Geometric error analysis of an over-constrained parallel tracking mechanism using the screw theory

This paper deals with geometric error modeling and sensitivity analysis of an overconstrained parallel tracking mechanism. The main contribution is the consideration of overconstrained features that are usually ignored in previous research. The reciprocal property between a motion and a force is applied to tackle this problem in the framework of the screw theory. First of all, a nominal kinematic model of the parallel tracking mechanism is formulated. On this basis, the actual twist of the moving platform is computed through the superposition of the joint twist and geometric errors. The actuation and constrained wrenches of each limb are applied to exclude the joint displacement. After eliminating repeated errors brought by the multiplication of wrenches, a geometric error model of the parallel tracking mechanism is built. Furthermore,two sensitivity indices are defined to select essential geometric errors for future kinematic calibration. Finally, the geometric error model with minimum geometric errors is verified by simulation with SolidWorks software. Two typical poses of the parallel tracking mechanism are selected, and the differences between simulation and calculation results are very small. The results confirm the correctness and accuracy of the geometric error modeling method for over-constrained parallel mechanisms.     

A data-driven approach to modeling high-density terminal areas: A scenario analysis of the new Beijing,China airspace

Airports are being developed and expanded rapidly in China to accommodate and pro-mote a growing aviation market. The future Beijing Daxing International Airport (DAX) will serve as the central airport of the JingJinJi megaregion, knitting the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei regions together. DAX will be a busy airport from its inception, relieving congestion and accommodating growth from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), currently the second busiest airport in the world in passengers moved. We aim to model terminal airspace designs and possible conflicts in the future Beijing Multi-Airport System (MAS). We investigate standard arrival procedures and mathematically model current and future arrival trajectories into PEK and DAX by collecting large quantities of publicly available track data from historical arrivals operating within the Beijing terminal airspace. We find that (1) trajectory models constructed from real data capture aberrations and deviations from standard arrival procedures, validating the need to incorporate data on histor-ical trajectories with standard procedures when evaluating the airspace and (2) given all existing constraints, DAX may be restricted to using north and east arrival flows, constraining the capacity required to handle the increases in air traffic demand to Beijing. The results indicate that the termi-nal airspace above Beijing, and the future JingJinJi region, requires careful consideration if the full capacity benefits of the two major airports are to be realized.     

Nonlinear dynamic modeling of a helicopter planetary gear train for carrier plate crack fault diagnosis

Planetary gear train plays a significant role in a helicopter operation and its health is of great importance for the flight safety of the helicopter. This paper investigates the effects of a planet carrier plate crack on the dynamic characteristics of a planetary gear train, and thus finds an effec-tive method to diagnose crack fault. A dynamic model is developed to analyze the torsional vibra-tion of a planetary gear train with a cracked planet carrier plate. The model takes into consideration nonlinear factors such as the time-varying meshing stiffness, gear backlash and viscous damping. Investigation of the deformation of the cracked carrier plate under static stress is performed in order to simulate the dynamic effects of the planet carrier crack on the angular displacement of car-rier posts. Validation shows good accuracy of the developed dynamic model in predicting dynamic characteristics of a planetary gear train. Fault features extracted from predictions of the model reveal the correspondence between vibration characteristic and the conditions (length and position) of a planet carrier crack clearly.     

Advances and trends in plastic forming technologies for welded tubes

With the implementation of environmental protection, sustainable development and conservation-oriented policies, components and parts of thin-walled welded tubes have gained increasing application in the aircraft and automotive industries because of their advantages: easily achieving forming and manufacturing process at low cost and in a short time. The current research on welded tube plastic forming is mainly concentrated on tube internal high-pressure forming, tube bending forming, and tube spinning forming. The focuses are on the material properties and characterization of welded tubes, finite element modeling for welded tube forming, and inhomogeneous deformation behavior and the mechanism and rules of deformation coordination in welded tube plastic forming. This paper summarizes the research progress in welded tube plastic forming from these aspects. Finally, with a focus on the urgent demand of the aviation, aerospace and automotive industries for high-strength and light-weight tubes, this paper discusses the development trends and challenges in the theory and technology of welded tube plastic forming in the future. Among them,laser tailor-welded technology will find application in the manufacture of high-strength steel tubes.Tube-end forming technology, such as tube flaring and flanging technology, will expand its application in welded tubes. Therefore, future studies will focus on the FE modeling regarding how to consider effects of welding on residual stresses, welding distortions and microstructure, the inhomogeneous deformation and coordination mechanism of the plastic forming process of tailor-welded tubes, and some end-forming processes of welded tubes, and more comprehensive research on the forming mechanism and limit of welded tubes.     

金属弹簧管性能影响因素的仿真分析

为了研究高温密封组件金属弹簧性能,本文通过对波音公司编网状弹簧管结构和Streck心脏支架结构的研究,建立了编织弹簧的几何拓扑构型和数学模型,推导了弹簧直径计算公式。采用AUTODESK3D-MAX构建了编织弹簧的仿真模型,用ANSYS仿真软件分别从编织丝直径、编织密度以及编织方法 3方面探究不同测试对弹簧性能的影响。结果表明,增加弹簧丝直径、降低弹簧管轴向方向的编织密度、提高圆周方向的编织密度、向外的弹簧管编织方式可有效提高弹簧管的回弹性能。     

舰载直升机理论风限图飞行模拟获取方法

获取舰载直升机实用风限图,仅依靠实装飞行试验或建模仿真都是非常困难的。通过起降飞行模拟试验获取理论风限图,结合少量的海上实装飞行验证试验是一种综合较优的方法。起降飞行模拟试验需要真实飞行员和高等级飞行模拟器参与,飞行模拟器中的母舰气流场数据、母舰运动可由建模仿真或试验测试得到,且必须考虑母舰气流场的非定场特性;只有当飞行员视景或视觉反馈受限时(如能见度降低时),飞行模拟器基座的六自由度运动才是必需的;用DIPES或Bedford方法量化飞行员主观操纵负担,结合记录的客观操纵数据,评判起降难度;典型的飞行模拟试验程序包含了不同风况下的进近和甲板着舰,通常每隔15°和5kn一个风况。通过起降飞行模拟试验得到的理论风限图,可以更加有效和安全地指导海上实装飞行验证试验,最终获得实用风限图。     

Quantifying the role of solar radiative forcing over the 20th century

The 20th century temperature anomaly record is reproduced using an energy balance model, with a diffusive deep ocean. The model takes into account all the standard radiative forcings, and in addition the possibility of a non-thermal solar component. The model is parameterized and then optimized to produce the most likely values for the climate parameters and radiative forcings which reproduce the 20th century global warming. We find that the best fit is obtained with a negligible net feedback. We also show that a non-thermal solar component is necessarily present, indicating that the total solar contribution to the 20th century global warming, of ΔT_solar = 0.27 ± 0.07 °C, is much larger than can be expected from variation in the total solar irradiance alone. However, we also find that the largest contribution to the 20th century warming comes from anthropogenic sources, with ΔT_man = 0.42 ± 0.11 °C.     

DORIS processing at the European Space Operations Centre

This paper gives an overview of the DORIS related activities at the Navigation Support Office of the European Space Operations Centre. The DORIS activities were started in 2002 because of the launch of the Envisat satellite where ESOC is responsible for the validation of the Envisat Precise Orbits and a brief overview of the key Envisat activities at ESOC is given. Typical orbit comparison RMS values between the CNES POE (GDR-C) and the ESOC POD solution is 6.5, 18.8 and 23.1 mm in radial-, along- and cross-track direction. In the framework of the generation of the ITRF2008 ESOC participated in the reprocessing of all three space geodetic techniques; DORIS, SLR, and GPS. Here the main results of our DORIS reprocessing, in the framework of the International DORIS Service (IDS), are given. The WRMS of the weekly ESOC solution (esawd03) for the 2004–2009 period compared to the IDS-1 combined solution is of the order of 12 mm. Based on the long time series of homogeneously processed data a closer look is taken at the estimated solar radiation pressure parameters of the different satellites used in this DORIS analysis. The main aim being the stabilization of the Z-component of the geocentre estimates. We conclude that the ESOC participation to the IDS ITRF2008 contribution has been beneficial for both ESOC and the IDS. ESOC has profited significantly from the very open and direct communications and comparisons that took place within the IDS during the reprocessing campaign.     

Comparison of peak characteristics of F2 ionospheric layer over Tehran region at a low solar activity period with IRI-2001 and IRI-2007 models predictions

In the present work values of peak electron density (NmF2) and height of F2 ionospheric layer (hmF2) over Tehran region at a low solar activity period are compared with the predictions of the International Reference Ionosphere models (IRI-2001 and IRI-2007). Data measured by a digital ionosonde at the ionospheric station of the Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran from July 2006 to June 2007 are used to perform the calculations. Formulations proposed by  and  are utilized to calculate the hmF2. The International Union of Radio Science (URSI) and International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) options are employed to run the IRI-2001 and IRI-2007 models. Results show that both IRI-2007 and IRI-2001 can successfully predict the NmF2 and hmF2 over Tehran region. In addition, the study shows that predictions of IRI-2007 model with CCIR coefficient has closer values to the observations. Furthermore, it is found that the monthly average of the percentage deviation between the IRI models predictions and the values of hmF2 and NmF2 parameters are less than 10% and 21%, respectively.     

Variation in the ionospheric propagating factor M(3000)F2 at Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso

We use hourly monthly median values of propagation factor M(3000)F2 data observed at Ouagadougou Ionospheric Observatory (geographic12.4°N, 1.5°W; 5.9^o dip), Burkina Faso (West Africa) during the years Januar1987–December1988 (average F10.7 < 130 × 10⁻²² W/m²/Hz, representative of low solar flux conditions) and for January 1989–December1990 (average F10.7 ? 130 × 10⁻²² W/m²/Hz, representative of high solar epoch) for magnetically quiet conditions to describe local time, seasonal and solar cycle variations of equatorial ionospheric propagation factor M(3000)F2 in the African region. We show that that seasonal trend between solar maximum and solar minimum curves display simple patterns for all seasons and exhibits reasonable disparity with root mean square error (RMSE) of about 0.31, 0.29 and 0.26 for December solstice, June solstice and equinox, respectively. Variability Σ defined by the percentage ratio of the absolute standard deviation to the mean indicates significant dissimilarity for the two solar flux levels. Solar maximum day (10–14 LT) and night (22–02 LT) values show considerable variations than the solar minimum day and night values. We compare our observations with those of the IRI 2007 to validate the prediction capacity of the empirical model. We find that the IRI model tends to underestimate and overestimate the observed values of M(3000)F2, in particular, during June solstice season. There are large discrepancies, mainly during high solar flux equinox and December solstice between dawn and local midnight. On the other hand, IRI provides a slightly better predictions for M(3000)F2 between 0900 and 1500 LT during equinox low and high solar activity and equinox high sunspot number. Our data are of great importance in the area of short-wave telecommunication and ionospheric modeling.