Solar Engineering Of Thermal Processes

Several simplified design procedures for solar energy systems require monthly average meteorological data. Monthly average daily totals of the solar radiation incident on a horizontal surface are available. However, radiation data on tilted surfaces, required by the design procedures, are generally not available. A simple method of estimating the average daily radiation for each calendar month on surfaces facing directly towards the equator has been presented by Liu and Jordan [1]. This method is verified with experimental measurements and extended to allow calculation of monthly average radiation on surfaces of a wide range of orientations.

Calculation of monthly average insolation on tilted surfaces

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics

This review presents various control strategies for application systems utilizing smart magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) and magneto-rheological elastomers (MRE). It is well known that both MRF and MRE are actively studied and applied to many practical systems such as vehicle dampers. The mandatory requirements for successful applications of MRF and MRE include several factors: advanced material properties, optimal mechanisms, suitable modeling, and appropriate control schemes. Among these requirements, the use of an appropriate control scheme is a crucial factor since it is the final action stage of the application systems to achieve the desired output responses. There are numerous different control strategies which have been applied to many different application systems of MRF and MRE, summarized in this review. In the literature review, advantages and disadvantages of each control scheme are discussed so that potential researchers can develop more effective strategies to achieve higher control performance of many application systems utilizing magneto-rheological materials.

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State of the art of control schemes for smart systems featuring magneto-rheological materials

Much research has gone into developing advanced control algorithms for semi-active suspension. Experimental validation of these control algorithms is critical for their practical applications. This paper investigates a state-observer-based Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy controller (SOTSFC) design for a semi-active quarter-car suspension installed with a magnetorheological (MR) damper and provides proof of the effectiveness of the proposed controller. To conduct the test, a quarter-car test rig and control system hardware were used. Then, a new MR damper was designed and built to fit with the test rig. After that, the SOTSFC for the quarter-car test rig was developed. Finally, several tests were conducted on the quarter-car suspension in order to investigate the real effect of the SOTSFC. It was then compared with the use of a skyhook controller to demonstrate its benefits.

Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy Control for Semi-Active Vehicle Suspension With a Magnetorheological Damper and Experimental Validation

Introduction In general, in automatic control courses, the process of designing and testing a control system includes applying physical laws to model the system, working with virtual models, building one or various prototypes, and testing the control algorithms. However, in the industry, the approach must be more pragmatic because the design and implementation time must be shorter, and the success of the solution must be ensured. Methods Challenged with this problem, a black-box model from which data are generated turns into a convenient starting point to design and implement the automation, and this approach is addressed in this research. The herein proposal is the design and implementation of didactic stations and their application in undergraduate automatic control courses. In the context of active learning, by using the stations to identify the model’s dynamics, and subsequently, design and implement an automatic system, students reinforce the theory and receive another stimulus for the development of competencies in automatic control. Results The didactic stations emulate those cases in the industry where the hardware is already working, and it is necessary to automate or improve some process following a practical approach. During the first phase, students, guided by professors, designed and implemented four electromechanical prototypes. The second phase was using the prototypes in the curricular courses Control Engineering and Computerized Control to implement and evaluate controllers. The research included a control group and an experimental group. The group using the stations had a higher final course average grade than the control group. Discussion The findings encourage the application of this type of approach to complement the teaching of automatic control, which could positively impact the professional performance of future control engineers.

Active learning to develop disciplinary competencies related to automatic control in engineering curricula using low cost do-it-yourself didactic stations

This research introduces a more accurate control oriented model that can be applied in the suspensions performance domain towards comfort and stability improvement. Active suspension based on Magnetorheological (MR) dampers is an attractive solution in improving vehicle stability and passenger comfort. These Dampers are highly nonlinear and their modeling and control is a challenge. The multi-model approach is applied to describe the highly nonlinear two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) one-quarter-vehicle semi-active suspension with an MR damper. The objective is to show that an MR damper, represented by the Bouc-Wen approach, is suitable for control purposes. Passenger comfort and vehicle stability are translated into constraints on a controlled output. Therefore, the control problem aims to attenuate the effect of the road profile which is considered as an exogenous input. This problem is solved using the H∞ techniques applied to the non linear system. Due to the multi-model nature of the system description, the controller is obtained from Linear Matrix Inequalities conditions. A numerical case and simulation work support the results.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel7/6621246/6636146/06636156.pdf

L. C. Félix-Herrán

Papers

Active learning to develop disciplinary competencies related to automatic control in engineering curricula using low cost do-it-yourself didactic stations

Road disturbances rejection of a semi-active vehicle suspension