Angelo Gentile

Bio: Angelo Gentile is an academic researcher from Instituto Politécnico Nacional. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mobile robot & Terrain. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 17 publications receiving 412 citations. Previous affiliations of Angelo Gentile include National Research Council.

Experimental tests on position control of a pneumatic actuator using on/off solenoid valves

Abstract: A position-controlled pneumatic actuator using pulsewidth modulation (PWM) valve pulsing algorithms is described. The system consists of a standard double-acting cylinder controlled with two three-way solenoid valves through a 12-bit A/D PC board. The mechatronic system has the advantage of using on/off solenoid valves in place of more expensive servo valves and it may be applied to a variety of practical positioning applications. A proportional-integral (PI) controller with position feedforward has been successfully implemented. Several experimental tests are carried out to evaluate the robustness of the control system and performances of the novel PWM algorithm implemented. The actuator's overall performance is comparable to that achieved by other researchers using servo valves.

Tyre pressure monitoring using a dynamical model-based estimator

Abstract: In the last few years, various control systems have been investigated in the automotive field with the aim of increasing the level of safety and stability, avoid roll-over, and customise handling characteristics. One critical issue connected with their integration is the lack of state and parameter information. As an example, vehicle handling depends to a large extent on tyre inflation pressure. When inflation pressure drops, handling and comfort performance generally deteriorate. In addition, it results in an increase in fuel consumption and in a decrease in lifetime. Therefore, it is important to keep tyres within the normal inflation pressure range. This paper introduces a model-based approach to estimate online tyre inflation pressure. First, basic vertical dynamic modelling of the vehicle is discussed. Then, a parameter estimation framework for dynamic analysis is presented. Several important vehicle parameters including tyre inflation pressure can be estimated using the estimated states. This method aims to work during normal driving using information from standard sensors only. On the one hand, the driver is informed about the inflation pressure and he is warned for sudden changes. On the other hand, accurate estimation of the vehicle states is available as possible input to onboard control systems.

The Fuel Economy of Hybrid Buses: The Role of Ancillaries in Real Urban Driving

Abstract: In the present context of the global economic crisis and environmental emergency, transport science is asked to find innovative solutions to turn traditional vehicles into fuel-saving and eco-friendly devices. In the last few years, hybrid vehicles have been shown to have potential benefits in this sense. In this paper, the fuel economy of series hybrid-electric and hybrid-mechanical buses is simulated in two real driving situations: cold and hot weather driving in the city of Taranto, in Southern Italy. The numerical analysis is carried out by an inverse dynamic approach, where the bus speed is given as a velocity pattern measured in the field tests performed on one of the city bus routes. The city of Taranto drive schedule is simulated in a typical tempered climate condition and with a hot temperature, when the air conditioning system must be switched on for passenger comfort. The fuel consumptions of hybrid-electric and hybrid-mechanical buses are compared to each other and with a traditional bus powered by a diesel engine. It is shown that the series hybrid-electric vehicle outperforms both the traditional and the mechanical hybrid vehicles in the cold weather driving simulation, reducing the fuel consumption by about 35% with respect to the traditional diesel bus. However, it is also shown that the performance of the hybrid-electric bus gets dramatically worse when the air-cooling system is continuously turned on. In this situation, the fuel consumption of the three different technologies for city buses under investigation is comparable.

Vibration-based Damage Identification Methods: A Review and Comparative Study:

Abstract: A comprehensive review on modal parameter-based damage identification methods for beam- or plate-type structures is presented, and the damage identification algorithms in terms of signal processing...

Wavelet Transform for Structural Health Monitoring: A Compendium of Uses and Features:

Abstract: The strategic and monetary value of the civil infrastructure worldwide necessitates the development of structural health monitoring (SHM) systems that can accurately monitor structural response due to real-time loading conditions, detect damage in the structure, and report the location and nature of this damage. In the last decade, extensive research has been carried out for developing vibration-based damage detection algorithms that can relate structural dynamics changes to damage occurrence in a structure. In the mean time, the wavelet transform (WT), a signal processing technique based on a windowing approach of dilated ‘scaled’ and shifted wavelets, is being applied to a broad range of engineering applications. Wavelet transform has proven its ability to overcome many of the limitations of the widely used Fourier transform (FT); hence, it has gained popularity as an efficient means of signal processing in SHM systems. This increasing interest in WT for SHM in diverse applications motivates the authors...

Output only modal identification and structural damage detection using time frequency & wavelet techniques

Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to develop output only modal identification and structural damage detection. Identification of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) linear time invariant (LTI) and linear time variant (LTV—due to damage) systems based on Time-frequency (TF) techniques—such as short-time Fourier transform (STFT), empirical mode decomposition (EMD), and wavelets—is proposed. STFT, EMD, and wavelet methods developed to date are reviewed in detail. In addition a Hilbert transform (HT) approach to determine frequency and damping is also presented. In this paper, STFT, EMD, HT and wavelet techniques are developed for decomposition of free vibration response of MDOF systems into their modal components. Once the modal components are obtained, each one is processed using Hilbert transform to obtain the modal frequency and damping ratios. In addition, the ratio of modal components at different degrees of freedom facilitate determination of mode shape. In cases with output only modal identification using ambient/random response, the random decrement technique is used to obtain free vibration response. The advantage of TF techniques is that they are signal based; hence, can be used for output only modal identification. A three degree of freedom 1:10 scale model test structure is used to validate the proposed output only modal identification techniques based on STFT, EMD, HT, wavelets. Both measured free vibration and forced vibration (white noise) response are considered. The secondary objective of this paper is to show the relative ease with which the TF techniques can be used for modal identification and their potential for real world applications where output only identification is essential. Recorded ambient vibration data processed using techniques such as the random decrement technique can be used to obtain the free vibration response, so that further processing using TF based modal identification can be performed.