Assessing the modern constructions of barrel weapon systems, one can rightly claim that they have achieved a high level of development both in terms of construction and technology. This is confirmed by the fact that it is quite rare for new solutions to appear in this area, with regard to their operational concept. It is also confirmed by many existing classifications of barrel weapons, taking into account the present constructional solutions used. In the present paper, the author described a new type of mechanism, which as for its operational concept, consists in separating the breech parts, being used in the weapons class of a short recoil barrel. The principle of its operation and constructional solution have also been presented, along with the mechanism that has been used so far, which enables us to show the basic operational difference between the two. In order to assess the value of the proposed mechanism, an analysis has also been made of parameters characterizing its operation, contrasted with the parameters of the mechanism used so far. This comparison has been drawn, taking into account the same object of reference, i.e. the NS-23 gun. In the summary, conclusions have been presented assessing the merits of the new solution.
A process capable of NOx control by ozone injection gained wide attention as a possible alternative to proven post combustion technologies such as selective catalytic (and non-catalytic) reduction. The purpose of the work was to develop a numerical model of NO oxidation with O3 that would be capable of providing guidelines for process optimisation during different design stages. A Computational Fluid Dynamics code was used to simulate turbulent reacting flow. In order to reduce computation expense a 11-step global NO - O3 reaction mechanism was implemented into the code. Model performance was verified by the experiment in a tubular flow reactor for two injection nozzle configurations and for two O3/NO ratios of molar fluxe. The objective of this work was to estimate the applicability of a simplified homogeneous reaction mechanism in reactive turbulent flow simulation. Quantitative conformity was not completely satisfying for all examined cases, but the final effect of NO oxidation was predicted correctly at the reactor outlet.
The paper presents a detailed description of the process of creation of a surface alloy layer (using high-carbon ferrochromium) on the cast steel casting. The mechanism of the surface alloy layer is based on the known theories [5,6]. The proposed course of formation of the layers has been extended to decarburization stage of steel. The research included proving the presence of carbon-lean zone. The experiment included the analysis of the distribution of elements and microhardness measurement.
MDAP-2 is a new antibacterial peptide with a unique structure that was isolated from house- flies. However, its biological characteristics and antibacterial mechanisms against bacteria are still poorly understood. To study the biological characteristics, antibacterial activity, hemolytic activi- ty, cytotoxicity to mammalian cells, and the secondary structure of MDAP-2 were detected; the results showed that MDAP-2 displayed high antibacterial activity against all of the tested Gram-negative bacteria. MDAP-2 had lower hemolytic activity to rabbit red blood cells; only 3.4% hemolytic activity was observed at a concentration of 800μg/ml. MDAP-2 also had lower cytotoxicity to mammalian cells; IC50 values for HEK-293 cells, VERO cells, and IPEC-J2 cells were greater than 1000 μg/ml. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra showed that the peptide most- ly has α-helical properties and some β-fold structure in water and in membrane-like conditions. MDAP-2 is therefore a promising antibacterial agent against Gram-negative bacteria. To deter- mine the antibacterial mechanism(s) of action, fluorescent probes, flow cytometry, and transmis- sion electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the effects of MDAP-2 on membrane perme- ability, polarization ability, and integrity of Gram-negative bacteria. The results indicated that the peptide caused membrane depolarization, increased membrane permeability, and destroyed membrane integrity. In conclusion, MDAP-2 is a broad-spectrum, lower hemolytic activity, and lower cytotoxicity antibacterial peptide, which is mainly effective on Gram-negative bacteria. It exerts its antimicrobial effects by causing bacterial cytoplasm membrane depolarization, increas- ing cell membrane permeability and disturbing the membrane integrity of Gram-negative bacte- ria. MDAP-2 may offer a new strategy to for defense against Gram-negative bacteria.
The paper presents selected methods used for estimation the unknown geometrical parameters of a spatial mechanism model, used to describe the position and orientation of the end-effector, for example the coordinates of the center points of spherical joints, link dimensions etc. These data are necessary when dealing with computer simulation of any mechanism. The parameters are estimated based on coordinate measurements of selected points, located on the real mechanism links, using a portable manipulator with serial structure composed of 6 revolute joints and a spherical probe, but other techniques of acquiring point coordinates are applicable as well. The described methods can be used in the cases of a disassembled link, an assembled mechanism and redundant data sets. The methods are characterized by accuracy and robustness in the presence of different levels of noise, stability with respect to degenerate data sets, and low computation time. Special attention is paid to the case when the wanted parameters are hard to measure directly. Numerical examples are presented dealing with 5-link mechanism used to guide front wheels of a car.
In the Carboniferous rock mass of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, large changes in the geomechanical conditions often occur over relatively short distances. These conditions relate to rock properties that are primarily responsible for the occurrence of geodynamic phenomena in the rock mass. The main factor influencing the manifestation of these phenomena is tectonic stress developed during Variscan and subsequent Alpine orogenesis. This stress contributed to creating tectonic structures in the Carboniferous formations and influenced the properties of the rocks themselves and the rock mass they form. As a result of the action of the stresses, compaction zones (main stresses were compressive) were formed, along with zones in which one of the main stresses was tensile. For the compaction zones in the Carboniferous rocks, the following geomechanical parameters have been calculated: uniaxial compressive strength, Young’s modulus and post-critical modulus. The local stress field was determined according to the focal mechanism in selected areas (Main and Bytom troughs) to characterize changes in geomechanical properties of the rocks that are responsible for high-energy tremors (E ≥ 106 J, ML ≥ 2.2).
In this paper we propose an original configuration of a compliant mini-gripper for handling chemicals. The compliant mini-gripper is 3D modeled and analyzed with finite element method. To use it in a wider range of containers designed for laboratories we made several variants of fasteners. In order to obtain a functional prototype in a scale appropriate to characterize the system, we determined the material properties of the gripper and developed an experimental stand for characterizing the system with mini-gripper. Finally, we compared the movements of the experimental grip, made according to the movement of the bellows type actuator, determined based on, analytical and numerical results.
The paper presents design and experimental verification of platform mechanism with cost-effective wire-based sensors for measuring of spatial displacement or pose of some moving object. This task, also known as spatial tracking, has a very wide application. The proposed mechanism, guided by the moving object, has a parallel structure with two platforms and at least six wire-based sensors for measuring distances between the platform points. Changes of the platform pose cause corresponding changes of the sensors' wire lengths. Forward position problem of an equivalent mechanism model with 6 degrees of freedom is described together with analyses of work space limitations and error propagation in a measurement system. A specific application is illustrated for tracking of a wheel knuckle of 5-link suspension mechanism used in passenger cars. The developed device has the following advantages: it can be installed in a wheel cavity; enables dynamic measurements on the road; is cost-effective. Performance of the latest prototype of the wire-based tracker was verified on the basis of measurements on a test rig, where two other measuring devices were used for comparison purposes.
The paper presents a description of the phenomena occurring on the surface of the forging dies. A detailed analysis was made of 24 pre-forging dies due to the most intensive wear in this operation. To compare the results, new tools were also analysed. The research described in the study showed that the most dangerous factor for the hot forging process analysed is thermal-mechanical fatigue, which causes small cracks, which in turn quickly leads to the formation of a crack network on the entire contact surface of the tool with forged material. The second phenomenon is the tempering of the surface of the material for a long-term temperature effect. The presence of hard iron oxides in the form of scale from forging material is the accompanying phenomenon that intensifies the processes of tool wear. The paper presents the results of the analysis of the presence of residual magnetic field for forging tools and the results of laboratory tests of wear processes of tool steels for hot work in the presence of a magnetic field and in the presence of scale.
Sludge from cardboard mill is most commonly landfilled, but it could also be recycled on-site into production or reused in some other way. In this study the use of sludge from cardboard mill as stabilizing agent in the stabilization treatment of cadmium polluted sediment was examined. The effectiveness of treatment and long-term leaching behavior of cadmium was evaluated by determining the cumulative percentage of cadmium leached, diffusion coefficients (De) and by applying different leaching tests (semi-dynamic test, toxicity characteristic leaching procedure, waste extraction test). In order to simulate the “worst case” leaching conditions, the semi-dynamic leaching test was modified using 0.014 M acetic acid (pH = 3.25) and humic acids solution (20 mg l-1 TOC) as leachants instead of deionized water. A diffusion-based model was used to elucidate the controlling leaching mechanisms. Applied treatment was effective in immobilizing cadmium irrespective of high availability in the untreated sample. The controlling leaching mechanism appeared to be diffusion, which indicates that a slow leaching of cadmium could be expected when the cardboard mill sludge as stabilization agent is applied.
Semiconductive - resistive sensors of toxic and explosive gases were fabricated from nanograins of SnO2 using thick-.lm technology. Sensitivity, selectivityand stabilityof sensors working in di.erent temperature depend on the way the tin dioxide and additives were prepared. A construction also plays an important role. The paper presents an attitude towards the evaluation of transport of electrical charges in semiconductive grain layer of SnO2, when dangerous gases appear in the surrounding atmosphere.
The paper presents optimization of 5-rod (5-link) suspension mechanism used in passenger cars for independent guiding of the wheels. Selected stiffness coefficients defined for five elastomeric bushings installed in joints of the suspension rods are considered as design variables. Two models with lumped parameters (i.e. elastokinematic and dynamic) of wheel-suspension-car body system are formulated to describe relationships between the design variables and the performance indexes including car active safety and ride comfort, respectively. The multi-criteria goal function is minimized using a deterministic algorithm. The suspension with optimized bushings rates fulfils desired elastokinematic criteria together with a defined dynamic criterion, describing the so-called rolling comfort. An event of car passing over short road bump is considered as dynamic conditions. The numerical example deals with an actual middle-class passenger car with 5-rod suspension at the front driven axle. Estimation of the models parameters and their verification were carried out on the basis of indoor and outdoor experiments. The proposed optimization procedure can be used to improve the suspension design or development cycle.
This paper presents an estimation method for the spatial pose and displacement parameters of multi-rod suspension mechanism, based on measurement results by using wire sensors. Some changes of position and orientation of the platform fixed to wheel knuckle cause corresponding changes of sensors’ cable lengths. The fixation points of the cable sensors are selected with the collision-free conditions taken into account. Numerical example deals with platform poses and positioning of the sensors that satisfy the measurement conditions.
In modelling flexure based mechanisms, generally flexures are modelled perfectly aligned and nominal values are assumed for the dimensions. To test the validity of these assumptions for a two Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) large stroke compliant mechanism, eigenfrequency and mode shape measurements are compared to results obtained with a flexible multibody model. The mechanism consists of eleven cross flexures and seven interconnecting bodies. From the measurements 30% lower eigenfrequencies are observed than those obtained with the model. With a simplified model, it is demonstrated that these differences can be attributed to wrongly assumed leaf spring thickness and misalignment of the leaf springs in the cross flexures. These manufacturing tolerances thus significantly affect the behaviour of the two DOF mechanism, even though it was designed using the exact constraint design principle. This design principle avoids overconstraints to limit internal stresses due to manufacturing tolerances, yet this paper shows clearly that manufacturing imperfections can still result in significantly different dynamic behaviour.
The cultivation of genetically modified crops has long been a contentious issue in the European Union. Now a group of biotech specialists and legal experts propose a mechanism to take the political edge out of the authorization process.
The results presented in this article are part of the research on fatigue life of various foundry alloys carried out in recent years in the Lukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Precision Mechanics and AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Foundry Engineering. The article discusses the test results obtained for the EN-GJS-600-3 cast iron in an original modified low-cycle fatigue test (MLCF), which seems to be a beneficial research tool allowing its users to evaluate the mechanical properties of materials with microstructural heterogeneities under both static and dynamic loads. For a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical behaviour with a focus on fatigue life of alloys, an original modified low cycle fatigue method (MLCF) adapted to the actually available test machine was used. The results of metallographic examinations carried out by light microscopy were also presented. From the analysis of the results of the conducted mechanical tests and structural examinations it follows that the MLCF method is fully applicable in a quick and economically justified assessment of the quality of ductile iron after normalizing treatment.
Robotics specialists observe nature carefully and try to recreate the complex motions performed by people and animals with ease. Locomotion and the ability to manipulate flexible objects are especially challenging, but progress is being made.
Prof. Małgorzata Kossut of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology talks about brain plasticity, the mechanisms of learning, and the mysteries of forgetfulness.