Efficient Computational Techniques for Planetary Gear Train Analysis
We propose a novel analysis tool for planetary gear train representation. This extends the traditional concept of a lever representation of a planetary gear set to one that includes negative lever ratios. The resulting framework allows an exhaustive permutation of the nodes of a lever, thereby leading to all possible topological arrangements of a planetary gear train. Consequently, we achieve compact representations of large families of planetary gear trains, which would otherwise have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Analysis of power flow in a counter-rotating epicyclic gearing for electrical propulsion system
A novel compound epicyclic gearing that combines a planetary gear train with a differential gear train is designed for an electrical propulsion system of underwater unmanned vehicles. This epicyclic gearing can transform a single input into two counter-rotating outputs with equal torque amplitudes and speeds. Based on the analysis method of power flow in the differential gear train, the character of the power flow of the compound epicyclic gearing was determined. After comparing with the power distribution of input flow, the condition of this mechanism without power recirculation was investigated. Because the reactive torque of the motor stator is balanced by the torque on ring gear of planetary gear train, no net torque acts on the vessel being propelled.
Impacts of climate and land use changes on flood risk management for the Schijn River, Belgium
Abstract Flooding is the most common natural disaster in Europe. Modern flood risk management relies not only infrastructure development but also on governmental and non-governmental actors applying legal, economic and communicative water management instruments. Within the European Union (EU), flood management closely relies on policy set at the EU and national levels. It is now recognized that a sound understanding of climate change is required in addition to current management by taking into account land use change and socio-political context, as climate and land use changes have major impacts on hydrological responses. This paper investigates the hydrological behavior due to urbanization under current and future climate scenarios of high summer and high winter rainfall for 20 sub-catchments of the Schijn River, located in the Flanders region near Antwerp, Belgium. As urbanization increases and existing rainfall-runoff models neglecting the specific behavior of urban runoff, a hydrological model was developed based on a basic reservoir concept and applied to the existing rainfall-runoff model (PDM) flow to examine the specific urban contribution. Results revealed that peak flow for urban runoff and the total peak flow (i.e. rural and urban runoff) were significantly higher (i.e. ranges from 200% to 500%) than the existing rainfall-runoff model (PDM) flows, because of faster and more peaked urban runoff response. The impact of climate change on current and future conditions was also assessed by estimating peak flows with respect to return periods from the flood frequency curve. The predicted peak flow of high summer future climate scenario was significantly higher (i.e. ranges from 200% to 250%) than that of the current climatic condition for this region. Furthermore, hourly peak flow and daily volume ratios of 100-year return period for the highest, lowest and average impervious area were projected for the time horizon of the year 2100. It is concluded that climate change impacts contribute the most in producing peak flow in coming years, while increased urbanization takes the second place for both hourly and daily values. Results on urbanization effect and climate change impact assessment are useful to the water managers for spatial planning, emergency planning and insurance industry.