Three-Dimensional Oscillation Dynamics of the In Situ Piston Rod Transmission Between Buoy Line and the Double Hinge-Connected Translator in an Offshore Linear Wave Energy Converter

Author(s):  
Erland Strömstedt ◽  
Mats Leijon

Force and displacement measurements have been performed in situ on the piston rod mechanical lead-through transmission in the direct drive of the second experimental wave energy converter (WEC) 3 km offshore at the Lysekil research site (LRS) during a 130-day continuous full-scale experiment in 2009. The direct drive consists of a buoy line and a piston rod transmission with a double-hinged link (DHL) at the lower end connecting the point absorbing surface-floating buoy to the translator of an encapsulated permanent magnet linear generator on the seabed. The buoy line is guided by a funnel in the buoy line guiding system 3.2 m above the generator capsule. The 3 m long piston rod reciprocates through a mechanical lead-through in the capsule wall, sealing off seawater from entering the generator capsule. A setup of laser triangulation sensors measures the relative lateral displacement of the piston rod. This paper introduces a method and a system of equations for calculating piston rod relative tilt angle and piston rod azimuth direction of tilting from the relative lateral displacement measurements. Correlation with piston rod axial displacement and forces enables evaluation of the three-dimensional (3D) oscillation dynamics. Results are presented from 2 weeks after launch and from 3 months after launch in altogether four cases representing two different stages of wear in two different sea states. Piston rod tilting from accumulated wear in the buoy line guiding system is separated from tilting due to elastic displacement. Structural mechanical finite element method (FEM) simulations verify the magnitude of elastic displacement and indicate negligible stress and strain at the mounting point of the laser sensor setup. The proposed theory for piston rod 3D motion is validated by the experiment. As the experiment progressed, wear in the buoy line guiding system accelerated due to splitting of the buoy line jacketing compound, thereby increasing the piston rod tilt angles. Over 94 days into the experiment, 21.8 mm of accumulated wear in the buoy line guiding system had altered the characteristics of the piston rod oscillations and increased the maximum piston rod relative tilt angle by 0.39 deg in the predominant azimuth direction of wave propagation. Further accumulated wear in the buoy line guiding system led to buoy line rupture 130 days after launch. The results presented in this paper have been used in assessments for improving the mechanical subsystems in subsequent experimental WECs based on the Uppsala concept.

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiko Furusawa ◽  
Kazuo Amakasu

Abstract Furusawa, M., and Amakusu, K. 2010. The analysis of echotrace obtained by a split-beam echosounder to observe the tilt-angle dependence of fish target strength in situ. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 215–230. A method of echotrace analysis (ETA), proposed by Furusawa and Miyanohana in 1988 utilizes successive echodata from an individual fish to obtain the target-strength (TS) pattern as a function of fish tilt angle and behaviour. The method can be applied to data from an echosounder with any beam configuration, single-, dual-, and split-beam. However, the method has not been applied rigorously to split-beam sounder data, which provide most comprehensive and accurate information. The aim of this work is to establish an accurate and practical ETA method for split-beam echosounder data. Although the basic theory had already been developed, some theoretical and practical enhancement was needed; smoothing of an echotrack by linear and quadratic regressions, correction for transducer motion, and comparison of an observed TS pattern with a prolate-spheroid theoretical model. The analysis starts from careful selection of a single echotrace on an echogram and ends with a composite display of results including a three-dimensional fish track and a TS pattern as a function of the tilt angle of the fish. The method was applied to typical echotrace examples, and utility and practicality were confirmed. A means of increasing the number of applicable echotraces is discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Kotoura ◽  
Yasuhiro Fujiwara ◽  
Tatsuro Hayashida ◽  
Koji Murakami ◽  
Satoshi Makio ◽  
...  

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a common disease of adolescent and the epiphysis is positioned more posteromedially in relation to the femoral neck shaft with varus SCFE; however, posterolateral displacement of the capital epiphysis, valgus SCFE, occurs less frequently. We report a case of valgus SCFE in a 17-year-old boy with hypopituitarism. After falling down, he experienced difficulty in walking. The radiographs were inconclusive; however three-dimensional computed tomography images showed lateral displacement of the epiphysis on the right femoral head. Valgus SCFE was diagnosed. The patient underwent in situ pinning of both sides. In situ pinning on the left side was performed as a prophylactic pinning because of endocrine abnormalities. At the 1-year follow-up, he could walk without any difficulty and there were no signs of pain. The epiphysis is commonly positioned more posteromedially in relation to the femoral neck shaft with most SCFE, but, in this case, the epiphysis slipped laterally. Differential diagnosis included femoral neck fracture (Delbet-Colonna type 1); however, this was less likely due to the absence of other clinical signs. Therefore, we diagnosed the patient as SCFE. When children complain of leg pain and limp, valgus SCFE that may not be visualized on anteroposterior radiographs needs to be considered.


2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 641-654
Author(s):  
Christoph Löffler ◽  
Wolf-Rüdiger Canders

Abstract In intra-enterprise logistics and automation of manufacturing processes general a rising productivity by high flexibility is required. Existing transportation systems exclusively use two-dimensional track sections, because they can be served with standard drives. Because of these simple structures the transport speed is limited and thereby also the throughput. In this paper now a modular transportation system is presented which could reach higher speeds with a direct drive and the use of centrifugal force compensating curves. Simultaneously the system also can change the altitude. All this succeeds with the integration of three-dimensional track sections. Therefore a two piped guiding system with a long stator linear motor was designed. To combine the linear motor with the three dimensional track special stator elements were developed which allow a bending of the stator to follow the route course. The current work deals with the implementation of a mechanical passive switch, which is operated by the electromagnetic forces of the linear motor. So no additional mechanical actors or a separate electromagnetic system are necessary.


Author(s):  
J. P. Revel

Movement of individual cells or of cell sheets and complex patterns of folding play a prominent role in the early developmental stages of the embryo. Our understanding of these processes is based on three- dimensional reconstructions laboriously prepared from serial sections, and from autoradiographic and other studies. Many concepts have also evolved from extrapolation of investigations of cell movement carried out in vitro. The scanning electron microscope now allows us to examine some of these events in situ. It is possible to prepare dissections of embryos and even of tissues of adult animals which reveal existing relationships between various structures more readily than used to be possible vithout an SEM.


Author(s):  
P.R. Swann ◽  
A.E. Lloyd

Figure 1 shows the design of a specimen stage used for the in situ observation of phase transformations in the temperature range between ambient and −160°C. The design has the following features a high degree of specimen stability during tilting linear tilt actuation about two orthogonal axes for accurate control of tilt angle read-out high angle tilt range for stereo work and habit plane determination simple, robust construction temperature control of better than ±0.5°C minimum thermal drift and transmission of vibration from the cooling system.


Author(s):  
D. Reis ◽  
B. Vian ◽  
J. C. Roland

Wall morphogenesis in higher plants is a problem still open to controversy. Until now the possibility of a transmembrane control and the involvement of microtubules were mostly envisaged. Self-assembly processes have been observed in the case of walls of Chlamydomonas and bacteria. Spontaneous gelling interactions between xanthan and galactomannan from Ceratonia have been analyzed very recently. The present work provides indications that some processes of spontaneous aggregation could occur in higher plants during the formation and expansion of cell wall.Observations were performed on hypocotyl of mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) for which growth characteristics and wall composition have been previously defined.In situ, the walls of actively growing cells (primary walls) show an ordered three-dimensional organization (fig. 1). The wall is typically polylamellate with multifibrillar layers alternately transverse and longitudinal. Between these layers intermediate strata exist in which the orientation of microfibrils progressively rotates. Thus a progressive change in the morphogenetic activity occurs.


Author(s):  
S. Naka ◽  
R. Penelle ◽  
R. Valle

The in situ experimentation technique in HVEM seems to be particularly suitable to clarify the processes involved in recrystallization. The material under investigation was unidirectionally cold-rolled titanium of commercial purity. The problem was approached in two different ways. The three-dimensional analysis of textures was used to describe the texture evolution during the primary recrystallization. Observations of bulk-annealed specimens or thin foils annealed in the microscope were also made in order to provide information concerning the mechanisms involved in the formation of new grains. In contrast to the already published work on titanium, this investigation takes into consideration different values of the cold-work ratio, the temperature and the annealing time.Two different models are commonly used to explain the recrystallization textures i.e. the selective grain growth model (Beck) or the oriented nucleation model (Burgers). The three-dimensional analysis of both the rolling and recrystallization textures was performed to identify the mechanismsl involved in the recrystallization of titanium.


Author(s):  
J. Frank ◽  
B. F. McEwen ◽  
M. Radermacher ◽  
C. L. Rieder

The tomographic reconstruction from multiple projections of cellular components, within a thick section, offers a way of visualizing and quantifying their three-dimensional (3D) structure. However, asymmetric objects require as many views from the widest tilt range as possible; otherwise the reconstruction may be uninterpretable. Even if not for geometric obstructions, the increasing pathway of electrons, as the tilt angle is increased, poses the ultimate upper limitation to the projection range. With the maximum tilt angle being fixed, the only way to improve the faithfulness of the reconstruction is by changing the mode of the tilting from single-axis to conical; a point within the object projected with a tilt angle of 60° and a full 360° azimuthal range is then reconstructed as a slightly elliptic (axis ratio 1.2 : 1) sphere.


Author(s):  
W.F. Marshall ◽  
A.F. Dernburg ◽  
B. Harmon ◽  
J.W. Sedat

Interactions between chromatin and nuclear envelope (NE) have been implicated in chromatin condensation, gene regulation, nuclear reassembly, and organization of chromosomes within the nucleus. To further investigate the physiological role played by such interactions, it will be necessary to determine which loci specifically interact with the nuclear envelope. This will not only facilitate identification of the molecular determinants of this interaction, but will also allow manipulation of the pattern of chromatin-NE interactions to probe possible functions. We have developed a microscopic approach to detect and map chromatin-NE interactions inside intact cells.Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is used to localize specific chromosomal regions within the nucleus of Drosophila embryos and anti-lamin immunofluorescence is used to detect the nuclear envelope. Widefield deconvolution microscopy is then used to obtain a three-dimensional image of the sample (Fig. 1). The nuclear surface is represented by a surface-harmonic expansion (Fig 2). A statistical test for association of the FISH spot with the surface is then performed.


Author(s):  
Greg V. Martin ◽  
Ann L. Hubbard

The microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton is necessary for many of the polarized functions of hepatocytes. Among the functions dependent on the MT-based cytoskeleton are polarized secretion of proteins, delivery of endocytosed material to lysosomes, and transcytosis of integral plasma membrane (PM) proteins. Although microtubules have been shown to be crucial to the establishment and maintenance of functional and structural polarization in the hepatocyte, little is known about the architecture of the hepatocyte MT cytoskeleton in vivo, particularly with regard to its relationship to PM domains and membranous organelles. Using an in situ extraction technique that preserves both microtubules and cellular membranes, we have developed a protocol for immunofluorescent co-localization of cytoskeletal elements and integral membrane proteins within 20 µm cryosections of fixed rat liver. Computer-aided 3D reconstruction of multi-spectral confocal microscope images was used to visualize the spatial relationships among the MT cytoskeleton, PM domains and intracellular organelles.


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