Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Bend sensing'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007.
Papapolymerou, John, Committee Member ; Adibi, Ali, Committee Member ; Citrin, David, Committee Chair ; Summers, Christopher, Committee Member ; Voss, Paul, Committee Member.

Understanding the trajectories of particulate solids inside a flow-through reactor, such as the riser of a recirculating fluidized bed, is a basic requisite to accurately modelling the reactor. However, these trajectories, which are complicated by gross internal recirculation, are not readily measurable. Conventional means of measuring the residence time distribution can be applied to closed boundaries, such as the exit of the riser. Doing so, however, does not directly provide the details of the trajectories within the riser. In order to determine these trajectories, meaningful measurements must be made at the open boundaries between the adjacent axial regions which, in total, make up the riser. Transient tracer concentration measurements at open boundaries are ambiguous because, as tracer material recirculates past the sensor, its concentration is repeatedly recorded, with no distinction as to which region (above or below the boundary) it has just resided in. A method designed to eliminate this ambiguity at open boundaries is reported in this thesis. By repeatedly introducing single tracer particles into the riser, and measuring the time of passage through each axial region, the residence time distributions for each region can be obtained from the frequency density of these times. The crux of this approach is being able to sense individual tracer particles. The major thrust of this investigation has been to find a practical means to this end. The final sensor considered in this investigation is based on electromagnetic induction: a magnetic primary field induces an eddy current in a conductive tracer particle, and the resulting secondary field is sensed, indicating the presence of the tracer particle in the sensing volume. Noise, resulting from direct coupling between transmitter and receiver coils, electrostatics, and vibrations, determines the sensitivity of the device. The final prototype sensor is limited in sensitivity to relatively large tracer particles, and it is incapable of measuring tracer velocity. Nevertheless, the trajectory of large particles is of practical significance for circulating fluidized beds. Limited tests were conducted in a 0.15 m ID x 9.14 m tall acrylic riser where the tracer particles were injected opposite the solids re-entry point, and were sensed by a single sensor located at an open boundary 7.5 m downstream. At each of the two superficial gas velocities considered, and above a threshold solids flux, the time-of-flight frequency density between the injector and the sensor for these large tracer particles does not change with increasing flux of the fine solids. This result is incongruous with obvious changes in the macro-flow structure occurring in the riser. Recommended changes in the sensor would allow measurement of the direction and speed of the tracer, as it passes by the sensor, as well as potentially reducing noise. With these improvements, it would be useful to install multiple sensors along the full length of the riser. The information obtainable from such a configuration would greatly enhance understanding of the detailed trajectories within the riser.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of
Graduate

Interactions between fluvial processes and vegetation along the natural channel margins have been shown to be fundamental in determining meandering rivers development. By colonizing exposed sediments, riparian trees increase erosion resistance and stabilize fluvial sediment transport through their root systems, while during a flood event the above-ground biomass interacts with the water flow inducing sediment deposition and altering scour patterns. In turn river dynamics and hydrology influence vegetative biomass growth, affecting the spatial distribution of vegetation. These bio-morphological dynamics have been observed to direct control accretion and degradation rates of the meander bend. In particular, vegetation encroachments within the point bar (i.e. colonizing species and strand wood), initiate pioneeristic landforms that, when evolving, determine the lateral shifting of the margin that separates active channel from river floodplain and thus inner bank aggradation (bar push). This diminishes the portion of the morphologically active channel cross-section, influencing the erosion of the cutting bank and promoting channel widening (bank pull ). As a result of the cyclical occurrence of these erosional and depositional processes, meandering rivers floodplain show a typical ridge and swale pattern characterized by the presence of complex morphological structures, namely, benches, scrolls and chutes within the new-created floodplain. Moreover, difference in migration rate between the two banks have been observed to induce local temporal variations in channel width that affect river channel morphodynamics and its overall planform through their influence on the local flow field and channel bed morphology. Despite enormous advances in field and laboratory techniques and modelling development of the last decades, little is known about the relation between floodplain patterns and their controlling bio-morphological interactions that determine the bank accretion process. This knowledge gap has so far limited the development of physically-based models for the evolution of meandering rivers able to describe the lateral migration of banklines separately. Most existing meander migration models are indeed based on the hypothesis of constant channel width. Starting from this knowledge gap, the present doctoral research has aimed to provide more insight in the mutual interactions among flow, sediment transport and riparian vegetation dynamics in advancing banks of meandering rivers. In order to achieve its aims, the research has been designed as an integration of remote sensing and in-situ field observations with a mathematical modelling approach to i) provide a quantitative description of vegetation and floodplain channel topography patterns in advancing meanders bend and to ii) explore the key control factors and their role in generating the observed patterns. The structure of the present PhD work is based on four main elements. First, two types of airborne historical data (air photographs and Lidar survey) have been investigated, in order to quantify the effects of spatial-temporal evolution of vegetation pattern on meander morphology and to provide evidence for the influence of vegetation within the topography of the present floodplain. Such remote sensing analysis has highlighted a strong correspondence between riparian canopy structure and geomorphological patterns within the floodplain area: this has clearly shown the need to interpret the final river morphology as the result of a two-way interaction between riparian vegetation dynamics and river processes. Second, field measurements have been conducted on a dynamic meander bend of the lower reach of the Tagliamento River, Italy, with the initial aim of checking the outcomes of the remote sensing analysis through ground data. The outcomes of the field measurements have further supported the results, providing ground evidence on the relations between vegetation and topographic patterns within the transition zone that is intermediate between the active channel bed and the vegetated portion of the accreting floodplain. The influence of vegetation on inner bank morphology has also been interpreted in the light of the expected time scales of inundation and geomorphic dynamics that characterize the advancing process of the inner bank. The combined analysis of both remotely sensed data and field measurements associated with the historical hydrological dataset have allowed to quantitatively characterize the biophysical characteristics of the buffer zone, close to the river edge, where the accretion processes take place. The third research element has foreseen the development of a biophysically- based, simplified bio-morphodynamic model for the lateral migration of a meander bend that took advantage of the empirical knowledge gained in the analysis of field data. The model links a minimalist approach that includes biophysically-based relationships to describe the interaction between riparian vegetation and river hydro-morphodynamic processes, and employs a non linear mathematical model to describe the morphodynamics of meander channel bed. Model application has allowed to reproduce the spatial oscillations of vegetation biomass density and ground morphology observed in the previous analyses. Overall, the model allows to understand the role of the main controlling factors for the ground and vegetation patterns that characterize the advancing river bank and to investigate the temporal dynamics of the morphologically active channel width, providing insights into the bank pull and bar push phenomena. The fourth and concluding element of the present PhD research is an analytical investigation of the fundamental role of unsteadiness on the morphodynamic response of the river channel. Results obtained in the previous elements have clearly showed the tendency of a meander bend to develop temporal oscillations of the active channel width during its evolution, but no predictive analytical tool was previously available to investigate the channel bed response to such non-stationary planform dynamics. A non linear model has therefore been proposed to investigate the effect of active channel width unsteadiness on channel bed morphology. The basic case of free bar instability in a straight channel has been used in this first investigation, which has shown the tendency of channel widening to increase river bed instability compared to the steady case, in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. Overall, the research conducted within the present Doctoral Thesis represents a step forward in understanding the bio-morphodynamics of meandering rivers that can help the development of a complete bio-morphodynamic model for meandering rivers evolution, able to provide support for sustainable river management.

Human body temperature is an important indicator of physical performance and condition in terms of comfort, heat or cold stress. The aim of this research was to develop Temperature Sensing Fabric (TSF) for continuous temperature measurement in healthcare applications. The study covers the development and manufacture of TSF by embedding fine metallic wire into the structure of textile material using a commercial computerised knitting machine. The operational principle of TSF is based on the inherent propensity of a metal wire to respond to changes in temperature with variation in its electrical resistance. Over 60 TSF samples were developed with combinations of different sensing elements, two inlay densities and highly textured polyester yarn as the base material. TSF samples were created using either bare or insulated wires with a range of diameters from 50 to 150 μm and metal wires of nickel, copper, tungsten, and nickel coated copper. In order to investigate the Temperature-Resistance (T-R) relationship of TSF samples for calibration purposes, a customised test rig was developed and monitoring software was created in the LabVIEW environment, to record the temperature and resistance signals simultaneously. TSF samples were tested in various thermal environments, under laboratory conditions and in practical wear trials, to analyse the relationship between the temperature and resistance of the sensing fabric and to develop base line specifications such as sensitivity, resistance ratio, precision, nominal resistance, and response time; the influence of external parameters such as humidity and strain were also monitored. The regression uncertainty was found to be less than in ±0.1°C; the repeatability uncertainty was found to be less than ±0.5°C; the manufacturing uncertainty in terms of nominal resistance was found to be ± 2% from its mean. The experimental T-R relationship of TSF was validated by modelling in the thermo-electrical domain in both steady and transient states. A maximum error of 0.2°C was found between the experimental and modelled T-R relationships. TSF samples made with bare wire sensing elements showed slight variations in their resistance during strain tests, however, samples made with insulated sensing elements did not demonstrate any detectable strain-dependent-resistance error. The overall thermal response of TSF was found to be affected by basal fabric thickness and mass; the effect of RH was not found to be significant. TSF samples with higher-resistance sensing elements performed better than lower-resistance types. Furthermore, TSF samples made using insulated wire were more straightforward to manufacture because of their increased tensile strength and exhibited better sensing performance than samples made with bare wire. In all the human body wear trials, under steady-state and dynamic conditions both sensors followed the same trends and exhibited similar movement artifacts. When layers of clothing were worn over the sensors, the difference between the response of the TSF and a high-precision reference temperature were reduced by the improved isothermal conditions near the measurement site.

Recent advances in through-water photogrammetry and optical imagery indicate that accurate, continuous bathymetric mapping may be possible in shallow, clear streams. This research directly compares the ability of through-water photogrammetry and spectral depth approaches to extract water depth for monitoring fish habitat. Imagery and cross sections were collected on a 140 meter reach of the Salmon River, Oregon, using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and rtk-GPS. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) software produced a digital elevation model (DEM) (1.5 cm) and orthophoto (0.37 cm). The photogrammetric approach of applying a site-specific refractive index provided the most accurate (mean error 0.009 m) and precise (standard deviation of error 0.17 m) bathymetric data (R2 = 0.67) over the spectral depth and the 1.34 refractive index approaches. This research provides a quantitative comparison between and within bathymetric mapping methods, and suggests that a site-specific refractive index may be appropriate for similar gravel-bed, relatively shallow, clear streams.

Photonic crystals have allowed unprecedented control of light and have allowed bringing new functionalities on chip. Photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs), which are linear defects in a photonic crystal, have unique features that distinguish these waveguides from other waveguides. The unique features include very large dispersion, existence of slow light, and the possibility of tailoring the dispersion properties for guiding light. In my research, I have overcome some of the challenges in using slow light in PCWs. In this work, I have demonstrated (i) high efficiency coupling of light into slow group velocity modes of a PCW, (ii) large bandwidth high transmission and low dispersion bends in PCWs, (iii) accurate modeling of pulse propagation in PCWs, (iv) high efficiency absorbing boundary conditions for dispersive slow group velocity modes of PCWs. To demonstrate the utility of slow light in designing high efficiency devices, I have demonstrated refractive index sensors using slow light in PCWs. In the end, a few high efficiency devices based on slow light in PCWs are mentioned. The remaining issues in the widespread use of PCW are also discussed in the last chapter.

xviii, 128 p. : ill. (some col.)
This dissertation investigates the potential impacts of canals and small dams on gravel-bed rivers and methods for documenting those impacts. First, I evaluate the potential for mapping channel depths along the McKenzie River, OR, using 10 cm resolution optical aerial imagery with a hydraulically-assisted bathymetry (HAB-2) model. Results demonstrate that channel depths can be accurately mapped in many areas, with some imagery limitations. The HAB-2 model works well in the majority of the river (R 2 =0.89) when comparing modeled to observed depths, but not in areas of shadow, surface turbulence, or depths >1.5 m. Next, I analyze the relative effects of a small dam and two diversion canals on sediment distribution along bars of the lower McKenzie River. The typical pattern of downstream fining is disrupted at each feature and several tributaries, particularly in the "reduced water reaches" below canal outtakes. Most modeled discharge values necessary to mobilize bar sediments fall at or below the 2-year flood return interval, with the remaining at or below the 5-year flood return interval, generally reflecting the D 50 values at each bar (20-115 mm). The third analysis investigates the potential to document geomorphic impacts of small dams in Oregon at ecoregion extents using air photos and publically available data sets. This analysis highlights data disparity with respect to the collecting agency's mission and the difficulty of using remote sensing for small dams. Though the imagery was not useful in evaluating small dam impacts due to resolution and feature size, the data were useful in mapping the small dam distribution across Oregon and each ecoregion. Sixty-one percent of Oregon land is located in the catchment of at least one small dam and the greatest number of dams per area is in the Willamette Valley ecoregion. Overall, this research suggests that, while the application of these techniques must be improved, our ability to observe, study, and understand rivers is enhanced by remote sensing advancements and the combined use of these methods in river restoration and management. This dissertation includes previously published and co-authored material.
Committee in charge: W. Andrew Marcus, Chairperson; Patricia F. McDowell, Member; Dan G. Gavin, Member; David W. Hulse, Outside Member

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
資訊管理系所
102
As the populace of elderly is growing quickly, the healthcare system based the state-of-the-art ICT technology is more and more important. According to the statistics of Department of Health Executive Yuan, falling-down accident is the second place of elder accident injury. In addition, there are 30% people, who will fall down in the hospital. Most falls occur at the time points of out off the bed and get on the bed in the hospital. At before, although the hospital provided the emergent bell beside the bed for emergency calls, there are few patients using the emergent bell for the off-bed situation. There is no one thought he will fall before the falls occur. Most of elders consider they can leave bed in safe by themselves. To solve the falling accidents, this project will design the smart sensing and detection system based on the triaxial accelerometer and Back-propagation neural network algorithm to detect abnormal body movement and achieve the smart action awareness. The proposed system not only correctly detects the actions of off-bed and falls, the system but also precisely detects falls before falling. Furthermore, since many elder patients, who have the high risk of fall, are getting out of bed three to five steps then fall occur. The proposed system can detect the actions of the elder patient leaving the bed, and then the system sends the alarm messages to the nursing stations and the duty nurses, who can help the elders leave the bed and to prevent the accident injury. This research project firstly proposed the formal models of off-bed. The proposed detection system used the triaxial accelerations and Back-propagation neural network algorithm to improve the accuracy of action detection. The final purpose of this project is to assist the medical professionals and people to help the elders and help the elders prevent from falling.

The Wadden Sea off the coast of the southern North Sea is the largest coherent area of tidal flats worldwide. As a highly productive ecosystem it is of global importance, e.g. as nursery for fish and as a feeding and resting area for 10 – 12 million migratory birds following the East Atlantic Flyway. The outstanding ecological significance of this region corresponds to a high level of protection by EU directives and national law and by inscription as UNESCO World Heritage Site, all of which requires regular monitoring and assessment. Apart from the ecological aspects, the Wadden Sea is also of great importance for coastal protection. To survey the extensive, often inaccessible tidal area, remote sensing is essential and while mainly airborne techniques have been carried out for decades, now high-resolution satellite-borne sensors open up new possibilities relevant for monitoring and long-term ecological research. Especially satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors offer a high availability of acquisitions as they operate largely independently of daylight and weather. The aim of the studies presented here was to explore the use of data from the TerraSAR-X satellite to record geomorphological structures and habitats for Wadden Sea Monitoring. More than 100 TerraSAR-X acquisitions from 2009 to 2016 were analyzed to distinguish various and variable surface types continuously influenced by tidal dynamics in the main study area, the tidal flats near the island of Norderney. Visual image interpretation supported by extensive in-situ verification proved to be a suitable and unsophisticated approach which is unspecific enough to identify mussel beds, fields of shell-detritus, gully structures, mud fields, and intertidal bedforms in the upper flats of the East Frisian Islands. The method proved to be robust against changes in geometry of acquisition and environmental influences. Several time series of TerraSAR-X data enabled to follow inter-annual and seasonal dynamics as well as event effects (Adolph et al. 2018). The high-frequency TerraSAR-X data revealed novel evidence of an intertidal bedform shift in an easterly direction during the study period. To this aim, an unsupervised ISODATA classification of textural parameters was developed to vectorize and compare the bedforms positions in a GIS (Adolph et al. 2017a). The same intertidal bedform area was chosen as test-site for comparison of different remote sensing methods, namely airborne lidar, satellite-based radar (TerraSAR-X) and electro-optical sensors (RapidEye) (Adolph et al. 2017b). High-resolution SAR data offer a relevant component for Wadden Sea Monitoring and Research, as they provide reliable, regular data with a high repetition rate. In particular, habitats with noticeable surface roughness, specific structures and textures are well reflected. Geomorphic Structures and their dynamics can be observed indirectly via detection of residual water trapped within. A comprehensive concept for Wadden Sea Monitoring however, requires automatized classifications and an integrative, multi-sensor approach (SAR, LIDAR, multi-spectral data, drones) in which different and complementary information, coverage and resolutions (spatial and temporal) contribute to an overall picture. The studies were carried out as part of the joint research project “Scientific monitoring concepts for the German Bight” (WIMO), jointly funded by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Protection (NMU) and the Ministry of Science and Culture (NMWK) of the Federal State of Lower Saxony. The findings have been published in Geo-Marine Letters 37/2 (2017) and in Remote Sensing 10/7 (2018).

The effect of microwave radiation on the prepared 0.5Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts as a post-synthesis modification step was studied in the methanol-to-hydrocarbons process using the temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) technique. This was achieved by preparing a series of 0.5Fe/ZSM-5 based catalysts under varying microwave power levels (0–700 W) and over a 10 s period, after iron impregnating the HZSM-5 zeolite (Si/Al = 30 and 80). Physicochemical properties were determined by XRD, SEM, BET, FT-IR, C3H9N-TPSR, and TGA techniques. It was found that microwave radiation induced few changes in the bulk properties of the 0.5Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts, but their surface and catalytic behavior were distinctly changed. Microwave radiation enhanced crystallinity and mesoporous growth, decreased coke and methane formation, decreased the concentration of Brønsted acidic sites, and decreased surface area and micropore volume as the microwave power level was increased from 0 to 700 W. From the TPSR profiles, it was observed that microwave radiation affects the peak intensities of the produced hydrocarbons. Application of microwave radiation shifted the desorption temperatures of the MTH process products over the HZSM-5(30) and HZSM-5(80) based catalysts to lower and higher values respectively. The MeOH-TPSR profiles showed that methanol was converted to DME and subsequently converted to aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. It is reasonable to suggest that microwave radiation would be an essential post-synthesis modification step to mitigate coke formation and methane formation and increase catalyst activity and selectivity.
Chemical Engineering
M. Tech. (Chemical Engineering)