Dynamic Positioning System Design for A Marine Vessel with Unknown Dynamics Subject to External Disturbances Including Wave Effect

China Ocean Engineering - In this paper, a new control system is proposed for dynamic positioning (DP) of marine vessels with unknown dynamics and subject to external disturbances. The control...     

Composition and structure of species along altitude gradient in Moghan-Sabalan rangelands,Iran

This study provides a checklist of species distributed at the altitude gradient of Moghan-Sabalan rangelands in Ardabili province, Northwest Iran. We evaluated the changes in species composition, growth types of species, Raunkiaer’s life forms, geographical distribution, threat and endemicity status, and palatability of species along two altitudinal gradients in the sampling plots, which were conducted in eleven sites/habitats with 300 meters above sea level (masl) altitude intervals (from 100 to 3300 masl). We assessed the plant species composition with special reference to the gradient analysis, and identified overall 396 species, which was comprising 44 families and 194 genera. Results showed that Asteraceae family is by far the most species-rich family, followed by Poaceae, Fabaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Brassicaceae. Among the genera, Astragalus is the most diverse genus, followed by Allium, Veronica and Bromus, Galium, Silene and Ranunculus. Results indicated that the number of species increased as the altitude increased to 1200–1500 masl, but then starts to decline to 3300 masl. Family-to-genera ratio was 1:4.4, the family-tospecies ratio was 1:9, and the genera-to-species ratio was 1:2.04. Growth type of species analysis shows that the frequency of perennial plants was higher in the study area followed by annual species while the lower group was biennial species. The number of annuals showed a decreasing trend towards higher altitude. Hemicryptophytes and therophytes were the most frequent life forms constituted each with (41.9%). Hemicryptophytes showed an increasing trend with altitude, while therophytes showed a decreasing trend with altitude increase, followed by geophytes, chamaephytes, and phanerophytes. Results showed more than half of the species of the study area belonged to Iran-Turanian region and these species showed an increasing trend with altitude. In contrast, Sahara-Sindian species comprise a minor component of the spectrum, with decreasing trend with altitude. The rare and endangered species out of the surveyed taxonomic groups comprised 53 species in total which 29 of them are considered lower risk (LR), 13 data deficient (DD), 5 vulnerable (Vu) and with 3 rare (R) and identified endemic plants comprised 24 species. Some 56.6% species were identified as class III, 22.6% were class I and 20.8% were class II as the palatability variation. Moghan-Sabalan rangelands require strong conservation management policies in case of species loss and changing natural communities due to the occurrence of conversion into cropland, over-grazing and other anthropogenic effects.     

Identification of Pitch Dynamics of An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Using Sensor Fusion

This paper presents a method for identification of the hydrodynamic coefficients of the dive plane of an autonomous underwater vehicle. The proposed identification method uses the governing equations of motion to estimate the coefficients of the linear damping, added mass and inertia, cross flow drag and control. Parts of data required by the proposed identification method are not measured by the onboard instruments. Hence, an optimal fusion algorithm is devised which estimates the required data accurately with a high sampling rate. To excite the dive plane dynamics and obtain the required measurements, diving maneuvers should be performed. Hence, a reliable controller with satisfactory performance and stability is needed. A cascaded controller is designed based on the coefficients obtained using a semi-empirical method and its robustness to the uncertainties is verified by the μ-analysis method. The performance and accuracy of the identification and fusion algorithms are investigated through 6-DOF numerical simulations of a realistic autonomous underwater vehicle.     

On integral approach to regional gravity field modelling from satellite gradiometric data

Solution of the gradiometric boundary value problems leads to three integral formulas. If we are satisfied with obtaining a smooth solution for the Earth’s gravity field, we can use the formulas in regional gravity field modelling. In such a case, satellite gradiometric data are integrated on a sphere at satellite level and continued downward to the disturbing potential (geoid) at sea level simultaneously. This paper investigates the gravity field modelling from a full tensor of gravity at satellite level. It studies the truncation bias of the integrals as well as the filtering of noise of data. Numerical studies show that by integrating T _zz with 1 mE noise and in a cap size of 7°, the geoid can be recovered with an error of 12 cm after the filtering process. Similarly, the errors of the recovered geoids from T _xz,yz and T _{xx-yy, 2xy} are 13 and 21 cm, respectively.     

Rock mass excavatability estimation using artificial neural network

One important decision in design of surface mine is the selection of mine equipment and plant. Demand for mechanical excavation is growing in mining industry because of its high productivity and excavation in large scale with lower costs. Several models have been developed over the years to evaluate the ease of excavation and machine performance against rock mass properties. Due to complexity of excavation process and large number of effective parameters, approaches made for this purpose are essentially empirical. There are many uncertainties in results of these models. An attempt is made in this paper to revise the exisiting models. Neural network models for estimation of rock mass excavatability and production rate of VASM-2D excavating machine at Limestone quarry in Retznei, Austria, is presented. Input parameters of this model are Uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength and discontinuities spacing of rocks. Output is the specific excavation rate per power consumption (bcm/Kwh) as the productivity indicator. Average of deviation between actual data and results estimated by neural network model was only 15% which is in an acceptable range.     

Groundwater origins and mixing pattern in the multilayer aquifer system of the Gafsa-south mining district: a chemical and isotopic approach

Major ion geochemistry and environmental isotopes were used to identify the origins and the mineralisation processes of groundwater flowing within the three aquifer levels of the multilayer system of the Gafsa-south mining district (Southwestern Tunisia). It has been demonstrated that groundwaters are characterised by a Ca–Mg–SO₄ water type. Geochemical pattern is mainly controlled by the dissolution of halite, gypsum and/or anhydrite as well as by the incongruent dissolution of dolomite. δ¹⁸O and δ²H values are much lower than the isotopic signature of regional precipitation and fall close to the meteoric water lines, indicating that groundwaters have not been significantly affected by evaporation or mineral–water reactions. The distribution of stable and radiogenic isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, δ¹³C and ¹⁴C) within the aquifer levels suggests that the deep confined aquifer receives a significant modern recharge at higher altitudes, while, the shallow unconfined aquifer has been mainly recharged under cooler paleoclimatic condition, likely during Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene humid periods. However, waters from the intermediate confined/unconfined aquifer have composite isotopic signatures, highlighting that they are derived from a mixture of the two first end-members.     

Effect of anti-slosh baffles on free liquid oscillations in partially filled horizontal circular tanks

An exact two dimensional hydrodynamic analysis based on the linear potential theory is introduced to study the free liquid sloshing characteristics of transverse oscillation modes in a non-deformable horizontal circular cylindrical baffled container which is filled to an arbitrary depth with an inviscid incompressible liquid. Three common baffle configurations are considered: a pair of internal rigid horizontal side baffles of arbitrary extension installed at the free liquid surface, and a surface-piercing or a bottom-mounted vertical rigid baffle of arbitrary extension positioned along the tank vertical axis of symmetry. The problem solution is obtained by the method of successive conformal coordinate transformations, leading to standard truncated matrix eigenvalue problems on simple (rectangular) regions which are then solved numerically for the resonance eigen-frequencies. The effects of liquid fill level, baffle arrangement and length upon the three lowest antisymmetric and symmetric sloshing frequencies and the associated hydrodynamic pressure mode shapes are examined. Also, convergence of the adopted approach with respect to the fill condition, and baffle type/extension is discussed. Limiting cases are considered and the validity of results is established in comparison with the data in the existing literature.     

Characteristic of ion acoustic shock waves in a dissipative quantum pair plasma with dust particulates

The behavior of quantum dust ion-acoustic (QDIA) shocks in a plasma including inertialess quantum electrons and positrons, classical cold ions and stationary negative dust grains are studied, using a quantum hydrodynamic model (QHD). The effect of dissipation due to the viscosity of ions is taken into account. The propagation of small but finite amplitude QDIA shocks is governed by the Kortoweg-de Vries-Burgers (KdVB) equation. The existence regions of oscillatory and monotonic shocks will depend on the quantum diffraction parameter (H) and dust density (d) as well as dissipation parameter (η ₀). The effect of plasma parameters (d,H,η ₀), on these structures is investigated. Results indicate that the thickness and height of monotonic shocks; oscillation amplitude of the oscillatory shock wave and it’s wavelength effectively are affected by these parameters. Additionally, the possibility of propagation of both compressive and rarefactive shocks is investigated. It is found that depending on some critical value of dust density (d _c ), which is a function of H, compressive and rarefactive shock waves can’t propagate in model plasma. The present theory is applicable to analyze the formation of nonlinear structures at quantum scales in dense astrophysical objects.