A dynamometer is designed and fabricated to measure the force output during static and dynamic muscle actions of the plantar flexor muscles of anaesthetised rats in vivo. The design is based on a computer-controlled DC servomotor capable of angular velocities in excess of 17.5 rad s-1. The system controls the range of motion, angular velocity and electrical stimulation of the muscles, while monitoring the force output at the plantar surface of the foot. The force output is measured by a piezo-electric load cell that is rated at 5 kg capacity. Angular velocity and position are measured by a DC tachometer and potentiometer, respectively. All measurement devices are linear (r2 = 0.9998). The design minimises inertial loading during high-speed angular motions, with a variation in force output of less than 0.2%. The dynamometer proves to be an accurate and reliable system for quantifying static and dynamic forces of rat plantar flexor muscles in vivo.
This paper addresses, for the first time, the synthesis, optimization, simulation and analysis of a controllable circuit breaker mechanism. Type synthesis is performed by finding the mechanisms conforming to topological requirements set forth in the problem definition and evaluating them to determine whether they satisfy the stated functional requirements. Dimensional synthesis is performed upon these mechanisms by designating the equality and inequality constraints, assigning the variable types, and then searching the specified design space to determine if any solutions exist. An optimization is performed on any mechanisms found to determine which of the mechanism configurations is optimal with respect to the specified criteria of desirability. Simulation and analysis is then performed on the optimal mechanism to verify that it meets all specified requirements and constraints. The result of this design is a controllable residential circuit breaker than can be used in a residential load management scheme.
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