Semi-active stabilisation of a pipe conveying fluid using eddy-current dampers: state-feedback control design,experimental validation

An application of electromagnetic devices of the motional type (i.e. eddy-current dampers) to improve the dynamic stability of a cantilever pipe discharging fluid is proposed. When the flow velocity reaches a critical value, this system loses stability through the flutter. A contactless damping device is used. This actuator is made of a conducting plate attached to the pipe that moves together with it within the perpendicular magnetic field that is generated by the controlled electromagnets. During the motion the eddy currents in the plate and a resultant drag force of a viscous character are generated. First, an optimal control problem that aims to stabilise the system with the optimal rate of decrease of the system’s energy is posed and solved. Then a state-feedback parametrization of the obtained optimal control, which can be used in a closed-loop scheme is proposed. The effectiveness of the designed optimal controller is validated by making a comparison with the corresponding passive solutions on the specially designed and constructed experimental test stand of a pipe conveying air.

     

Localizing Binding Sites on Bioconjugated Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Semiconductors at the Nanoscale

Hydrogen-bonded organic semiconductors are extraordinarily stable organic solids forming stable, large crystallites with the ability to preserve favorable electrical properties upon bioconjugation. Lately, tremendous efforts have been made to use these bioconjugated semiconductors as platforms for stable multifunctional bioelectronics devices, yet the detailed characterization of bio-active binding sites (orientation, density, etc.) at the nanoscale has not been achieved yet. The presented work investigates the bioconjugation of epindolidione and quinacridone, two representative semiconductors, with respect to their exposed amine-functionalities. Relying on the biotin-avidin lock-and-key system and applying the atomic force microscopy (AFM) derivative topography and recognition (TREC) imaging, we used activated biotin to flag crystal-faces with exposed amine functional groups. Contrary to previous studies, biotin bonds were found to be stable towards removal by autolysis. The resolution strength and clear recognition capability makes TREC-AFM a valuable tool in the investigation of bio-conjugated, hydrogen-bonded semiconductors.     

Recrystallization processes in snte thin films implanted with the nobel gas ions (Kr,Xe)

Abstract

The results of investigation of the quasi-Cherenkov (parametric) X-ray emission of 4.5 GeV electrons in diamond and quartz crystals are presented. A noticeable increase in X-ray photons yield has been observed under the influence of external factors (acoustic waves, temperature gradient).     

Recent studies of agent incentives in internet resource allocation and pricing

Market makers choose and design market rules to serve certain objectives, such as to maximize revenue from the sales in the case of a single seller and multiple buyers. Given such rules, market participants play against each other to maximize their utility function values on goods acquired, possibly by hiding or misrepresenting their information needed in the implementation of market rules. Today’s Internet economy has changed the information collection process and may make some of the assumptions of market rule implementation obsolete. Here we make a fresh review of works on this challenge on the Internet where new economic systems operate.     

Three Short Stories about Hexaarylbenzene–Porphyrin Scaffolds

A feasible two‐step synthesis and characterization of a full series of hexaarylbenzene (HAB) substituted porphyrins and tetrabenzoporphyrins is presented. Key steps represent the microwave‐assisted porphyrin condensation and the statistical Diels–Alder reaction to the desired HAB‐porphyrins. Regarding their applications, they proved to be easily accessible and effective high molecular mass calibrants for (MA)LDI mass spectrometry. The free‐base and zinc(II) porphyrin systems, as well as the respective tetrabenzoporphyrins, demonstrate in solid state experiments strong red‐ and near‐infrared‐light emission and are potentially interesting for the application in “truly organic” light‐emitting devices. Lastly, they represent facile precursors to large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) substituted porphyrins. We prepared the first tetra‐hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronene substituted porphyrin, which represents the largest prepared PAH‐porphyrin conjugate to date.     

The investigation of femoroacetabular impingement using motion capture,FEM and multi-body simulations

In recent years, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has become increasingly common. As published in the literature, FAI is caused by an unphysiological contact between the proximal femur and the acetabular rim, which may lead to pain, limitation of movement, and damage of cartilage. In this paper, patient-specific finite element simulations of the movement of the hip based on gait motion data and MRI segmentation were conducted to check stresses of the acetabulum and femur, and additionally whether a bony contact is present or not. The study's findings show no bony contact between femur and acetabulum, which may lead to the hypothesis that the labrum and its deformation and/or the articular capsule are involved in the mechanism of FAI. In order to verify this hypothesis more simulations including labrum and capsule must be performed. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)