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1 – 8 of 8Waheed Ur Rehman, Jiang Guiyun, Luo Yuan Xin, Wang Yongqin, Nadeem Iqbal, Shafiq UrRehman and Shamsa Bibi
This paper’s aim is modeling and simulation of an advanced controller design for a novel mechatronics system that consists of a hydrostatic journal bearing with servo control. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper’s aim is modeling and simulation of an advanced controller design for a novel mechatronics system that consists of a hydrostatic journal bearing with servo control. The proposed mechatronic system has more worth in tribology applications as compared to the traditional hydrostatic bearing which has limited efficiency and poor performance because of lower stiffness and load-carrying capacity. The proposed mechatronic system takes advantage of active lubrication to improve stiffness, rotor’s stability and load-carrying capacity.
Design/methodology/approach
The current work proposes extended state observer-based controller to control the active lubrication for hydrostatic journal bearing. The advantage of using observer is to estimate unknown state variables and lumped effects because of unmodeled dynamics, model uncertainties, and unknown external disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed mechatronic system is checked against the traditional hydrostatic bearing.
Findings
Proposed mechatronics active hydrostatic journal bearing system is checked against traditional hydrostatic journal bearing. It is found that novel active hydrostatic journal bearing with servo control has good tribology performance factors such as stiffness, less rotor vibration, no wear and friction under starting conditions and high load-carrying capacity under different conditions of spindle speed, temperature, initial oil pressure and external disturbance. The result shows that proposed mechatronics system has more worth in rotary tribology applications.
Originality/value
The current manuscript designs a novel active hydrostatic journal bearing system with servo control. The mathematical model has advantages in term of estimating unknown state variables and lumped effects because of unmodeled dynamics, model uncertainties and unknown external disturbances. The result shows improvement in dynamic characteristics of a hydrostatic journal bearing under different dynamic conditions.
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Yongqin Wang and Xin Gao
This paper studies the political economy of the endogenous urban–rural divide in two dimensions: labor market and provision of public goods.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper studies the political economy of the endogenous urban–rural divide in two dimensions: labor market and provision of public goods.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper gives a dual-sector model endogenously depending on the consumption of public goods (club goods), the number of rural–urban migrants and the tax rate (transfer payments).
Findings
According to the research findings in this paper, the constraints on the participation of rural residents portray the rural residents' bargaining power, and in the game between the urban elites and the rural residents, tax rates depend on the preferences of the urban elites and the constraints urban elites and the rural residents jointly face. Therefore, the urban elites have to set tax rates deviating from the most preferred ones. The model in this paper can explain a series of empirical findings and yield new theoretical findings for empirical testing.
Originality/value
Significantly, the paper finds that the increase in agricultural productivity will lead to industrialization, accompanied by the disintegration of the dual-sector model. However, though the increase in industrial productivity can accelerate industrialization, it will further expand the urban–rural divide.
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Yong Qin, Xinxin Wang, Zeshui Xu and Marinko Skare
The debate over differences in the behaviors of firms facing globalization is ongoing. This study examines whether globalization impacts the behavior of family firms and if this…
Abstract
Purpose
The debate over differences in the behaviors of firms facing globalization is ongoing. This study examines whether globalization impacts the behavior of family firms and if this influence differs between family and non-family firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on panel data from the Amadeus database on 62 family firms and 98 non-family firms in Europe, the authors employ panel vector autoregression estimation and the Wald test of Granger causality to verify our conjecture. Additional impulse response functions and the forecast error variance decomposition technique were applied to illustrate complementary shock dynamics. Additionally, the KOF globalization index is used as a proxy for globalization.
Findings
The results show that globalization visibly impacts family and non-family firms, but the polarity and extent of the effect are different. The authors demonstrate that family firms are in a more favorable position regarding globalization and are less vulnerable to the adverse effects of the globalization process. In contrast, non-family firms fare worse, generating adverse effects. Non-family firms take a more open stance toward globalization than family firms' more conservative behaviors.
Research limitations/implications
Of course, there are some limitations to the work presented in this paper. On the one hand, the authors’ data span only ten years due to data limitations. This causes the generalizability of the results to be hindered. Therefore, the authors encourage scholars to collect more time series data to increase confidence in the empirical results in future studies. On the other hand, the selection of proxy indicators concerning family firm behavior is mainly focused on financial and employment facets. A multidimensional selection of indicators could make the findings of this study more convincing. Despite its limitations, the study certainly adds to the authors’ understanding of its behavior and globalization activities.
Practical implications
The authors’ findings have twofold theoretical and practical implications, as they highlight the necessity of developing specific policies aimed at reducing the gap between family and non-family facing globalization and promoting sustainable operations of non-family firms. Although family firms tend to be more frugal and conservative in their overall decision-making, it should be acknowledged that stockholder and stakeholder interest-oriented corporate management policies have made them more capable of steadily improving corporate performance in the sweep of globalization.
Social implications
To this end, this study deepens the authors’ understanding of the theory of global governance of family firms. It also provides possible paths and directions for future theoretical research on family firms. Globalization affects both family and non-family firms, but our results suggest that family firms are better able to withstand the adverse effects of globalization shocks and adopt efficient governance paths and strategic thinking to gain a competitive advantage. In this regard, the authors encourage non-family firms to actively learn from family firms' operational practices and systems to achieve better adaptability.
Originality/value
This study provides strong empirical evidence on the effectiveness of family firms' governance patterns and business behavior under globalization. Additionally, this study also reveals that managers can learn from the practical experience of family firms to help them confront business crises and gain a sustainable competitive advantage.
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Miguel Angel Navas, Carlos Sancho and Jose Carpio
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the application of various models to estimate the reliability in railway repairable systems.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the application of various models to estimate the reliability in railway repairable systems.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), using homogeneous Poisson process (HPP) and non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) models, is adopted. Additionally, renewal process (RP) models, not covered by the IEC, are used, with a complementary analysis to characterize the failure intensity thereby obtained.
Findings
The findings show the impact of the recurrent failures in the times between failures (TBF) for rejection of the HPP and NHPP models. For systems not exhibiting a trend, RP models are presented, with TBF described by three-parameter lognormal or generalized logistic distributions, together with a methodology for generating clusters.
Research limitations/implications
For those systems that do not exhibit a trend, TBF is assumed to be independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.), and therefore, RP models of “perfect repair” have to be used.
Practical implications
Maintenance managers must refocus their efforts to study the reliability of individual repairable systems and their recurrent failures, instead of collections, in order to customize maintenance to the needs of each system.
Originality/value
The stochastic process models were applied for the first time to electric traction systems in 23 trains and to 40 escalators with ten years of operating data in a railway company. A practical application of the IEC models is presented for the first time.
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Shiqian Ni, Yanqin Zhang, Jiabao Li and Ye Wu
To solve the problem of oil film thinning when hydrostatic thrust bearings are overloaded or rotating at high speed, the dynamic pressure formed by tiny oil wedges is used to…
Abstract
Purpose
To solve the problem of oil film thinning when hydrostatic thrust bearings are overloaded or rotating at high speed, the dynamic pressure formed by tiny oil wedges is used to compensate, and the optimum height of oil wedges is determined by the compensation rate to improve the bearing capacity of hydrostatic thrust bearings.
Design/methodology/approach
This research method is aimed at the new type of double rectangular cavity static bearing with microbevel surface of q1-205. The wedge parameters of oil film were defined. The oil film lubrication performance of the bearing with the wedge parameters of 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 mm was simulated by the finite volume method, the comprehensive influence law of the wedge-shaped parameters on the vorticity and flow rate of the oil cavity pressure fluid was revealed. Finally, the oil cavity pressure changes of oil films with different wedge parameters under certain load and speed were tested by design experiments, and the theoretical analysis and simulation were verified.
Findings
This study found that the oil film wedge shape can well compensate the static pressure loss caused by the high-speed or heavy-duty operation of the bearing, but the dynamic pressure effect of the wedge shape does not always increase with the increase of the wedge height. The oil film exhibits superior lubrication performance in the range of 0.06–0.08 mm.
Originality/value
The original hydrostatic oil pad was designed as a microinclined plane, and the dynamic pressure caused by the microwedge of the oil pad was used to compensate the static pressure loss of the bearing. The lubrication performance of the oil film under the condition of varying viscosity was obtained by using the simulation method.
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Fasil Ejigu Eregno, Chong‐Yu Xu and Nils‐Otto Kitterød
Recent advances in hydrological impact studies point that the response of specific catchments to climate change scenario using a single model approach is questionable. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent advances in hydrological impact studies point that the response of specific catchments to climate change scenario using a single model approach is questionable. This study was aimed at investigating the impact of climate change on three river basins in China, Ethiopia and Norway using WASMOD and HBV hydrological models.
Design/methodology/approach
First, hydrological models' parameters were determined using current hydro‐climatic data inputs. Second, the historical time series of climatic data was adjusted according to the climate change scenarios. Third, the hydrological characteristics of the catchments under the adjusted climatic conditions were simulated using the calibrated hydrological models. Finally, comparisons of the model simulations of the current and possible future hydrological characteristics were performed. Responses were evaluated in terms of runoff, actual evapotranspiration and soil moisture change for incremental precipitation and temperature change scenarios.
Findings
From the results obtained, it can be inferred that two equally well calibrated models gave different hydrological response to hypothetical climatic scenarios. The authors' findings support the concern that climate change analysis using lumped hydrological models may lead to unreliable conclusions.
Practical implications
Extrapolation of driving forces (temperature and precipitation) beyond the range of parameter calibration yields unreliable response. It is beyond the scope of this study to reduce this model ambiguity, but reduction of uncertainty is a challenge for further research.
Originality/value
The research was conducted based on the primary time series data using the existing two hydrological models to test the magnitude differences one can expect when using different hydrological models to simulate hydrological response of climate changes in different climate zones.
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Waheed Ur Rehman, Xinhua Wang, Yingchun Chen, Xiaogao Yang, Zia Ullah, Yiqi Cheng and Marya Kanwal
The purpose of this paper is to improve static/dynamic characteristics of active-controlled hydrostatic journal bearing by using fractional order control techniques and optimizing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve static/dynamic characteristics of active-controlled hydrostatic journal bearing by using fractional order control techniques and optimizing algorithms.
Design/methodology/approach
Active lubrication has ability to overcome the unpredictable harsh environmental conditions which often lead to failure of capillary controlled traditional hydrostatic journal bearing. The research develops a mathematical model for a servo feedback-controlled hydrostatic journal bearing and dynamics of model is analyzed with different control techniques. The fractional-order PID control system is tuned by using particle swarm optimization and Nelder mead optimization techniques with the help of using multi-objective performance criteria.
Findings
The results of the current research are compared with previously published theoretical and experimental results. The proposed servo-controlled active bearing system is studied under a number of different dynamic situations and constraints of variable spindle speed, external load, temperature changes (viscosity) and variable bearing clearance (oil film thickness). The simulation results show that the proposed system has better performance in terms of controllability, faster response, stability, high stiffness and strong resistance.
Originality/value
This paper develops an accurate mathematical model for servo-controlled hydrostatic bearing with fractional order controller. The results are in excellent agreement with previously published literature.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2020-0272
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Mohd Anwar Zawawi, Sinead O'Keffe and Elfed Lewis
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative review of intensity‐modulated fiber optic sensors with non‐optical sensors for health monitoring applications, from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative review of intensity‐modulated fiber optic sensors with non‐optical sensors for health monitoring applications, from the current research activities in the area.
Design/methodology/approach
A range of published research work in sensor design for four different health monitoring applications, including, lumbar spine bending, upper and lower limb motion tracking, respiration and heart rate monitoring, are presented and discussed in terms of their respective advantages and limitations.
Findings
This paper provides information on the various types of sensors applied into the health monitoring area. The sensing techniques of the fiber optic sensor for the stated applications are focused and compared in details to highlight their contributions.
Originality/value
A comparative review of published work is illustrated in an informative table content, to allow a clear idea of the current sensing approaches for health monitoring applications.
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