A Modular Comprehensive Assessment Platform for Aircraft Maintenance
We were very curious about whether the aircraft will suffer lightning damages during flight, so we tried to search the answer on the internet. According to the searching results, we realized that during flight departure, passenger planes can suffer lightning damage. As a result, there will be lightning strike points, which needs immediate solutions for safety concerns. Besides, we found out that the exterior aircraft components, such as aircraft body, wings, tail, turbine engine and other areas, are vulnerable to corrosion, which also needs immediate solutions. Luckily, we came across a chance to chat with the engineer who works in the airport. Through that meeting, we knew that the maintenance of the aircraft is very important. However, the maintenance of the components depends on professional technicians, weather, the surrounding noise level, and other environmental effects. As a result, we think that it is initial for us to develop a device that can automatically complete the missions of aircraft maintenance. Below are two objectives that we need to complete: 1. Complete a non-destructive testing for aircraft damage, including corrosion and lightning strike points. Assessment areas include: Aircraft body, airplane wings, tail of the aircraft and the turbine engine 2. Engage in scanning results to analyze and predict for flight readiness. The collected results will proceed to the aviation company for inspection and maintenance. Based on these two objectives, we designed an automatic platform for aircraft maintenance. Below are four innovations of this platform: 1. we developed a method to replace the current stage based on the manual operation of the aircraft maintenance, the use of AGV (Automated guided vehicle) and the robotic arm combination. 2. Design a modular platform based on this method, including telescopic four-wheel independent rotating chassis and locking mechanism, scissors lifting mechanism, double sided synchronous belt forward detection telescopic mechanism, etc. The platform can shrink at the minimum height of A320, convenient access to the machine abdomen. 3. The positioning algorithm of the platform relative to the aircraft is proposed.
FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBON NANOTUBE DOPED PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
Nowadays, the increase in population and the rapid depletion of nonrenewable energy sources brings the need for energy. In this case, scientists are forced to develop technologies by using renewable energy sources. Sun is the unlimited and renewable energy source. Organic solar cells absorb the light from the sun by the active polymer layer and transform it into electrical power. Organic solar cells are advantageous than inorganic ones because of being low-cost, easy-to-use and proper for large scale applications. In this project, it is aimed to produce organic solar cells by using specific amounts of carbon nanotube (CNT) doping. According to this aim, it is detected by using the fluorescence spectroscopy that CNTs can be used in organic solar cells. Later, the homogenous distribution of doping SWCNT into donor material was displayed by AFM, and correct proportion of SWCNTs are chosen by those images. In order to increase the efficiency of organic solar cell SWCNT doped P3HT was used as donor molecule. The acceptor molecule was PCBM in here. Surface characterization of prepared samples was made by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), while electrical characterization of them is done with airless environment cabin (glove-box) system in nitrogen environment. As a result, devices prepared with addition of cyclohexanone in P3HT: SWCNT%:PCBM new load paths to carbon nanotubes were provided, as a result of the measurements short circuit current obtained was raised from the reference to 53%. The best yields were found as 2.24% in 0.2% SWCNT doped devices. This result shows efficiency is healed according to the reference rate as 64%. In this study, certain amounts of carbon nanotube doped organic solar cells were produced, which are highly efficient rather than traditional organic solar cells and low cost, easy-to-produce rather than inorganic solar cells, by using environmentally friendly materials.
SeedBot: Low-Cost Seeding Robot for Agricultural Applications
This paper presents a semi-autonomous seeding robot which is based on both electrical and mechanical platforms that perform advance agriculture process. SeedBot composed of four components: drilling mechanism, body of robot, seed container and paving mechanism. Other than those components the sensor system and the control system are also discussed. The aim of this study is designing and building a low-cost robotic system to automate and optimize process during farming especially for personal usage. This study demonstrates that semi-autonomous farming has crucial advantages over conventional farming. In addition to that, SeedBot provides safer, requires less manpower and precise farming than usual methods that we have so far.