Abstract Introduction A ventricular assist device (VAD) is an electromechanical pump used to treat heart failures. For designing the physiological control system for a VAD, one needs a mathematical model and its related parameters. This paper presents a characterization procedure for determining the model parameter values of the electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic subsystems of a pediatric Rotary Blood Pump (pRBP). Methods An in vitro test setup consisting of a pRBP prototype, a motor driver module, an acrylic reservoir, mechanical resistance and tubings, pressure and fluid flow sensors, and data acquisition, processing, and visualization system. The proposed procedure requires a set of experimental tests, and a parameter estimation algorithm for determining the model parameters values. Results The operating limits of the pRBP were identified from the steady-state data. The relationship between the pressure head, flow rate, and the rotational speed of the pRBP was found from the static tests. For the electrical and mechanical subsystems, the dc motor model has a viscous friction coefficient that varies nonlinearly with the flow. For the hydraulic subsystem, the pressure head is assumed to be a sum of terms related to the resistance, the inertance, the friction coefficient, and the pump speed. Conclusion The proposed methodology was successfully applied to the characterization of the pRBP. The combined use of static and dynamic tests provided a precise lumped parameter model for representing the pRBP dynamics. The agreement, regarding mean squared deviation, between experimental and simulated results demonstrates the correctness and feasibility of the characterization procedure.

Abstract Introduction: Surface plasmon resonance biosensors are high sensitive analytical instruments that normally employ glass materials at the optical substrate layer. However, the use of polymer-based substrates is increasing in the last years due to favorable features, like: disposability, ease to construction and low-cost design. Review Recently, a polymer-based SPR biochip was proposed by using monochromatic and polychromatic input sources. Its construction and experimental considerations are detailed here. Experimental considerations and results, aspects from performance characteristics (resonance parameters, sensitivity and full width at half maximum – FWHM – calculations) are presented for hydrophilic and hydrophobic solutions. It is included also a brief description of the state of the art of polymer-based SPR biosensors.

A detecção da incrustação em sistemas de dutos é um problema persistente e requer uma demanda pertinente para as indústrias químicas, petrolíferas, alimentícias e farmacêuticas. A incrustação é um processo de deposição de materiais sólidos dissolvidos orgânicos e outros materiais pesados nos fluidos transportados ou em suspensão sobre as superfícies das paredes internas em sistemas de transporte de fluidos. Este trabalho apresenta resultados da pesquisa de excitação do teste do martelo para análise de vibrações utilizando testes não-invasivos para detecção de incrustação em tubulações. Dados da vibração foram analizados na presença de uma camada de incrustação no interior dos tubos usando um acelerometro e um microfone para detecção. Com a análise dos resultados obtidos é possível detectar o processo de incrustação, nas tubulações monitoradas, com e sem condições de carga, utilizando um microfone e um acelerômetro como sensores.

The fouling detection in duct systems is a persistent problem and remains a relevant demand for the chemical, oil, food and pharmaceutical industries. The fouling is a deposition process of heavy organic and other dissolved solid materials in the transported fluids or suspensions onto inner wall surfaces in fluid transport systems. This work presents research results of hammer test for vibration analysis using non-invasive tests to fouling detection in pipelines. Data were taken from the vibration in presence of an inner pipe fouling layer using an accelerometer and a microphone for detection. With the analysis of the obtained results is possible to detect the fouling process, in the monitored pipelines, with and without load conditions, using a microphone and an accelerometer as sensors.

The use of shape memory alloys (SMA) as smart structures and other modern applications require a previous evaluation of its performance under load as well as a training procedure. In general, these requirements lead to the design and assembly of a specific test bench. In this work, an experimental set-up was specially designed to perform the electro-thermomechanical characterization of SMA wires. This apparatus was used to determine the strain-temperature (epsilon - T) and electrical resistance-temperature (R - T) hysteretic characteristics curves of a Ti-Ni shape memory wire (90 mm in length and 150 µm in diameter) under mechanical load. The SMA wire is loaded by means of constant weights and a controlled system for injection of electrical power allows performing the heating-cooling cycles. The obtained hysteretic epsilon - T and R - T characteristics curves for some levels of applied loads are used to determine important shape memory parameters, like martensitic transformation temperatures, temperature hysteresis, temperature slopes and shape memory effect under load. These parameters were in accord with the ones found in literature for the studied SMA wires.

Neste artigo é proposto um método para estimar todos os parâmetros elétricos do motor de indução em tempo-real e em malha fechada. Os parâmetros são estimados resolvendo o problema de minimização dos mínimos quadrados recursivo (RLS). O modelo para o RLS é derivado para o caso onde as correntes do estator do motor são reguladas via um controlador com realimentação linear. Resultados experimentais selecionados são usados para demonstrar a possibilidade e desempenho do método proposto.

In this paper it is proposed a method for estimating in real-time and in closed-loop all the parameters of an induction motor. The parameters are determined by solving a recursive least squares minimization problem. The model for the least-squares problem is derived for the case where the stator currents of the motor are regulated via a linear feedback controller. Selected experimental results are used to demonstrate the feasibility and performance of the proposed method.

O autômato com temporização variável é introduzido nesse artigo para modelar sistemas a eventos discretos. A estrutura desse autômato é bastante similar à estrutura do autômato (max,+), mas apresentando tempos de vida variáveis. Baseado nesse autômato o projeto de supervisores temporizados é obtido por meio da álgebra de dióides, onde as linguagens utilizadas para descrever o sistema a eventos discretos, bem como a especificação de comportamento desejada são definidas por matrizes descritas nesta álgebra e a síntese do supervisor é formalizada através de simples operações matriciais. O algoritmo de síntese proposto permite sintetizar supervisores para sistemas a eventos discretos não temporizados, sistemas a eventos discretos temporizados com tempos de vida constantes e e variáveis. Todos esses casos são tratados com o mesmo algoritmo básico, em que a diferença existe apenas na definição das funções de tempos de vida dos eventos. O algoritmo proposto apresenta uma ordem de complexidade igual ao algoritmo de síntese do supervisor para sistemas a eventos discretos não temporizados. A formulação proposta pode ser considerada como um procedimento alternativo baseado numa estrutura algébrica não tradicional, para construir supervisores para sistemas a eventos discretos.

We introduce a time-varying automaton to model discrete event systems. The structure of this time-varying automaton is very similar structure to (max,+) automaton, but allowing variable event lifetimes. Based on this time-varying automaton the design of timed supervisors is obtained by using the dioid algebra, where the languages used to describe the discrete event system as well the desired specification are replaced by matrices defined in such algebra and the supervisor synthesis is achieved through simple matrix operations. The proposed synthesis algorithm allows one to synthesize supervisors for un-timed DES, timed DES with constant event lifetime and timed DES with variable event lifetime. All these cases are treated with the same basic algorithm, the differences rely only on the definition of the event lifetime functions. The proposed algorithm presents a complexity order equal to the supervisor synthesis algorithm of un-timed discrete event systems. The proposed approach can be considered as an alternative procedure, based on a non-traditional algebraic structure, to achieve the supervisor synthesis for discrete event systems.

Este artigo investiga o uso da estratégia de controle adaptativo do tipo modelo de referência para sistemas de acionamentos de motores de indução com o controle orientado indiretamente pelo campo. O esquema proposto não requer o uso de nenhum sensor eletromecânico e é praticamente independente da constante de tempo rotórica. Por exemplo, este esquema é bem adequado para aplicações onde não há controle de velocidade, mas é necessário manter o controle com orientação indireta pelo campo sintonizado para se obter controle de conjugado com alto desempenho. A sensibilidade paramétrica do esquema de controle à variações em r s e sigmal s também é investigada no artigo. Os resultados experimentais apresentados demonstram o perfeito funcionamento do esquema proposto.

This paper investigates the use of the model reference control strategy for induction motor drive systems based on indirect field oriented control principles. The proposed control scheme does not require the use of any electromechanical sensor and is fairly independent of the rotor time constant. For example, this scheme is well suited for applications where there is no speed control but it is required to keep the indirect field oriented controller permanently tuned to obtain a high performance torque control. The parameter sensitivity of the control scheme to changes in r s and sigmal s is also investigated in this paper. Experimental results are presented and demonstrate the correctness and feasibility of the proposed methodology.