Combined time and energy optimal trajectory planning with quadratic drag for mixed discrete-continuous task planning

ABSTRACT

The problem of mixed discrete-continuous task planning for mechanical systems, such as aerial drones or other autonomous units, can be often treated as a sequence of point-to-point trajectories. In this work, the problem of optimal trajectory planning under a combined completion time and energy criterion, for a straight point to point path for a second-order system with quadratic under state (velocity) and control (acceleration) constraints is considered. The solution is obtained and proved to be optimal using the Pontryagin Maximum Principle. Simulation results for different cases are presented and compared with a customary numerical optimal control solver.     

Photocurrent enhancement of heat treated CdSe-sensitized titania nanotube photoelectrode

The self-organized titania nanotube arrays (NTAs) fabricated by anodisation has gained enormous interest due to its high spatial orientation, excellent charge transfer structure, and large internal surface area; all are crucial properties influencing the absorption and propagation of light. In this study, a composite material, CdSe nanoparticle/TiO₂ nanotube arrays (CdSe/TiO₂ NTAs) were assembled through the insertion of CdSe nanoparticles onto the anodized TiO₂ nanotube arrays via electrochemical deposition. The annealing temperature of CdSe/TiO₂ NTAs was varied from 200 to 350 °C and was found to play an important role in controlling the formation of CdSe nanoparticles on TiO₂ NTAs. Characterizations of the films were performed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopes, X-ray diffractometry and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The transient photocurrent was examined in a three-electrode system under halogen illumination by using the prepared film as the photoanode. It was found that the CdSe nanoparticles were susceptible to spread through electrochemical deposition and formed on the nanotubes by annealing in nitrogen atmosphere. The increment in annealing temperature has resulted in greater amount of CdSe loaded onto TiO₂ nanotube arrays. Therefore, a suitable annealing temperature can enhance the particle interaction, leading to considerable improvement in PEC performance. The sensitized CdSe/TiO₂ NTAs annealed at 250 °C displayed 84 folds improvement in photoconversion efficiency than that of bare TiO₂ NTAs counterparts.     

Minimum Mixed Time–Energy Trajectory Planning of a Nonlinear Vehicle Subject to 2D Disturbances

Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications - The problem of a planar vehicle moving on a surface, such as aerial drones or small naval vessels, can be treated as a series of trajectory...     

Sensitization of Mn with CdS nanoparticles via electrochemical deposition technique for photocurrent enhancement of nanomaterial’s-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells

A photoconversion efficiency of 2.12% was obtained under visible light illumination by nanostructure-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells using Mn/CdS as sensitizer loaded on TiO₂ nanotube arrays (NTAs) (Mn/CdS/TiO₂). Sensitization of Mn on CdS nanoparticles pre-loaded on TiO₂ NTAs was carried out by a two-step electrodeposition method. Compared with unsensitized TiO₂ NTAs, the photocurrent had increased from 0.03 to 4.12 for Mn/CdS/TiO₂ prepared at 1 min. The effects of deposited Mn on the physical, chemical, and photoelectrochemical properties of the CdS/TiO₂ NTAs nanostructure were investigated by using UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical analysis was examined in a three-electrode system under a halogen illumination by using the prepared film as the photo-anode.     

Microwave-Assisted Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Olibanum Gum (Boswellia serrate) and its Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol and Hexacyanoferrate (III) by Sodium Borohydride

In this work we report straightforward, an economically viable, one-step microwave-assisted green synthesis of well stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by reducing chloroauric acid with natural water soluble olibanum gum (Boswellia serrate). The olibanum gum acts as a dual role of reducing and capping agent for synthesis of AuNPs. The formation of AuNPs was confirmed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The results indicated that the synthesized NPs were well dispersed and spherical in shape had an average diameter of 3 ± 2 nm. The reaction parameters significantly affected the formation of NPs, as the concentration of gum and irradiation time increases the formation of NPs particles increases and size of particles are reduced. In addition, it has been shown that these olibanum gum capped AuNPs functioned as effective homogeneous catalyst for the reduction of two model reactions hexacyanoferrate(III) and 4-nitrophenol by sodium borohydride. The kinetic investigations were carried out at different amount of AuNPs and different temperatures.     

Acyclic edge colorings of graphs

A proper coloring of the edges of a graph G is called acyclic if there is no 2‐colored cycle in G. The acyclic edge chromatic number of G, denoted by a′(G), is the least number of colors in an acyclic edge coloring of G. For certain graphs G, a′(G) ≥ Δ(G) + 2 where Δ(G) is the maximum degree in G. It is known that a′(G) ≤ 16 Δ(G) for any graph G. We prove that there exists a constant c such that a′(G) ≤ Δ(G) + 2 for any graph G whose girth is at least cΔ(G) log Δ(G), and conjecture that this upper bound for a′(G) holds for all graphs G. We also show that a′(G) ≤ Δ + 2 for almost all Δ‐regular graphs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Graph Theory 37: 157–167, 2001     

Polymerization and copolymerization of styrene by Ph2Zn‐metallocene‐MAO initiator systems.

Combined systems including diphenylzinc, Ph₂Zn, a metallocene, and methylaluminoxane, MAO, have been employed to initiate styrene polymerization. These initiator systems have been also used to initiate the copolymerization of styrene with p‐alkylsubstituted styrenes and with α‐olefins. Both polymerization and copolymerization processes depend on the nature of the metallocene included in the initiator system, the presence of Ph₂Zn, the temperature and the solvent used. Titanocenes produced syndiotactic polystyrene, s‐PS, while zirconocenes gave atactic polystyrene, a‐PS, with a certain content, less the 20% of s‐PS. For copolymerizations the conversion to polymer was also influenced by the comonomer nature and its molar proportion in the initial feed, as well as the sort of metallocene, titanocene or zirconocene included.