temperature of compressed air and exhaust pressure on pressure/temperature during Diesel thermodynamic cycle. ► Direct admission of

A study on modelling of a butterfly-type control valve by a pneumatic actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, I Cheol; Park, Cheol Jae

2009-01-01

This paper studies on the modelling of a butterfly-type control valve actuating by an on-off pneumatic solenoid valve. The mathematical model is composed of nonlinear differential equations three parts: (i) a solenoid valve, (ii) a pneumatic cylinder, (iii) a rotary-type butterfly valve. The flow characteristics of the butterfly control valve is analysed by a computer simulator, then its simple transfer function is identified from the step responses.

Intra-operative pneumatic tourniquet - perceptions of use and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fifty-four per cent of respondents personally checked the calibration of the pneumatic tourniquet, although 76% of respondents believe that the apparatus needs to be checked at least once per month. More respondents who did not check the tourniquet apparatus than respondents who did check it believe that applied ...

New intraocular pressure measurement method using reflected pneumatic pressure from cornea deformed by air puff of ring-type nozzle.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyung Jin; Seo, Yeong Ho; Kim, Byeong Hee

2017-01-01

In this study, a non-contact type intraocular pressure (IOP) measuring system using reflected pneumatic pressure is proposed to overcome the disadvantages of existing measurement systems. A ring-type nozzle, a key component in the proposed system, is designed via computational fluid analysis. It predicts the reflected pneumatic pressure based on the nozzle exit angle and inner and outer diameters of the nozzle, which are 30°, 7 mm, and 9 mm, respectively. Performance evaluation is conducted using artificial eyes fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane with the specifications of human eyes. The IOP of the fabricated artificial eyes is adjusted to 10, 30, and 50 mm Hg, and the reflected pneumatic pressure is measured as a function of the distance between the ring-type nozzle and artificial eye. The measured reflected pneumatic pressure is high when the measurement distance is short and eye pressure is low. The cornea of an artificial eye is significantly deformed at a low IOP, and the applied pneumatic pressure is more concentrated in front of the ring-type nozzle because of the deformed cornea. Thus, the reflected pneumatic pressure at a low IOP has more inflows into the pressure sensor inserted inside the nozzle. The sensitivity of the output based on the IOP at measurement distances between 3-5 mm is -0.0027, -0.0022, -0.0018, -0.0015, and -0.0012. Sensitivity decreases as the measurement distance increases. In addition, the reflected pneumatic pressure owing to the misalignment at the measurement distances of 3-5 mm is not affected within a range of 0.5 mm. Therefore, the measurement range is acceptable up to a 1 mm diameter from the center of an artificial eye. However, the accuracy gradually decreases as the reflected pneumatic pressure from a misalignment of 1 mm or more decreases by 26% or more.

Electro pneumatic trainer embedded with programmable integrated circuit (PIC) microcontroller and graphical user interface platform for aviation industries training purposes

Science.gov (United States)

Burhan, I.; Azman, A. A.; Othman, R.

2016-10-01

An electro pneumatic trainer embedded with programmable integrated circuit (PIC) microcontroller and Visual Basic (VB) platform is fabricated as a supporting tool to existing teaching and learning process, and to achieve the objectives and learning outcomes towards enhancing the student's knowledge and hands-on skill, especially in electro pneumatic devices. The existing learning process for electro pneumatic courses conducted in the classroom does not emphasize on simulation and complex practical aspects. VB is used as the platform for graphical user interface (GUI) while PIC as the interface circuit between the GUI and hardware of electro pneumatic apparatus. Fabrication of electro pneumatic trainer interfacing between PIC and VB has been designed and improved by involving multiple types of electro pneumatic apparatus such as linear drive, air motor, semi rotary motor, double acting cylinder and single acting cylinder. Newly fabricated electro pneumatic trainer microcontroller interface can be programmed and re-programmed for numerous combination of tasks. Based on the survey to 175 student participants, 97% of the respondents agreed that the newly fabricated trainer is user friendly, safe and attractive, and 96.8% of the respondents strongly agreed that there is improvement in knowledge development and also hands-on skill in their learning process. Furthermore, the Lab Practical Evaluation record has indicated that the respondents have improved their academic performance (hands-on skills) by an average of 23.5%.

Control of input delayed pneumatic vibration isolation table using adaptive fuzzy sliding mode

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Mostafa Khazaee

Full Text Available AbstractPneumatic isolators are promising candidates for increasing the quality of accurate instruments. For this purpose, higher performance of such isolators is a prerequisite. In particular, the time-delay due to the air transmission is an inherent issue with pneumatic systems, which needs to be overcome using modern control methods. In this paper an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller is proposed to improve the performance of a pneumatic isolator in the low frequency range, i.e., where the passive techniques have obvious shortcomings. The main idea is to combine the adaptive fuzzy controller with adaptive predictor as a new time delay control technique. The adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control and the adaptive fuzzy predictor help to circumvent the input delay and nonlinearities in such isolators. The main advantage of the proposed method is that the closed-loop system stability is guaranteed under certain conditions. Simulation results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed method, compared with other existing time -delay control methods.

Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus mimicking intraosseous lesions of the skull base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jalali, Elnaz; Tadinada, Aditya [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Farmington (United States)

2015-03-15

Arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus is a developmental variant that is not always well recognized and is often confused with other pathologies associated with the skull base. This report describes the case of a patient referred for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging for dental implant therapy. CBCT demonstrated a well-defined incidental lesion in the left sphenoid sinus with soft tissue-like density and sclerotic borders with internal curvilinear opacifications. The differential diagnoses included intraosseous lipoma, arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus, chondrosarcoma, chondroid chordoma, and ossifying fibroma. The radiographic diagnosis of arrested pneumatization was based on the location of the lesion, its well-defined nature, the presence of internal opacifications, and lack of expansion. Gray-scale CBCT imaging of the area demonstrated values similar to fatty tissue. This case highlighted the fact that benign developmental variants associated with the skull base share similar radiographic features with more serious pathological entities.

Structural design and analysis of morphing skin embedded with pneumatic muscle fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yijin; Yin, Weilong; Liu, Yanju; Leng, Jinsong

2011-08-01

In this paper, a kind of morphing skin embedded with pneumatic muscle fibers is proposed from the bionics perspective. The elastic modulus of the designed pneumatic muscle fibers is experimentally determined and their output force is tested with internal air pressure varying from 0 to 0.4 MPa. The experimental results show that the contraction ratio of the pneumatic muscle fibers using the given material could reach up to 26.8%. Isothermal tensile tests are conducted on the fabricated morphing skin, and the results are compared with theoretical predictions based on the rule of mixture. When the strain is lower than 3% and in its linear-elastic range, the rule of mixture is proved to possess satisfying accuracy in the prediction of the elastic modulus of the morphing skin. Subsequently, the output force of the morphing skin is tested. It is revealed that when the volume ratio of the pneumatic muscle fibers is 0.228, the contraction ratio can reach up to 17.8%, which is satisfactory for meeting the camber requirement of morphing skin with maximum strain level below 2%. Finally, stress-bearing capability tests of the morphing skin on local uniformly distributed loads are conducted, and the test results show that the transverse stiffness of the morphing skin can be regulated by changing the internal air pressure. Under a uniformly distributed load of 540 Pa, the designed morphing skin is capable of varying by more than two orders of magnitude in the transverse stiffness by changing the internal air pressure.

Structural design and analysis of morphing skin embedded with pneumatic muscle fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yijin; Yin, Weilong; Leng, Jinsong; Liu, Yanju

2011-01-01

In this paper, a kind of morphing skin embedded with pneumatic muscle fibers is proposed from the bionics perspective. The elastic modulus of the designed pneumatic muscle fibers is experimentally determined and their output force is tested with internal air pressure varying from 0 to 0.4 MPa. The experimental results show that the contraction ratio of the pneumatic muscle fibers using the given material could reach up to 26.8%. Isothermal tensile tests are conducted on the fabricated morphing skin, and the results are compared with theoretical predictions based on the rule of mixture. When the strain is lower than 3% and in its linear-elastic range, the rule of mixture is proved to possess satisfying accuracy in the prediction of the elastic modulus of the morphing skin. Subsequently, the output force of the morphing skin is tested. It is revealed that when the volume ratio of the pneumatic muscle fibers is 0.228, the contraction ratio can reach up to 17.8%, which is satisfactory for meeting the camber requirement of morphing skin with maximum strain level below 2%. Finally, stress-bearing capability tests of the morphing skin on local uniformly distributed loads are conducted, and the test results show that the transverse stiffness of the morphing skin can be regulated by changing the internal air pressure. Under a uniformly distributed load of 540 Pa, the designed morphing skin is capable of varying by more than two orders of magnitude in the transverse stiffness by changing the internal air pressure

Pneumatic Dilation versus Laparoscopic Heller's Myotomy for Idiopathic Achalasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boeckxstaens, Guy E.; Annese, Vito; des Varannes, Stanislas Bruley; Chaussade, Stanislas; Costantini, Mario; Cuttitta, Antonello; Elizalde, J. Ignasi; Fumagalli, Uberto; Gaudric, Marianne; Rohof, Wout O.; Smout, André J.; Tack, Jan; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.; Zaninotto, Giovanni; Busch, Olivier R.; Lei, A.; Bartelsman, J.; Hirsch, D.; Klinkenberg-Knol, E. C.; Cuesta, M. A.; Simmermacher, R. K. J.; Kuipers, E. J.; Bonjer, H. J.; Masclee, A. A. M.; Ringers, J.; Lerut, A.; Metman, E. H.; Huten, N.; Letessier, E.; Dousset, B.; Pera, M.; Perez de la Serna, J.; Malesci, Alberto; Andriulli, A.; Scaramuzzi, G.; de Santo, E.

2011-01-01

Background Many experts consider laparoscopic Heller's myotomy (LHM) to be superior to pneumatic dilation for the treatment of achalasia, and LHM is increasingly considered to be the treatment of choice for this disorder. Methods We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed achalasia to

Pneumatic dilatation in achalasia cardia results and follow-up.

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Supe A

1990-10-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic dilatation is one of the more recent methods in the management of achalasia cardia. Fifty dilatations were done in 42 patients with achalasia cardia over 5 years. There was a significant decrease in the maximum diameter of the oesophagus and a significant increase in diameter in the narrowed lower oesophageal segment in all the patients. Of the patients studied, 95.23% were relieved of their symptoms after only one to two sessions. There were no immediate complications. Out of the 38 patients on long term follow up, 8 (21.05% had recurrence of symptoms. On repeat dilatations, 4 (50% of them had good response. Late complication like reflux oesophagitis was observed in only 1 patient over a median follow up period of 22 months. It was thus concluded that pneumatic dilatation is a safe, simple and effective procedure in managing patients with achalasia cardia.

Development of X-Y servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators for position control with high response, large stroke and nanometer accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Mao-Hsiung

2010-01-01

This study aims to develop a X-Y dual-axial intelligent servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator for position control with high response, large stroke (250 mm, 200 mm) and nanometer accuracy (20 nm). In each axis, the rodless pneumatic actuator serves to position in coarse stroke and the piezoelectric actuator compensates in fine stroke. Thus, the overall control systems of the single axis become a dual-input single-output (DISO) system. Although the rodless pneumatic actuator has relatively larger friction force, it has the advantage of mechanism for multi-axial development. Thus, the X-Y dual-axial positioning system is developed based on the servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator. In addition, the decoupling self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode control is developed as the intelligent control strategies. Finally, the proposed novel intelligent X-Y dual-axial servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators are implemented and verified experimentally.

Development of X-Y Servo Pneumatic-Piezoelectric Hybrid Actuators for Position Control with High Response, Large Stroke and Nanometer Accuracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mao-Hsiung Chiang

2010-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to develop a X-Y dual-axial intelligent servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator for position control with high response, large stroke (250 mm, 200 mm and nanometer accuracy (20 nm. In each axis, the rodless pneumatic actuator serves to position in coarse stroke and the piezoelectric actuator compensates in fine stroke. Thus, the overall control systems of the single axis become a dual-input single-output (DISO system. Although the rodless pneumatic actuator has relatively larger friction force, it has the advantage of mechanism for multi-axial development. Thus, the X-Y dual-axial positioning system is developed based on the servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuator. In addition, the decoupling self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode control is developed as the intelligent control strategies. Finally, the proposed novel intelligent X-Y dual-axial servo pneumatic-piezoelectric hybrid actuators are implemented and verified experimentally.

A pneumatic power harvesting ankle-foot orthosis to prevent foot-drop

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Chin Robin

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A self-contained, self-controlled, pneumatic power harvesting ankle-foot orthosis (PhAFO to manage foot-drop was developed and tested. Foot-drop is due to a disruption of the motor control pathway and may occur in numerous pathologies such as stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. The objectives for the prototype PhAFO are to provide toe clearance during swing, permit free ankle motion during stance, and harvest the needed power with an underfoot bellow pump pressurized during the stance phase of walking. Methods The PhAFO was constructed from a two-part (tibia and foot carbon composite structure with an articulating ankle joint. Ankle motion control was accomplished through a cam-follower locking mechanism actuated via a pneumatic circuit connected to the bellow pump and embedded in the foam sole. Biomechanical performance of the prototype orthosis was assessed during multiple trials of treadmill walking of an able-bodied control subject (n = 1. Motion capture and pressure measurements were used to investigate the effect of the PhAFO on lower limb joint behavior and the capacity of the bellow pump to repeatedly generate the required pneumatic pressure for toe clearance. Results Toe clearance during swing was successfully achieved during all trials; average clearance 44 ± 5 mm. Free ankle motion was observed during stance and plantarflexion was blocked during swing. In addition, the bellow component repeatedly generated an average of 169 kPa per step of pressure during ten minutes of walking. Conclusion This study demonstrated that fluid power could be harvested with a pneumatic circuit built into an AFO, and used to operate an actuated cam-lock mechanism that controls ankle-foot motion at specific periods of the gait cycle.

Development of Pipe Holding Mechanism for Pipe Inspection Robot Using Flexible Pneumatic Cylinder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Choi Kyujun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A pipe inspection robot is useful to reduce the inspection cost. In the previous study, a novel pipe inspection robot using a flexible pneumatic cylinder that can move forward along to the pipe by changing the robot’s body naturally was proposed and tested. In this paper, to improve its mobility for a corner of a pipe, the thin pipe holding mechanism using pneumatic bellows was proposed and tested. As a result of its driving test, the holding performance of the mechanism was confirmed.

Development of an automatic sample changer and a data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianchini, Ricardo M.; Estevez, Jorge; Vollmer, Alberto E.; Iglicki, Flora A.

1999-01-01

An automatic electro-pneumatic sample changer with a rotating sample holder is described. The changer is coupled through an electronic interface with the data acquisition station. The software to automate the system has been designed. (author)

Perfluoroalkyl Acid Concentrations in Blood Samples Subjected to Transportation and Processing Delay

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bach, Cathrine Carlsen; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bossi, Rossana

2015-01-01

and transportation prior to processing and samples with immediate processing and freezing. METHODS: Pregnant women recruited at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, (n = 88) provided paired blood samples. For each pair of samples, one was immediately processed and plasma was frozen, and the other was delayed...... and transported as whole blood before processing and freezing of plasma (similar to the Danish National Birth Cohort). We measured 12 perfluoroalkyl acids and present results for compounds with more than 50% of samples above the lower limit of quantification. RESULTS: For samples taken in the winter, relative...... differences between the paired samples ranged between -77 and +38% for individual perfluoroalkyl acids. In most cases concentrations were lower in the delayed and transported samples, e.g. the relative difference was -29% (95% confidence interval -30; -27) for perfluorooctane sulfonate. For perfluorooctanoate...

Evaluation of Pneumatization in the Articular Eminence and Roof of the Glenoid Fossa with Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet İlgüy

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Detection of air cavities, so called pneumatizations, nearby to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ area is important, as they represent sites of minimal resistance and facilitate the spread of various pathologies into the joint as inflammation, tumor or fractures and serve as a possible complicating factor in TMJ surgery. Aims: To determine the prevalence of pneumatization of the articular eminence (PAT and roof of the glenoid fossa (PRGF using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Acquired images of 111 patients (222 TMJs were evaluated. The presence of pneumatization was recorded at the articular eminence and roof of the glenoid fossa. Age and gender were recorded for all patients and type (unilocular or multilocular and laterality were noted for the cases of pneumatization. Results: The mean age of the study group was 48.86±18.31 years. Among all the patients, 73 (65.8% had PAT, while 13 (11.7% had PRGF. Forty-two (37.8% of the patients had PAT bilaterally; whereas 3 of them (2.7% presented PRGF bilaterally. The percentage of PAT was higher for females (73.6% than males (51.3% (p<0.05. Conclusion: CBCT images are an accurate and reliable means of detection of the exact size and type of pneumatization and the relationship of pneumatization to the adjacent tissues. This is especially significant before a surgical intervention is planned in this region, in order to make a sound diagnosis.

Rapid Prototyping High-Performance MR Safe Pneumatic Stepper Motors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenhuis, Vincent; Stramigioli, Stefano

2018-01-01

In this paper we show that pneumatic stepper motors for MR safe robots can be constructed using rapid prototyping techniques such as 3-D printing and laser-cutting. The designs are lightweight, completely metal-free and fully customizable. Besides MR safe robotic systems, other potential

Control of a Heavy-Lift Robotic Manipulator with Pneumatic Artificial Muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan M. Robinson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Lightweight, compliant actuators are particularly desirable in robotic systems intended for interaction with humans. Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs exhibit these characteristics and are capable of higher specific work than comparably-sized hydraulic actuators and electric motors. The objective of this work is to develop a control algorithm that can smoothly and accurately track the desired motions of a manipulator actuated by pneumatic artificial muscles. The manipulator is intended for lifting humans in nursing assistance or casualty extraction scenarios; hence, the control strategy must be capable of responding to large variations in payload over a large range of motion. The present work first investigates the feasibility of two output feedback controllers (proportional-integral-derivative and fuzzy logic, but due to the limitations of pure output feedback control, a model-based feedforward controller is developed and combined with output feedback to achieve improved closed-loop performance. The model upon which the controller is based incorporates the internal airflow dynamics, the physical parameters of the pneumatic muscles and the manipulator dynamics. Simulations were performed in order to validate the control algorithms, guide controller design and predict optimal gains. Using real-time interface software and hardware, the controllers were implemented and experimentally tested on the manipulator, demonstrating the improved capability.

Study of a Pneumatic Hybrid aided by a FPGA Controlled Free Valve Technology System

OpenAIRE

Trajkovic, Sasa

2008-01-01

Urban traffic involves frequent acceleration and deceleration. During deceleration, the energy previously used to accelerate the vehicle is mainly wasted on heat generated by the friction brakes. If this energy that is wasted in traditional IC engines could be saved, the fuel economy would improve. Today there are several solutions to meet the demand for better fuel economy and one of them is the pneumatic hybrids. The idea with pneumatic hybridization is to reduce the fuel con...

The use of automation with the new pneumatic irradiation facility of the ORNL HFIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, F.F.; Robinson, L.; Emery, J.F.

1988-01-01

The High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has two pneumatic irradiation systems: PT-1 installed in 1970 and PT-2 installed in 1987, which are used for neutron activation analysis. Both systems have been described in the literature. By means of a Gould programmable controller, considerable progress has been made in a cost-effective manner to operate and automate the features of the new facility. A neutron counter is an integral part of the new pneumatic tube, and all of the hardware is present to enable automated delayed neutron counting. Some automation of the old system has also been accomplished by the use of a Zymark general purpose programmable robot. This paper describes the automated features of both systems. The reactor has been shut down for safety evaluation since November 1986, so that no irradiations have been made in the new pneumatic tube

Controlling pneumatic artificial muscles in exoskeletons with surface electromyography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenhuis, Vincent; Chandrapal, Mervin; Stramigioli, Stefano; Chen, XiaoQi

2014-01-01

Powered exoskeletons are gaining more interest in the last few years, as useful devices to provide assistance to elderly and disabled people. Many different types of powered exoskeletons have been studied in the past. In this research paper, a soft lower limb exoskeleton driven by pneumatic

Soft, Rotating Pneumatic Actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Ainla, Alar; Verma, Mohit S; Yang, Dian; Whitesides, George M

2017-09-01

This article describes a soft pneumatic actuator that generates cyclical motion. The actuator consists of several (three, four, or five) chambers (arranged around the circumference of a circle surrounding a central rod) that can be actuated independently using negative pressure (or partial vacuum). Sequential actuation of the four-chamber device using reduced pressure moves the central rod cyclically in an approximately square path. We characterize the trajectory of the actuator and the force exerted by it, as we vary the material used for fabrication, the number of chambers, and the size of the actuator. We demonstrate two applications of this actuator: to deliver fluid while stirring (by replacing the central rod with a needle) and for locomotion that mimics a reptilian gait (by combining four actuators together).

Heat transport system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierce, B.L.

1978-01-01

A heat transport system of small size which can be operated in any orientation consists of a coolant loop containing a vaporizable liquid as working fluid and includes in series a vaporizer, a condenser and two one-way valves and a pressurizer connected to the loop between the two valves. The pressurizer may be divided into two chambers by a flexible diaphragm, an inert gas in one chamber acts as a pneumatic spring for the system. This system is suitable for use in a nuclear-powered artificial heart

An experimental investigation of pneumatic swirl flow induced by a three lobed helical pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fokeer, S.; Lowndes, I.; Kingman, S.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a discussion of the results and conclusions drawn from a series of experiments conducted to investigate the swirl flow that are generated by a three lobed helical pipe mounted within a laboratory scale pneumatic conveying rig. The experiments employed Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) to quantify the strength of the induced vortex formations and the decay rates of the observed downstream swirl flows over a range of Reynolds number in the turbulent regime. Instantaneous point velocity measurements were resolved in three directions across regular measurement grids transcribed across parallel planes located at four distances downstream of the swirl inducing pipe section. The equivalent axial, radial and tangential velocities were subsequently computed at these grids points. The degree of swirl measured across each measurement plane was expressed in terms of a defined swirl number. It was concluded that the three lobed helical pipe gave rise to a wall jet type of swirl whose rate of observed downstream decay is related to the Reynolds number of the upstream flow and the distance downstream of the swirl pipe. The decay rates for the swirl flows were found to be inversely proportional to the Reynolds number of the upstream flow. The swirl pipe was observed to create a redistribution of the downstream velocity field from axial to tangential, accompanied by a transfer of axial to angular momentum. The findings of this paper are believed to improve understanding to assist the selective use of swirl flow within lean phase particles pneumatic transport systems.

An experimental investigation of pneumatic swirl flow induced by a three lobed helical pipe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fokeer, S. [Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, University of Loughborough LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)], E-mail: S.Fokeer@lboro.ac.uk; Lowndes, I.; Kingman, S. [Division of Process and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom)

2009-04-15

This paper presents a discussion of the results and conclusions drawn from a series of experiments conducted to investigate the swirl flow that are generated by a three lobed helical pipe mounted within a laboratory scale pneumatic conveying rig. The experiments employed Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) to quantify the strength of the induced vortex formations and the decay rates of the observed downstream swirl flows over a range of Reynolds number in the turbulent regime. Instantaneous point velocity measurements were resolved in three directions across regular measurement grids transcribed across parallel planes located at four distances downstream of the swirl inducing pipe section. The equivalent axial, radial and tangential velocities were subsequently computed at these grids points. The degree of swirl measured across each measurement plane was expressed in terms of a defined swirl number. It was concluded that the three lobed helical pipe gave rise to a wall jet type of swirl whose rate of observed downstream decay is related to the Reynolds number of the upstream flow and the distance downstream of the swirl pipe. The decay rates for the swirl flows were found to be inversely proportional to the Reynolds number of the upstream flow. The swirl pipe was observed to create a redistribution of the downstream velocity field from axial to tangential, accompanied by a transfer of axial to angular momentum. The findings of this paper are believed to improve understanding to assist the selective use of swirl flow within lean phase particles pneumatic transport systems.

Series Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (sPAMs) and Application to a Soft Continuum Robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Joseph D; Morimoto, Tania K; Okamura, Allison M; Hawkes, Elliot W

2017-01-01

We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially round a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot's pneumatic backbone, causing bending that is approximately constant curvature. Unlike a traditional tendon driven continuum robot, the robot is entirely soft and contains no hard components, making it safer for human interaction. Models of both the sPAM and soft continuum robot kinematics are presented and experimentally verified. We found a mean position accuracy of 5.5 cm for predicting the end-effector position of a 42 cm long robot with the kinematic model. Finally, closed-loop control is demonstrated using an eye-in-hand visual servo control law which provides a simple interface for operation by a human. The soft continuum robot with closed-loop control was found to have a step-response rise time and settling time of less than two seconds.

Analysis and control of a parallel lower limb based on pneumatic artificial muscles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feilong Jiang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Most robots that are actuated by antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscles are controlled by various control algorithms that cannot adequately imitate the actual muscle distribution of human limbs. Other robots in which the distribution of pneumatic artificial muscle is similar to that of human limbs can only analyze the position of the robot using perceptual data instead of rational knowledge. In order to better imitate the movement of a human limb, the article proposes a humanoid lower limb in the form of a parallel mechanism where muscle is unevenly distributed. Next, the kinematic and dynamic movements of bionic hip joint are analyzed, where the joint movement is controlled by an observer-based fuzzy adaptive control algorithm as a whole rather than each individual pneumatic artificial muscle and parameters that are optimized by a neural network. Finally, experimental results are provided to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. We also document the role of muscle in trajectory tracking for the piriformis and musculi obturator internus in isobaric processes.

Muscle- and pneumatic-powered counterpulsating LVADs: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilde, J C; van Loon, J; Bishop, N D; Shelton, A D; Marten, C; Kolff, W J; Stephenson, L; Baciewicz, F; Nakajima, H; Thomas, G

1994-03-01

There is a worldwide interest in supporting the failing heart with a skeletal muscle by either wrapping it around the natural heart (dynamic cardiomyoplasty) or by constructing a skeletal muscle ventricle (SMV) used for counterpulsation. Conventional cardiomyoplasty in many clinics carries an operative mortality rate of 15-20% partly because it requires 6 weeks to train the muscle to contract continually. A flexible, pear-shaped blood pump with an inflatable air chamber was designed and made around which a muscle can be wrapped. The advantage of our design is that it can also be driven by pneumatic power, immediately supporting the circulation of a seriously ill patient while that patient is still on the operating table. After a period of time to allow for revascularization and the subsequent training of the muscle, the external pneumatic power can be gradually discontinued. Then the assisted patient becomes tether-free. If, at any time, the muscle power fails, the pneumatic-powered mechanism can be reactivated. In the preferred approach, the blood pump is connected to the aorta for diastolic counterpulsation. A muscle can either be wrapped around the blood pump directly, or around one of two separate muscle pouches connected to the blood pump. To facilitate surgery, a large pouch is inserted under the musculus latissimus dorsi, which is connected to a blood pump. When stimulated, the muscle will contract over the pouch compressing it and providing power to the blood pump. If it is found that the pressure generated in the pouch cannot meet the aortic blood pressure, it can be augmented by using a pressure amplifier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Testing the plant pneumatic method to estimate xylem embolism resistance in stems of temperate trees

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Ya; Lamarque, Laurent J.; Torres-Ruiz, José Manuel; Schuldt, Bernhard; Karimi, Zohreh; Li, Shan; Qin, De-Wen; Bittencourt, Paulo; Burlett, Régis; Cao, Kun-Fang; Delzon, Sylvain; Oliveira, Rafael; Pereira, Luciano; Jansen, Steven

2018-01-01

Methods to estimate xylem embolism resistance generally rely on hydraulic measurements, which can be far from straightforward. Recently, a pneumatic method based on air flow measurements of terminal branch ends was proposed to construct vulnerability curves by linking the amount of air extracted from a branch with the degree of embolism. We applied this novel technique for 10 temperate tree species, including six diffuse, two ring-porous and two gymnosperm species, and compared the pneumatic ...

Considerations of several real effects in pneumatic pellet injection processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ming-Lun Xue.

1987-10-01

Several real effects that take place in a pneumatic pellet injector are examined. These are the heat transfer between a high-temperature propellent gas and the metal wall of the injector, and the frictional loss between the propellent and wall. (author)

Present status and prospect of the pneumatics; Kukiatsu gijutsu no ayumi to kongono kenkyu no kadai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawai, S. [Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan). School of Science and Engineering

2000-05-15

This paper describes course of pneumatic technologies and problems in future researches. Pneumatic systems are inferior to electric and hydraulic systems in terms of efficiency. It is because electric power is converted into fluidized energy by using a compressor, and then converted to mechanical energy by using an actuator. When theses published from 1990 through 1999 are put in order, the research objects are accounted for half by control related technologies, and researches related to elements account for only one third. This paper enumerates assignments to be tackled positively in the future by utilizing compressibility of air in pneumatic systems, and features of high speed drive utilizing the stored energy instantaneously. Application of air pressure to robotics from the demand of the aging society, and pneumatic tools having intelligent functions must be subjected to new contrivances. These will serve for work assistance systems to enable aged people to perform works, and for activating industries including organic agriculture. Tools in this sense may include impact wrench, and others. Furthermore, development of fundamental studies for 'why air pressure?' is demanded strongly, including the viewpoint of LCA in the recycling type society. (NEDO)

A novel approach to aluminium determination in biological tissues using a pair of pneumatic tube irradiation facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalsem, D.J. van [Kentucky Univ., Lexington, KY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Robinson, L [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Ehmann, W D [Kentucky Univ., Lexington, KY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

1995-04-01

A novel method for the determination of trace aluminium (Al) in the presence of high levels of phosphorus (P) has been developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Using successive irradiations in HFIR`s two pneumatic tube facilities (PT-1, PT-2) to measure the difference between the two apparent Al concentrations, the true Al concentration in the sample can be calculated without the need for an independent determination of P. Results are presented for brain samples from various regions, some that are strongly affected by Alzheimer`s disease (AD) and for NIST SMR 1577b, Bovine Liver. (author) 21 refs.; 3 tabs.

Automated facility for analysis of soil samples by neutron activation, counting, and data control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voegele, A.L.; Jesse, R.H.; Russell, W.L.; Baker, J.

1978-01-01

An automated facility remotely and automatically analyzes soil, water, and sediment samples for uranium. The samples travel through pneumatic tubes and switches to be first irradiated by neutrons and then counted for resulting neutron and gamma emission. Samples are loaded into special carriers, or rabbits, which are then automatically loaded into the pneumatic transfer system. The sample carriers have been previously coded with an identification number, which can be automatically read in the system. This number is used for correlating and filing data about the samples. The transfer system, counters, and identification system are controlled by a network of microprocessors. A master microprocessor initiates routines in other microprocessors assigned to specific tasks. The software in the microprocessors is unique for this type of application and lends flexibility to the system

Design and Experimental Development of a Pneumatic Stiffness Adjustable Foot System for Biped Robots Adaptable to Bumps on the Ground

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xizhe Zang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Walking on rough terrains still remains a challenge that needs to be addressed for biped robots because the unevenness on the ground can easily disrupt the walking stability. This paper proposes a novel foot system with passively adjustable stiffness for biped robots which is adaptable to small-sized bumps on the ground. The robotic foot is developed by attaching eight pneumatic variable stiffness units to the sole separately and symmetrically. Each variable stiffness unit mainly consists of a pneumatic bladder and a mechanical reversing valve. When walking on rough ground, the pneumatic bladders in contact with bumps are compressed, and the corresponding reversing valves are triggered to expel out the air, enabling the pneumatic bladders to adapt to the bumps with low stiffness; while the other pneumatic bladders remain rigid and maintain stable contact with the ground, providing support to the biped robot. The performances of the proposed foot system, including the variable stiffness mechanism, the adaptability on the bumps of different heights, and the application on a biped robot prototype are demonstrated by various experiments.

On-line automatic detection of wood pellets in pneumatically conveyed wood dust flow

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Duo; Yan, Yong; Carter, Robert M.; Gao, Lingjun; Qian, Xiangchen; Lu, Gang

2014-04-01

This paper presents a piezoelectric transducer based system for on-line automatic detection of wood pellets in wood dust flow in pneumatic conveying pipelines. The piezoelectric transducer senses non-intrusively the collisions between wood pellets and the pipe wall. Wavelet-based denoising is adopted to eliminate environmental noise and recover the collision events. Then the wood pellets are identified by sliding a time window through the denoised signal with a suitable threshold. Experiments were carried out on a laboratory test rig and on an industrial pneumatic conveying pipeline to assess the effectiveness and operability of the system.

A pneumatic muscle hand therapy device.

Science.gov (United States)

Koeneman, E J; Schultz, R S; Wolf, S L; Herring, D E; Koeneman, J B

2004-01-01

Intensive repetitive therapy improves function and quality of life for stroke patients. Intense therapies to overcome upper extremity impairment are beneficial, however, they are expensive because, in part, they rely on individualized interaction between the patient and rehabilitation specialist. The development of a pneumatic muscle driven hand therapy device, the Mentortrade mark, reinforces the need for volitional activation of joint movement while concurrently offering knowledge of results about range of motion, muscle activity or resistance to movement. The device is well tolerated and has received favorable comments from stroke survivors, their caregivers, and therapists.

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan). Naka Fusion Research Establishment); Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author).

Repeating pneumatic pellet injector in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Satoshi; Hasegawa, Kouichi; Suzuki, Sadaaki; Miura, Yukitoshi; Oda, Yasushi; Onozuka, Masanori; Tsujimura, Seiichi.

1992-09-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been developed and constructed at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This injector can provide repetitive pellet injection to fuel tokamak plasmas for an extended period of time, aiming at the improvement of plasma performance. The pellets with nearly identical speed and mass can be repeatedly injected with a repetition rate of 2-3.3 Hz and a speed of up to 1.7 km/s by controlling the temperature of the cryogenic system, the piston speed and the pressure of the propellant gas. (author)

Mathematical Modeling of Diaphragm Pneumatic Motors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fojtášek Kamil

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic diaphragm motors belong to the group of motors with elastic working parts. This part is usually made of rubber with a textile insert and it is deformed under the pressure of a compressed air or from the external mass load. This is resulting in a final working effect. In this type of motors are in contact two different elastic environments – the compressed air and the esaltic part. These motors are mainly the low-stroke and working with relatively large forces. This paper presents mathematical modeling static properties of diaphragm motors.

Estimation of Physical Human-Robot Interaction Using Cost-Effective Pneumatic Padding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Wilkening

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The idea to use a cost-effective pneumatic padding for sensing of physical interaction between a user and wearable rehabilitation robots is not new, but until now there has not been any practical relevant realization. In this paper, we present a novel method to estimate physical human-robot interaction using a pneumatic padding based on artificial neural networks (ANNs. This estimation can serve as rough indicator of applied forces/torques by the user and can be applied for visual feedback about the user’s participation or as additional information for interaction controllers. Unlike common mostly very expensive 6-axis force/torque sensors (FTS, the proposed sensor system can be easily integrated in the design of physical human-robot interfaces of rehabilitation robots and adapts itself to the shape of the individual patient’s extremity by pressure changing in pneumatic chambers, in order to provide a safe physical interaction with high user’s comfort. This paper describes a concept of using ANNs for estimation of interaction forces/torques based on pressure variations of eight customized air-pad chambers. The ANNs were trained one-time offline using signals of a high precision FTS which is also used as reference sensor for experimental validation. Experiments with three different subjects confirm the functionality of the concept and the estimation algorithm.

Activation analysis with neutron generators using short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salma, I.

1993-01-01

The short half-life involves a number of important differences in production, transportation and measurement of radionuclides, and in counting statistics as compared with those in traditional activation analysis. Experiments were performed to investigate the analytical possibilities and prospective utilization of short-lived radionuclides produced by 14-MeV neutron irradiation. A rapid pneumatic transfer system for use with neutron generators was installed and applied for detecting radionuclides with a half-life from 300 ms to 30 s. The transport time for samples with a total mass of 1-4 g is between 130 and 160 ms for pressurized air of 0.1-0.4 MPa. 11 elements were studied by the conventional activation method using both a typical pneumatic transport system (run time 3 s) and the fast pneumatic transport facility. The effect of the cyclic activation technique on the elemental sensitivities was also investigated. (orig.)

Perfluoroalkyl Acid Concentrations in Blood Samples Subjected to Transportation and Processing Delay.

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, Cathrine Carlsen; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Bossi, Rossana; Bech, Bodil Hammer; Fuglsang, Jens; Olsen, Jørn; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard

2015-01-01

In studies of perfluoroalkyl acids, the validity and comparability of measured concentrations may be affected by differences in the handling of biospecimens. We aimed to investigate whether measured plasma levels of perfluoroalkyl acids differed between blood samples subjected to delay and transportation prior to processing and samples with immediate processing and freezing. Pregnant women recruited at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, (n = 88) provided paired blood samples. For each pair of samples, one was immediately processed and plasma was frozen, and the other was delayed and transported as whole blood before processing and freezing of plasma (similar to the Danish National Birth Cohort). We measured 12 perfluoroalkyl acids and present results for compounds with more than 50% of samples above the lower limit of quantification. For samples taken in the winter, relative differences between the paired samples ranged between -77 and +38% for individual perfluoroalkyl acids. In most cases concentrations were lower in the delayed and transported samples, e.g. the relative difference was -29% (95% confidence interval -30; -27) for perfluorooctane sulfonate. For perfluorooctanoate there was no difference between the two setups [corresponding estimate 1% (0, 3)]. Differences were negligible in the summer for all compounds. Transport of blood samples and processing delay, similar to conditions applied in some large, population-based studies, may affect measured perfluoroalkyl acid concentrations, mainly when outdoor temperatures are low. Attention to processing conditions is needed in studies of perfluoroalkyl acid exposure in humans.

Safety and efficacy of transurethral pneumatic lithotripsy for bladder calculi in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khosa, A.S.; Hussain, M.; Hussain, M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of transurethral pneumatic lithotripsy for bladder calculi in children. Method: The study included 100 children up to 15 years of age undergoing pneumatic cystolithoclast for bladder stones. The descriptive study was conducted from September 2006 to February 2007 at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi. The inclusion criteria was children up to 15 years of age with a bladder stone of up to 3 cm, pre-operative negative urine culture, no coagulopathy and fit for general anaesthesia. An X-ray and ultrasound of Kidney and Urinary Bladder (KUB) was mandatory. The procedure was done under general anaesthesia with a single dose of pre-operative antibiotic. A mini-scope of 4 FR or a semi-rigid ureteroscope of 7/8.5 FR with pneumatic wolf lithoclast was used for the fragmentation of stones. Duration of procedure, any per-operative and post-operative complications and the duration of hospital stay were recorded. Post-operatively, the patient underwent ultrasound Kidney and Urinary Bladder at the first follow-up to assess stone clearance after one week. Result: Mean patients age was 4.95+-3.3 years. The male-to-female ratio was 11.5: 1 The mean hospital stay was 9.2 +- 2.5 hours. The mean operating time was 25 (10 -65) minutes. Ten (10%) patients developed minor complications out of which 5 (5%) developed haematuria and 4 (4%) developed difficulty in passing urine. One (1%) of the patients developed post-operative retention of urine. All the patients were stone free after the procedure. Conclusion: The transurethral pneumatic lithoclast is very effective and safe in children with bladder stones up to 3 cm. (author)

Treatment of achalasia: comparison of temporary stent insertion with pneumatic dilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yueqi; Cheng Yingsheng; Li Minghua; Zhao Jungong; Li Feng

2011-01-01

Objective: To retrospectively analyze and compare the clinical efficacy of temporary stent insertion with pneumatic dilation at the same diameter for the treatment of achalasia based on a long-term follow-up observation. Methods: A total of 101 treated achalasia patients were divided into pneumatic dilation group (group A, n=38) and temporary stent insertion group (group B, n=63). The diameter of the balloon and stent used for the procedure was 30 mm. The total symptom scores (TSSs) and esophageal manometry was used to assess the symptoms and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure improvement. Barium-swallow-esophageal study was employed to objectively evaluate the esophageal emptying function. Barium-swallow-esophageal study was employed to objectively evaluate the esophageal emptying function. TSSs and LES pressure improvement were assessed, recorded and compared during the regular interval follow-up. Results: Forty-nine pneumatic dilations and 65 stent insertions were successfully performed in all patients under fluoroscopic guidance. Complications included pain, reflux and bleeding, which occurred in 9 (23.6%), 8 (21.1%) and 3(8.0%) patients in group A, respectively, while in 27 (42.9%), 8 (12.7%) and 10 (15.9%) patients in group B, respectively. The stent was retained approximately 4-7 days and all stents were retrieved via endoscope. TSSs, esophageal manometry and postoperative barium esophagram showed significant improvement compared to those obtained before treatment (P<0.0001). At the end of follow-up, TSSs and LES pressure in group B were 4.00±1.00 and (43.67±12.66) mmHg, respectively, which were 10.20±0.45 (P=0.0096) and (58.60±8.65) mmHg (P=0.1687), respectively, in group A. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that group B obtained a better symptom remission than group A did (Log-rank test; P=0.0212). Conclusion: Long-term follow-up results indicate that for the treatment of achalasia retrievable stent placement is more effective than same diameter

Management of retinal detachment in block related globe perforation with pneumatic retinopexy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karandeep Rishi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Retinal detachment after ocular perforation related to local anesthesia is a common complication, which is usually associated with a poor prognosis despite complex vitreoretinal surgical procedures. We report a case of 62-year-old male with cataract surgery done 4 weeks back with nasal retinal detachment with a posterior break. Pneumatic retinopexy was performed and laser barrage of the breaks was done the next day when the retina got attached. A vision of 20/30 was achieved at the end of 2 months. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first case report in literature where pneumatic retinopexy was used to manage a retinal detachment caused by block-related perforation.

The Influence of Shaping Air Pressure of Pneumatic Spray Gun

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wenzhuo; Chen, Yan; Pan, Haiwei; Zhang, Weiming; Li, Bo

2018-02-01

The shaping air pressure is a very important parameter in the application of pneumatic spray gun, and studying its influence on spray flow field and film thickness distribution has practical values. In this paper, Euler-Lagrangian method is adopted to describe the two-phase spray flow of pneumatic painting process, and the air flow fields, spray patterns and dynamic film thickness distributions were obtained with the help of the computational fluid dynamics code—ANSYS Fluent. Results show that with the increase of the shaping air pressure, the air phase flow field spreads in the plane perpendicular to the shaping air hole plane, the spray pattern becomes narrower and flatter, and the width of the dynamic film increases with the reduced maximum value of the film thickness. But the film thickness distribution seems to change little with the shaping air pressure decreasing from 0.6bar to 0.9bar.

Design of a pneumatic system for the development of skills among aeronautics maintenance technology students

OpenAIRE

Calderón Pérez, Jorge Luis; Cruz Rico, Oliver; Ospina Martínez, Darwin

2016-01-01

Introduction: This article is the result of the “Design and installation of a pneumatic system for Aeronautics Maintenance Technology students’ instruction (TMA)”. The research was conducted during 2014 and 2015 by the Police Aviation School research group (esavi), attached to the National Directorate of Schools (DINAE). Methodology: design and construction of a lab with a pneumatic system for handling aviation materials and structures by the Aeronautics Maintenance Technology students. The p...

Skeletal muscle injury induced by a pneumatic tourniquet: an enzyme- and immunohistochemical study in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedowitz, R A; Fridén, J; Thornell, L E

1992-03-01

The pathophysiology of skeletal muscle injury induced by compression beneath pneumatic tourniquets is poorly understood. Tourniquet hemostasis was induced in rabbit hindlimbs for 2 hr with a cuff inflation pressure of either 125 mm Hg (n = 5) or 350 mm Hg (n = 5). Skeletal muscle biopsies, taken 2 days later from tissue beneath and distal to the tourniquet, were frozen and analyzed using enzyme- and immunohistochemical techniques. In the 350 mm Hg tourniquet group, four of 10 thigh muscle samples demonstrated significant regional necrosis (mean 37.3% of the total cross-sectional area). Regional necrosis was not observed in thigh muscles of the 125 mm Hg tourniquet group or in any of the ischemic leg muscles. A topographic pattern of necrosis consistent with the arterial distribution of skeletal muscle suggested pathogenic events during the reperfusion period, such as granulocyte-mediated superoxide radical formation. Extremely large and rounded fibers (histochemically identified as Type IIB fibers) were observed in compressed thigh muscles, indicating differential fiber sensitivity to tourniquet compression and ischemia. The present study demonstrated significant skeletal muscle necrosis after a 2 hr tourniquet applied at a clinically relevant cuff inflation pressure. Recent studies of systemic changes associated with limb "ischemia" should be reassessed in consideration of the confounding effects of tissue compression induced beneath pneumatic tourniquets.

Special study for the manual transfer of process samples from CPP [Chemical Processing Plant] 601 to RAL [Remote Analytical Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marts, D.J.

1987-05-01

A study of alternate methods to manually transport radioactive samples from their glove boxes to the Remote Analytical Laboratory (RAL) was conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The study was performed to mitigate the effects of a potential loss of sampling capabilities that could take place if a malfunction in the Pneumatic Transfer System (PTS) occurred. Samples are required to be taken from the cell glove boxes and analyzed at the RAL regardless of the operational status of the PTS. This paper documents the conclusions of the study and how a decision was reached that determined the best handling scenarios for manually transporting 15 mL vials of liquid process samples from the K, W, U, WG, or WH cell glove boxes in the Chemical Processing Plant (CPP) 601 to the RAL. This study of methods to manually remove the samples from the glove boxes, package them for safe shipment, transport them by the safest route, receive them at the RAL, and safely unload them was conducted by EG and G Idaho, Inc., for Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company as part of the Glove Box Sampling and Transfer System Project for the Fuel Processing Facilities Upgrade, Task 10, Subtask 2. The study focused on the safest and most reliable scenarios that could be implemented using existing equipment. Hardware modifications and new hardware proposals were identified, and their impact on the handling scenario has been evaluated. A conclusion was reached that by utilizing the existing facility hardware, these samples can be safely transported manually from the sample stations in CPP 601 to the RAL, and that additional hardware could facilitate the transportation process even further

A pneumatically powered knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO with myoelectric activation and inhibition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferris Daniel P

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The goal of this study was to test the mechanical performance of a prototype knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO powered by artificial pneumatic muscles during human walking. We had previously built a powered ankle-foot orthosis (AFO and used it effectively in studies on human motor adaptation, locomotion energetics, and gait rehabilitation. Extending the previous AFO to a KAFO presented additional challenges related to the force-length properties of the artificial pneumatic muscles and the presence of multiple antagonistic artificial pneumatic muscle pairs. Methods Three healthy males were fitted with custom KAFOs equipped with artificial pneumatic muscles to power ankle plantar flexion/dorsiflexion and knee extension/flexion. Subjects walked over ground at 1.25 m/s under four conditions without extensive practice: 1 without wearing the orthosis, 2 wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, 3 wearing the orthosis activated under direct proportional myoelectric control, and 4 wearing the orthosis activated under proportional myoelectric control with flexor inhibition produced by leg extensor muscle activation. We collected joint kinematics, ground reaction forces, electromyography, and orthosis kinetics. Results The KAFO produced ~22%–33% of the peak knee flexor moment, ~15%–33% of the peak extensor moment, ~42%–46% of the peak plantar flexor moment, and ~83%–129% of the peak dorsiflexor moment during normal walking. With flexor inhibition produced by leg extensor muscle activation, ankle (Pearson r-value = 0.74 ± 0.04 and knee ( r = 0.95 ± 0.04 joint kinematic profiles were more similar to the without orthosis condition compared to when there was no flexor inhibition (r = 0.49 ± 0.13 for ankle, p = 0.05, and r = 0.90 ± 0.03 for knee, p = 0.17. Conclusion The proportional myoelectric control with flexor inhibition allowed for a more normal gait than direct proportional myoelectric control. The current

A pneumatically powered knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) with myoelectric activation and inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Sawicki, Gregory S; Ferris, Daniel P

2009-01-01

Background The goal of this study was to test the mechanical performance of a prototype knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) powered by artificial pneumatic muscles during human walking. We had previously built a powered ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) and used it effectively in studies on human motor adaptation, locomotion energetics, and gait rehabilitation. Extending the previous AFO to a KAFO presented additional challenges related to the force-length properties of the artificial pneumatic muscles and the presence of multiple antagonistic artificial pneumatic muscle pairs. Methods Three healthy males were fitted with custom KAFOs equipped with artificial pneumatic muscles to power ankle plantar flexion/dorsiflexion and knee extension/flexion. Subjects walked over ground at 1.25 m/s under four conditions without extensive practice: 1) without wearing the orthosis, 2) wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing the orthosis activated under direct proportional myoelectric control, and 4) wearing the orthosis activated under proportional myoelectric control with flexor inhibition produced by leg extensor muscle activation. We collected joint kinematics, ground reaction forces, electromyography, and orthosis kinetics. Results The KAFO produced ~22%–33% of the peak knee flexor moment, ~15%–33% of the peak extensor moment, ~42%–46% of the peak plantar flexor moment, and ~83%–129% of the peak dorsiflexor moment during normal walking. With flexor inhibition produced by leg extensor muscle activation, ankle (Pearson r-value = 0.74 ± 0.04) and knee ( r = 0.95 ± 0.04) joint kinematic profiles were more similar to the without orthosis condition compared to when there was no flexor inhibition (r = 0.49 ± 0.13 for ankle, p = 0.05, and r = 0.90 ± 0.03 for knee, p = 0.17). Conclusion The proportional myoelectric control with flexor inhibition allowed for a more normal gait than direct proportional myoelectric control. The current orthosis design

Pneumatic pressure wave generator provides economical, simple testing of pressure transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Gaal, A. E.; Weldon, T. P.

1967-01-01

Testing device utilizes the change in pressure about a bias or reference pressure level produced by displacement of a center-driven piston in a closed cylinder. Closely controlled pneumatic pressure waves allow testing under dynamic conditions.

3-D pneumatic seismic isolation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beliaev, V.S.; Vinogradov, V.V.; Kostarev, V.V.; Kuzmitchev, V.P.; Privalov, S.A.; Siro, V.A.; Krylova, I.N.; Dolgaya, A.A.; Uzdin, A.M.; Vasiliev, A.V.

2002-01-01

This paper describes the work carried at the Russian Federation Research Center of Fundamental Engineering (RCFE), in development of innovative pneumatic multicomponent low-frequency seismic isolation bearings for advanced nuclear power plants.This device incorporates both supporting spherical elements, which provide displacements in the horizontal direction, and pneumatic dampers with rubber diaphragms for displacement in the vertical direction. To decrease the relative displacements of the isolated object the system uses viscoelastic dampers. Damping devices had been specially elaborated for the reactor building seismic isolation system as a result of substantial advances in the design and operation of the HD-type hydrodampers, created at the CKTI VIBROSEISM. The procedures developed have been used for comparison of the test and computer data on model isolated steel structure (MISS) and isolated rigid mass (IRM) isolators produced by ENEA and KAERI. Most recent work has concentrated on the development of mathematical models of isolators and isolated nuclear structures. Force-deformation characteristics of the HDRB model had been calculated on the basis of a special method of non-linear elastic theory using the continual transformations method. (author)

An instrumented object for hand exercise and assessment using a pneumatic pressure sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, A.; Tharion, G.; Kumar, R. K.; Devasahayam, S. R.

2018-05-01

Measurement of grip force is important for both exercise training and assessment of the hand during physical rehabilitation. The standard method uses a grip dynamometer which measures the force between the fingers and opposing thumb. The primary limitation of the grip dynamometer is the restriction of measurement to cylindrical grasps. Any deformation of the hand due to muscular or skeletal disease makes the grip dynamometer difficult or impossible to use. An alternative to the grip dynamometer is a sealed pneumatic object that can be gripped by the hand. Measurement of the internal pressure in the object can be related to the grip force. In this paper, we analyze such a pneumatic pressure sensing object for hand grip assessment and also describe an easy fabrication of the grip sensor. The instrumented object presented in this paper is designed to assess both the maximal voluntary grip forces and continuous grip force to monitor control of hand function during exercise under instruction from a therapist. Potential uses of such a pneumatic pressure sensing object for hand grip are in physical rehabilitation of patients following paralysing illnesses like stroke and spinal cord injury.

A durability study of a paracorporeal pulsatile electro-mechanical pneumatic biventricular assist device.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyuk; Lee, Heung-Man; Nam, Kyoung Won; Choi, Jaesoon; Lee, Jung-Joo; Kim, Ho Chul; Song, Seung Joon; Ahn, Chi Bum; Son, Ho Sung; Lim, Choon Hak; Son, Kuk Hui; Park, Yong Doo; Jeong, Gi Seok; Sun, Kyung

2011-06-01

In 2002, the paracorporeal pulsatile electro-mechanical pneumatic ventricular assist device (VAD) began to be developed by the Korea Artificial Organ Center at Korea University under a Health & Medical Technology Research and Development program which finished in 2008. In vitro durability testing was conducted on the paracorporeal pulsatile pneumatic VAD to determine device durability and to evaluate device failures. The 1- and 2-year reliability of the paracorporeal pulsatile pneumatic VAD was shown to be 91.2% and 54.9%, respectively, with an 80% confidence level. Failure modes were analyzed using fault tree analysis, with customized software continuously acquiring data during the test period. After this period, 21 in vivo animal tests were done, with 14 cases of left atrium to left ventricle (LV) inflow cannulation (36Fr)/outflow grafting to descending aorta, and seven cases of apex cannulation of LV to descending aorta (12 mm). The longest postoperative day (182 days) in Korea was recently recorded in in vivo animal testing (bovine, 90 kg, male, 3.5-4.0 L/min flow rate, and 55 bpm). © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2011, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proposed design for the new SNL air-transporter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, A.R.; Kennedy, S.T.; Haberlin, M.M.

1988-01-01

The design of a prototype air-transporter suitable for remote operation in a size reduction facility is discussed. The first section describes the design concept selected for the transporter, that of a series of modular units within a simple rigid framework and the detailed design of the individual modules. The design has the following features: electrical drive units, self contained air-skates, electrical logic circuit placed outside the working area, pneumatic and electrical umbilicals and provision for specific items of ancilliary equipment. The second section describes the detailed evaluation of various cable handling systems for the umbilicals from the control console outside the facility to the transporter. It has been established that the optimum system is a single rail festoon complete with transporter mounted pivoting arm. (author)

A Novel Real-Time Path Servo Control of a Hardware-in-the-Loop for a Large-Stroke Asymmetric Rod-Less Pneumatic System under Variable Loads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao-Ting Lin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This project aims to develop a novel large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system of a hardware-in-the-loop for path tracking control under variable loads based on the MATLAB Simulink real-time system. High pressure compressed air provided by the air compressor is utilized for the pneumatic proportional servo valve to drive the large stroke asymmetric rod-less pneumatic actuator. Due to the pressure differences between two chambers, the pneumatic actuator will operate. The highly nonlinear mathematical models of the large stroke asymmetric pneumatic system were analyzed and developed. The functional approximation technique based on the sliding mode controller (FASC is developed as a controller to solve the uncertain time-varying nonlinear system. The MATLAB Simulink real-time system was a main control unit of a hardware-in-the-loop system proposed to establish driver blocks for analog and digital I/O, a linear encoder, a CPU and a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic rod-less system. By the position sensor, the position signals of the cylinder will be measured immediately. The measured signals will be viewed as the feedback signals of the pneumatic servo system for the study of real-time positioning control and path tracking control. Finally, real-time control of a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system with measuring system, a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system, data acquisition system and the control strategy software will be implemented. Thus, upgrading the high position precision and the trajectory tracking performance of the large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system will be realized to promote the high position precision and path tracking capability. Experimental results show that fifth order paths in various strokes and the sine wave path are successfully implemented in the test rig. Also, results of variable loads under the different angle were implemented experimentally.

A Novel Real-Time Path Servo Control of a Hardware-in-the-Loop for a Large-Stroke Asymmetric Rod-Less Pneumatic System under Variable Loads.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hao-Ting

2017-06-04

This project aims to develop a novel large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system of a hardware-in-the-loop for path tracking control under variable loads based on the MATLAB Simulink real-time system. High pressure compressed air provided by the air compressor is utilized for the pneumatic proportional servo valve to drive the large stroke asymmetric rod-less pneumatic actuator. Due to the pressure differences between two chambers, the pneumatic actuator will operate. The highly nonlinear mathematical models of the large stroke asymmetric pneumatic system were analyzed and developed. The functional approximation technique based on the sliding mode controller (FASC) is developed as a controller to solve the uncertain time-varying nonlinear system. The MATLAB Simulink real-time system was a main control unit of a hardware-in-the-loop system proposed to establish driver blocks for analog and digital I/O, a linear encoder, a CPU and a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic rod-less system. By the position sensor, the position signals of the cylinder will be measured immediately. The measured signals will be viewed as the feedback signals of the pneumatic servo system for the study of real-time positioning control and path tracking control. Finally, real-time control of a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system with measuring system, a large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system, data acquisition system and the control strategy software will be implemented. Thus, upgrading the high position precision and the trajectory tracking performance of the large stroke asymmetric pneumatic servo system will be realized to promote the high position precision and path tracking capability. Experimental results show that fifth order paths in various strokes and the sine wave path are successfully implemented in the test rig. Also, results of variable loads under the different angle were implemented experimentally.

Clinical, manometric, and ultrasonographic results of pneumatic balloon dilatation vs. lateral internal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissure: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Renzi, Adolfo; Izzo, Domenico; Di Sarno, Giandomenico; Talento, Pasquale; Torelli, Francesco; Izzo, Giuseppe; Di Martino, Natale

2008-01-01

This prospective, randomized, controlled trial was designed to compare the clinical, functional, and morphologic results of pneumatic balloon dilatation with lateral internal sphincterotomy for the treatment of chronic anal fissure. All patients with symptomatic chronic anal fissure were randomly assigned to pneumatic balloon dilatation or lateral internal sphincterotomy and invited to complete a standardized questionnaire inquiring about their symptoms. Anal ultrasonography and anal manometry were performed before and six months after surgery. A proctologic examination was performed between the fifth and sixth postoperative weeks. Anal continence, scored by using a validated continence grading scale, was evaluated preoperatively at 1 and 6 weeks and at 12 and 24 months. Fifty-three patients, who satisfied selection criteria, were enrolled in the trial. Four patients (7.5 percent) were lost to follow-up. Twenty-four patients (11 males; mean age, 42 +/- 8.2 years) underwent pneumatic balloon dilatation and 25 patients (10 males; mean age, 44 +/- 7.3 years) underwent lateral internal sphincterotomy. Fissure-healing rates were 83.3 percent in the pneumatic balloon dilatation and 92 percent in the lateral internal sphincterotomy group. Recurrent anal fissure was observed in one patient (4 percent) after lateral internal sphincterotomy. At anal manometry, mean resting pressure decrements obtained after pneumatic balloon dilatation and lateral internal sphincterotomy were 30.5 and 34.3 percent, respectively. After pneumatic balloon dilatation, anal ultrasonography did not show any significant sphincter damage. At 24-month follow-up, the incidence of incontinence, irrespective of severity, was 0 percent in the pneumatic balloon dilatation group and 16 percent in the lateral internal sphincterotomy group (P < 0.0001). As lateral internal sphincterotomy, pneumatic balloon dilatation grants a high anal fissure-healing rate but with a statistically significant reduction in

Design and use of the ORNL HFIR [High Flux Isotope Reactor] pneumatic tube irradiation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyer, F.F.; Emery, J.F.; Robinson, L.; Teasley, N.A.

1987-01-01

A second pneumatic tube that was recently installed in the High Flux Isotope Reactor for neutron activation analysis is described. Although not yet tested, the system is expected to have a thermal neutron flux of about 1.5 x 10 14 cm -2 s -1 . A delayed neutron counter is an integral part of the pneumatic tube, and all of the hardware is present to enable automated use of the counter. The system is operated with a Gould programmable controller that is programmed with an IBM personal computer. Automation of any mode of operation, including the delayed neutron counter, will only require a nominal amount of software development. Except for the lack of a hot cell, the irradiation facility has all of the advantageous features of an older pneumatic tube that has been in operation for 17 years. The design of the system and some applications and methods of operation are described

Expediency of using pneumatic balloons at the junction of a working face and gate roads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolokolov, O V; Litvinov, Yu G; Ozerova, A S

1983-02-01

The paper discusses strata control at longwall faces in thin coal seams. Use of pneumatic balloons instead of timber cribbing at the junction of the face and ventilation road is evaluated. The seam is 0.68 m thick at a depth of 980 m and has gradients from 60 to 63 degrees. The face mined by the Poisk coal cutter is 126 m long. The ventilation road is protected by strips of stowing. Use of pneumatic balloons with an initial pressure of 150 kN instead of timber cribbing with an initial pressure of 30 kN reduces convergence of the roof and the floor at the working face by 39%. Damage to hydraulic props at the working face caused by roof subsidence decreases by 10 to 15%. Convergence rate (measured in mm/d) decreases by 41%. Use of pneumatic balloons for strata control at working faces in thin coal seams is recommended.

Development and implementation of a dustfree and efficient pneumatic harvesting method; Poelyttoemaen ja tehokkaan imukokoamismenetelmaen kehittaeminen ja kaeyttoeoenotto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nurminen, T; Ruokolainen, O; Rytkoenen, P.; Saastamoinen, V. [Vapo Oy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland); Kallio, M.; Aalto, J.; Leinonen, A.; Mehto, M. [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland)

1997-12-01

The overall aim of the research work (1995 - 1998) is to develop dust separators of the pneumatic harvester, to eliminate dust emissions and to plan and implement a more efficient pneumatic harvesting method. New JIK-35/96 pneumatic harvesters equipped with four secondary separating cyclones (17 units) were taken into use in spring 1996. In addition, 15 JIK-35 pneumatic harvesters constructed earlier were modified dustfree. The mechanical strength of the harvesters was improved by after-installations and by changing the drive method during harvesting. JIK-35/96 pneumatic harvester (test unit) was developed further during summertime. The greatest modification was testing of three secondary cyclones with a larger diameter. Dust separation of the larger cyclones was poorer than that of cyclones with a smaller diameter. In test runs, the test unit collected peat about 10 % more than the other harvesters of JIK-35 type. The fuel consumption of the test unit was about a fifth higher than that of the conventional JIK-35 harvester (20 vs 25 l/h). The larger pneumatic harvester, a prototype of 45 m{sup 3}, operated as a whole as expected. Exhaust air from the settling chamber of the harvester, and dust distributed well to the four parallel cyclones. Problems were high power demand and low pressure in the harvesting bin compared to those of JIK-35/96. The peat harvesting efficiency of the prototype was less than 2 kg/s m(m = nozzle of 1 m width), while the corresponding value of JIK-35/96 ranged 2.5 - 4 kg/s m. In continuation, the aim is to eliminate problems of the prototype and to construct a more efficient version, i.e., by enlarging the width

Pneumatic motor speed control by trajectory tracking fuzzy logic

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this study, trajectory tracking fuzzy logic controller (TTFLC) is proposed for the speed control of a pneumatic motor (PM). A third order trajectory is defined to determine the trajectory function that has to be tracked by the PM speed. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find the TTFLC boundary values of membership functions ...

Genetic algorithm based active vibration control for a moving flexible smart beam driven by a pneumatic rod cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Zhi-cheng; Shi, Ming-li; Wang, Bin; Xie, Zhuo-wei

2012-05-01

A rod cylinder based pneumatic driving scheme is proposed to suppress the vibration of a flexible smart beam. Pulse code modulation (PCM) method is employed to control the motion of the cylinder's piston rod for simultaneous positioning and vibration suppression. Firstly, the system dynamics model is derived using Hamilton principle. Its standard state-space representation is obtained for characteristic analysis, controller design, and simulation. Secondly, a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize and tune the control gain parameters adaptively based on the specific performance index. Numerical simulations are performed on the pneumatic driving elastic beam system, using the established model and controller with tuned gains by GA optimization process. Finally, an experimental setup for the flexible beam driven by a pneumatic rod cylinder is constructed. Experiments for suppressing vibrations of the flexible beam are conducted. Theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed pneumatic drive scheme and the adopted control algorithms are feasible. The large amplitude vibration of the first bending mode can be suppressed effectively.

Device for the transport of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolte, K.H.; Simmich, K.; Verhoeven, J.; Sondermann, W.; Frotscher, H.; Schuchardt, M.; Engelmann, H.J.; Kolditz, H.; Schwaegermann, H.F.

1978-01-01

The containers are transported purely by machine inside the loading cell of a cavern system and can be used for further overload transport after emptying and locking out of the loading cell. After unloading from the transport vehicle, the container passes through a radiation protection gate into the loading cell, where it is transported via rollers to a crane, whose rotating arm is provided with a pneumatically driven spindle screwdriver, which undoes all the screws on the container lid. After removing the lid, the electrically operated grab of a second rotating crane lifts the drum with the radioactive waste from the container and deposits them on rollers, from which they pass to a transport vessel, which transports the waste to the final storage position. The lid is then screwed back on to the empty container, the container is placed on some scales and is only transported through a window out of the loading cell if its weight agrees with the given tare weight. (HP) [de

Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Actuation and Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Leephakpreeda, Thananchai; Wickramatunge, Kanchana C.

2009-10-01

A Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM) yields a natural muscle-like actuator with a high force to weight ratio, a soft and flexible structure, and adaptable compliance for a humanoid robot, rehabilitation and prosthetic appliances to the disabled, etc. To obtain optimum design and usage, the mechanical behavior of the PAM need to be understood. In this study, observations of experimental results reveal an empirical model for relations of physical variables, contraction and air pressure within the PAM, as compared to mechanical characteristics, such as stiffness or/and pulling forces of the PAM available now in market.

Development of repeating pneumatic pellet injector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, Y.; Onozuka, M.; Shimomura, T.

1990-01-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been constructed to experiment with the technique of continuous injection for fueling fusion reactors. This device is composed of a cryogenic extruder and a gun assembly in (among others) a high-vacuum vessel, diagnostic vessels, LHe, fuel-gas and propellant-gas supply systems, control and data acquisition systems, etc. The performance tests, using hydrogen, have proved that the device provides the function of extruding frozen hydrogen ribbons at the speed of 6 mm s -1 , chambering pellet at the rate of 5 Hz, and injecting pellet at the speed of 900 m s -1 , as planned. (author)

Apparatus, system, and method for providing fabric-elastomer composites as pneumatic actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Ramses V.; Whitesides, George M.

2017-10-25

Soft pneumatic actuators based on composites consisting of elastomers with embedded sheet or fiber structures (e.g., paper or fabric) that are flexible but not extensible are described. On pneumatic inflation, these actuators move anisotropically, based on the motions accessible by their composite structures. They are inexpensive, simple to fabricate, light in weight, and easy to actuate. This class of structure is versatile: the same principles of design lead to actuators that respond to pressurization with a wide range of motions (bending, extension, contraction, twisting, and others). Paper, when used to introduce anisotropy into elastomers, can be readily folded into three-dimensional structures following the principles of origami; these folded structures increase the stiffness and anisotropy of the elastomeric actuators, while keeping them light in weight.

Dynamic Analysis of Sounding Rocket Pneumatic System Revision

Science.gov (United States)

Armen, Jerald

2010-01-01

The recent fusion of decades of advancements in mathematical models, numerical algorithms and curve fitting techniques marked the beginning of a new era in the science of simulation. It is becoming indispensable to the study of rockets and aerospace analysis. In pneumatic system, which is the main focus of this paper, particular emphasis will be placed on the efforts of compressible flow in Attitude Control System of sounding rocket.

STUDY OF ELABORATION OF CONSTRUCTION CRANKSHAFT PISTON OF AUTOMOBILE PNEUMATIC ENGINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronkov, А.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Expound are the results of study of elaration of construction of crankshaft 4-cylinder V-evocative piston pneumatic engine, which is made by conversion of serial internal-combustion engine 4Ч 7,6x6,6.

Development of a pneumatic stowing and chocking system for packages containing radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baekelandt, L.; Libon, H.; Vandorpe, M.; Lafontaine, I.

1989-01-01

Since that goods are transported, their chocking and stowing is very often done by improvisation, successfully or disastrously. When the disaster appears in comics it is always a source of an enormous amusement, when it appears in road or maritime accidents it is most of the time a source of death or severe damages. Even if transport of radioactive materials could be considered as the exception where chains and tie-down systems are used abundantly, their strength relies always on the weakness of their components. Special attention has been paid to the transport of type A or type B packages, but obviously there was a lack of interest for the transport of low level radioactive waste, even knowing that the quantities of this waste are a hunderfold or a thousandfold of the first ones. On the subject of stowing and chocking systems for radioactive waste packages, TRANSNUBEL together with the CEA-France performed under the sponsorship of the Commission of the European Communities between 1980 and 1985 a study which clearly showed that during a road accident, in case of a front end impact, the stowing system must be able to absorb entirely the kinetic energy generated by the package deceleration, which is proportional to the package mass. The chocks must be able to absorb a deceleration energy generated by the package of about 30 g at a speed of about 50 km/h. This energy of course decreases at the same time as the speed. These conclusions served as basic principles for the development by TRANSNUBEL of a pneumatic stowing and chocking system for packagings containing radioactive waste

Power training using pneumatic machines vs. plate-loaded machines to improve muscle power in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Balachandran, Anoop T; Gandia, Kristine; Jacobs, Kevin A; Streiner, David L; Eltoukhy, Moataz; Signorile, Joseph F

2017-11-01

Power training has been shown to be more effective than conventional resistance training for improving physical function in older adults; however, most trials have used pneumatic machines during training. Considering that the general public typically has access to plate-loaded machines, the effectiveness and safety of power training using plate-loaded machines compared to pneumatic machines is an important consideration. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the effects of high-velocity training using pneumatic machines (Pn) versus standard plate-loaded machines (PL). Independently-living older adults, 60years or older were randomized into two groups: pneumatic machine (Pn, n=19) and plate-loaded machine (PL, n=17). After 12weeks of high-velocity training twice per week, groups were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach. Primary outcomes were lower body power measured using a linear transducer and upper body power using medicine ball throw. Secondary outcomes included lower and upper body muscle muscle strength, the Physical Performance Battery (PPB), gallon jug test, the timed up-and-go test, and self-reported function using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and an online video questionnaire. Outcome assessors were blinded to group membership. Lower body power significantly improved in both groups (Pn: 19%, PL: 31%), with no significant difference between the groups (Cohen's d=0.4, 95% CI (-1.1, 0.3)). Upper body power significantly improved only in the PL group, but showed no significant difference between the groups (Pn: 3%, PL: 6%). For balance, there was a significant difference between the groups favoring the Pn group (d=0.7, 95% CI (0.1, 1.4)); however, there were no statistically significant differences between groups for PPB, gallon jug transfer, muscle muscle strength, timed up-and-go or self-reported function. No serious adverse events were reported in either of the groups. Pneumatic and plate

Novel Use of a Pneumatic Compression Device for Haemostasis of Haemodialysis Fistula Access Catheterisation Sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O’Reilly, Michael K., E-mail: moreilly1@mater.ie; Ryan, David; Sugrue, Gavin; Geoghegan, Tony; Lawler, Leo P.; Farrelly, Cormac T. [Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Department of Interventional Radiology (Ireland)

2016-12-15

PurposeTransradial pneumatic compression devices can be used to achieve haemostasis following radial artery puncture. This article describes a novel technique for acquiring haemostasis of arterio-venous haemodialysis fistula access sites without the need for suture placement using one such compression device.Materials and MethodsA retrospective review of fistulograms with or without angioplasty/thrombectomy in a single institution was performed. 20 procedures performed on 12 patients who underwent percutaneous intervention of failing or thrombosed arterio-venous fistulas (AVF) had 27 puncture sites. Haemostasis was achieved using a pneumatic compression device at all access sites. Procedure details including size of access sheath, heparin administration and complications were recorded.ResultsTwo diagnostic fistulograms, 14 fistulograms and angioplasties and four thrombectomies were performed via access sheaths with an average size (±SD) of 6 Fr (±1.12). IV unfractionated heparin was administered in 11 of 20 procedures. Haemostasis was achieved in 26 of 27 access sites following 15–20 min of compression using the pneumatic compression device. One case experienced limited bleeding from an inflow access site that was successfully treated with reinflation of the device for a further 5 min. No other complication was recorded.ConclusionsHaemostasis of arterio-venous haemodialysis fistula access sites can be safely and effectively achieved using a pneumatic compression device. This is a technically simple, safe and sutureless technique for acquiring haemostasis after AVF intervention.

Classification of temporal bone pneumatization based on sigmoid sinus using computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, S.-J. [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Song, M.H. [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Kang-nam Gu, Do-gok Dong, 146-92, Seoul, Republic of Korea 135-720 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, J. [Department of Radiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W.-S. [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Kang-nam Gu, Do-gok Dong, 146-92, Seoul, Republic of Korea 135-720 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, H.-K. [Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Kang-nam Gu, Do-gok Dong, 146-92, Seoul, Republic of Korea 135-720 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: hoki@yuhs.ac

2007-11-15

Aim: To analyse several reference structures using axial computed tomography (CT) imaging of the temporal bone, which may reflect pneumatization of the entire temporal bone by statistical correlation to the actual volume of the temporal bone measured using three-dimensional reconstruction. Materials and methods: One hundred and sixteen temporal bones were studied, comprising 48 with normal findings and 68 sides showing chronic otitis media or temporal bone fracture. After measuring the volume of temporal bone air cells by the volume rendering technique using three-dimensional reconstruction images, classification of temporal bone pneumatization was performed using various reference structures on axial images to determine whether significant differences in the volume of temporal bone air cells could be found between the groups. Results: When the sigmoid sinus at the level of the malleoincudal complex was used in the classification, there were statistically significant differences between the groups that correlated with the entire volume of the temporal bone. Grouping based on the labyrinth and the ascending carotid artery showed insignificant differences in volume. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between the cross-sectional area of the antrum and the entire volume of the temporal bone. Conclusion: The degree of pneumatization of temporal bone can be estimated easily by the evaluation of the air cells around the sigmoid sinus on axial CT images.

Position control of an electro-pneumatic system based on PWM technique and FLC.

Science.gov (United States)

Najjari, Behrouz; Barakati, S Masoud; Mohammadi, Ali; Futohi, Muhammad J; Bostanian, Muhammad

2014-03-01

In this paper, modeling and PWM based control of an electro-pneumatic system, including the four 2-2 valves and a double acting cylinder are studied. Dynamic nonlinear behavior of the system, containing fast switching solenoid valves and a pneumatic cylinder, as well as electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and fluid subsystems are modeled. A DC-DC power converter is employed to improve solenoid valve performance and suppress system delay. Among different position control methods, a proportional integrator derivative (PID) controller and fuzzy logic controller (FLC) are evaluated. An experimental setup, using an AVR microcontroller is implemented. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a 3D parallel mechanism robot arm with three vertical-axial pneumatic actuators combined with a stereo vision system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Mao-Hsiung; Lin, Hao-Ting

2011-01-01

This study aimed to develop a novel 3D parallel mechanism robot driven by three vertical-axial pneumatic actuators with a stereo vision system for path tracking control. The mechanical system and the control system are the primary novel parts for developing a 3D parallel mechanism robot. In the mechanical system, a 3D parallel mechanism robot contains three serial chains, a fixed base, a movable platform and a pneumatic servo system. The parallel mechanism are designed and analyzed first for realizing a 3D motion in the X-Y-Z coordinate system of the robot's end-effector. The inverse kinematics and the forward kinematics of the parallel mechanism robot are investigated by using the Denavit-Hartenberg notation (D-H notation) coordinate system. The pneumatic actuators in the three vertical motion axes are modeled. In the control system, the Fourier series-based adaptive sliding-mode controller with H(∞) tracking performance is used to design the path tracking controllers of the three vertical servo pneumatic actuators for realizing 3D path tracking control of the end-effector. Three optical linear scales are used to measure the position of the three pneumatic actuators. The 3D position of the end-effector is then calculated from the measuring position of the three pneumatic actuators by means of the kinematics. However, the calculated 3D position of the end-effector cannot consider the manufacturing and assembly tolerance of the joints and the parallel mechanism so that errors between the actual position and the calculated 3D position of the end-effector exist. In order to improve this situation, sensor collaboration is developed in this paper. A stereo vision system is used to collaborate with the three position sensors of the pneumatic actuators. The stereo vision system combining two CCD serves to measure the actual 3D position of the end-effector and calibrate the error between the actual and the calculated 3D position of the end-effector. Furthermore, to

Education for hydraulics and pneumatics in Nara National College of Technology; Nara Kogyo Koto Senmon Gakko ni okeru yukuatsu kyoiku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayakawa, Y. [Nara Technical Coll., Nara (Japan)

2000-03-15

In the electronic control engineering course, basic knowledge is taught for mechanics, electronics/electricity, control, robotics, information processing, etc., with the purpose of bringing up practical mechatronics engineers, and then, training is conducted so that the students are able to deal with these subjects comprehensively. In the subject of hydraulics and pneumatics for the special course, a lecture on hydraulic and pneumatic control is given in the second year, where structures of hydraulic and pneumatic actuators are explained as well as the principle of operation and the control method. As the related experiment, measurement of liquid viscosity coefficient and flow measurement by a Venturi tube are carried out in the fourth year of the regular course. In addition, carried out in the fifth year are the measurement of stress by trailing velocity distribution of an object and the measurement of pressure distribution around a column. As a subject for graduation theses, a mobile carrier for welfare nursing is being developed using a pneumatic actuator. Development of a suitable actuator is also being developed simultaneously. In the education of electronic control engineering, it is essential to give the students understanding of hydraulic and pneumatic actuator control centering on the role of mechatronics. (NEDO)

Universal machine ''Shtrek'' and the tractor-lifter with pneumatic-equipment control. [Auxiliary multipurpose materials handling equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bal' bert, B M; Borumenskiy, V A; Lishenko, A P; Mitchenko, G A

1982-01-01

The machine ''Shtrek'' is described. It makes it possible to mechanize over 20 auxiliary operations: loading-unloading operations: extraction of old and deformed timbering; dissmantling of obstructions; erection of different types of timbering; making and restoring of drainage channels; laying and straightening of a drift and its leveling; assembly and disassembly of pipelines and mine equipment, etc. Depending on the type of operation, the machine has the corresponding suspended equipment. The elementary variant has a limited area of application at mines of the central region of the Dunbass. Currently a pneumatic variant of the machine ''Shtrek'' has been developed. The electric motor and the starter of the pumping equipment of the machine have been replaced by a pneumatic motor and pneumatically controlled valve KTM-50. In this case there was significant reduction in the weight of the pumping equipment and in its overall dimensions; the electric drive of the hydraulic distributors for controlling the mechanisms were replaced by simpler pneumatic ones; the logical circuit of the control system was constructed on the USEPPA elements. A specialized tractor-lifter designed for moving suspended loads is described for auxiliary operations in the near-face zone of the preparatory drifts. The machine also lifts and lowers the boom, rotates the boom by 270/sup 0/ and additionally lifts and lowers the weight-lifting hook.

An Application of a Pneumatic Muscles Actuator for a Delta Pneumatic Manipulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pawel A. LASKI

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study was to use pneumatic muscle actuators in the construction of the delta manipulator with a closed kinematic chain. The paper presents a solid models of the manipulator and the kinematic diagram. Based on the kinematic diagram and using DH notation (Denavit-Hartenberg manipulator kinematic models was determined. On the basis of developed solid model simulation studies were conducted and the shape and size of the workspace determined. On the basis of 3D models prototype of the manipulator was constructed. Experimental studies were performed to select the regulators settings P, PI, PID for one of the pair of BMDS (Bi-Muscular Driving System muscle-type drives. Based on integral quality indicators the used types of regulators were compared and proposed final controller. Performed experimental studies confirm the possibility of muscle control in the BMDS (Bi-Muscular Driving System type system drives and tuning controller settings using the Ziegler-Nichols method.

PlanetVac: Sample Return with a Puff of Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Zacny, K.; Mueller, R.; Betts, B. H.

2014-12-01

PlanetVac is a regolith sample acquisition mission concept that uses compressed gas to blow material from the surface up a pneumatic tube and directly into a sample return container. The PlanetVac sampling device is built into the lander legs to eliminate cost and complexity associated with robotic arms and scoops. The pneumatic system can effectively capture fine and coarse regolith, including small pebbles. It is well suited for landed missions to Mars, asteroids, or the Moon. Because of the low pressures on all those bodies, the technique is extremely efficient. If losses are kept to minimum, 1 gram of compressed gas could efficiently lift 6000 grams of soil. To demonstrate this approach, the PlanetVac lander with four legs and two sampling tubes has been designed, integrated, and tested. Vacuum chamber testing was performed using two well-known planetary regolith simulants: Mars Mojave Simulant (MMS) and lunar regolith simulant JSC-1A. One of the two sampling systems was connected to a mockup of an earth return rocket while the second sampling system was connected to a lander deck mounted instrument (clear box for easy viewing). The tests included a drop from a height of approximately 50 cm onto the bed of regolith, deployment of sampling tubes into the regolith, pneumatic acquisition of sample into an instrument (sample container) and the rocket, and the launch of the rocket. The demonstration has been successful and can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjJXvtQk6no. In most of the tests, 20 grams or more of sample was delivered to the 'instrument' and approximately 5 grams of regolith was delivered into a sampling chamber within the rocket. The gas lifting efficiency was calculated to be approximately 1000:1; that is 1 gram of gas lofted 1000 grams of regolith. Efficiencies in lower gravity environments are expected to be much higher. This successful, simple and lightweight sample capture demonstration paves the way to using such sampling system

Dynamics of a pneumatic artificial muscle actuation system driving a trailing edge flap

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Benjamin K. S.; Kothera, Curt S.; Wang, Gang; Wereley, Norman M.

2014-09-01

This study presents a time domain dynamic model of an antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) driven trailing edge flap (TEF) system for next generation active helicopter rotors. Active rotor concepts are currently being widely researched in the rotorcraft community as a means to provide a significant leap forward in performance through primary aircraft control, vibration mitigation and noise reduction. Recent work has shown PAMs to be a promising candidate for active rotor actuation due to their combination of high force, large stroke, light weight, and suitable bandwidth. When arranged into biologically inspired agonist/antagonist muscle pairs they can produce bidirectional torques for effectively driving a TEF. However, there are no analytical dynamic models in the literature that can accurately capture the behavior of such systems across the broad range of frequencies required for this demanding application. This work combines mechanical, pneumatic, and aerodynamic component models into a global flap system model developed for the Bell 407 rotor system. This model can accurately predict pressure, force, and flap angle response to pneumatic control valve inputs over a range of operating frequencies from 7 to 35 Hz (1/rev to 5/rev for the Bell 407) and operating pressures from 30 to 90 psi.

Dynamics of a pneumatic artificial muscle actuation system driving a trailing edge flap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, Benjamin K S; Kothera, Curt S; Wang, Gang; Wereley, Norman M

2014-01-01

This study presents a time domain dynamic model of an antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) driven trailing edge flap (TEF) system for next generation active helicopter rotors. Active rotor concepts are currently being widely researched in the rotorcraft community as a means to provide a significant leap forward in performance through primary aircraft control, vibration mitigation and noise reduction. Recent work has shown PAMs to be a promising candidate for active rotor actuation due to their combination of high force, large stroke, light weight, and suitable bandwidth. When arranged into biologically inspired agonist/antagonist muscle pairs they can produce bidirectional torques for effectively driving a TEF. However, there are no analytical dynamic models in the literature that can accurately capture the behavior of such systems across the broad range of frequencies required for this demanding application. This work combines mechanical, pneumatic, and aerodynamic component models into a global flap system model developed for the Bell 407 rotor system. This model can accurately predict pressure, force, and flap angle response to pneumatic control valve inputs over a range of operating frequencies from 7 to 35 Hz (1/rev to 5/rev for the Bell 407) and operating pressures from 30 to 90 psi. (paper)

Transforming insect electromyograms into pneumatic muscle control

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, Brandon; Mu, Laiyong; Ritzmann, Roy; Quinn, Roger

2006-05-01

Robots can serve as hardware models for testing biological hypotheses. Both for this reason and to improve the state of the art of robotics, we strive to incorporate biological principles of insect locomotion into robotic designs. Previous research has resulted in a line of robots with leg designs based on walking and climbing movements of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. The current version, Robot V, uses muscle-like Braided Pneumatic Actuators (BPAs). In this paper, we use recorded electromyograms (EMGs) to drive robot joint motion. A muscle activation model was developed that transforms EMGs recorded from behaving cockroaches into appropriate commands for the robot. The transform is implemented by multiplying the EMG by an input gain thus generating an input pressure signal, which is used to drive a one-way closed loop pressure controller. The actuator then can be modeled as a capacitance with input rectification. The actuator exhaust valve is given a leak rate, making the transform a leaky integrator for air pressure, which drives the output force of the actuator. We find parameters of this transform by minimizing the difference between the robot motion produced and that observed in the cockroach. Although we have not reproduced full-amplitude cockroach motion using this robot, results from evaluation on reduced-amplitude cockroach angle data strongly suggest that braided pneumatic actuators can be used as part of a physical model of a biological system.

Safety analysis report for packaging (onsite) sample pig transport system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MCCOY, J.C.

1999-01-01

This Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) provides a technical evaluation of the Sample Pig Transport System as compared to the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Order 5480.1, Change 1, Chapter III. The evaluation concludes that the package is acceptable for the onsite transport of Type B, fissile excepted radioactive materials when used in accordance with this document

Safety analysis report for packaging (onsite) sample pig transport system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MCCOY, J.C.

1999-03-16

This Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) provides a technical evaluation of the Sample Pig Transport System as compared to the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Order 5480.1, Change 1, Chapter III. The evaluation concludes that the package is acceptable for the onsite transport of Type B, fissile excepted radioactive materials when used in accordance with this document.

A new hybrid pneumatic combustion engine to improve fuel consumption of wind–Diesel power system for non-interconnected areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basbous, Tammam; Younes, Rafic; Ilinca, Adrian; Perron, Jean

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We model thermodynamic ideal cycle of a new hybrid pneumaticcombustion engine. ► We optimize commands of all modes and calculate maps of fuel and air consumption. ► We evaluate fuel economy for Wind–Diesel system function of tank volume and wind penetration. ► We find up to 10% of fuel economy i.e. 80 t/year with 100% wind penetration. ► Fuel economy increases with wind penetration and with volume but has asymptotic value. -- Abstract: This paper presents an evaluation of an optimized Hybrid Pneumatic-Combustion Engine (HPCE) concept that permits reducing fuel consumption for electricity production in non-interconnected remote areas, originally equipped with hybrid Wind–Diesel System (WDS). Up to now, most of the studies on the pneumatic hybridization of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) have dealt with two-stroke pure pneumatic mode. The few studies that have dealt with hybrid pneumatic-combustion four-stroke mode require adding a supplementary valve to charge compressed air in the combustion chamber. This modification means that a new cylinder head should be fabricated. Moreover, those studies focus on spark ignition engines and are not yet validated for Diesel engines. Present HPCE is capable of making a Diesel engine operate under two-stroke pneumatic motor mode, two-stroke pneumatic pump mode and four-stroke hybrid mode, without needing an additional valve in the combustion chamber. This fact constitutes this study’s strength and innovation. The evaluation of the concept is based on ideal thermodynamic cycle modeling. The optimized valve actuation timings for all modes lead to generic maps that are independent of the engine size. The fuel economy is calculated for a known site during a whole year, function of the air storage volume and the wind power penetration rate.

Liquid sample introduction in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and mass spectrometry — Critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bings, N.H.; Orlandini von Niessen, J.O.; Schaper, J.N.

2014-01-01

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be considered as the most important tools in inorganic analytical chemistry. Huge progress has been made since the first analytical applications of the ICP. More stable RF generators, improved spectrometers and detection systems were designed along with the achievements gained from advanced microelectronics, leading to overall greatly improved analytical performance of such instruments. In contrast, for the vast majority of cases liquid sample introduction is still based on the pneumatic principle as described in the late 19th century. High flow pneumatic nebulizers typically demand the use of spray chambers as “aerosol filters” in order to match the prerequisites of an ICP. By this, only a small fraction of the nebulized sample actually contributes to the measured signal. Hence, the development of micronebulizers was brought forward. Those systems produce fine aerosols at low sample uptake rates, but they are even more prone for blocking or clogging than conventional systems in the case of solutions containing a significant amount of total dissolved solids (TDS). Despite the high number of publications devoted to liquid sample introduction, it is still considered the Achilles' heel of atomic spectrometry and it is well accepted, that the technology used for liquid sample introduction is still far from ideal, even when applying state-of-the-art systems. Therefore, this review is devoted to offer an update on developments in the field liquid sample introduction that had been reported until the year 2013. The most recent and noteworthy contributions to this field are discussed, trends are highlighted and future directions are outlined. The first part of this review provides a brief overview on theoretical considerations regarding conventional pneumatic nebulization, the fundamentals on aerosol generation and discusses characteristics of aerosols ideally

Liquid sample introduction in inductively coupled plasma atomic emission and mass spectrometry — Critical review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bings, N.H., E-mail: bings@uni-mainz.de; Orlandini von Niessen, J.O.; Schaper, J.N.

2014-10-01

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be considered as the most important tools in inorganic analytical chemistry. Huge progress has been made since the first analytical applications of the ICP. More stable RF generators, improved spectrometers and detection systems were designed along with the achievements gained from advanced microelectronics, leading to overall greatly improved analytical performance of such instruments. In contrast, for the vast majority of cases liquid sample introduction is still based on the pneumatic principle as described in the late 19th century. High flow pneumatic nebulizers typically demand the use of spray chambers as “aerosol filters” in order to match the prerequisites of an ICP. By this, only a small fraction of the nebulized sample actually contributes to the measured signal. Hence, the development of micronebulizers was brought forward. Those systems produce fine aerosols at low sample uptake rates, but they are even more prone for blocking or clogging than conventional systems in the case of solutions containing a significant amount of total dissolved solids (TDS). Despite the high number of publications devoted to liquid sample introduction, it is still considered the Achilles' heel of atomic spectrometry and it is well accepted, that the technology used for liquid sample introduction is still far from ideal, even when applying state-of-the-art systems. Therefore, this review is devoted to offer an update on developments in the field liquid sample introduction that had been reported until the year 2013. The most recent and noteworthy contributions to this field are discussed, trends are highlighted and future directions are outlined. The first part of this review provides a brief overview on theoretical considerations regarding conventional pneumatic nebulization, the fundamentals on aerosol generation and discusses characteristics of aerosols ideally

Characteristics of the muscle activities of the elderly for various pressures in the pneumatic actuator of lower limb orthosis

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyong; Yu, Chang-Ho; Kwon, Tae-Kyu; Hong, Chul-Un; Kim, Nam-Gyun

2005-12-01

There developed a lower limb orthosis with a pneumatic rubber actuator, which can assist and improve the muscular activities in the lower limb of the elderly. For this purpose, the characteristics of the lower limbs muscle activities for various pressures in the pneumatic actuator for the lower limb orthosis was investigated. To find out the characteristics of the muscle activities for various pneumatic pressures, it analyzed the flexing and extending movement of the knees, and measured the lower limbs muscular power. The subjects wearing the lower limbs orthosis were instructed to perform flexing and extending movement of the knees. The variation in the air pressure of the pneumatic actuator was varies from one kgf/cm2 to four kgf/cm2. The muscular power was measured by monitoring electromyogram using MP100 (BIOPAC Systems, Inc.) and detailed three-dimensional motions of the lower limbs were collected by APAS 3D Motion Analysis system. Through this study, it expected to find the most suitable air pressure for the improvement of the muscular power of the aged.

Robust PID Controller for a Pneumatic Actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skarpetis Michael G.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the position control pneumatic actuator using a robust PID controller is presented. The parameters of the PID controller are computed using a Hurwitz invariability technique enriched with a Simulated Annealing Algorithm. The nonlinear model involves uncertain parameters due to linearization of the servo valve, variations of the initial volume of the cylinder and variation of the external load. The problem is proven to be solvable and the controller parameters are chosen to provide a suboptimal solution for tracking error minimization. Simulation results are presented for the nonlinear model.

Development of repeating pneumatic pellet injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oda, Y.; Onozuka, M.; Shimomura, T. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kobe (Japan)) (and others)

1990-01-01

A repeating pneumatic pellet injector has been constructed to experiment with the technique of continuous injection for fueling fusion reactors. This device is composed of a cryogenic extruder and a gun assembly in (among others) a high-vacuum vessel, diagnostic vessels, LHe, fuel-gas and propellant-gas supply systems, control and data acquisition systems, etc. The performance tests, using hydrogen, have proved that the device provides the function of extruding frozen hydrogen ribbons at the speed of 6 mm s{sup -1}, chambering pellet at the rate of 5 Hz, and injecting pellet at the speed of 900 m s{sup -1}, as planned. (author).

Novel Design of a Soft Lightweight Pneumatic Continuum Robot Arm with Decoupled Variable Stiffness and Positioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannaccini, Maria Elena; Xiang, Chaoqun; Atyabi, Adham; Theodoridis, Theo; Nefti-Meziani, Samia; Davis, Steve

2018-02-01

Soft robot arms possess unique capabilities when it comes to adaptability, flexibility, and dexterity. In addition, soft systems that are pneumatically actuated can claim high power-to-weight ratio. One of the main drawbacks of pneumatically actuated soft arms is that their stiffness cannot be varied independently from their end-effector position in space. The novel robot arm physical design presented in this article successfully decouples its end-effector positioning from its stiffness. An experimental characterization of this ability is coupled with a mathematical analysis. The arm combines the light weight, high payload to weight ratio and robustness of pneumatic actuation with the adaptability and versatility of variable stiffness. Light weight is a vital component of the inherent safety approach to physical human-robot interaction. To characterize the arm, a neural network analysis of the curvature of the arm for different input pressures is performed. The curvature-pressure relationship is also characterized experimentally.

Study of the effect of temperature on the positioning accuracy of the pneumatic muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Laski, Pawel Andrzej; Blasiak, Slawomir; Takosoglu, Jakub Emanuel; Pietrala, Dawid Sebastian; Bracha, Gabriel Filip; Zwierzchowski, Jaroslaw; Nowakowski, Lukasz; Borkowski, Krzysztof; Blasiak, Malgorzata

The article concerns experimental studies of the effect of temperature on the positioning accuracy of pneumatic muscles. It presents results of experimental studies in the form of thermal images from thermal imaging camera. Pneumatic artificial muscles have unique operational characteristics and because of that they are used in industrial production processes, where classic drives do not work. During operation of muscles with large frequencies above 60 Hz, one can observe a significant increase in temperatures on the bladder surface. The article concerns a study aimed at the determination of the maximum temperature which can be achieved and whether it affects the accuracy of their positioning.

Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Equipment for Continuous Passive Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Deaconescu, Tudor T.; Deaconescu, Andrea I.

2009-10-01

Applying continuous passive rehabilitation movements as part of the recovery programme of patients with post-traumatic disabilities of the bearing joints of the inferior limbs requires the development of new high performance equipment. This chapter discusses a study of the kinematics and performance of such a new, continuous passive motion based rehabilitation system actuated by pneumatic muscles. The utilized energy source is compressed air ensuring complete absorption of the end of stroke shocks, thus minimizing user discomfort.

Finite-element analysis of some pneumatically-actuated wrist-rehabilitation equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filip Ovidiu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents some wrist-rehabilitation equipment, actuated by a pneumatic muscle. This one drives, through a rack-pinion mechanism, a Fin Ray-type mechanism, with a view to mobilizing the injured palm. Unlike other rehabilitation equipments, the one presented in this paper, ensures the movement of both palm and fingers.

Multi Objective Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm of a Pneumatic Connector

Science.gov (United States)

Salaam, HA; Taha, Zahari; Ya, TMYS Tuan

2018-03-01

The concept of sustainability was first introduced by Dr Harlem Brutland in the 1980’s promoting the need to preserve today’s natural environment for the sake of future generations. Based on this concept, John Elkington proposed an approach to measure sustainability known as Triple Bottom Line (TBL). There are three evaluation criteria’s involved in the TBL approach; namely economics, environmental integrity and social equity. In manufacturing industry the manufacturing costs measure the economic sustainability of a company in a long term. Environmental integrity is a measure of the impact of manufacturing activities on the environment. Social equity is complicated to evaluate; but when the focus is at the production floor level, the production operator health can be considered. In this paper, the TBL approach is applied in the manufacturing of a pneumatic nipple hose. The evaluation criteria used are manufacturing costs, environmental impact, ergonomics impact and also energy used for manufacturing. This study involves multi objective optimization by using genetic algorithm of several possible alternatives for material used in the manufacturing of the pneumatic nipple.

Static and dynamic stability of pneumatic vibration isolators and systems of isolators

Science.gov (United States)

Ryaboy, Vyacheslav M.

2014-01-01

Pneumatic vibration isolation is the most widespread effective method for creating vibration-free environments that are vital for precise experiments and manufacturing operations in optoelectronics, life sciences, microelectronics, nanotechnology and other areas. The modeling and design principles of a dual-chamber pneumatic vibration isolator, basically established a few decades ago, continue to attract attention of researchers. On the other hand, behavior of systems of such isolators was never explained in the literature in sufficient detail. This paper covers a range of questions essential for understanding the mechanics of pneumatic isolation systems from both design and application perspectives. The theory and a model of a single standalone isolator are presented in concise form necessary for subsequent analysis. Then the dynamics of a system of isolators supporting a payload is considered with main attention directed to two aspects of their behavior: first, the static stability of payloads with high positions of the center of gravity; second, dynamic stability of the feedback system formed by mechanical leveling valves. The direct method of calculating the maximum stable position of the center of gravity is presented and illustrated by three-dimensional stability domains; analytic formulas are given that delineate these domains. A numerical method for feedback stability analysis of self-leveling valve systems is given, and the results are compared with the analytical estimates for a single isolator. The relation between the static and dynamic phenomena is discussed.

Extreme Mechanics in Soft Pneumatic Robots and Soft Microfluidic Electronics and Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Carmel

2012-02-01

In the near future, machines and robots will be completely soft, stretchable, impact resistance, and capable of adapting their shape and functionality to changes in mission and environment. Similar to biological tissue and soft-body organisms, these next-generation technologies will contain no rigid parts and instead be composed entirely of soft elastomers, gels, fluids, and other non-rigid matter. Using a combination of rapid prototyping tools, microfabrication methods, and emerging techniques in so-called ``soft lithography,'' scientists and engineers are currently introducing exciting new families of soft pneumatic robots, soft microfluidic sensors, and hyperelastic electronics that can be stretched to as much as 10x their natural length. Progress has been guided by an interdisciplinary collection of insights from chemistry, life sciences, robotics, microelectronics, and solid mechanics. In virtually every technology and application domain, mechanics and elasticity have a central role in governing functionality and design. Moreover, in contrast to conventional machines and electronics, soft pneumatic systems and microfluidics typically operate in the finite deformation regime, with materials stretching to several times their natural length. In this talk, I will review emerging paradigms in soft pneumatic robotics and soft microfluidic electronics and highlight modeling and design challenges that arise from the extreme mechanics of inflation, locomotion, sensor operation, and human interaction. I will also discuss perceived challenges and opportunities in a broad range of potential application, from medicine to wearable computing.

A rotary pneumatic actuator for the actuation of the exoskeleton knee joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jobin Varghese

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Rotary pneumatic actuators that are made out of linear one are always best suited for exoskeleton joint actuation due to its inherent power to weight ratio. This work is a modified version of knee actuation system that has already been developed and major modifications are made in order to make it more suitable for human wearing and also to reduce its bulkiness and complexity. The considered actuator system is a rotary actuator where a pulley converts the linear motion of the standard pneumatic piston into the rotary motion. To prove the capability of the actuator, its performance characteristics such as torque and power produced are compared to the required torque and power at the knee joint of the exoskeleton in swing phase and are found to be excellent. The two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA is performed to find the effect of the throat area valve on knee angle. The ANOVA shows the significant effect of the throat area variation on the knee angle flexion made by the proposed actuator. A relationship between the throat area of flow control valve, that is connected to the exit port of the direction control valve, and angular displacement of the knee joint has been formulated. This relationship can be used to design a control system to regulate the mass flow rate of air at the exit and hence the angular velocity of the knee joint can be controlled. Keywords: Driven pulley, Flow control valve, Rotary, Pneumatic cylinder

A comparison of intermittent pneumatic compression of the calf and whole leg in preventing deep venous thrombosis in urological surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Soderdahl, D W; Henderson, S R; Hansberry, K L

1997-05-01

Intermittent pneumatic compression of the calf and/or thigh effectively decreases the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and other thrombotic sequelae but clinical data comparing these modalities are currently lacking. A total of 90 patients undergoing major urological surgery was randomly assigned to receive calf length or thigh length pneumatic compression for antithrombotic prophylaxis. Duplex ultrasound of the lower extremities was performed preoperatively and twice postoperatively to evaluate for deep venous thrombosis. Health care providers in the operating room, recovery room and ward were asked to compare the compression systems, and a cost analysis was performed. A total of 47 patients wore the thigh length sequential pneumatic sleeves and 43 wore calf length uniform compression systems. A pulmonary embolus without evidence of deep venous thrombosis was detected in 1 patient (2%) using the thigh length system. A thrombus was detected in the common femoral vein by duplex ultrasonography in 1 patient (2%) with the calf length system. Nursing personnel found the calf length sleeves easier to apply and more comfortable by patient account but they were satisfied with both systems. There was a significant cost savings with the calf length pneumatic compression system. Calf and thigh length pneumatic compression systems similarly decrease the risk of deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing urological surgery. The calf length system has the added advantage of being less expensive and easier to use.

Pneumatic artificial muscles for trailing edge flap actuation: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Benjamin K. S.; Kothera, Curt S.; Sirohi, Jayant; Wereley, Norman M.

2011-10-01

In this study a novel aircraft trailing edge flap actuation system was developed and tested. Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) were used as the driving elements of this system to demonstrate their feasibility and utility as an alternative aerospace actuation technology. A prototype flap/actuator system was integrated into a model wing section and tested on the bench-top under simulated airloads for flight at 100 m s-1 (M = 0.3) and in an open-jet wind tunnel at free stream velocities ranging up to 45 m s-1 (M = 0.13). Testing was performed for actuator pressures ranging from 0.069 to 0.62 MPa (10-90 psi) and actuation frequencies from 0.1 to 31 Hz. Results show that the PAM-driven trailing edge flap system can generate substantial and sustainable dynamic deflections, thereby proving the feasibility of using pneumatic artificial muscle actuators in a trailing edge flap system. Key issues limiting system performance are identified, that should be resolved in future research.

Characterization of a pneumatic balloon actuator for use in refreshable Braille displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Richard E; Feinman, Adam M; Wottawa, Christopher; King, Chih-Hung; Franco, Miguel L; Dutson, Erik P; Grundfest, Warren S; Culjat, Martin O

2009-01-01

Many existing refreshable Braille display technologies are costly or lack robust performance. A process has been developed to fabricate consistent and reliable pneumatic balloon actuators at low material cost, using a novel manufacturing process. This technique has been adapted for use in refreshable Braille displays that feature low power consumption, ease of manufacture and small form factor. A prototype refreshable cell, conforming to American Braille standards, was developed and tested. The cell was fabricated from molded PDMS to form balloon actuators with a spin-coated silicone film, and fast pneumatic driving elements and an electronic control system were developed to drive the Braille dots. Perceptual testing was performed to determine the feasibility of the approach using a single blind human subject. The subject was able to detect randomized Braille letters rapidly generated by the actuator with 100% character detection accuracy.

A fluidic/pneumatic interface amplifier

Science.gov (United States)

Limbert, D. E.; Kegel, T. M.

The development of a low cost, reliable, linear pressure amplifier to interface Laminar Proportional Amplifiers (LPA) to pneumatic controllers is presented. The amplifier consists of an LPA input stage and an output stage consisting of a venturi in series with a bellows nozzle valve. The LPA output drives the bellows nozzle valve thereby altering the flowrate through the venturi. The pressure within the venturi throat region, which is the amplifier output, changes with the flowrate. Non-linear characteristics, due to supersonic flow within the venturi, are altered through the use of feedback to the LPA input. A computer based model, to aid in optimizing the amplifier design, is developed. This model incorporates the effects of shock waves and boundary layers within the venturi. Good correspondence between the model and an experimental prototype is shown.

Effects of Transport and Storage Conditions on Gene Expression in Blood Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Malentacchi, Francesca; Pizzamiglio, Sara; Wyrich, Ralf; Verderio, Paolo; Ciniselli, Chiara; Pazzagli, Mario; Gelmini, Stefania

2016-04-01

Inappropriate handling of blood samples might induce or repress gene expression and/or lead to RNA degradation affecting downstream analysis. In particular, sample transport is a critical step for biobanking or multicenter studies because of uncontrolled variables (i.e., unstable temperature). We report the results of a pilot study implemented within the EC funded SPIDIA project, aimed to investigate the role of transport and storage of blood samples containing and not containing an RNA stabilizer. Blood was collected from a single donor both in EDTA and in PAXgene Blood RNA tubes. Half of the samples were sent to a second laboratory both at room temperature and at 4°C, whereas the remaining samples were stored at room temperature and at 4°C. Gene expression of selected genes (c-FOS, IL-1β, IL-8, and GAPDH) known to be induced or repressed by ex vivo blood handling and of blood-mRNA quality biomarkers identified and validated within the SPIDIA project, which allow for monitoring changes in unstabilized blood samples after collection and during transport and storage, were analyzed by RT-qPCR. If the shipment of blood in tubes not containing RNA stabilizer is not performed under a stable condition, gene profile studies can be affected by the effects of transport. Moreover, also controlled temperature shipment (4°C) can influence the expression of specific genes if blood is collected in tubes not containing a stabilizer. The use of dedicated biomarkers or time course experiments should be performed in order to verify potential bias on gene expression analysis due to sample shipment and storage conditions. Alternatively, the use of RNA stabilizer containing tubes can represent a reliable option to avoid ex vivo RNA changes.

Pneumatic Performance Study of a High Pressure Ejection Device Based on Real Specific Energy and Specific Enthalpy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Ren

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In high-pressure dynamic thermodynamic processes, the pressure is much higher than the air critical pressure, and the temperature can deviate significantly from the Boyle temperature. In such situations, the thermo-physical properties and pneumatic performance can’t be described accurately by the ideal gas law. This paper proposes an approach to evaluate the pneumatic performance of a high-pressure air catapult launch system, in which esidual functions are used to compensate the thermal physical property uncertainties of caused by real gas effects. Compared with the Nelson-Obert generalized compressibility charts, the precision of the improved virial equation of state is better than Soave-Redlich-Kwong (S-R-K and Peng-Robinson (P-R equations for high pressure air. In this paper, the improved virial equation of state is further used to establish a compressibility factor database which is applied to evaluate real gas effects. The specific residual thermodynamic energy and specific residual enthalpy of the high-pressure air are also derived using the modified corresponding state equation and improved virial equation of state which are truncated to the third virial coefficient. The pneumatic equations are established on the basis of the derived residual functions. The comparison of the numerical results shows that the real gas effects are strong, and the pneumatic performance analysis indicates that the real dynamic thermodynamic process is obviously different from the ideal one.

Aerosol sampling and Transport Efficiency Calculation (ASTEC) and application to surtsey/DCH aerosol sampling system: Code version 1.0: Code description and user's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamano, N.; Brockmann, J.E.

1989-05-01

This report describes the features and use of the Aerosol Sampling and Transport Efficiency Calculation (ASTEC) Code. The ASTEC code has been developed to assess aerosol transport efficiency source term experiments at Sandia National Laboratories. This code also has broad application for aerosol sampling and transport efficiency calculations in general as well as for aerosol transport considerations in nuclear reactor safety issues. 32 refs., 31 figs., 7 tabs

Application of Model Based Prognostics to Pneumatic Valves in a Cryogenic Propellant Loading Testbed

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Pneumatic-actuated valves are critical components in many applications, including cryogenic propellant loading for space operations. For these components, failures...

Integrated DEM-CFD modeling of the contact charging of pneumatically conveyed powders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korevaar, M.W.; Padding, J.T.; Hoef, van der M.A.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2014-01-01

A model is proposed that incorporates contact charging (also known as triboelectric charging) of pneumatically conveyed powders in a DEM–CFD framework, which accounts for the electrostatic interactions, both between particles and between the particles and conducting walls. The simulation results

Integrated DEM–CFD modeling of the contact charging of pneumatically conveyed powders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korevaar, M.W.; Padding, J.T.; van der Hoef, Martin Anton; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2014-01-01

A model is proposed that incorporates contact charging (also known as triboelectric charging) of pneumatically conveyed powders in a DEM–CFD framework, which accounts for the electrostatic interactions, both between particles and between the particles and conducting walls. The simulation results

Experimental Investigation on The Electromagnetic Clutch Water pump and Pneumatic Compressor for Improving the Efficiency of an Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Kumarasubramanian, R.; Xavier, Goldwin; Nishanthi, W. Mary; Rajasekar, R.

2017-05-01

Considering the fuel crises today many work and research were conducted to reduce the fuel consumption of the internal combustion engine. The fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine can be relatively reduced by use of the electromagnetic clutch water pump and pneumatic compressor. Normally in an engine, the water pump is driven by the crankshaft, with an aid of belt, for the circulation of the water for the cooling process. The circulation of coolant is resisted by the thermostat valve, while the temperature inside the coolant jacket of the engine is below 375K the thermostat is closed only above 375K it tends to open. But water pump run continuously even when thermostat is closed. In pneumatic braking system, pneumatic or air compressor purpose is to compress the air and stored into the storage tank for the brake operation. When the air pressure of the storage tanks gets increases above its storage capacity pressure is regulated by governor, by passing them to atmosphere. Such unnecessary work of this water pump and air compressor can be minimized by use of the electromagnetic clutch water pump and air compressor. The European Driving Cycle is used to evaluate the performance of this water pump and air compressor when used in an engine. The result shows that the fuel economy of the engine while using electromagnetic water pump and pneumatic compressor were improved by 8.0% compared with conventional types which already exist. The application of these electromagnetic water pump and pneumatic compressor are expected to contribute for the improvement of engine performance because of their effect in reduction of the rate of fuel consumption.

Decontamination and dismantlement of the building 200/205 pneumatic transfer tube at Argonne National Laboratory-East project final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiese, E. C.

1998-01-01

The Building 200/205 Pneumatic Transfer Tube D and D Project was directed toward the following goals: Remove any radioactive and hazardous materials associated with the transfer tube; Survey the transfer tube to identify any external contamination; Remove the transfer tube and package for disposal; Survey the soil and sand surrounding the transfer tube for any contamination; and Backfill the trench in which the tube sat and restore the area to its original condition. These goals had been set in order to eliminate the radiological and hazardous safety concerns inherent in the buried transfer tube and to allow, upon completion of the project, the removal of this project from the ANL-E action item list. The physical condition of the transfer tube and possible nuclear fuel samples lost in the tube were the primary areas of concern, while the exact location of the transfer tube was of secondary concern. ANL-E health physics technicians collected characterization data from the ends of the Building 200/205 pneumatic transfer tube in January 1998. The characterization surveys identified contamination to a level of 67,000 dpm (1,117 Bq) (β/γ) and 20,000 dpm (333 Bq) α smearable at the opening

The new Chalk River AMS ion source, sample changer and external sample magazine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koslowsky, V.T.; Bray, N.; Imahori, Y.; Andrews, H.R.; Davies, W.G.

1997-01-01

A new sample magazine, sample changer and ion source have been developed and are in routine use at Chalk River. The system features a readily accessible 40-sample magazine at ground potential that is external to the ion source and high-voltage cage. The samples are held in an inert atmosphere and can be individually examined or removed; they can be exchanged en masse as a complete magazine concurrent with an AMS measurement. On-line sample changing is done with a pneumatic rabbit transfer system employing two stages of differential pumping. At Chalk River this is routinely performed across a 200 kV potential. Sample positioning is precise, and hundreds of 36 Cl and 129 I samples have been measured over a period of several days without interruption or alteration of ion source operating conditions. (author)

Stability of heparin blood samples during transport based on defined pre-analytical quality goals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Esther A; Stahl, Marta; Brandslund, Ivan

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: In many countries and especially in Scandinavia, blood samples drawn in primary healthcare are sent to a hospital laboratory for analysis. The samples are exposed to various conditions regarding storage time, storage temperature and transport form. As these factors can have a severe...... impact on the quality of results, we wanted to study which combination of transport conditions could fulfil our pre-defined goals for maximum allowable error. METHODS: Samples from 406 patients from nine general practitioners (GPs) in two Danish counties were sent to two hospitals for analyses, during......, centrifuged and separated at the doctor's office within 45-60 min. This sample was considered as the best estimate of a comparison value. RESULTS: The pre-set quality goals were fulfilled for all the investigated components for samples transported to hospital by courier either as whole blood or as "on gel...

Revisiting low-fidelity two-fluid models for gas–solids transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adeleke, Najeem, E-mail: najm@psu.edu; Adewumi, Michael, E-mail: m2a@psu.edu; Ityokumbul, Thaddeus

2016-08-15

Two-phase gas–solids transport models are widely utilized for process design and automation in a broad range of industrial applications. Some of these applications include proppant transport in gaseous fracking fluids, air/gas drilling hydraulics, coal-gasification reactors and food processing units. Systems automation and real time process optimization stand to benefit a great deal from availability of efficient and accurate theoretical models for operations data processing. However, modeling two-phase pneumatic transport systems accurately requires a comprehensive understanding of gas–solids flow behavior. In this study we discuss the prevailing flow conditions and present a low-fidelity two-fluid model equation for particulate transport. The model equations are formulated in a manner that ensures the physical flux term remains conservative despite the inclusion of solids normal stress through the empirical formula for modulus of elasticity. A new set of Roe–Pike averages are presented for the resulting strictly hyperbolic flux term in the system of equations, which was used to develop a Roe-type approximate Riemann solver. The resulting scheme is stable regardless of the choice of flux-limiter. The model is evaluated by the prediction of experimental results from both pneumatic riser and air-drilling hydraulics systems. We demonstrate the effect and impact of numerical formulation and choice of numerical scheme on model predictions. We illustrate the capability of a low-fidelity one-dimensional two-fluid model in predicting relevant flow parameters in two-phase particulate systems accurately even under flow regimes involving counter-current flow.

Revisiting low-fidelity two-fluid models for gas–solids transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adeleke, Najeem; Adewumi, Michael; Ityokumbul, Thaddeus

2016-01-01

Two-phase gas–solids transport models are widely utilized for process design and automation in a broad range of industrial applications. Some of these applications include proppant transport in gaseous fracking fluids, air/gas drilling hydraulics, coal-gasification reactors and food processing units. Systems automation and real time process optimization stand to benefit a great deal from availability of efficient and accurate theoretical models for operations data processing. However, modeling two-phase pneumatic transport systems accurately requires a comprehensive understanding of gas–solids flow behavior. In this study we discuss the prevailing flow conditions and present a low-fidelity two-fluid model equation for particulate transport. The model equations are formulated in a manner that ensures the physical flux term remains conservative despite the inclusion of solids normal stress through the empirical formula for modulus of elasticity. A new set of Roe–Pike averages are presented for the resulting strictly hyperbolic flux term in the system of equations, which was used to develop a Roe-type approximate Riemann solver. The resulting scheme is stable regardless of the choice of flux-limiter. The model is evaluated by the prediction of experimental results from both pneumatic riser and air-drilling hydraulics systems. We demonstrate the effect and impact of numerical formulation and choice of numerical scheme on model predictions. We illustrate the capability of a low-fidelity one-dimensional two-fluid model in predicting relevant flow parameters in two-phase particulate systems accurately even under flow regimes involving counter-current flow.

Revisiting low-fidelity two-fluid models for gas-solids transport

Science.gov (United States)

Adeleke, Najeem; Adewumi, Michael; Ityokumbul, Thaddeus

2016-08-01

Two-phase gas-solids transport models are widely utilized for process design and automation in a broad range of industrial applications. Some of these applications include proppant transport in gaseous fracking fluids, air/gas drilling hydraulics, coal-gasification reactors and food processing units. Systems automation and real time process optimization stand to benefit a great deal from availability of efficient and accurate theoretical models for operations data processing. However, modeling two-phase pneumatic transport systems accurately requires a comprehensive understanding of gas-solids flow behavior. In this study we discuss the prevailing flow conditions and present a low-fidelity two-fluid model equation for particulate transport. The model equations are formulated in a manner that ensures the physical flux term remains conservative despite the inclusion of solids normal stress through the empirical formula for modulus of elasticity. A new set of Roe-Pike averages are presented for the resulting strictly hyperbolic flux term in the system of equations, which was used to develop a Roe-type approximate Riemann solver. The resulting scheme is stable regardless of the choice of flux-limiter. The model is evaluated by the prediction of experimental results from both pneumatic riser and air-drilling hydraulics systems. We demonstrate the effect and impact of numerical formulation and choice of numerical scheme on model predictions. We illustrate the capability of a low-fidelity one-dimensional two-fluid model in predicting relevant flow parameters in two-phase particulate systems accurately even under flow regimes involving counter-current flow.

Development and implementation of a new pneumatic transfer system for materials irradiation at IEA-R1 reactor; Desenvolvimento e implementacao de um novo sistema pneumatico de transferencia para irradiacao de materiais no reator IEA-R1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernando, Alberto de Jesus

2011-07-01

Pneumatic Transfer Systems (PTS) are classified as mechanical equipment largely operated all over the world for transport of a huge sort of objects, samples and materials located at nearly terminals or even at separated ones. System applicability is often recognized in many activities, such as medicine (hospital settings, clinical analysis labs), industry (steel, automobiles, mining, chemical, food, construction), trading (gas station, movies, supermarkets, banks, e-commerce) and federal agencies (post services, federal courts, public enterprises). In the nuclear settings, PTS shows also a vast array of applications, being a part of radioisotope production, as well as short-lived radiopharmaceuticals, including 67 Ga, 201 Tl, 18 F and 123 I-ultra pure. Besides, PTS are also used at radioactive waste management plants and research institutes that apply neutron activation analysis (NAA). This work was directed toward the design and operation of a new PTS for the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor settled at Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN) for NAA application. With this aim, it was calculated the charge of reactor core grid plate and sample transport testing. Neutron flux at irradiating position was determined as 3,70 {+-} 0,26 10{sup 12} n cm{sup -2} s{sup -1}. (author)

Oxygen consumption of a pneumatically controlled ventilator in a field anesthesia machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Szpisjak, Dale F; Javernick, Elizabeth N; Kyle, Richard R; Austin, Paul N

2008-12-01

Field anesthesia machines (FAM) have been developed for remote locations where reliable supplies of compressed medical gases or electricity may be absent. In place of electricity, pneumatically controlled ventilators use compressed gas to power timing circuitry and actuate valves. We sought to determine the total O(2) consumption and ventilator gas consumption (drive gas [DG] plus pneumatic control [PC] gas) of a FAM's pneumatically controlled ventilator in mechanical models of high (HC) and low (LC) total thoracic compliance. The amount of total O(2) consumed by the Magellan-2200 (Oceanic Medical Products, Atchison, KS) FAM with pneumatically controlled ventilator was calculated using the ideal gas law and the measured mass of O(2) consumed from E cylinders. DG to the bellows canister assembly was measured with the Wright Respirometer Mk 8 (Ferraris Respiratory Europe, Hertford, UK). PC gas consumption was calculated by subtracting DG and fresh gas flow (FGF) from the total O(2) consumed from the E cylinder. The delivered tidal volume (V(T)) was measured with a pneumotach (Hans Rudolph, KS City, MO). Three different V(T) were tested (500, 750, and 1000 mL) with two lung models (HC and LC) using the Vent Aid Training Test Lung (MI Instruments, Grand Rapids, MI). Respiratory variables included an I:E of 1:2, FGF of 1 L/min, and respiratory rate of 10 breaths/min. Total O(2) consumption was directly proportional to V(T) and inversely proportional to compliance. The smallest total O(2) consumption rate (including FGF) was 9.3 +/- 0.4 L/min in the HC-500 model and the largest was 15.9 +/- 0.5 L/min in the LC-1000 model (P < 0.001). The mean PC circuitry consumption was 3.9 +/- 0.24 L/min or 390 mL +/- 24 mL/breath. To prepare for loss of central DG supply, patient safety will be improved by estimating cylinder duration for low total thoracic compliance. Using data from the smaller compliance and greatest V(T) model (LC-1000), a full O(2) E cylinder would be depleted in

Analysis of Poiseuille Flow Property in Two-Dimensional Mi-cro Channels of Microfluidic Pneumatic Micro-Valve

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shaohua; Long, Wei; Chen, Yajun

2018-03-01

In this paper, the control mechanism and mathematical description of the microfluidic flow in the microfluidic process of the PDMS membrane type pneumatic micro-valve were studied. The velocity and pressure variation law of the velocity field inside micro valve was analyzed by numerical simulation method. The influence of the two kinds of inlet drive modes on the working effect and the pressure flow characteristics of the pneumatic micro-valve was studied. The structure of the elastic solid valve diaphragm under the dual action of the airway and the liquid channel was analyzed. Deformation and stress distribution. The results show that the gas flow in the gas flow channel under the diaphragm by the vacuum part of the role of the formation of a suction gas vortex, pressure-driven mode was easier under the diaphragm to produce a strong gas vortex, resulting in internal and external pressure to promote diaphragm cut-off liquid channel; In the pressure pneumatic mode, the stress at both ends of the diaphragm was smaller, the membrane was not easy to tear failure.

High Efficiency Pneumatic Systems Compressors Hydrodynamics and Termodynamics Process Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulius Bogdevičius

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes pneumatic system, which consists of three piston compressors, pipes and reciever. Designed two cylinder piston compressor with an asynchronous electric motor mathematical model. In the mathematical model has been estimated rod mechanism geometry and kinematic parameters also hudrodynamics and thermodynamic processes going in the cylinders. Also there were made mathematical experiment and presented the results of it.

Fast neutron activation analysis using short-lived radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salma, I.; Zemplen-Papp, E.

1993-01-01

Fast neutron activation analysis experiments were performed to investigate the analytical possibilities and prospective utilization of short-lived activation products. A rapid pneumatic transfer system for use with neutron generators has been installed and applied for detecting radionuclides with a half-life from ∼300 ms to 20 s. The transport time for samples of total mass of 1-4 g is between 130 and 160 ms for pressurized air of 0.1-0.4 MPa. The reproducibility of transport times is less than 2%. The employed method of correcting time-dependent counting losses is based on the virtual pulse generator principle. The measuring equipment consists of CAMAC modules and a special gating circuit. Typical time distributions of counting losses are presented. The same 14 elements were studied by the conventional activation method (single irradiation and single counting) by both a typical pneumatic transport system (run time 3 s) and the fast pneumatic transport facility. Furthermore, the influence of the cyclic activation technique on the elemental sensitivities was investigated. (author) 15 refs.; 5 figs.; 3 tabs

Comparison of contractile and extensile pneumatic artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Pillsbury, Thomas E.; Wereley, Norman M.; Guan, Qinghua

2017-09-01

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are used in robotic and prosthetic applications due to their high power to weight ratio, controllable compliance, and simple design. Contractile PAMs are typically used in traditional hard robotics in place of heavy electric motors. As the field of soft robotics grows, extensile PAMs are beginning to have increased usage. This work experimentally tests, models, and compares contractile and extensile PAMs to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of PAM and applications for which they are best suited.

Micro Tools with Pneumatic Actuators for Desktop Factories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björn HOXHOLD

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design, the simulation and the fabrication process of two novel pneumatically driven auxiliary micro tools that can be used to improve and to speed up assembling processes in desktop factories. The described micro systems are designed to function as centrifugal feeders for small glass balls or active clamping devices with small external dimensions. They are able to deliver more than six balls per second on demand to a gripper and align and clamp single chips in a fixed position.

The electron transport problem sampling by Monte Carlo individual collision technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Androsenko, P.A.; Belousov, V.I.

2005-01-01

The problem of electron transport is of most interest in all fields of the modern science. To solve this problem the Monte Carlo sampling has to be used. The electron transport is characterized by a large number of individual interactions. To simulate electron transport the 'condensed history' technique may be used where a large number of collisions are grouped into a single step to be sampled randomly. Another kind of Monte Carlo sampling is the individual collision technique. In comparison with condensed history technique researcher has the incontestable advantages. For example one does not need to give parameters altered by condensed history technique like upper limit for electron energy, resolution, number of sub-steps etc. Also the condensed history technique may lose some very important tracks of electrons because of its limited nature by step parameters of particle movement and due to weakness of algorithms for example energy indexing algorithm. There are no these disadvantages in the individual collision technique. This report presents some sampling algorithms of new version BRAND code where above mentioned technique is used. All information on electrons was taken from Endf-6 files. They are the important part of BRAND. These files have not been processed but directly taken from electron information source. Four kinds of interaction like the elastic interaction, the Bremsstrahlung, the atomic excitation and the atomic electro-ionization were considered. In this report some results of sampling are presented after comparison with analogs. For example the endovascular radiotherapy problem (P2) of QUADOS2002 was presented in comparison with another techniques that are usually used. (authors)

Empirical modeling of dynamic behaviors of pneumatic artificial muscle actuators.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickramatunge, Kanchana Crishan; Leephakpreeda, Thananchai

2013-11-01

Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM) actuators yield muscle-like mechanical actuation with high force to weight ratio, soft and flexible structure, and adaptable compliance for rehabilitation and prosthetic appliances to the disabled as well as humanoid robots or machines. The present study is to develop empirical models of the PAM actuators, that is, a PAM coupled with pneumatic control valves, in order to describe their dynamic behaviors for practical control design and usage. Empirical modeling is an efficient approach to computer-based modeling with observations of real behaviors. Different characteristics of dynamic behaviors of each PAM actuator are due not only to the structures of the PAM actuators themselves, but also to the variations of their material properties in manufacturing processes. To overcome the difficulties, the proposed empirical models are experimentally derived from real physical behaviors of the PAM actuators, which are being implemented. In case studies, the simulated results with good agreement to experimental results, show that the proposed methodology can be applied to describe the dynamic behaviors of the real PAM actuators. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of granulation of geological samples in neutron transport measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woznicka, Urszula; Drozdowicz, Krzysztof; Gabanska, Barbara; Krynicka, Ewa; Igielski, Andrzej

2001-01-01

The thermal neutron absorption cross section is one of the parameters describing the transport of thermal neutrons in a medium. Theoretical descriptions and experiments which determine the absorption cross section have a wide literature for homogeneous media. The situation comes true e.g. for fluids or amorphous solids. There are many other media which should be treated as heterogeneous. Among others - geological materials. The material heterogeneity for the thermal neutron transport in a considered volume is understood here as an existence of many small regions which differ significantly in their macroscopic neutron diffusion parameters (defined by the absorption and transport cross sections). The final difference, which influences the neutron transport, comes from a combination of the absolute differences between the parameters and of sizes of regions (related to the neutron mean free paths). A rock can be naturally heterogeneous in the above meaning. Besides, it can happen that a preparation of the rock sample for a neutron measurement can increase its natural heterogeneity. (For example, when the rock material is crushed and the measured sample consists of the obtained grains). The question is which granulation is allowed to treat the sample material as still homogeneous, and from which size of the rock grains we have to consider a two-component medium. It has been experimentally proved that the effective absorption of thermal neutrons in a heterogeneous two-component material can significantly differ from the absorption in a homogeneous one which consists of the same elements. The final effect is dependent on a few factors: the macroscopic absorption cross sections of the components, their total mass contributions, and the size of the grains. The ratio of the effective absorption cross section of the heterogeneous material to the cross section of the equivalent homogeneous, is a measure of the heterogeneity effect on the thermal neutron absorption

Pneumatic distension of ventricular mural architecture validated histologically

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burg, M.C.; Heindel, W.; Lunkenheimer, P.; Niederer, P.; Brune, C.; Redmann, K.; Smerup, M.; Spiegel, U.; Becker, F.; Maintz, D.; Cologne Univ.; Anderson, R.H.

2016-01-01

There are ongoing arguments as to how cardiomyocytes are aggregated together within the ventricular walls. We used pneumatic distension through the coronary arteries to exaggerate the gaps between the aggregated cardiomyocytes, analyzing the pattern revealed using computed tomography, and validating our findings by histology. We distended 10 porcine hearts, arresting 4 in diastole by infusion of cardioplegic solutions, and 4 in systole by injection of barium chloride. Mural architecture was revealed by computed tomography, measuring also the angulations of the long chains of cardiomyocytes. We prepared the remaining 2 hearts for histology by perfusion with formaldehyde. Increasing pressures of pneumatic distension elongated the ventricular walls, but produced insignificant changes in mural thickness. The distension exaggerated the spaces between the aggregated cardiomyocytes, compartmenting the walls into epicardial, central, and endocardial regions, with a feathered arrangement of transitions between them. Marked variation was noted in the thicknesses of the parts in the different ventricular segments, with no visible anatomical boundaries between them. Measurements of angulations revealed intruding and extruding populations of cardiomyocytes that deviated from a surface-parallel alignment. Scrolling through the stacks of tomographic images revealed marked spiraling of the aggregated cardiomyocytes when traced from base to apex. Our findings call into question the current assumption that cardiomyocytes are uniformly aggregated together in a tangential fashion. There is marked heterogeneity in the architecture of the different ventricular segments, with the aggregated units never extending in a fully transmural fashion.

Pneumatic distension of ventricular mural architecture validated histologically

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burg, M.C.; Heindel, W. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. of Clinical Radiology; Lunkenheimer, P. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. of Experimental Thoraco-vascular Surgery; Niederer, P. [ETH and University of Zuerich (Switzerland). Inst. for Biomedical Engineering; Brune, C. [Twente Univ. (Netherlands). Dept. of Applied Mathematics; Redmann, K. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology; Smerup, M. [Aarhus University Hospital (Denmark). Dept. of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery; Spiegel, U.; Becker, F. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. Surgical Research; Maintz, D. [University Hospital Muenster (Germany). Dept. of Clinical Radiology; Cologne Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Anderson, R.H. [Newcastle Univ., London (United Kingdom). Inst. of Genetic Medicine

2016-11-15

There are ongoing arguments as to how cardiomyocytes are aggregated together within the ventricular walls. We used pneumatic distension through the coronary arteries to exaggerate the gaps between the aggregated cardiomyocytes, analyzing the pattern revealed using computed tomography, and validating our findings by histology. We distended 10 porcine hearts, arresting 4 in diastole by infusion of cardioplegic solutions, and 4 in systole by injection of barium chloride. Mural architecture was revealed by computed tomography, measuring also the angulations of the long chains of cardiomyocytes. We prepared the remaining 2 hearts for histology by perfusion with formaldehyde. Increasing pressures of pneumatic distension elongated the ventricular walls, but produced insignificant changes in mural thickness. The distension exaggerated the spaces between the aggregated cardiomyocytes, compartmenting the walls into epicardial, central, and endocardial regions, with a feathered arrangement of transitions between them. Marked variation was noted in the thicknesses of the parts in the different ventricular segments, with no visible anatomical boundaries between them. Measurements of angulations revealed intruding and extruding populations of cardiomyocytes that deviated from a surface-parallel alignment. Scrolling through the stacks of tomographic images revealed marked spiraling of the aggregated cardiomyocytes when traced from base to apex. Our findings call into question the current assumption that cardiomyocytes are uniformly aggregated together in a tangential fashion. There is marked heterogeneity in the architecture of the different ventricular segments, with the aggregated units never extending in a fully transmural fashion.

Comparison of pneumatic and laser lithotripsy in the treatment of pediatric ureteral stones.

Science.gov (United States)

Atar, Murat; Bodakci, Mehmet Nuri; Sancaktutar, Ahmet Ali; Penbegul, Necmettin; Soylemez, Haluk; Bozkurt, Yasar; Hatipoglu, Namik Kemal; Cakmakci, Suleyman

2013-06-01

To compare the effectiveness and safety of pneumatic and holmium:YAG laser lithotripters in the treatment of pediatric ureterolithiasis. Medical records of patients treated using pneumatic (PL) (n = 29) or laser (LL) (n = 35) lithotripter between 2009 and 2011 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were evaluated with respect to age, gender, stone size, complications, and stone-free rates 1 month after the operation. For the PL and LL groups, mean ages (8.8 ± 3.4 and 8.3 ± 3.5 years), male/female ratios (19:10 and 22:13) and stone locations were similar (p > 0.05). Mean stone sizes were 55.6 mm2 and 47.6 mm2 in the PL and LL group, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.850). Mean operative times were 20.5 min in the PL group and 25.2 min in the LL group, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.020). Stone-free rates 1 month after intervention were 79% in the PL group and 97% in the LL group (p = 0.022). Stone migration was detected in the PL group (n = 6) and in the LL group (n = 1). No major complication was found in either group. In the ureteroscopic treatment of pediatric ureterolithiasis, both pneumatic and laser lithotripters are effective and successful. However, laser lithotripsy has a higher stone-free rate and lower complication rate. Copyright © 2012 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transportable high sensitivity small sample radiometric calorimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetzel, J.R.; Biddle, R.S.; Cordova, B.S.; Sampson, T.E.; Dye, H.R.; McDow, J.G.

1998-01-01

A new small-sample, high-sensitivity transportable radiometric calorimeter, which can be operated in different modes, contains an electrical calibration method, and can be used to develop secondary standards, will be described in this presentation. The data taken from preliminary tests will be presented to indicate the precision and accuracy of the instrument. The calorimeter and temperature-controlled bath, at present, require only a 30-in. by 20-in. tabletop area. The calorimeter is operated from a laptop computer system using unique measurement module capable of monitoring all necessary calorimeter signals. The calorimeter can be operated in the normal calorimeter equilibration mode, as a comparison instrument, using twin chambers and an external electrical calibration method. The sample chamber is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) in diameter by 2.5 in. (6.35 cm) long. This size will accommodate most 238 Pu heat standards manufactured in the past. The power range runs from 0.001 W to <20 W. The high end is only limited by sample size

Pneumatic Muscle Actuated Rehabilitation Equipment of the Upper Limb Joints

Science.gov (United States)

Deaconescu dr. eng. habil., Andrea, Prof.

2017-06-01

Rehabilitation equipment of the upper limb joints holds a key role in passive physical therapy. Within this framework, the paper presents two such pieces of equipment developed for the rehabilitation of elbow and of wrist and knuckles, respectively. The presented and discussed equipment is actuated by pneumatic muscles, its benefits being a low cost, simple and robust construction, as well as short response time to commands.

Measurement of Static Characteristics Pneumatic Motors with Elastic Working Elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamil FOJTÁŠEK

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Into a category of pneumatic motors with elastic working parts belong air bellows, diaphragm motors and fluid muscles. All three types of these motors have some elastic part usually made of rubber. This part is deformed under the pressure of a compressed air or a mass load resulting in a final working effect. This paper deals with measuring of static characteristics of these motors.

Enhanced Dynamic Model of Pneumatic Muscle Actuator with Elman Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Hošovský

2015-01-01

Full Text Available To make effective use of model-based control system design techniques, one needs a good model which captures system’s dynamic properties in the range of interest. Here an analytical model of pneumatic muscle actuator with two pneumatic artificial muscles driving a rotational joint is developed. Use of analytical model makes it possible to retain the physical interpretation of the model and the model is validated using open-loop responses. Since it was considered important to design a robust controller based on this model, the effect of changed moment of inertia (as a representation of uncertain parameter was taken into account and compared with nominal case. To improve the accuracy of the model, these effects are treated as a disturbance modeled using the recurrent (Elman neural network. Recurrent neural network was preferred over feedforward type due to its better long-term prediction capabilities well suited for simulation use of the model. The results confirm that this method improves the model performance (tested for five of the measured variables: joint angle, muscle pressures, and muscle forces while retaining its physical interpretation.

Pneumatic artificial muscles for trailing edge flap actuation: a feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, Benjamin K S; Wereley, Norman M; Kothera, Curt S; Sirohi, Jayant

2011-01-01

In this study a novel aircraft trailing edge flap actuation system was developed and tested. Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) were used as the driving elements of this system to demonstrate their feasibility and utility as an alternative aerospace actuation technology. A prototype flap/actuator system was integrated into a model wing section and tested on the bench-top under simulated airloads for flight at 100 m s −1 (M = 0.3) and in an open-jet wind tunnel at free stream velocities ranging up to 45 m s −1 (M = 0.13). Testing was performed for actuator pressures ranging from 0.069 to 0.62 MPa (10–90 psi) and actuation frequencies from 0.1 to 31 Hz. Results show that the PAM-driven trailing edge flap system can generate substantial and sustainable dynamic deflections, thereby proving the feasibility of using pneumatic artificial muscle actuators in a trailing edge flap system. Key issues limiting system performance are identified, that should be resolved in future research

Static Modeling for Commercial Braided Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Zhong

2014-05-01

Full Text Available An enhanced model is proposed to describe static property of commercial braided pneumatic muscle actuators by including several important influencing factors. Elasticity of elastomer tube is considered and Ogden strain energy function is employed to describe its strain energy density. During pressurized process, small deformation of fiber occurs and is calculated using force balancing principle. Frictional forces within muscles are studied, which consist of friction within braid and that between bladder and braid. Isobaric experiments are performed and results verify the validity of the model.

Sample handling and transport for the Secure Automated Fabrication line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherrell, D.L.; Jensen, J.D.; Genoway, G.G.; Togesen, H.J.

1983-06-01

A totally automated system is described which packages, transports, receives, and unpackages sintered plutonium/uranium oxide fuel pellet samples to support automated chemical analysis equipment for the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) line. Samples are transferred 100 meters from the fuel production line to a different floor of the facility where automatic determinations are made for purposes of process control and fuel quality certification. The system automatically records identification numbers, net weights sent and received, and all other pertinent information such as fuel lot number, sample point, date, and time of day

Development of Pneumatic Aerodynamic Devices to Improve the Performance, Economics, and Safety of Heavy Vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert J. Englar

2000-01-01

Under contract to the DOE Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is developing and evaluating pneumatic (blown) aerodynamic devices to improve the performance, economics, stability and safety of operation of Heavy Vehicles. The objective of this program is to apply the pneumatic aerodynamic aircraft technology previously developed and flight-tested by GTRI personnel to the design of an efficient blown tractor-trailer configuration. Recent experimental results obtained by GTRI using blowing have shown drag reductions of 35% on a streamlined automobile wind-tunnel model. Also measured were lift or down-load increases of 100-150% and the ability to control aerodynamic moments about all 3 axes without any moving control surfaces. Similar drag reductions yielded by blowing on bluff afterbody trailers in current US trucking fleet operations are anticipated to reduce yearly fuel consumption by more than 1.2 billion gallons, while even further reduction is possible using pneumatic lift to reduce tire rolling resistance. Conversely, increased drag and down force generated instantaneously by blowing can greatly increase braking characteristics and control in wet/icy weather due to effective ''weight'' increases on the tires. Safety is also enhanced by controlling side loads and moments caused on these Heavy Vehicles by winds, gusts and other vehicles passing. This may also help to eliminate the jack-knifing problem if caused by extreme wind side loads on the trailer. Lastly, reduction of the turbulent wake behind the trailer can reduce splash and spray patterns and rough air being experienced by following vehicles. To be presented by GTRI in this paper will be results developed during the early portion of this effort, including a preliminary systems study, CFD prediction of the blown flowfields, and design of the baseline conventional tractor-trailer model and the pneumatic wind-tunnel model

Development of Pneumatic Aerodynamic Devices to Improve the Performance, Economics, and Safety of Heavy Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert J. Englar

2000-06-19

Under contract to the DOE Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is developing and evaluating pneumatic (blown) aerodynamic devices to improve the performance, economics, stability and safety of operation of Heavy Vehicles. The objective of this program is to apply the pneumatic aerodynamic aircraft technology previously developed and flight-tested by GTRI personnel to the design of an efficient blown tractor-trailer configuration. Recent experimental results obtained by GTRI using blowing have shown drag reductions of 35% on a streamlined automobile wind-tunnel model. Also measured were lift or down-load increases of 100-150% and the ability to control aerodynamic moments about all 3 axes without any moving control surfaces. Similar drag reductions yielded by blowing on bluff afterbody trailers in current US trucking fleet operations are anticipated to reduce yearly fuel consumption by more than 1.2 billion gallons, while even further reduction is possible using pneumatic lift to reduce tire rolling resistance. Conversely, increased drag and down force generated instantaneously by blowing can greatly increase braking characteristics and control in wet/icy weather due to effective ''weight'' increases on the tires. Safety is also enhanced by controlling side loads and moments caused on these Heavy Vehicles by winds, gusts and other vehicles passing. This may also help to eliminate the jack-knifing problem if caused by extreme wind side loads on the trailer. Lastly, reduction of the turbulent wake behind the trailer can reduce splash and spray patterns and rough air being experienced by following vehicles. To be presented by GTRI in this paper will be results developed during the early portion of this effort, including a preliminary systems study, CFD prediction of the blown flowfields, and design of the baseline conventional tractor-trailer model and the pneumatic wind-tunnel model.

Design of a pneumatically powered wearable exoskeleton with biomimetic support and actuation

Science.gov (United States)

Sergeyev, A.; Alaraje, N.; Seidel, C.; Carlson, Z.; Breda, B.

Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist and protect the wearer. Depending on the situation they may be used to protect soldiers and construction workers, aid the survival of people in dangerous environments, or assist patients in rehabilitation. Regardless of the application there are strict requirements for designing and producing exoskeleton suites. They must be durable but light weight and flexible, have reliable power control and modulation, capable of detecting unsafe and invalid motions, and may require significant weight lifting capabilities. In this article we present an on-going research on robotic exoskeleton replicating of human muscle functions. A single wearable knee-joint prototype described in this article combines the use of soft pneumatic muscle-like actuators and a control system based off the users own natural muscle signals. The Pneumatic Exoskeleton uses bioelectrical signals to detect movement intention from the pilot. This paper details the technical design aspects of a lower-limb robotic exoskeleton with possibility of further expansion to fully functioning robotic exoskeleton suit.

The relation between mastoid pneumatization and sigmoid sinus position in chronic otomastoiditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Kee Hyuk; Park, Dong Woo; Lee, Seung Ro; Joo, Kyung Bin

2001-01-01

If significantly influenced by chronic otomastoiditis(COM), mastoid pneumatization and the position of the sigmoid sinus affect the operative procedure and postoperative complications in middle ear surgery. We evaluated mastoid pneumatization and sigmoid sinus position, and their relationship in COM, especially its during onset. Using temporal bone CT and referring to any relevant medical records, we retrospectively analyzed 107 cases of COM and 49 cases of normal ear. The total case load comprised an adult group, aged above 16 years [100 cases of COM (M:F=46:54, mean age = 45 years), and 42 cases of normal ear, (M:F=20:22, mean age = 44 years)], and a childhood group, aged less than 16 years [7 cases of COM (M:F=4:3, mean age = 8.4 years), and 7 cases of normal ear (M:F=4:3, mean age = 7 years)]. We determined the thickness of the mastoid bone by measuring the shortest distance between the outer cortex of this bone and the deepest border of the sigmoid sinus; the depth of the sigmoid sinus; and the degree of mastoid pneumatization and sclerosis. Fifty-three patients whose medical history clearly included the onset of otomastoiditis were divided into a child-onset group and an adult-onset group, and the relationship between the onset of otomastoiditis and the thickness of the mastoid bone was compared between the two groups. The mean axial thickness of the mastoid bone was 9.672±2.745 mm in COM and 12.430±3.027 mm in normal ear. The difference was statisfically significant (ρ < 0.0001). The mean depth of the sigmoid sinus was 7.557±1.868 mm in COM and 7.591±2.315 mm in normal ear, with no statistically significant difference. In the childhood group, the mean axial thickness of the mastoid bone was 8.672±2.978 mm in COM and 11.778±3.087 mm in normal ear. This difference was statistically significant (ρ < 0.05). In the adult group, the corresponding figures were 9.742±2.731 mm in COM and 12.538±3.041 mm in normal ear, a difference which was also

Fueling of magnetically confined plasmas by single- and two-stage repeating pneumatic pellet injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouge, M.J.; Combs, S.K.; Foust, C.R.; Milora, S.L.

1990-01-01

Advanced plasma fueling systems for magnetic fusion confinement experiments are under development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The general approach is that of producing and accelerating frozen hydrogenic pellets to speeds in the kilometer-per-second range using single shot and repetitive pneumatic (light-gas gun) pellet injectors. The millimeter-to-centimeter size pellets enter the plasma and continuously ablate because of the plasma electron heat flux, depositing fuel atoms along the pellet trajectory. This fueling method allows direct fueling in the interior of the hot plasma and is more efficient than the alternative method of injecting room temperature fuel gas at the wall of the plasma vacuum chamber. Single-stage pneumatic injectors based on the light-gas gun concept have provided hydrogenic fuel pellets in the speed range of 1--2 km/s in single-shot injector designs. Repetition rates up to 5 Hz have been demonstrated in repetitive injector designs. Future fusion reactor-scale devices may need higher pellet velocities because of the larger plasma size and higher plasma temperatures. Repetitive two-stage pneumatic injectors are under development at ORNL to provide long-pulse plasma fueling in the 3--5 km/s speed range. Recently, a repeating, two-stage light-gas gun achieved repetitive operation at 1 Hz with speeds in the range of 2--3 km/s

The electron transport problem sampling by Monte Carlo individual collision technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Androsenko, P.A.; Belousov, V.I. [Obninsk State Technical Univ. of Nuclear Power Engineering, Kaluga region (Russian Federation)

2005-07-01

The problem of electron transport is of most interest in all fields of the modern science. To solve this problem the Monte Carlo sampling has to be used. The electron transport is characterized by a large number of individual interactions. To simulate electron transport the 'condensed history' technique may be used where a large number of collisions are grouped into a single step to be sampled randomly. Another kind of Monte Carlo sampling is the individual collision technique. In comparison with condensed history technique researcher has the incontestable advantages. For example one does not need to give parameters altered by condensed history technique like upper limit for electron energy, resolution, number of sub-steps etc. Also the condensed history technique may lose some very important tracks of electrons because of its limited nature by step parameters of particle movement and due to weakness of algorithms for example energy indexing algorithm. There are no these disadvantages in the individual collision technique. This report presents some sampling algorithms of new version BRAND code where above mentioned technique is used. All information on electrons was taken from Endf-6 files. They are the important part of BRAND. These files have not been processed but directly taken from electron information source. Four kinds of interaction like the elastic interaction, the Bremsstrahlung, the atomic excitation and the atomic electro-ionization were considered. In this report some results of sampling are presented after comparison with analogs. For example the endovascular radiotherapy problem (P2) of QUADOS2002 was presented in comparison with another techniques that are usually used. (authors)

Human blood RNA stabilization in samples collected and transported for a large biobank

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a nation-wide population-based pregnancy cohort initiated in 1999, comprising more than 108.000 pregnancies recruited between 1999 and 2008. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of integrating RNA analyses into existing MoBa protocols. We compared two different blood RNA collection tube systems – the PAXgene™ Blood RNA system and the Tempus™ Blood RNA system - and assessed the effects of suboptimal blood volumes in collection tubes and of transportation of blood samples by standard mail. Endpoints to characterize the samples were RNA quality and yield, and the RNA transcript stability of selected genes. Findings High-quality RNA could be extracted from blood samples stabilized with both PAXgene and Tempus tubes. The RNA yields obtained from the blood samples collected in Tempus tubes were consistently higher than from PAXgene tubes. Higher RNA yields were obtained from cord blood (3 – 4 times) compared to adult blood with both types of tubes. Transportation of samples by standard mail had moderate effects on RNA quality and RNA transcript stability; the overall RNA quality of the transported samples was high. Some unexplained changes in gene expression were noted, which seemed to correlate with suboptimal blood volumes collected in the tubes. Temperature variations during transportation may also be of some importance. Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that special collection tubes are necessary for RNA stabilization and they should be used for establishing new biobanks. We also show that the 50,000 samples collected in the MoBa biobank provide RNA of high quality and in sufficient amounts to allow gene expression analyses for studying the association of disease with altered patterns of gene expression. PMID:22988904

Pneumatic Muscles Actuated Lower-Limb Orthosis Model Verification with Actual Human Muscle Activation Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dzahir M.A.M

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A review study was conducted on existing lower-limb orthosis systems for rehabilitation which implemented pneumatic muscle type of actuators with the aim to clarify the current and on-going research in this field. The implementation of pneumatic artificial muscle will play an important role for the development of the advanced robotic system. In this research a derivation model for the antagonistic mono- and bi-articular muscles using pneumatic artificial muscles of a lower limb orthosis will be verified with actual human’s muscle activities models. A healthy and young male 29 years old subject with height 174cm and weight 68kg was used as a test subject. Two mono-articular muscles Vastus Medialis (VM and Vastus Lateralis (VL were selected to verify the mono-articular muscle models and muscle synergy between anterior muscles. Two biarticular muscles Rectus Femoris (RF and Bicep Femoris (BF were selected to verify the bi-articular muscle models and muscle co-contraction between anterior-posterior muscles. The test was carried out on a treadmill with a speed of 4.0 km/h, which approximately around 1.25 m/s for completing one cycle of walking motion. The data was collected for about one minute on a treadmill and 20 complete cycles of walking motion were successfully recorded. For the evaluations, the mathematical model obtained from the derivation and the actual human muscle activation patterns obtained using the surface electromyography (sEMG system were compared and analysed. The results shown that, high correlation values ranging from 0.83 up to 0.93 were obtained in between the derivation model and the actual human muscle’s model for both mono- and biarticular muscles. As a conclusion, based on the verification with the sEMG muscle activities data and its correlation values, the proposed derivation models of the antagonistic mono- and bi-articular muscles were suitable to simulate and controls the pneumatic muscles actuated lower limb

Development of Pneumatic Transfer Irradiation Facility (PTS no.3) for Neutron Activation Analysis at HANARO Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Y. S.; Moon, J. H.; Kim, S. H.; Sun, G. M.; Baek, S. Y.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, Y. J

2008-04-15

A pneumatic transfer system (PTS) is one of the most important facilities used during neutron irradiation of a target material for instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in a research reactor. In particular, a fast pneumatic transfer system is essential for the measurement of a short half-life nuclide. The pneumatic transfer irradiation system (PTS no.3) involving a manual system and an semi-automatic system were reconstructed with new designs of a functional improvement at the HANARO research reactor and NAA laboratory of RI building in 2006. In this technical report, the design, operation and control of these system (PTS no.3) was described. Also the experimental results and the characteristic parameters measured from a functional operation test and an irradiation test of these systems, such as the transfer time of irradiation capsule, the different neutron flux, the temperature of the irradiation position with an irradiation time, the radiation dose rate when the rabbit is returned, etc. are reported to provide a user information as well as a reactor's management and safety.

Development of Pneumatic Transfer Irradiation Facility (PTS no.1) for Neutron Activation Analysis at HANARO Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Y. S.; Moon, J. H.; Kim, S. H.; Sun, G. M.; Baek, S. Y.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, Y. J

2008-03-15

A pneumatic transfer system (PTS) is one of the most important facilities used during neutron irradiation of a target material for instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in a research reactor. In particular, a fast pneumatic transfer system is essential for the measurement of a short half-life nuclide and a delayed neutron counting system. The pneumatic transfer system (PTS no.1) involving a manual system and an semiautomatic system were reconstructed with new designs of a functional improvement at the HANARO research reactor in 2006. In this technical report, the conception, design, operation and control of these system (PTS no.1) was described. Also the experimental results and the characteristic parameters measured by a mock-up test, a functional operation test and an irradiation test of these systems, such as the transfer time of irradiation capsule, the different neutron flux, the temperature of the irradiation position with an irradiation time, the radiation dose rate when the rabbit is returned, etc. are reported to provide a user information as well as a reactor's management and safety.

Ion sampling and transport in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Farnsworth, Paul B.; Spencer, Ross L.

2017-08-01

Quantitative accuracy and high sensitivity in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) depend on consistent and efficient extraction and transport of analyte ions from an inductively coupled plasma to a mass analyzer, where they are sorted and detected. In this review we examine the fundamental physical processes that control ion sampling and transport in ICP-MS and compare the results of theory and computerized models with experimental efforts to characterize the flow of ions through plasma mass spectrometers' vacuum interfaces. We trace the flow of ions from their generation in the plasma, into the sampling cone, through the supersonic expansion in the first vacuum stage, through the skimmer, and into the ion optics that deliver the ions to the mass analyzer. At each stage we consider idealized behavior and departures from ideal behavior that affect the performance of ICP-MS as an analytical tool.

[Development of an automatic pneumatic tourniquet system that determines pressures in synchrony with systolic blood pressure].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hongyun; Li, Kaiyuan; Zhang, Zhengbo; Guo, Junyan; Wang, Weidong

2012-11-01

The correlation coefficients between arterial occlusion pressure and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, limb circumference, body mass etc were obtained through healthy volunteer experiments, in which tourniquet were applied on upper/lower extremities. The prediction equations were derived from the data of experiments by multiple regression analysis. Based on the microprocessor C8051F340, a new pneumatic tourniquet system that can determine tourniquet pressure in synchrony with systolic blood pressure was developed and verified the function and stability of designed system. Results showed that the pneumatic tourniquet which automatically adjusts occlusion pressure in accordance with systolic blood pressure could stop the flow of blood to get a bloodless field.

Geostatistical Sampling Methods for Efficient Uncertainty Analysis in Flow and Transport Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Liodakis, Stylianos; Kyriakidis, Phaedon; Gaganis, Petros

2015-04-01

In hydrogeological applications involving flow and transport of in heterogeneous porous media the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity is often parameterized in terms of a lognormal random field based on a histogram and variogram model inferred from data and/or synthesized from relevant knowledge. Realizations of simulated conductivity fields are then generated using geostatistical simulation involving simple random (SR) sampling and are subsequently used as inputs to physically-based simulators of flow and transport in a Monte Carlo framework for evaluating the uncertainty in the spatial distribution of solute concentration due to the uncertainty in the spatial distribution of hydraulic con- ductivity [1]. Realistic uncertainty analysis, however, calls for a large number of simulated concentration fields; hence, can become expensive in terms of both time and computer re- sources. A more efficient alternative to SR sampling is Latin hypercube (LH) sampling, a special case of stratified random sampling, which yields a more representative distribution of simulated attribute values with fewer realizations [2]. Here, term representative implies realizations spanning efficiently the range of possible conductivity values corresponding to the lognormal random field. In this work we investigate the efficiency of alternative methods to classical LH sampling within the context of simulation of flow and transport in a heterogeneous porous medium. More precisely, we consider the stratified likelihood (SL) sampling method of [3], in which attribute realizations are generated using the polar simulation method by exploring the geometrical properties of the multivariate Gaussian distribution function. In addition, we propose a more efficient version of the above method, here termed minimum energy (ME) sampling, whereby a set of N representative conductivity realizations at M locations is constructed by: (i) generating a representative set of N points distributed on the

Evaluation of Effective Diaphragm Area for Pneumatic Actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Hogeun; Han, Bongsub; Seon, Juhyoung

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology to calculate the exact effective diaphragm area using the results of diagnostic test to be performed in the evaluation of air operated valve performance. By using this developed methodology in pneumatic actuator performance evaluation, it can be reduce the possible errors arising from effective diaphragm area in the evaluation of performance of air operated valves. The performance assessment for the operability and structural integrity of air operated valves for the domestic nuclear power plant is in progress. One of the important parameters that determine the performance of the air operated valves is the effective diaphragm area of diaphragm type actuator. The effective diaphragm area is the actual area which the air pressure acting on the diaphragm. In general, the effective diaphragm area used for the performance evaluation of pneumatic actuator is provided by the manufacture or the actuator drawing. Flat type diaphragm was showed the difference between the measured value of EDA and the manufacture’s value, in the case of convoluted type diaphragm has showed that the measured value of EDA and manufacture’s value is almost the same. When evaluate a performance of a diaphragm actuator, accurate EDA is to be used because it is an important variable affecting the actuator performance. Particularly in the case of flat type diaphragm which EDA is changed in accordance with the stroke position, by using the EDA evaluation methodology developed in this study to minimize a possible error due to EDA when evaluating the performance of the air actuator

Evaluation of Effective Diaphragm Area for Pneumatic Actuator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Hogeun; Han, Bongsub; Seon, Juhyoung [SOOSAN INDUSTRIES, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The purpose of this study is to develop a methodology to calculate the exact effective diaphragm area using the results of diagnostic test to be performed in the evaluation of air operated valve performance. By using this developed methodology in pneumatic actuator performance evaluation, it can be reduce the possible errors arising from effective diaphragm area in the evaluation of performance of air operated valves. The performance assessment for the operability and structural integrity of air operated valves for the domestic nuclear power plant is in progress. One of the important parameters that determine the performance of the air operated valves is the effective diaphragm area of diaphragm type actuator. The effective diaphragm area is the actual area which the air pressure acting on the diaphragm. In general, the effective diaphragm area used for the performance evaluation of pneumatic actuator is provided by the manufacture or the actuator drawing. Flat type diaphragm was showed the difference between the measured value of EDA and the manufacture’s value, in the case of convoluted type diaphragm has showed that the measured value of EDA and manufacture’s value is almost the same. When evaluate a performance of a diaphragm actuator, accurate EDA is to be used because it is an important variable affecting the actuator performance. Particularly in the case of flat type diaphragm which EDA is changed in accordance with the stroke position, by using the EDA evaluation methodology developed in this study to minimize a possible error due to EDA when evaluating the performance of the air actuator.

Control performance of pneumatic artificial muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Saga, Norihiko; Chonan, Seiji

2007-01-01

The robot in the future will be lightened and, in addition, the complex tasks will be done by the consumption of less energy. To achieve this, the development of an artificial muscle actuator which is as soft as a human-being becomes indispensable. At present, the artificial muscle actuator used is the McKibben type, but the heat and mechanical loss of this actuator are large because of the friction caused by the expansion and contraction of the sleeve. Therefore, we developed the artificial muscle tube where the Carbon fiber of the high intensity had been built into the silicon tube. In this report, the results of the examined the mechanical property of silicone rubber is reported, and the shrinking characteristics, response characteristics, and control performance as a pneumatic actuator are reported.

Equipment for testing the indications accuracy of speedometers and altimeters existing on board aircraft and the tightness of the related pneumatic paths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin PETRE

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The equipment is intended to testing the tightness of the catchment pneumatic system (Pitot tube, the transmission (pneumatic paths and the total and static air pressures processing (aircrafttype instruments in order to establish the main flight parameters and checking the correctness of the operation of related aircraft instruments: the altimeter and the speedometer.

Sampling and transport of paraffin waste form from CWDS of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. M.; Hwang, J. H.; Kim, C. R.; Park, J. W.

2000-01-01

Sampling and transport of paraffin waste form from concentrated waste drying system (CWDS) of domestic nuclear power plant were performed to collect the leaching characteristic data for the disposal of radioactive waste. Transport was performed according to the national regulations and the internal rules of the nuclear power plant. The sample of paraffin waste form was classified as L type package according to the regulation and radiation exposure of operator was measured in the range of 6 to 12 mrem that was less than the estimated amount

The shielding properties of the newly developed container for transport of samples contaminated with CBRN substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisera, O.; Kares, J.

2014-01-01

A container for transport of environmental samples to the analytical laboratory is being developed as part of the development of system for collection and transport of samples contaminated with chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear (CBRN) substances after CBRN incidents. The proposed system corresponds with current requirements of NATO publication AEP-66. The proposed container will meet the requirements of mechanical stability and tightness for the packaging of the chemical, biological and radioactive substances. Verification of shielding properties and satisfaction of requirements of radiation protection during transport of potentially relatively high active samples was the aim of this part of research. The results, together with a wall thickness of the inner steel container, the inner lining and the outer transport package, give excellent assumption that the radiation protection requirements for the proposed container and transport package will be satisfied. (authors)

Model-Based Evolution of a Fast Hybrid Fuzzy Adaptive Controller for a Pneumatic Muscle Actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Hošovský

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Pneumatic artificial muscle-based robotic systems usually necessitate the use of various nonlinear control techniques in order to improve their performance. Their robustness to parameter variation, which is generally difficult to predict, should also be tested. Here a fast hybrid adaptive control is proposed, where a conventional PD controller is placed into the feedforward branch and a fuzzy controller is placed into the adaptation branch. The fuzzy controller compensates for the actions of the PD controller under conditions of inertia moment variation. The fuzzy controller of Takagi-Sugeno type is evolved through a genetic algorithm using the dynamic model of a pneumatic muscle actuator. The results confirm the capability of the designed system to provide robust performance under the conditions of varying inertia.

Adaptive sampling method in deep-penetration particle transport problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ruihong; Ji Zhicheng; Pei Lucheng

2012-01-01

Deep-penetration problem has been one of the difficult problems in shielding calculation with Monte Carlo method for several decades. In this paper, a kind of particle transport random walking system under the emission point as a sampling station is built. Then, an adaptive sampling scheme is derived for better solution with the achieved information. The main advantage of the adaptive scheme is to choose the most suitable sampling number from the emission point station to obtain the minimum value of the total cost in the process of the random walk. Further, the related importance sampling method is introduced. Its main principle is to define the importance function due to the particle state and to ensure the sampling number of the emission particle is proportional to the importance function. The numerical results show that the adaptive scheme under the emission point as a station could overcome the difficulty of underestimation of the result in some degree, and the adaptive importance sampling method gets satisfied results as well. (authors)

The classification of frontal sinus pneumatization patterns by CT-based volumetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yüksel Aslier, Nesibe Gül; Karabay, Nuri; Zeybek, Gülşah; Keskinoğlu, Pembe; Kiray, Amaç; Sütay, Semih; Ecevit, Mustafa Cenk

2016-10-01

We aimed to define the classification of frontal sinus pneumatization patterns according to three-dimensional volume measurements. Datasets of 148 sides of 74 dry skulls were generated by the computerized tomography-based volumetry to measure frontal sinus volumes. The cutoff points for frontal sinus hypoplasia and hyperplasia were tested by ROC curve analysis and the validity of the diagnostic points was measured. The overall frequencies were 4.1, 14.2, 37.2 and 44.5 % for frontal sinus aplasia, hypoplasia, medium size and hyperplasia, respectively. The aplasia was bilateral in all three skulls. Hypoplasia was seen 76 % at the right side and hyperplasia was seen 56 % at the left side. The cutoff points for diagnosing frontal sinus hypoplasia and hyperplasia were '1131.25 mm(3)' (95.2 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity) and '3328.50 mm(3)' (88 % sensitivity and 86 % specificity), respectively. The findings provided in the present study, which define frontal sinus pneumatization patterns by CT-based volumetry, proved that two opposite sides of the frontal sinuses are asymmetric and three-dimensional classification should be developed by CT-based volumetry, because two-dimensional evaluations lack depth measurement.

The experimental development and performance test of the pneumatic control-rod drive for the THTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, G.; Boehlo, D.; Heim, H.; Kleine-Tebbe, A.

1976-01-01

Reactor control and shutdown of the THTR is accomplished by two independent systems, the first consisting of 36 absorber rods penetrating the graphite reflector region surrounding the core, the second consisting of 42 absorber rods that insert directly into the pebble bed core. This paper describes the design development and testing of the pneumatic rod drives used for movement of the 42 core control rods. The core control rods have two functions: the first, for reactor safety purposes, provides for adequate safe shutdown of the reactor under cold conditions; the second, for operational purposes, provides for compensation of slow changes in reactivity. The safety and operational functions for each absorber rod are respectively carried out by a long-stroke-piston pneumatic drive and by a stepping-piston pneumatic drive, both of these independent, helium-driven drives being incorporated in the rod drive unit for each control rod. To study the performance of the rod drive, a complete prototype control rod and rod drive unit was built and tested under simulated reactor operational conditions. Operational experience under helium temperatures and pressures was gained and the drives were tested under stress and simulated accident conditions. The reliability of this system has been demonstrated to licensing authorities and to the customer. The programme will be completed with the commissioning tests of drives for the THTR-300 reactor. (author)

Influences of inflation rate and duration on vasodilatory effect by intermittent pneumatic compression in distant skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, K; Chen, L E; Seaber, A V; Urbaniak, J R

1999-05-01

Previous study has demonstrated that application of intermittent pneumatic compression on legs can cause vasodilation in distant skeletal muscle at the microcirculation level. This study evaluated the influence of inflation rate and peak-pressure duration on the vasodilatory effects of intermittent pneumatic compression. The cremaster muscles of 50 male rats were exposed and divided into five groups of 10 each. A specially designed intermittent pneumatic-compression device was applied in a medial-lateral fashion to both legs of all rats for 60 minutes, with an inflation rate and peak-pressure duration of 0.5 and 5 seconds, respectively, in group A, 5 and 0 seconds in group B, 5 and 5 seconds in group C, 10 and 0 seconds in group D, and 10 and 5 seconds in group E. Diameters of arterial segments were measured in vessels of three size categories (10-20, 21-40, and 41-70 microm) for 120 minutes. The results showed that the greatest increase in diameter was produced by intermittent pneumatic compression with the shortest inflation rate (0.5 seconds). A moderate increase resulted from compression with an inflation rate of 5 seconds, and no effective vasodilation occurred during compression with the longest inflation rate (10 seconds). When the groups with different inflation rates but the same peak-pressure duration were compared, there was a significant difference between any two groups among groups A, C, and E and between groups B and D. When the groups with different peak-pressure durations but the same inflation rate were compared, compression with a peak-pressure duration of 5 seconds caused a generally similar degree of diameter change as did compression without inflation at peak pressure. The findings suggest that inflation rate plays an important role in the modulation of distant microcirculation induced by intermittent pneumatic compression whereas peak-pressure duration does not significantly influence the vasodilatory effects of the compression. This may be

A novel form of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in a sauropod dinosaur: Implications for the paleobiology of Rebbachisauridae

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Lucio M. Ibiricu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In dinosaurs and other archosaurs, the presence of foramina connected with internal chambers in axial and appendicular bones is regarded as a robust indicator of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity (PSP. Here we analyze PSP and its paleobiological implications in rebbachisaurid diplodocoid sauropod dinosaurs based primarily on the dorsal vertebrae of Katepensaurus goicoecheai, a rebbachisaurid from the Cenomanian–Turonian (Upper Cretaceous Bajo Barreal Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. We document a complex of interconnected pneumatic foramina and internal chambers within the dorsal vertebral transverse processes of Katepensaurus. Collectively, these structures constitute a form of PSP that has not previously been observed in sauropods, though it is closely comparable to morphologies seen in selected birds and non-avian theropods. Parts of the skeletons of Katepensaurus and other rebbachisaurid taxa such as Amazonsaurus maranhensis and Tataouinea hannibalis exhibit an elevated degree of pneumaticity relative to the conditions in many other sauropods. We interpret this extensive PSP as an adaptation for lowering the density of the skeleton, and tentatively propose that this reduced skeletal density may also have decreased the muscle energy required to move the body and the heat generated in so doing. Given that several rebbachisaurids inhabited tropical to subtropical paleolatitudes during the extreme warmth of the mid-Cretaceous, increased PSP may have better enabled these sauropods to cope with extraordinarily high temperatures. Extensive skeletal pneumaticity may have been an important innovation in Rebbachisauridae, and perhaps also in saltasaurine titanosaurs, which evolved an even greater degree of PSP. This may in turn have contributed to the evolutionary success of rebbachisaurids, which were the only diplodocoids to survive into the Late Cretaceous.

Speed tracking control of pneumatic motor servo systems using observation-based adaptive dynamic sliding-mode control

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Syuan-Yi; Gong, Sheng-Sian

2017-09-01

This study aims to develop an adaptive high-precision control system for controlling the speed of a vane-type air motor (VAM) pneumatic servo system. In practice, the rotor speed of a VAM depends on the input mass air flow, which can be controlled by the effective orifice area (EOA) of an electronic throttle valve (ETV). As the control variable of a second-order pneumatic system is the integral of the EOA, an observation-based adaptive dynamic sliding-mode control (ADSMC) system is proposed to derive the differential of the control variable, namely, the EOA control signal. In the ADSMC system, a proportional-integral-derivative fuzzy neural network (PIDFNN) observer is used to achieve an ideal dynamic sliding-mode control (DSMC), and a supervisor compensator is designed to eliminate the approximation error. As a result, the ADSMC incorporates the robustness of a DSMC and the online learning ability of a PIDFNN. To ensure the convergence of the tracking error, a Lyapunov-based analytical method is employed to obtain the adaptive algorithms required to tune the control parameters of the online ADSMC system. Finally, our experimental results demonstrate the precision and robustness of the ADSMC system for highly nonlinear and time-varying VAM pneumatic servo systems.

Development of Pneumatic Transfer Irradiation Facility (PTS no.2) for Neutron Activation Analysis at HANARO Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Y. S.; Moon, J. H.; Kim, S. H.; Sun, G. M.; Baek, S. Y.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, Y. J

2008-03-15

A pneumatic transfer irradiation system (PTS) is one of the most important facilities used during neutron irradiation of a target material for instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in a research reactor. In particular, a fast pneumatic transfer system is essential for the measurement of a short half-life nuclide and a delayed neutron counting system. The pneumatic transfer irradiation system (PTS no.2) involving a manual system and an automatic system for delayed neutron activation analysis (DNAA) were reconstructed with new designs of a functional improvement at the HANARO research reactor in 2006. In this technical report, the conception, design, operation and control of PTS no.2 was described. Also the experimental results and the characteristic parameters measured by a mock-up test, a functional operation test and an irradiation test of these systems, such as the transfer time of irradiation capsule, automatic operation control by personal computer, delayed neutron counting system, the different neutron flux, the temperature of the irradiation position with an irradiation time, the radiation dose rate when the rabbit is returned, etc. are reported to provide a user information as well as a reactor's management and safety.

High-Speed RaPToRS

Science.gov (United States)

Henchen, Robert; Esham, Benjamin; Becker, William; Pogozelski, Edward; Padalino, Stephen; Sangster, Thomas; Glebov, Vladimir

2008-11-01

The High-Speed Rapid Pneumatic Transport of Radioactive Samples (HS-RaPToRS) system, designed to quickly and safely move radioactive materials, was assembled and tested at the Mercury facility of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington D.C. A sample, which is placed inside a four-inch-diameter carrier, is activated before being transported through a PVC tube via airflow. The carrier travels from the reaction chamber to the end station where it pneumatically brakes prior to the gate. A magnetic latch releases the gate when the carrier arrives and comes to rest. The airflow, optical carrier-monitoring devices, and end gate are controlled manually or automatically with LabView software. The installation and testing of the RaPToRS system at NRL was successfully completed with transport times of less than 3 seconds. The speed of the carrier averaged 16 m/s. Prospective facilities for similar systems include the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and the National Ignition Facility.

On the estimation method of compressed air consumption during pneumatic caisson sinking

OpenAIRE

平川, 修治; ヒラカワ, シュウジ; Shuji, HIRAKAWA

1990-01-01

There are several methods in estimation of compressed air consumption during pneumatic caisson sinking. It is re uired in the estimation of compressed air consumption by the methods under the same conditions. In this paper, it is proposed the methods which is able to estimate accurately the compressed air consumption during pnbumatic caissons sinking at this moment.

VELoCiRaPTORS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, J.; Esham, B.; Padalino, S. J.; Sangster, T. C.; Glebov, V.

2007-11-01

The Venting and Exhausting of Low Level Air Contaminants in the Rapid Pneumatic Transport of Radioactive Samples (VELoCiRaPTORS) system is constructed to transport radioactive materials quickly and safely at the NIF. A radioactive sample will be placed inside a carrier that is transported via an airflow system produced by controlled differential pressure. Midway through the transportation process, the carrier will be stopped and vented by a powered exhaust blower which will remove radioactive gases within the transport carrier. A Geiger counter will monitor the activity of the exhaust gas to ensure that it is below acceptable levels. If the radiation level is sufficient, the carrier will pass through the remainder of the system, pneumatically braking at the counting station. The complete design will run manually or automatically with control software. Tests were performed using an inactive carrier to determine possible transportation problems. The system underwent many consecutive trials without failure. VELoCiRaPTORS is a prototype of a system that could be installed at both the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester and the National Ignition Facility at LLNL.

Pneumatic rupture of the esophagus caused by carbonated drinks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyerovitch, J.; Barzilay, Z.; Tel Aviv Univ.; Ben Ami, T.; Rozenman, J.; Tel Aviv Univ.

1988-01-01

Pneumatic rupture of the esophagus occurs when gas under pressure is accidentally delivered into the oral cavity. To the 4 cases previously described we add 2 pediatric patients and in both the source of the offending gas was a bottle of carbonated drink. The mild initial symptoms were followed in both by physical and radiographic findings suggesting pharyngoesophageal perforation. Early radiologic findings included free subcutaneous and mediastinal air, followed later by hydropneumothorax and mediastinal widening as well as leak of contrast material on gastrografin swallow. CT findings contributed to patient evaluation and management. (orig.)

Pneumatic strength assessment device: design and isometric measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulus, David C; Reiser, Raoul F; Troxell, Wade O

2004-01-01

In order to load a muscle optimally during resistance exercise, it should be heavily taxed throughout the entire range of motion for that exercise. However, traditional constant resistance squats only tax the lower-extremity muscles to their limits at the "sticking region" or a critical joint configuration of the exercise cycle. Therefore, a linear motion (Smith) exercise machine was modified with pneumatics and appropriate computer control so that it could be capable of adjusting force to control velocity within a repetition of the squat exercise or other exercise performed with the device. Prior to application of this device in a dynamic squat setting, the maximum voluntary isometric force (MVIF) produced over a spectrum of knee angles is needed. This would reveal the sticking region and overall variation in strength capacity. Five incremental knee angles (90, 110, 130, 150, and 170 degrees, where 180 degrees defined full extension) were examined. After obtaining university-approved informed consent, 12 men and 12 women participated in the study. The knee angle was set, and the pneumatic cylinder was pressurized such that the subject could move the barbell slightly but no more than two-centimeters. The peak pressure exerted over a five-second maximum effort interval was recorded at each knee angle in random order and then repeated. The average of both efforts was then utilized for further analysis. The sticking region occurred consistently at a 90 degrees knee angle, however, the maximum force produced varied between 110 degrees and 170 degrees with the greatest frequency at 150 degrees for both men and women. The percent difference between the maximum and minimum MVIF was 46% for men and 57% for women.

NK-1 Removable Cryogenic Shroud (A Study of the Bimba Pneumatic Cylinder)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, K.; Stefanescu, D.

2003-01-01

The Mark 1 Cryostat requires a cryogenic shroud that must be retracted immediately before firing the NIF laser. This paper evaluates a pneumatic cylinder that has been chosen to open and close the shroud. After a variety of motion control and vacuum compatibility experiments, we concluded that the Bimba feedback control cylinder may be used to retract the shroud with certain modifications to its control system and additional rod seals. The Mark I Cryostat is a system that allows fielding of a wide range of targets on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The purpose is to have a system with the capability of controlling the target temperature between ∼10 and 300 K. While in the Target Chamber, a shroud must cover the cooled targets. This shroud allows the cold target to be shielded from condensable residual gasses in the target chamber. The removable shroud may be cooled to 80 K to provide a radiant shield for the target from the room temperature target chamber. The shroud must remain over the target until approximately one second before shot time, and then retract on command, without inducing vibration into the target. An actuation system design, which removes the shroud, is constrained by the size limitations of the MK-1, the need to build from low-activation materials, the need to operate in a vacuum, and the need for high reliability. The scheme for retracting the shroud that they investigated was a pressurized air cylinder. The pneumatic cylinder tested in our experiments was built by the Bimba Manufacturing Company. We thought it would be suitable for shroud retraction because its manufacturer claimed that its motion was smooth, highly accurate, controllable and the appropriate size for our needs. The pneumatic cylinder moves a piston by changing the gas pressure in the two sections of the cylinder on either side of the piston. The cylinder also uses the piston as a voltage potentiometer to determine the current position of the piston. This voltage is then

A cell transportation solution that preserves live circulating tumor cells in patient blood samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefansson, Steingrimur; Adams, Daniel L.; Ershler, William B.; Le, Huyen; Ho, David H.

2016-01-01

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are typically collected into CellSave fixative tubes, which kills the cells, but preserves their morphology. Currently, the clinical utility of CTCs is mostly limited to their enumeration. More detailed investigation of CTC biology can be performed on live cells, but obtaining live CTCs is technically challenging, requiring blood collection into biocompatible solutions and rapid isolation which limits transportation options. To overcome the instability of CTCs, we formulated a sugar based cell transportation solution (SBTS) that stabilizes cell viability at ambient temperature. In this study we examined the long term viability of human cancer cell lines, primary cells and CTCs in human blood samples in the SBTS for transportation purposes. Four cell lines, 5 primary human cells and purified human PBMCs were tested to determine the viability of cells stored in the transportation solution at ambient temperature for up to 7 days. We then demonstrated viability of MCF-7 cells spiked into normal blood with SBTS and stored for up to 7 days. A pilot study was then run on blood samples from 3 patients with metastatic malignancies stored with or without SBTS for 6 days. CTCs were then purified by Ficoll separation/microfilter isolation and identified using CTC markers. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue or CellTracker™ live cell stain. Our results suggest that primary/immortalized cell lines stored in SBTS remain ~90 % viable for > 72 h. Further, MCF-7 cells spiked into whole blood remain viable when stored with SBTS for up to 7 days. Finally, live CTCs were isolated from cancer patient blood samples kept in SBTS at ambient temperature for 6 days. No CTCs were isolated from blood samples stored without SBTS. In this proof of principle pilot study we show that viability of cell lines is preserved for days using SBTS. Further, this solution can be used to store patient derived blood samples for eventual isolation of viable CTCs

A cell transportation solution that preserves live circulating tumor cells in patient blood samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefansson, Steingrimur; Adams, Daniel L; Ershler, William B; Le, Huyen; Ho, David H

2016-05-06

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are typically collected into CellSave fixative tubes, which kills the cells, but preserves their morphology. Currently, the clinical utility of CTCs is mostly limited to their enumeration. More detailed investigation of CTC biology can be performed on live cells, but obtaining live CTCs is technically challenging, requiring blood collection into biocompatible solutions and rapid isolation which limits transportation options. To overcome the instability of CTCs, we formulated a sugar based cell transportation solution (SBTS) that stabilizes cell viability at ambient temperature. In this study we examined the long term viability of human cancer cell lines, primary cells and CTCs in human blood samples in the SBTS for transportation purposes. Four cell lines, 5 primary human cells and purified human PBMCs were tested to determine the viability of cells stored in the transportation solution at ambient temperature for up to 7 days. We then demonstrated viability of MCF-7 cells spiked into normal blood with SBTS and stored for up to 7 days. A pilot study was then run on blood samples from 3 patients with metastatic malignancies stored with or without SBTS for 6 days. CTCs were then purified by Ficoll separation/microfilter isolation and identified using CTC markers. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue or CellTracker™ live cell stain. Our results suggest that primary/immortalized cell lines stored in SBTS remain ~90% viable for > 72 h. Further, MCF-7 cells spiked into whole blood remain viable when stored with SBTS for up to 7 days. Finally, live CTCs were isolated from cancer patient blood samples kept in SBTS at ambient temperature for 6 days. No CTCs were isolated from blood samples stored without SBTS. In this proof of principle pilot study we show that viability of cell lines is preserved for days using SBTS. Further, this solution can be used to store patient derived blood samples for eventual isolation of viable CTCs after

Active and Precise Control of Microdroplet Division Using Horizontal Pneumatic Valves in Bifurcating Microchannel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuichi Shoji

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a microfluidic system for the active and precise control of microdroplet division in a micro device. Using two horizontal pneumatic valves formed at downstream of bifurcating microchannel, flow resistances of downstream channels were variably controlled. With the resistance control, volumetric ratio of downstream flows was changed and water-in-oil microdroplets were divided into two daughter droplets of different volume corresponding to the ratio. The microfluidic channels and pneumatic valves were fabricated by single-step soft lithography process of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane using SU-8 mold. A wide range control of the daughter droplets’ volume ratio was achieved by the simple channel structure. Volumetric ratio between large and small daughter droplets are ranged from 1 to 70, and the smallest droplet volume of 14 pL was obtained. The proposed microfluidic device is applicable for precise and high throughput droplet based digital synthesis.

Assessment of Uinta Basin Oil and Natural Gas Well Pad Pneumatic Controller Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

In the fall of 2016, a field study was conducted in the Uinta Basin Utah to improve information on oil and natural gas well pad pneumatic controllers (PCs) and emission measurement methods. A total of 80 PC systems at five oil sites (supporting six wells) and three gas sites (sup...

A standard fission neutron irradiation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahasrabudhe, S.G.; Chakraborty, P.P.; Iyer, M.R.; Kirthi, K.N.; Soman, S.D.

1979-01-01

A fission neutron irradiation facility (FISNIF) has been set up at the thermal column of the CIRUS reactor at BARC. The spectrum and the flux have been measured using threshold detectors. The paper describes the setting up of the facility, measurement and application. A concentric cylinder containing UO 2 powder sealed inside surrounds the irradiation point of a pneumatic sample transfer system located in the thermal column of the reactor. Samples are loaded in a standard aluminium capsule with cadmium lining and transported pneumatically. A sample transfer time of 1 s can be achieved in the facility. Typical applications of the facility for studying activation of iron and sodium in fission neutrons are also discussed. (Auth.)

Development of an Air Pneumatic Suspension System for Transtibial Prostheses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholamhossein Pirouzi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The suspension system and socket fitting of artificial limbs have major roles and vital effects on the comfort, mobility, and satisfaction of amputees. This paper introduces a new pneumatic suspension system that overcomes the drawbacks of current suspension systems in donning and doffing, change in volume during daily activities, and pressure distribution in the socket-stump interface. An air pneumatic suspension system (APSS for total-contact sockets was designed and developed. Pistoning and pressure distribution in the socket-stump interface were tested for the new APSS. More than 95% of the area between each prosthetic socket and liner was measured using a Tekscan F-Scan pressure measurement which has developed matrix-based pressure sensing systems. The variance in pressure around the stump was 8.76 kPa. APSS exhibits less pressure concentration around the stump, improved pressure distribution, easy donning and doffing, adjustability to remain fitted to the socket during daily activities, and more adaptability to the changes in stump volume. The volume changes were adjusted by utility of air pressure sensor. The vertical displacement point and reliability of suspension were assessed using a photographic method. The optimum pressure in every level of loading weight was 55 kPa, and the maximum displacement was 6 mm when 90 N of weight was loaded.

Pneumatic oscillator circuits for timing and control of integrated microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Philip N; Nguyen, Transon V; Hui, Elliot E

2013-11-05

Frequency references are fundamental to most digital systems, providing the basis for process synchronization, timing of outputs, and waveform synthesis. Recently, there has been growing interest in digital logic systems that are constructed out of microfluidics rather than electronics, as a possible means toward fully integrated laboratory-on-a-chip systems that do not require any external control apparatus. However, the full realization of this goal has not been possible due to the lack of on-chip frequency references, thus requiring timing signals to be provided from off-chip. Although microfluidic oscillators have been demonstrated, there have been no reported efforts to characterize, model, or optimize timing accuracy, which is the fundamental metric of a clock. Here, we report pneumatic ring oscillator circuits built from microfluidic valves and channels. Further, we present a compressible-flow analysis that differs fundamentally from conventional circuit theory, and we show the utility of this physically based model for the optimization of oscillator stability. Finally, we leverage microfluidic clocks to demonstrate circuits for the generation of phase-shifted waveforms, self-driving peristaltic pumps, and frequency division. Thus, pneumatic oscillators can serve as on-chip frequency references for microfluidic digital logic circuits. On-chip clocks and pumps both constitute critical building blocks on the path toward achieving autonomous laboratory-on-a-chip devices.

Intramuscular pressures in antigravity muscles using gravity-independent, pneumatic hardware.

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, Brandon R; Minocha, Ranjeet; Cutuk, Adnan A; Hill, James; Shiau, Jonathon; Hargens, Alan R

2008-08-01

Resistive exercise helps prevent muscle atrophy in microgravity, but better exercise equipment is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a pneumatic, gravity-independent leg-press device (LPD) provides sufficient force to leg musculature. We hypothesized that intramuscular pressure (IMP), a quantitative index of muscle force, is greater in the antigravity superficial posterior and deep posterior compartments than in the non-antigravity anterior compartment during bilateral leg-press exercise. Millar pressure transducers were inserted into the anterior, lateral, superficial posterior, and deep posterior muscle compartments of the left leg of eight healthy subjects (three women, five men). Subjects were supine on the Keiser SX-1, a pneumatic LPD. Then maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was determined; each subject performed three consecutive voluntary contractions at approximately 18%, 50%, and 100% MVC while continuously measuring IMP. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to determine differences of IMPs between compartments and loads. The magnitudes of IMP (mean +/- SEM) at 18 - 3% (abbreviated approximately 18%), 50%, and 100% MVC in the superficial and deep posterior compartments were significantly greater than that in the anterior compartment during exercise (P antigravity compartments as compared to the non-antigravity compartment. Since antigravity muscles of the leg are contained primarily in the superficial and deep posterior compartments, the LPD may help prevent muscle atrophy associated with microgravity.

Feasibility study of a biocompatible pneumatic dispensing system using mouse 3T3-J2 fibroblasts

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangmin; Kim, Hojin; Kim, Joonwon

2017-12-01

This paper presents results for dispensing living cells using a pneumatic dispensing system to verify the feasibility of using this system to fabricate biomaterials. Living cells (i.e., mouse 3T3-J2 fibroblast) were dispensed with different dispensing pressures in order to evaluate the effect of dispensing process on cell viability and proliferation. Based on the results of a live-dead assay, more than 80% of cell viability has been confirmed which was reasonably similar to that in the control group. Furthermore, measurement of cell metabolic activity after dispensing confirmed that the dispensed cell proliferated at a rate comparable to that of the control group. These results demonstrate that the pneumatic dispensing system is a promising tool for fabrication of biomaterials.

Drone Transport of Chemistry and Hematology Samples Over Long Distances.

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Amukele, Timothy K; Hernandez, James; Snozek, Christine L H; Wyatt, Ryan G; Douglas, Matthew; Amini, Richard; Street, Jeff

2017-11-02

We addressed the stability of biological samples in prolonged drone flights by obtaining paired chemistry and hematology samples from 21 adult volunteers in a single phlebotomy event-84 samples total. Half of the samples were held stationary, while the other samples were flown for 3 hours (258 km) in a custom active cooling box mounted on the drone. After the flight, 19 chemistry and hematology tests were performed. Seventeen analytes had small or no bias, but glucose and potassium in flown samples showed an 8% and 6.2% bias, respectively. The flown samples (mean, 24.8°C) were a mean of 2.5°C cooler than the stationary samples (mean, 27.3°C) during transportation to the flight field as well as during the flight. The changes in glucose and potassium are consistent with the magnitude and duration of the temperature difference between the flown and stationary samples. Long drone flights of biological samples are feasible but require stringent environmental controls to ensure consistent results. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Design and control of a novel gastroscope intervention mechanism with circumferentially pneumatic-driven clamping function.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanmin; Liu, Hao; Hao, Siwen; Li, Hongyi; Han, Jianda; Yang, Yunsheng

2017-03-01

Robot-assisted manipulation is promising for solving problems such as understaffing and the risk of infection in gastro-intestinal endoscopy. However, the commonly used friction rollers in few existing systems have a potential risk of deforming flexible endoscopes for non-uniform clamping. This paper presents a robotic system for a standard flexible endoscope and focuses on a novel gastroscope intervention mechanism (GIM), which provides circumferentially uniform clamping with an airbag. The GIM works with a relay-on mechanism in a way similar to manual operation. The shear stiffness of airbag and the critical slipping force (CSF) were analysed to determine the parameters of the airbag. A fuzzy PID controller was employed to realize a fast response and high accuracy of pneumatic actuation. Experiments were performed to evaluate the accuracy, stiffness and CSF. In vitro and in vivo animal experiments were also carried out. The GIM realized an accuracy of 0.025 ± 0.2 mm and -0.03 ± 0.25° for push-pull and rotation without delivery resistance. Under polynomial could be used to describe the relationship between the CSF and pneumatic pressure. The novel GIM could effectively deliver gastroscopes. The pneumatic-driven clamping method proposed could protect the gastroscope by circumferentially uniform clamping force and the CSF could be properly controlled to guarantee operating safety. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of the samples injection systems with ultrasonic nebulizer and with pneumatic nebulizer for the metal determination in water by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, Sergio R; Pismante, Paola A

2005-01-01

The natural waters, depending on their use, must fulfill the exigencies and requirements that fix national and international norms. These establish conditions with respect to the concentration levels that must be some metals. In this work the development of inductively coupled plasma emission optical spectrometry with ultrasonic injection system is presented. The determination of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, zinc, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, strontium and vanadium, at levels of ultra-trace in water samples is studied by this technique. The wavelengths that represented better sensitivity and minors spectral interferences, were selected from the Literature specialized in the analysis of this type of material. Also the conditions of work for the ultrasonic nebulization: temperature, pressure, flow speed of argon, and flow speed of sample was determined. The greater sensitivity of the injection system by ultrasonic nebulization forehead to the injection system by pneumatic nebulization, is verified when comparing the spectral intensity of the selected wavelengths. Also the limits of detection and quantification was obtained by both systems. The validity of the results obtained in this method is verified applying the test of Fisher, who determines the degree of homogeneity of the variances, and the test of Student, to determine the trazability obtained with these values. For these studies, the certified material of reference TM-24.2 of National Water Research Institute Environment Canada (NWRI), was used. The positive answer to the criteria of evaluation E and Z-Score, obtained by this technique, allows to verify that it fulfills the exigencies to be used in the determination of metals at the required levels (au)

The Safeguards analysis applied to the RRP. Automatic sampling authentication system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Sawako; Nakashima, Shinichi; Iwamoto, Tomonori

2004-01-01

The sampling for analysis from vessels and columns at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) is performed mostly by the automatic sampling system. The safeguards sample for the verification also will be taken using these sampling systems and transfer to the OSL though the pneumatic transfer network owned and controlled by operator. In order to maintaining sample integrity and continuity of knowledge (CoK) for throughout the sample processing. It is essential to develop and establish the authentication measures for the automatic sampling system including transfer network. We have developed the Automatic Sampling Authentication System (ASAS) under consultation by IAEA. This paper describes structure, function and concept of ASAS. (author)

Design development of robotic system for on line sampling in fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramanian, G.R.; Venugopal, P.R.; Padmashali, G.K.

1990-01-01

This presentation describes the design and developmental work that is being carried out for the design of an automated sampling system for fast reactor fuel reprocessing plants. The plant proposes to use integrated sampling system. The sample is taken across regular process streams from any intermediate hold up pot. A robot system is planned to take the sample from the sample pot, transfer it to the sample bottle, cap the bottle and transfer the bottle to a pneumatic conveying station. The system covers a large number of sample pots. Alternate automated systems are also examined (1). (author). 4 refs., 2 figs

Comparative study of injection into a pneumatic nebuliser and tungsten coil electrothermal vaporisation for the determination of rare earth elements by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittrich, K.

1988-01-01

Injection into a pneumatic nebuliser and vaporisation using a tungsten coil electrothermal vaporisation system, with a 3-kW argon-nitrogen inductively coupled plasma (ICP), are compared for the determination of the rare earth elements. The sampling efficiency and thus also the absolute power of detection of the tungsten coil ICP optical emission spectrometric (ICP-OES) technique are better by two orders of magnitude, than the injection technique. The absolute detection limits for the rare earth elements are at the pg level; for the refractory rare earth elements (Er, La, Lu and Y), they are lower than those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas for the other rare earth elements (Eu, Sc, Tm and Yb), the detection limits are comparable. With injection of samples into a pneumatic nebuliser and ICP-OES, matrix effects are low and absolute amounts of the order of mg of the rare earth matrix can be tolerated, giving relative detection limits down to 1 μg g -1 . The amount of rare earth matrix that can be tolerated with the tungsten-coil atomiser is two orders of magnitude lower. Thus the relatively detection limits of the two methods are of the same order, although the matrix effects are considerably higher with the tungsten coil. (author)

Inductance position sensor for pneumatic cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Ripka, Pavel; Chirtsov, Andrey; Mirzaei, Mehran; Vyhnanek, Jan

2018-04-01

The position of the piston in pneumatic cylinder with aluminum wall can be measured by external inductance sensor without modifications of the aluminum piston and massive iron piston rod. For frequencies below 20 Hz the inductance is increasing with inserting rod due to the rod permeability. This mode has disadvantage of slow response to piston movement and also high temperature sensitivity. At the frequency of 45 Hz the inductance is position independent, as the permeability effect is compensated by the eddy current effect. At higher frequencies eddy current effects in the rod prevail, the inductance is decreasing with inserting rod. In this mode the sensitivity is smaller but the sensor response is fast and temperature stability is better. We show that FEM simulation of this sensor using measured material properties gives accurate results, which is important for the sensor optimization such as designing the winding geometry for the best linearity.

Direct adaptive fuzzy control of a translating piezoelectric flexible manipulator driven by a pneumatic rodless cylinder

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Zhi-cheng; Wang, Bin; Zhang, Xian-min; Han, Jian-da

2013-04-01

This study presents a novel translating piezoelectric flexible manipulator driven by a rodless cylinder. Simultaneous positioning control and vibration suppression of the flexible manipulator is accomplished by using a hybrid driving scheme composed of the pneumatic cylinder and a piezoelectric actuator. Pulse code modulation (PCM) method is utilized for the cylinder. First, the system dynamics model is derived, and its standard multiple input multiple output (MIMO) state-space representation is provided. Second, a composite proportional derivative (PD) control algorithms and a direct adaptive fuzzy control method are designed for the MIMO system. Also, a time delay compensation algorithm, bandstop and low-pass filters are utilized, under consideration of the control hysteresis and the caused high-frequency modal vibration due to the long stroke of the cylinder, gas compression and nonlinear factors of the pneumatic system. The convergence of the closed loop system is analyzed. Finally, experimental apparatus is constructed and experiments are conducted. The effectiveness of the designed controllers and the hybrid driving scheme is verified through simulation and experimental comparison studies. The numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system scheme of employing the pneumatic drive and piezoelectric actuator can suppress the vibration and achieve the desired positioning location simultaneously. Furthermore, the adopted adaptive fuzzy control algorithms can significantly enhance the control performance.

A pneumatic transfer system for special form 252Cf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gehrke, R.J.; Berry, S.M.; Grafwallner, E.G.; Hoggan, J.M.

1996-09-01

A pneumatic transfer system has been developed for use with series 100 Special Form 252 Cf. It was developed to reduce the exposure to personnel handling sources of 252 Cf with masses up to 150 microg by permitting remotely activated two-way transfer between the storage container and the irradiation position. The pneumatic transfer system also permits transfers for reproducible repetitive irradiation periods. In addition to the storage container equipped with quick-release fittings, the transfer system consists of an irradiation station, a control box with momentary contact switches to activate the air-pressure control valves and indicators to identify the location of the source, and connecting air hose and electrical wire. A source of 20 psig air and 110 volt electrical power are required for operation of the transfer system which can be easily moved and set up by one individual in 5 to 10 minutes. Tests have shown that rarely does a source become lodged in the transfer tubing, but two methods have been developed to handle incomplete transfers of the 252 Cf source. The first method consists of closing one air vent to allow a pressure impulse to propel the source to the opposite side. The second method applies to those 252 Cf capsules with a threaded or tapped end to which a small ferromagnetic piece can be attached; an incompletely transferred source in the transfer tube can then be guided to a position of safety by surrounding the transfer tubing containing the capsule with a horseshoe magnet attached to the end of a long pole

A SECOND CASE OF BILATERAL RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS REPAIRED WITH SIMULTANEOUS BILATERAL PNEUMATIC RETINOPEXY.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, Uriel; De Jager, Cornelis; Zakour, Moayed; Gonder, J Thomas

2017-01-01

To present a case of a patient with simultaneous bilateral retinal detachments treated successfully with bilateral pneumatic retinopexy. Case report. This is a case of an otherwise healthy 49-year-old woman with no remarkable ocular history that presented with simultaneous phakic superior bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. Treatment on the day of presentation included laser retinopexy of the inferior lattice degeneration in the left eye and bilateral intravitreal injection of 0.4 cc of 100% C3F8 gas preceded by topical anesthesia. After 48 hours, both retinas were completely reattached, and bilateral laser retinopexy was performed to the superior tears. After a review of the literature, the authors could find only two reported cases of simultaneous bilateral retinal detachments treated successfully with pneumatic retinopexy. This is not only a cost-effective procedure but also allows treatment when there is no immediate operating room availability or a when a quick referral for surgery is not possible.

Comparison of three media for transport and storage of the samples collected for detection of avian influenza virus.

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Zhang, Xiao-Chun; Liu, Shuo; Hou, Guang-Yu; Zhuang, Qing-Ye; Wang, Kai-Cheng; Jiang, Wen-Ming; Wang, Su-Chun; Li, Jin-Ping; Yu, Jian-Min; Du, Xiang; Huang, Bao-Xu; Chen, Ji-Ming

2015-09-15

Detection of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) is important for diagnosis, surveillance and control of avian influenza which is of great economic and public health significance. Proper transport and storage of samples is critical for the detection when the samples cannot be detected immediately. As recommended by some international or national authoritative entities and some publications, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), PBS-glycerol and brain heart infusion broth (BHIB) are frequently used for transport and storage of the samples collected for detection of AIVs worldwide. In this study, we compared these three media for transport and storage of simulated and authentic swab and feces samples collected for detection of AIVs using virus isolation and reverse transcription-PCR. The results suggest that PBS-glycerol is superior to PBS and BHIB as the sample transport and storage media. The results also suggest that the samples collected for detection of AIVs should be detected as soon as possible because the virus concentration of the samples may decline rapidly during storage within days at 4 or -20°C. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Driving Pressure Influence in Voltage Maps Measurement Process Using Advanced Pneumatic Mapping Probe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Kukucka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Our paper deals with the method of the voltage-impedance map measurement process as a method useful for the electric mapping of human skin. The area of research extends from the basic research to its practical application in acupuncture skin mapping and acupuncture point localization and visualization. The problem of sufficient skin coverage and electrical contact with measuring electrodes is solved by the conventional mechanical telescopic electrodes and by the pneumatic matrix electrode probe. A 2D or 3D voltage-impedance map of skin is an output of the measuring, interpretation and evaluation process. New pneumatic construction of measuring probe was implemented to achieve a better coverage of specified skin area and get a reduced force range of the touching electrodes allowing the steady contact of the skin-electrode. A skin contact is related to the driving pressure of touching electrodes. Our paper offers experimentally measured results, voltage maps of skin on specific areas, selected measured and described acupuncture points and their applications in electro-acupuncture.

Investigation on wear behavior of graphite baII under different pneumatic conveying environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhipeng; Zheng Yanhua; Shi Lei; Yu Suyuan

2014-01-01

An experimental platform was built in the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) to investigate the wear behavior of the graphite ball under the operational condition of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel handling system. In this experimental platform, a series of experiments were carried out under different pneumatic conveying environments with the graphite balls, which were made of the material same as the fuel element matrix graphite (A3) of the 10 MW high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTR-10). The effect of the pneumatic conveying condition on the wear rate of graphite ball has been investigated, and the results include: (1) There is an obvious linear relationship between the wear rate and the feeding velocity of graphite ball elevated in the stainless steel elevating tube, and the wear rate will increase with the increase of the feeding velocity. (2) The wear rate of graphite ball under helium environment is significantly greater than that under air and nitrogen environments, which is caused by the different effects of various gas environments on mechanical properties of graphite. (author)

Adaptive Tracking Control of an Electro-Pneumatic Clutch Actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenn-Ole Kaasa

2003-10-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the application of a simple adaptive algorithm for robust tracking control of an electro-pneumatic clutch actuator with output feedback. We present a mathematical model of the strongly nonlinear system, and implement an adaptive algorithm, based on a parallel feedforward compensator (PFC to remove the relative-degree-1 restriction. We propose a practical method of constructing the PFC, and introduce a simple modification that removes an inherent restriction on bandwidth of the nonlinear system. We show that the adaptive algorithm deals well with nonlinearities, and we achieve tracking corresponding to a settling-time of 150 ms.

Effective dose at pneumatic reduction of paediatric intussusception

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heenan, S.D.; Kyriou, J.; Fitzgerald, M.; Adam, E.J.

2000-01-01

AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess screening times and resulting dose implication at pneumatic reduction of intussusception in the paediatric age group and to examine the relationship with the outcome of the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the case notes and departmental records of 143 children who had undergone a total of 153 pneumatic reductions in our department over a 4-year period. Success rates, screening times and available dose-area products (DAP) were recorded. The DAPs were converted to effective dose (ED) for 77 procedures. RESULTS: A 76.5% (117/153) success rate was achieved with a recurrence rate of 6.5% and only one complication: a perforation. Screening times were recorded in 137 reductions and ranged from 15 s to 22.6 min. Although the longest screening time was associated with an unsuccessful outcome, the second longest time of 21 min was successful. This gave a DAP of 1278 cGy cm 2 and an ED of 12.73 mSv, which is equivalent to approximately 400 abdominal films for a 1-year-old. A lifetime risk of fatal cancer of one in 1000 was achieved, assuming the worst case, after a screening time of 30 min on our conventional fluoroscopy unit. CONCLUSION: Our success rate compares well with other centres. Our institution is a tertiary referral centre and the occasional long screening time may reflect the delay and complex nature of the patients referred. Persistence at air reduction may be successful and the success rate increases with delayed attempts but the risks of the increasing radiation burden must be weighed against the risks of emergency surgery and anaesthesia. Heenan, S.D. (2000)

Complex modeling of technological processes in pneumatic mixers for production of dry construction mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Orekhova, T. N.; Nosov, O. A.; Prokopenko, V. S.; Kachaev, A. E.

2018-03-01

The improvement of the design of the pneumatic mixers aimed at the possibility of obtaining homogeneous disperse systems, while the resource and energy saving issues play an important role in the conditions of enterprises that use this type of equipment in their technological chain, is described in the article.

Pneumatically-powered hand tool used for cutting bolts during bone-fixing in surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cool, J.C.; Rijnsaardt, K.A.

1996-01-01

Abstract of NL 1000849 (C2) The tool has at least one pneumatic motor (1a, 1b), transmission (2) and regulator. The motor(s) can be of the piston and cylinder type producing reciprocating motion or of the rotary type. The tool is powered by a commercially-available gas cylinder containing 16g of CO2

The Pneumatic Actuators As Vertical Dynamic Load Simulators On Medium Weighted Wheel Suspension Mechanism

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