Imprecise reliability assessment for heavy numerical control machine tools against small sample size problem

Small sample size problem is one of the main problems that heavy numerical control (NC) machine tools encounter in their reliability assessment. In order to deal with the small sample size problem, many indirect reliability data such as reliability data of similar products, expert opinion, and engineers’ experience are used in reliability assessment. However, the existing mathematical theories cannot simultaneously process the above reliability data of multiple types, and thus imprecise probability theory is introduced. Imprecise probability theory can simultaneously process multiple reliability data by quantifying multiple uncertainties (stochastic uncertainty, fuzzy uncertainty, epistemic uncertainty, etc.) together. Although imprecise probability theory has so many advantages, the existing natural extension models are complex and the computation result is imprecise. Therefore, they need some improvement for the better application of reliability engineering. This paper proposes an improved imprecise reliability assessment method by introducing empirical probability distributions to natural extension model, and the improved natural extension model is applied to the reliability assessment of heavy NC machine tool spindle to illustrate its effectiveness.     

Modelling port choice in an uncertain environment

Port choice is an important issue to be investigated to ensure the effective integration of container supply chains and the sustainable development of regional economy. The selection of appropriate ports to facilitate shipping activities and international trade is crucial for many stakeholders, including shipping lines, port administrators, cargo shippers and national governments. The task is essentially a process of multiple criterion decision-making (MCDM) under uncertainty, requiring analysts to derive rational decisions from uncertain and incomplete data related to different quantitative and qualitative determinants. This paper aims at proposing a new conceptual port choice method by explaining the role fuzzy logic in evidential reasoning in a complementary way, in which various forms of raw data (either objective or subjective) collected to evaluate port performance can first be converted into and presented as fuzzy grades defined using linguistics terms with degrees of belief (DoBs) and second be combined using evidential reasoning to produce a port choice preference score. The method is applied to analyse the selection of major Northeast Asian (NEA) container ports from a shipping line’s perspective. The outcome, a port choice preference score, is calculated using evidential reasoning to directly synthesize the true estimation of the port with respect to each criterion and therefore, unlike a relative ranking index, keeps the ‘goodness’ of port evaluation, capable of benchmarking a specific port’s performance and monitoring the increase of its competitiveness in a longitude study with respect to an individual criterion or all the criteria as a whole.     

Optimal thrust allocation logic design of dynamic positioning with pseudo-inverse method

This article presents a method named pseudo-inverse to solve the optimal thrust allocation of dynamic positioning (DP) system, proposes to optimally determine the azimuth angle of thrusters instead of man-control or semi-auto control, and combines with the pseudo-inverse methods to get the optimal solutions for dynamic positioning control system. It is able to greatly reduce the risk of manual mode. Three different kinds of modes are proposed and detailedly illuminated, and can be used to solve much more complex nonlinear constraint problems, such as typical forbidden vector boundary. Several illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed thrust allocation modes.     

Sealed v/s open bids for certificates of entitlement under the vehicle quota system in Singapore

The Vehicle Quota System manages vehicle ownership in Singapore by making the procurement of a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) a prerequisite for the registration of a new vehicle. The procurement is done during uniform price auctions of quotas of COEs currently held on a twice-a-month schedule. The auction format which started out as sealed bids in May 1990 changed to open bids in July 2001. This paper uses a regression model framework to investigate if this shift in auction format has resulted in lower COE premium volatility and a better reflection of demand and supply forces. The empirical results are pertinent to transport policy analysis. A suggestion in the form of incentives for early bids is also made to improve the efficiency of the open bids auction.     

Mathematical model for takeoff simulation of a wing in proximity to the ground

Aircraft flying close to the ground benefit from enhanced efficiency owing to decreased induced drag and increased lift. In this study, a mathematical model is developed to simulate the takeoff of a wing near the ground using an Iterative Boundary Element Method (IBEM) and the finite difference scheme. Two stand-alone sub-codes and a mother code, which enables communication between the sub-codes, are developed to solve for the self-excitation of the Wing-In-Ground (WIG) effect. The aerodynamic force exerted on the wing is calculated by the first sub-code using the IBEM, and the vertical displacement of the wing is calculated by the second sub-code using the finite difference scheme. The mother code commands the two sub-codes and can solve for the aerodynamics of the wing and operating height within seconds. The developed code system is used to solve for the force, velocity, and displacement of an NACA6409 wing at a 4° Angle of Attack (AoA) which has various numerical and experimental studies in the literature. The effects of thickness and AoA are then investigated and conclusions were drawn with respect to generated results. The proposed model provides a practical method for understanding the flight dynamics and it is specifically beneficial at the pre-design stages of a WIG effect craft.     

Properties and electronic structure of iron under pressure up to 30GPa

The properties and electronic structure of Fe under pressures of 0–30GPa have been studied by first principles employing the density functional theory (DFT), the ultra-soft pseudo-potentials (USPP) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The calculating results show that there is a structural transition from magnetic body-centered cubic (bcc) to nonmagnetic hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) structure for Fe around 11GPa pressure. There is a pseudogap both in the density of states (DOS) for bcc and hcp Fe. The pseudogap of bcc Fe is deeper and wider than that of hcp Fe. The elastic modulus is obtained by Voigt-Reuss-Hill averaging scheme. The results indicate that the elastic properties of bcc Fe enhance with pressure except for elastic stiffness constant C ₁₁, shear modulus G and elastic modulus E at the transition pressure, while the elastic properties of hcp Fe increase linearly with pressure. Magnetic bcc Fe is ductile, and hcp Fe becomes ductile from brittle around 25GPa.     

Security analysis of application layer protocols on wireless local area networks

This paper aims at analyzing the security issues that lie in the application layer (AL) protocols when users connect to the Internet via a wireless local area network (WLAN) through an access point. When adversaries launch deauthentication flood attacks cutting users’ connection, the connection managers will automatically research the last access point’s extended service set identifier (ESSID) and then re-establish connection. However, such re-connection can lead the users to a fake access point with the same ESSID set by attackers. As the attackers hide behind users’ access points, they can pass AL’s authentication and security schemes, e.g. secure socket layer (SSL). We have proved that they can even spy on users’ account details, passwords, data and privacy.     

Tracking control of underwater vehicle subject to uncertainties using fuzzy inverse desired trajectory compensation technique

Computed-torque controller plus fuzzy inverse desired trajectory compensation technique based on robust adaptive fuzzy observer is proposed to control underwater vehicle subject to uncertainties. A fuzzy inverse desired trajectory compensator is developed as a nonlinear filter at input trajectory level outside the control loop to address the issue of unavailable normalizing factor. A robust adaptive state observer with loose constraint on the position of the uncertainty function is proposed to evaluate the unavailable states. Numerical simulation results of regulation performance demonstrate that the observer solves the problem of strict constraint conditions on position uncertainties. Comparisons of tracking performance between the proposed control method and computed-torque controller are performed. The results confirm that compensation at the input trajectory offers better position tracking performance and easier practical implementation than other fuzzy compensation techniques at joint torque level. The proposed control approach is simulated and its efficiency is validated through the simulation of an underwater vehicle.     

Use of diesel engine and surface-piercing propeller to achieve fuel savings for inshore fishing boats

Fishing is a major local industry in Malaysia, particularly in rural areas. However, the rapidly increasing price of fuel is seriously affecting the industry’s viability. At present, outboard petrol engines are the preferred choice for use in small-scale fishing boats because they deliver the advantages of high speed and low weight, they are easy to install, and they use minimal space. Petrol outboard engines are known to consume a greater amount of fuel than inboard diesel engines, but installing diesel engines with conventional submerged propellers in existing small-scale fishing boats is not economically viable because major hullform modifications and extra expenditure are required to achieve this. This study describes a proposal to enable reductions in fuel consumption by introducing the combined use of a diesel engine and surface-piercing propeller (SPP). An analysis of fuel consumption reduction is presented, together with an economic feasibility study. Resulting data reveal that the use of the proposed modifications would save 23.31 liters of fuel per trip (40.75 %) compared to outboard motors, equaling annual savings of RM 3962 per year.