Cycle-to-Cycle Multipulse Fuel-Injection Control for Advanced Diesel Combustion in Changing and Disturbed Operating Points

When controlled in an open-loop fashion, both stationary and dynamical diesel engine performance can deteriorate due to disturbances. Although cycle-to-cycle fuel injection control has the potential of reducing the performance degradation by manipulating the fueling profile in real time, this potential has not been thoroughly studied. This is...

Whole Body Center of Mass Feedback in a Reflex-Based Neuromuscular Model Predicts Ankle Strategy during Perturbed Walking

Active prosthetic and orthotic devices have the potential to increase quality of life for individuals with impaired mobility. However, more research into human-like control methods is needed to create seamless interaction between device and user. In forward simulations the reflex-based neuromuscular model (RNM) by Song and Geyer shows promising...

Scheduled state feedback control of a wind turbine

Many wind turbines are still controlled using gain scheduled, PI(D) controllers. Another option is to use a state feedback controller, such as LQG control. However, for wind turbines that is not straight forward solution, because the system is non-linear and the impact of pitching on the states varies in time. This paper presents a variation on...

Assessment of an active industrial exoskeleton to aid dynamic lifting and lowering manual handling tasks

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an industrial exoskeleton on muscle activity, perceived musculoskeletal effort, measured and perceived contact pressure at the trunk, thighs and shoulders, and subjective usability for simple sagittal plane lifting and lowering conditions. Twelve male participants lifted and lowered a box of 7...

Rotor wake engineering models for aeroelastic applications

Results from the EU AVATAR project have indicated vortex methods generally to be in good agreement with computational fluid dynamics simulations for resolving rotor aerodynamic forces in a variety of operational and inflow conditions. Limitations of the more crude blade element momentum method, most widely used in industry, have been exposed....

The effects of shoulder load and pinch force on electromyographic activity and blood flow in the forearm during a pinch task

The object of the current study was to determine whether static contraction of proximal musculature has an effect on the blood flow more distally in the upper extremity. Static contractions of muscles in the neck shoulder region at three levels (relaxed, shoulders elevated and shoulders elevated loaded with 4.95 kg each) were combined with...

The effects of physical therapists' guidance on improvement in a strength-training program for the frail elderly

Elderly participants experiencing difficulty in chair rising and with a maximum knee-extensor torque below 87.5 N · m were randomized to different versions of a strength-training program for the knee-extensors: to a high-guidance group (HG; two group sessions supervised by a physical therapist and one unsupervised home session per week, n = 17),...

The effect of ship accelerations on three-dimensional low back loading during lifting and pulling activities

Manual materials handling on a moving platform, like a ship, might be a risk factor for the development of lowback pain due to the in.uence of accelerations on lowback loading. In the current simulation study, 3-D accelerations, measured on a frigate were applied to the kinematics of symmetrical and asymmetrical lifting movements and to a...

Full vehicle ABS braking using the SWIFT rigid ring tyre model

In recent years, at the Delft University of Technology and TNO-Automotive and in conjunction with an industrial consortium, a pragmatic tyre model has been developed going by the name SWIFT, which is geared to the analysis of tyre oscillations and its effects on vehicle behaviour. The SWIFT tyre model has been designed to cover in-plane, out-of...

Evaluation of a new scraper

Paint scraping with the traditional triangular scraper is a tiring job causing hazardous forces and high wrist moments (Van Rhijn & Eikhout, 1998). As an answer to those problems the recently developed scraper has been designed with the end user in mind. This paper reviews a field study testing the new product with 20 professional painters. The...

Trunk muscle activation and low back loading in lifting in the absence of load knowledge

People who know the actual mass of an object to be lifted normally prepare themselves before attempting a lift to control the movement and to minimize low back loading. In this study, the trunk muscular reactions and low back torque were investigated in the situation in which the individual did not know the actual mass but only had some idea of...

Force direction and physical load in dynamic pushing and pulling

In pushing and pulling wheeled carts, the direction of force exertion may, beside the force magnitude, considerably affect musculoskeletal loading. This paper describes how force direction changes as handle height and force level change, and the effects this has on the loads on the shoulder and low back. Eight subjects pushed against or pulled...

Force direction in pushing and pulling and Musculo-Skeletal load

In pushing and pulling wheeled objects, the effect of the exerted force on local musculo-skeletal loads depends on the direction of force exertion. Several questions about the direction of force exertion in pushing and pulling, the effects of handle height and force level on force direction, and the quantitative implications for musculoskeletal...