Design and Development of Mechanically Actuated Wheelchair Convertible to Bed

Author(s):  
Naman S. Kothari ◽  
Mayank R. Porwal ◽  
Mayur O. Kacholiya

Wheelchair design for patient safety and comfort has been one of the most concerned topics for practitioners of mechanical engineering and bio-engineers. In the present scenario of medical institutions, transferring of immobilized patients from bed to wheelchair and vice-versa for numerous chronic and emergency activities is a very labor intensive and tedious job. Various attempts have been made in addressing this problem. These were modeled using simple mechanical devices providing the conversion. But still the issue of easy and controlled transition of adjusting the position of wheelchair’s head and base part according to patient’s needs and its full conversion has not been modeled and devised completely. So arises the need for a suitable, efficient and complete designing and development of such a device. This paper focuses on the design and manufacturing of a safe, reliable and low cost wheelchair which is convertible to a bed and vice-versa using a novel mechanical actuation by the effort of a single person. It models out a process of development and evolution of a reliable and verified design. Key areas focused upon are compact and efficient transmission system, discrete angular control of head and leg space with efficient load distribution while optimizing the size, cost (initial, service and disposal) and weight of the device. Further, the model is analyzed and justified by applying Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Julio Manuel de Luis-Ruiz ◽  
Benito Ramiro Salas-Menocal ◽  
Gema Fernández-Maroto ◽  
Rubén Pérez-Álvarez ◽  
Raúl Pereda-García

The quality of human life is linked to the exploitation of mining resources. The Exploitability Index (EI) assesses the actual possibilities to enable a mine according to several factors. The environment is one of the most constraining ones, but its analysis is made in a shallow way. This research is focused on its determination, according to a new preliminary methodology that sets the main components of the environmental impact related to the development of an exploitation of industrial minerals and its weighting according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). It is applied to the case of the ophitic outcrops in Cantabria (Spain). Twelve components are proposed and weighted with the AHP and an algorithm that allows for assigning a normalized value for the environmental factor to each deposit. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are applied, allowing us to map a large number of components of the environmental factors. This provides a much more accurate estimation of the environmental factor, with respect to reality, and improves the traditional methodology in a substantial way. It can be established as a methodology for mining spaces planning, but it is suitable for other contexts, and it raises developing the environmental analysis before selecting the outcrop to be exploited.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Anastasios I. Tsiotsias ◽  
Nikolaos D. Charisiou ◽  
Ioannis V. Yentekakis ◽  
Maria A. Goula

CO2 methanation has recently emerged as a process that targets the reduction in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, via the conversion of CO2 captured from point and mobile sources, as well as H2 produced from renewables into CH4. Ni, among the early transition metals, as well as Ru and Rh, among the noble metals, have been known to be among the most active methanation catalysts, with Ni being favoured due to its low cost and high natural abundance. However, insufficient low-temperature activity, low dispersion and reducibility, as well as nanoparticle sintering are some of the main drawbacks when using Ni-based catalysts. Such problems can be partly overcome via the introduction of a second transition metal (e.g., Fe, Co) or a noble metal (e.g., Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd and Re) in Ni-based catalysts. Through Ni-M alloy formation, or the intricate synergy between two adjacent metallic phases, new high-performing and low-cost methanation catalysts can be obtained. This review summarizes and critically discusses recent progress made in the field of bimetallic Ni-M (M = Fe, Co, Cu, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd, Re)-based catalyst development for the CO2 methanation reaction.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Farzana Elahi ◽  
Shamsad Ahmed ◽  
Mahbubul Haque ◽  
Nazreen Chowdhury

<p class="Default">In order to sustain in a competitive market like pharmaceutical in Bangladesh, it is important to get an insight into physicians’ preferences in prescribing the drugs. The aim of this work is to investigate and address the physician requirements through an integrated methodology of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). In this research, an expert panel has been interviewed to recognize the criteria affecting physicians’ decisions. The results from AHP derived through Expert Choice software demonstrate that from the viewpoint of physicians, out of the five criteria, quality of product offering is ranked highest in prescribing the drugs followed by the reputation of the company, relationship enjoyed with the company, etc. As for the technical aspects, derived from the relationship matrix of AHP and QFD, out of the sixteen, brand image is ranked first followed by the quality of raw and packaging materials, skilled production personnel etc. The contribution of this research is expected to enable the managers in the pharmaceutical companies to recognize the factors that influence physicians in prescribing drugs for the patients and help them find out challenging items with preeminent alternatives. Few suggestions for future research are also put forward. <strong></strong></p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 08 (07) ◽  
pp. 1640009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengfeng Li ◽  
Liwu Liu ◽  
Xin Lan ◽  
Tong Wang ◽  
Xiangyu Li ◽  
...  

With large spatial deployable antennas used more widely, the stability of deployable antennas is attracting more attention. The form of the support structure is an important factor of the antenna’s natural frequency, which is essential to study to prevent the resonance. The deployable truss structures based on shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) have made themselves feasible for their unique properties such as highly reliable, low-cost, light weight, and self-deployment without complex mechanical devices compared with conventional deployable masts. This study offers deliverables as follows: an establishment of three-longeron beam and three-longeron truss finite element models by using ABAQUS; calculation of natural frequencies and vibration modes; parameter studies for influence on their dynamic properties; manufacture of a three-longeron truss based on SMPC, and modal test of the three-longeron truss. The results show that modal test and finite element simulation fit well.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Flores Mena ◽  
R. Castillo Ojeda ◽  
J. Díaz Reyes

ABSTRACTThe massive crystal growth of single crystal semiconductors materials has been of fundamental importance for the actual electronic devices industry. As a consequence of this one, we can obtain easily a large variety of low cost devices almost as made ones of silicon. Nowadays, the III-V semiconductors compounds and their alloys have been proved to be very important because of their optical properties and applications. It is the case of the elements In, Ga, As, Sb, which can be utilized for the fabrication of radiation sensors. In this work we present the results obtained from the ingots grown by the Czochralski method, using a growth system made in home. These results include anisotropic chemical attacks in order to reveal the crystallographic orientation and the possible polycrystallinity. Isotropic chemical attacks were made to evaluate the etch pit density. Metallographic pictures of the chemical attacks are presented in this work. Among the results of these measurements, the best samples presented in this work showed mobilities of 62.000 cm2/V*s at room temperature and 99.000 cm2/V*s at liquid nitrogen temperature. Typical pit density was 10,000/cm2. The Raman spectra present two dominant peaks associated at Transversal Optical (TO)- and Longitudinal Optical (LO)-InSb, the first vibrational mode is dominant due to the crystalline direction of the ingots and second one is associated to high defects density.


Resources ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Khalil Ibrahim ◽  
Mohammad Moumani ◽  
Salsabeela Mohammad

A combined process is proposed for the utilization of local kaolin to produce alumina particles. The applied process is made in two stages: calcination at 700 °C with sodium chloride and leaching with sulfuric followed by hydrochloric acids. The optimal extraction efficiency can be obtained when the conditions are as follows: leaching temperature is at 140 °C, leaching time is 3 h 45 min and concentration of sulfuric acid is 40 wt.%. The results show that the purity of alumina reaches 79.28%, which is suitable for the production of aluminum metal. It is evident that this method of extraction of alumina from the kaolin ash is practical and feasible. The structural and morphological properties of the calcined microcrystalline powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM).


1993 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-154
Author(s):  
Stephen Tatman

Abstract. The preparation of microfossil specimens for study with the scanning electron microscope involves the transfer of material from slides to stubs. Specimens must then be oriented and mounted securely. To do this accurately the slide and stub should both be viewed through a stereomicroscope. However due to differences in shape and height, both surfaces are not usually in the plane of focus at the same time. Many micropalaeontologists routinely use small boxes or sample tube lids to hold the stub and refocus before finally mounting the specimens. The risk of dropping specimens is reduced by using a single carrier, securely holding both the slide and stub. The design illustrated below (fig.1) was developed from a prototype constructed from cardboard and plastic. The metal unit can easily be made in a workshop at a very low cost or cardboard versions made in the laboratory.The stage is based on the principle that both slide and stub should be held securely, close together and in the same plane of focus. The slide holders should be secure but not too tight otherwise the stub may be jarred as slides are changed. The number of slides which can be held on one unit may be varied. The presence of two holders has proved useful, any more could make the unit cumbersome. If the microscope to be used does not have a wide stage then it may prove more practical to have only one holder.The stub holders allow the stub to be clamped to . . .


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Papa ◽  
Giuseppe Manetto ◽  
Emanuele Cerruto ◽  
Sabina Failla

In the last decades, political policies and collective consciousness focused on the importance of sustainable food and environmentally friendly approaches in agriculture. Distribution of beneficial organisms is a very important factor in integrated pest management, and mechanical release could improve application uniformity as well as reduce costs and working time. Several mechanisation experiences have been carried out through the years, however none of them has still found a massive application in common agricultural practices. This review paper analyses all the efforts made in this direction, by evaluating main strengths and weakness points of manually brought, tractor mounted, or aerial mechanical devices. In this way development opportunities can be identified, in a field that could achieve a substantial role in food production and agricultural activities while respecting the environment and human health.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chintala Venkateswarlu ◽  
A. K. Birru

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a methodology that extracts client demands (CDs) and inducting them in the final service/product. Once CDs are extracted from client the traditional QFD approach uses absolute importance to identify the degree of importance for each CD. Direct evaluation of CDs based on absolute weighting without tradeoffs is easy to perform, but may lead to serious deviations from reality. An alternative to avoid this problem is to adopt the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach. In this paper, an integrated model combining AHP and QFD has been delineated as a quality achievement tool in healthcare. A case study is performed on the healthcare services provided by government general hospital, Indore District, Madhya Pradesh, India and data has been analyzed to benchmark the proposed framework by computing the degree of relative importance for CDs through AHP and incorporating them in subsequent deployment matrices.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document