Attractive Solution (attractive + solution)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Behaviour modelling of a PEMFC operating on diluted hydrogen feed

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 14 2008
M. Minutillo
Abstract The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using reformate gas as fuel is regarded as an attractive solution for the near-term introduction of fuel cells in stationary or mobile power generation market. With respect to hydrogen feeding, the reformate gas fuelling involves additional polarization losses because of the hydrogen dilution and the impurities contained in the gas. In this paper a one-dimensional model has been developed to investigate the behaviour of a PEMFC operating with reformate gas mixture. The model, based on a semi-empirical approach, considers the kinetic reactions in the anode side taking into account the effect of reverse water,gas shift (RWGS) due to the presence of CO2 in the fuel. As it is well known, the exhaust stream from fuel reformers can contain a high carbon dioxide concentration (>20%) that can have a detrimental effect on the fuel cell performance because of the combination of the dilution and the formation of CO by the RWGS reaction. The numerical simulation results have been compared with the experimental data, obtained in the test room of Industrial Engineering Department of Cassino University, and a good match has been observed. The model has been developed by using a simplified approach that, nevertheless, can allow to obtain a good numerical prediction of the fuel cell performance reducing the simulation time and computational efforts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Anterior Esthetic Rehabilitation on Teeth and Dental Implants Optimized with Procera® Technology: A Case Report

JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Issue 3 2001
PASCAL BONNARD DDS
ABSTRACT With the latest developments of the Procera® system, all-ceramic crowns have become an attractive solution to provide functional and esthetic rehabilitation on teeth and dental implants. The Procera AllCeram crown and Procera Abutment embrace the concept of computer-assisted design and computer-assisted machining (CAD/CAM) and can be used together for optimal esthetic result. The purpose of this case report was to illustrate the advantages of these new components for complex anterior rehabilitation. Three natural teeth and a Procera Abutment were restored using four Procera AllCeram crowns. Treatment planning and esthetic benefits are discussed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE For complex anterior rehabilitations, the Procera system fulfills both functional and esthetic objectives, providing a new way in the field of esthetic and restorative dentistry. Nevertheless, planning and preparation stages are decisive for successful treatment. [source]


Automatic guidance of a four-wheel-steering mobile robot for accurate field operations

JOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 6-7 2009
Christophe Cariou
As world population growth requires an increasing level of farm production at the same time that environmental preservation is a priority, the development of new agricultural tools and methods is required. In this framework, the development of robotic devices can provide an attractive solution, particularly in the field of autonomous vehicles. Accurate automatic guidance of mobile robots in farming constitutes a challenging problem for researchers, mainly due to the low grip conditions usually found in such a context. From assisted-steering systems to agricultural robotics, numerous control algorithms have been studied to achieve high-precision path tracking and have reached an accuracy within ±10 cm, whatever the ground configuration and the path to be followed. However, most existing approaches consider classical two-wheel-steering vehicles. Unfortunately, by using such a steering system, only the lateral deviation with respect to the path to be followed can be satisfactorily controlled. Indeed, the heading of the vehicle remains dependent on the grip conditions, and crabwise motions, for example, are systematically observed on a slippery slope, leading to inaccurate field operations. To tackle this drawback, a four-wheel-steering (4WS) mobile robot is considered, enabling servo of both lateral and angular deviations with respect to a desired trajectory. The path tracking control is designed using an extended kinematic representation, allowing account to be taken online of wheel skidding, while a backstepping approach permits management of the 4WS structure. The result is an approach taking advantage of both rear and front steering actuations to fully compensate for sliding effects during path tracking. Moreover, a predictive algorithm is developed in order to address delays induced by steering actuators, compensating for transient overshoots in curves. Experimental results demonstrate that despite sliding phenomena, the mobile robot is able to automatically and accurately achieve a desired path, with lateral and angular errors, respectively, within ±10 cm and ±2 deg, whatever its shape and whatever the terrain conditions. This constitutes a promising result in efforts to define efficient tools with which to tackle tomorrow's agriculture challenge. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for the detection and study of single molecules in biology

BIOESSAYS, Issue 8 2002
Miguel Ángel Medina
The recent development of single molecule detection techniques has opened new horizons for the study of individual macromolecules under physiological conditions. Conformational subpopulations, internal dynamics and activity of single biomolecules, parameters that have so far been hidden in large ensemble averages, are now being unveiled. Herein, we review a particular attractive solution-based single molecule technique, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). This time-averaging fluctuation analysis which is usually performed in Confocal setups combines maximum sensitivity with high statistical confidence. FCS has proven to be a very versatile and powerful tool for detection and temporal investigation of biomolecules at ultralow concentrations on surfaces, in solution, and in living cells. The introduction of dual-color cross-correlation and two-photon excitation in FCS experiments is currently increasing the number of promising applications of FCS to biological research. BioEssays 24:758,764, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Efficient packet scheduling for heterogeneous multimedia provisioning over broadband satellite networks: An adaptive multidimensional QoS-based design

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 1 2009
Hongfei Du
Abstract With their inherent broadcast capabilities and reliable extensive geographical coverage, the broadband satellite networks are emerging as a promising approach for the delivery of multimedia services in 3G and beyond systems. Given the limited capacity of the satellite component, to meet the diverse quality of service (QoS) demands of multimedia applications, it is highly desired that the available resources can be adaptively utilized in an optimized way. In this paper, we draw our attention on the development and evaluation of an efficient packet scheduling scheme in a representative broadband satellite system, namely satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (SDMB), which is positioned as one of the most attractive solutions in the convergence of a closer integration with the terrestrial mobile networks for a cost-effective delivery of point-to-multipoint services. By taking into account essential aspects of a successful QoS provisioning while preserving the system power/resource constraints, the proposed adaptive multidimensional QoS-based (AMQ) packet scheduling scheme in this paper aims to effectively satisfy diverse QoS requirements and adaptively optimize the resource utilization for the satellite multimedia broadcasting. The proposed scheme is formulated via an adaptive service prioritization algorithm and an adaptive resource allocation algorithm. By taking into account essential performance criteria, the former is capable of prioritizing contending flows based on the QoS preferences and performance dynamics, while the latter allocates the resources, in an adaptive manner, according to the current QoS satisfaction degree of each session. Simulation results show that the AMQ scheme achieves significantly better performance than those of existing schemes on multiple performance metrics, e.g. delay, throughput, channel utilization and fairness. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Large-core-area hollow photonic-crystal fibers

LASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 11 2004
S.O. Konorov
Abstract We demonstrate hollow-core photonic-crystal fibers (PCFs) with a core diameter of 45 ,m and a period of the photonic-crystal cladding of 7 ,m. These fibers are shown to allow a waveguide delivery of 4-mJ 15-ns pulses of 1.06- ,m radiation of a Q -switched Nd: YAG laser. Hollow PCFs reported in this work help to bridge the gap between standard, solid-cladding hollow fibers and hollow PCFs in terms of effective guided-mode areas, offering attractive solutions for high-field physics, laser technologies, and ultrafast photonics. (© 2004 by ASTRO, Ltd. Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source]