Table of Contents 3 6
11 16 21 30 35 44 53 59 62 68
Editorial
Scanning electronic microscopy lab and electrospinning lab Biomaterials and Electromedicine Laboratory J. Galeano, S. Roldán, E. Torres, C. Vargas, M. Moncada
Performance of a diesel engine for trigeneration system Thermal Sciences Laboratory K. Cacua, E. Rodríguez, B. Herrera, C. Acevedo, L. Olmos, R. Buitrago.
A vision for the future of materials Polymers Laboratory L. Jaramillo, L. Marín, J. Ordoñez, W. Henao, J. Santa.
Research in modeling, simulation and prototype: the new proposals from Parque i Modeling, simulation and prototype Laboratory E. Torres, R. Colmenares, D. Hincapié, J. Ardila, J. Arbeláez.
New equipment and projects in the polymers laboratory Polymers Laboratory C. Vargas, J. Santa, L. Jaramillo, J. Posada, L. García.
Control systems and robotics laboratory: current and future prospects Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory J. Botero, L. Morantes, L. Serna, G. Goez, A. Salazar, L. García.
Current trends in machine intelligence and pattern recognition Machine intelligence and pattern recognition Laboratory L. Duque, J. Vélez, J. Jaramillo, H. Fandiño, M. Torres, D. Aristizabal.
Ongoing research in electrical energy field at ITM Electric Energy and Power Laboratory A. Escobar, Á. Jaramillo, G. Bernal.
Elastic fiber optic networks: fiber bragg gratings as a key element for developing flexible optical devices Optics, Photonics and Artificial Vision Laboratory A. Betancur
Evaluating effectiveness of a photo-based scanning software Optics, Photonics and Artificial Vision Laboratory M. Arias, P. Atencio, D. Urrego, J. Serrano.
Electronics and communications: topics and projects Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics Laboratory J. Herrera, C. Madrigal, J. Peláez, S. Serna, R. Velásquez.
Facultad de Ingenierías
Vol. 01 Nº. 01 2014 / ISSN 2390-0415
Parque
Chancellor of ITM Luz Mariela Sorza Zapata
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alejandro Rosales Valbuena Dean Faculty of Engineering Edilson Delgado Trejos Director and Editor Edilson Delgado Trejos Copy-editing Anna Michelle Kühn Sarah Röthlisberger Booth Scientific Committee Augusto Enrique Salazar Jiménez, PhD – UdeA Ramón Fernando Colmenares Quintero, PhD – UCC José Fernando García Tirado, PhD – ITM July Galeano Zea, PhD – ITM Ricardo Andrés Velásquez Vélez, PhD – ITM María Constanza Torres Madroñero, PhD – ITM Luis Germán García Morales, MSc – ITM Sebastián Roldán Vasco, MSc – ITM Art Director Lina Valencia Mejía
ER EDUCATION IN STIT HIGH LIC UT UB
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Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Edwin A Moncada Acevedo
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Vice Chancellor María Victoria Mejía Orozco HIGH-QUALITY WI
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ALITY ACC RED
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Press Lito Muñoz S.A.S Designer Jorge Omar Velásquez Montoya WEB Site Maira Liseth Pérez Díaz Editorial board Edilson Delgado Trejos, PhD Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano ITM, Colombia Germán Castellanos Domínguez, PhD Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia Álvaro Ángel Orozco Gutiérrez, PhD Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Colombia Carlos Manuel Travieso González, PhD Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain David Cuesta Frau, PhD Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain
Design Asistant Melissa Betancurt Lopera
Peré Caminal Magrans, PhD Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain
Editorial Assistant Melissa Betancurt Lopera
Rafael Benites, PhD GNS Science, New Zealand
ISSN 2390-0415
e-ISSN: 2422-0302
INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO METROPOLITANO ITM Calle 54a # 30-01 - Medellín, Colombia PBX: 4600727 ext. 5547 Correspondence: facultaddeingenieria@itm.edu.co Copyright, Fondo Editorial ITM, December 2014 www.itm.edu.co
LUZ MARIELA SORZA ZAPATA Chancellor of ITM
THE DISDAIN OF EDUCATION
I am very confident this will be a magazine full of important scientific content from our technological institution, which to aims convert the so-called changes into real social applications, and will shed light on the technological devices we use daily. I am worried about the thousands of black-boxes in our hands, and it makes me sad to know that users have no knowledge of the technological basis of these devices we use on a daily basis. As users we are so often merely instrumentalists ignoring the “miracles” that have originated such advanced technology. A physician does not know much about a tomographic scanner and my grandchildren know even less about the mobile phone they are using all the time. A smart phone allows me to have the whole world in my hands, but I hardly know anything about how it works, definitely less than what I know about the real world in which I was born and will someday die. None of these devices generate as much passion as the great inventions of past centuries, their release and withdrawal from the market is so closely spaced that at times they do not even begin to capture the world’s markets. It is my hope that this magazine “Revista Parque i: Facultad de ingenierías” will be an instrument for making technological knowledge accessible to everyone. With kindest regards.
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HERNĂ N DE JESĂšS SALAZAR ESCOBAR Professor, ITM
The global organization of this century is focused on the search for models of global living and organization to enable coexistence, thus making our world a place worth living and improving quality of live. In Colombia in particular, with the current peace talks and reconciliation, these models should ensure a way of coexistence and respect for fundamental human rights, with the aim of improving the quality of life, thus promoting the country’s development and enabling us to live in freedom, peace and dignity. The inputs, which should generate a better quality of life, ensure the sustainability of our natural resources and build the basis of the welfare of future generations, will necessarily be the result of accessing, generating and applying knowledge in R&D projects. Economically, Colombia is working towards free trade agreements, which implies openness towards international markets. In this context the strengthening of national economic networks is required in order to reduce the effects of international dependence. It is exactly here where higher education, particularly related to science and technology, plays a key role in strengthening a community in these areas. In addition this will give the country an identity and contribute to finding a position in the global community, which will secure our competitiveness and strengthen our sovereignty in the field of knowledge.
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Research Groups
Research Lines
Machine Intelligence and Pattern Recognition (MIRP)
Artificial Vision and Photonics
Electronics and Communications
Automatics, Electronics and Computer Science (AEyCC) Research Group
Control Systems and Robotics
Computer Science
Advanced Materials and Energy (MATyER) Research Group
Parque i Laboratories
Machine Intelligence and Pattern Recognition (MIRP) Laboratory Artificial Vision and Photonics Laboratory
Electronics and Communications Laboratory
Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory
Computer Science Laboratory
Advanced Computing, Digital Design and Manufacturing Processes (CADD-Prom)
Modeling, Simulation and Prototype Laboratory
Biomaterials and Electromedicine (BIOMEM)
Biomaterials and Electromedicine Laboratory Microscopy Laboratory
New Materials
Electric Energy and Power
Faculty of Engineering 7
Polymers Laboratory
Thermal Sciences Laboratory Electric Energy and Power Laboratory
Figure 3: Images of A: spider (Yonkeu, et al., 2001).
Biomaterials and Electromedicine Laboratory
SCANNING ELECTRONIC MICROSCOPY LAB AND ELECTROSPINNING LAB July Galeano-Zea, Sebastián Roldán-Vasco, Edwar Andrés Torres-López, Carlos Andrés Vargas-Isaza, María Elena Moncada-Acevedo sebastianroldan@itm.edu.co
Abstract The Scanning Electronic Microscopy and Electrospinning laboratories are part of the Biomaterials and Electromedicine (BioMEM) research line associated with the Advanced Materials and Energy –MATyER research group, which was recently classified in the highest category (A1 by Colciencias) in Colombia. The electrospinning laboratory is intended to manufacture scaffolds and polymeric coatings for biological tissue engineering purposes. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) laboratory covers a wide area of research in materials and nanomaterials, not only for biomedical applications but also for industrial purposes. With this laboratory, BioMEM aims for a rigorous characterization and validation of biomaterial surfaces, to enhance the behavior between the material and the biological tissue. In this magazine article, the relevance and general features of the BioMEM labs will be described.
Introduction The Biomaterials and Electromedicine (BioMEM) research line is part of the Advanced Materials and Energy –MATyER research group of Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM). BioMEM proposes research projects oriented to solving problems related with tissue engineering, biomimetics and electronic bioinstrumentation. To this end, BioMEM has acquired two modern devices: a scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and an electrospinning machine. The SEM, which is the most modern in the region, has a spatial resolution of 1.2 nm at 30 kVA. It is used for surface observation, analysis and characterization, at micro- and nanometric scales. The electrospinning machine allows the production of nanofibers and nanoparticles that will be part of biomaterials and coatings for biomedical devices. Within both the governmental (Activa Antioquia) and municipal (CTi Plan 2011-2021) plans for science, technology and innovation, BioMEM is part of one of the three productive chains: the health sector. The approach in this productive chain is strategically one, to overcome the technological, innovation- and competition-related obstacles present in the health sector. In this sense, the research group is currently part of the creation of the National Nanotechnology Center - CN2, which is a strategy from Medellín’s government and conducted by Rutan (a division of the mayor’s office). The work with CN2 will create strategic partnerships to project technological and science-based solutions. The challenges that BioMEM expects to address are: limited integration of the multiple actors involved in the health sector, reduced cooperation between companies and academia in research, development and innovation, the deficit of human resources in sciences related to biotechnology, and the incipient application of biotechnology. BioMEM has two laboratories. The first one focuses on tissue engineering research, development of biomedical devices, and bioelectric studies, while the second laboratory focuses on the characterization of bio-, nano-, and industrial materials.
Description
A
BioMEM aims to enhance research in the development of new products and new knowledge related to biomaterials, electromagnetic fields and signal acquisition techniques applied to biological tissues (tissue engineering and bioinstrumentation), biomimetics for product design, and the development of medical devices for diagnosis and treatment.
Working Area
Control sep up
Biomaterials and Electromedicine Laboratory Figure 1: A: Electrospinning equipment IDNATECKTM LE 100
The electrospinning machine (Figure 1) produces electrostatic nanofibers or particles made of polymers, ceramic and glass via manipulation in an electric field. These materials show higher mechanical properties than those obtained by other methods such as drawing, template synthesis, phase separation, self-assembly, etc. Electrospinning offers crucial advantages in tissue engineering, specifically in matrix synthesis for the regeneration of different tissues, as well as for the production of scaffolds and coats for biomaterials to allow cellular growth and regeneration. Some examples
of the applications of electrospinning are vascular grafts, nerve growth conduits, skin patches and coatings, microstructural support scaffolds for growth of cartilage and bone, myocardial constructs, etc. The future impacts of these applications are invaluable.
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B
pathologies in different tissues, such as gastric cancer tissue and pigmentation disorders in the skin. Application of electromagnetic fields in healing processes. Studies in bioelectrical phenomena simulation have been strengthened through research projects, which are based on the application of electrical and magnetic stimuli of extremely low frequency. Different approaches have been developed: (1) construction of devices with the support of the Automation, Electronics and Computational Sciences (AEyCC) research group of ITM, (2) carrying out in vitro studies in partnership with the Cellular Therapies research group of Universidad de Antioquia, and (3) computational simulation of clinical cases and in vitro studies in partnership with Advanced Computing, Digital Design and Manufacture Processes - CADDProm research line (a group within MATyER).
Figure 1: B: electrospinning principle (Imaging & Microscopy, 2014)
Other scientific studies conducted by BioMEM are in the following areas: Development of optical techniques for the study of biological tissues. In association with the Optics and Spectroscopy group of Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, BioMEM is currently working on the development of a non-invasive image acquisition system and image processing technique for the analysis of multispectral images of cardiovascular tissue. The purpose of this work is to obtain a system that provides images with high contrast between the morphological tissue components, such as coronary arteries and veins.
Biological signals modeling and simulation. In addition, BioMEM works on modeling and simulation of bioelectrical signals located at cellular nuclei affected by motion disorders, especially in Parkinson disease patients, in which neural activity exhibits an erratic behavior and has to be modulated in frequency and amplitude. This idea is useful in the development of training systems for functional neurosurgeons. This project is a partnership with the Bioinstrumentation and Clinical Engineering research group of Universidad de Antioquia. The goal is to establish pre-surgical approach models that could minimize the intervention related risks when Deep Brain Stimulation devices are implanted. Future work will be the application of these known techniques to improve neuro-navigation systems.
Furthermore, the group is working on the mapping of cardiovascular tissue components such as lipids, collagen and elastin. The development of these processing techniques will allow early detection and analysis of
C
Figure 1: C: projected nanowires (Plant & Food Research, 2014).
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Microscopy Laboratory
The acquired SEM is installed in the laboratory of Electron Microscopy at the Fraternidad campus. Figure 3 shows examples of images from biological, mineral and metal samples taken with an SEM.
The SEM acquired by ITM, is one of the most robust scanning microscopes in our country. Due to this fact the ITM is a front runner in the study of materials and nanomaterials, which are cross-thematic research areas in MATyER as well as strategic areas within the municipal science, technology and innovation plan.
The SEM is used by different research groups of the ITM, for the study of biological specimens, mineral
A
A SEM is an instrument that uses electrons instead of light (photons) to produce images of the sample. In this system, the electrons interact with the matter and produce various signals, each with different types of information: structural, chemical, and topographic. Once the information is processed, it shows different aspects of the studied material. Modern SEMs reach resolutions up to one thousand times higher than optical microscopes. There are three types of SEMs, differing in the electron source: thermionic emission, cold emission, and Schottky field emission, also known as FEG (Field Emission Gun)SEM. Modern SEMs use Schottky-type emitters as electron source (a combination of thermionic and cold emission). In Colombia, there are about nine thermionic SEMs, but only one Schottky-SEM, located at Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS). Thus, the ITM will be the first institution in Antioquia with a Schottky-SEM, the most modern in the country (Figure 2), positioning the institute as a reference in this national research area.
B
C
Figure 3: Images of A: spider [ ] and B: hexagonal tridymite crystals [ ]; C: SEM image in BSE mode of a diffusion-bonded titanium– stainless steel joints using a nickel interlayer (Yonkeu, et al., 2001).
Figure 2: JEOL JSM 7100F Cold-field emission scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) (Jeol Corp., 2014). 11
samples, polymers and compounds, processed metals and micro- or nano-structures. In addition, this system opens the possibility of integrating the ITM into governmental initiatives such as CN2 and Ruta , which will increase the level of the academic projects (graduate and undergraduate levels, and third parties), industrial projects and publications.
new opportunities. For instance, the improvement of microscopy capabilities, such as image analysis and development of in situ experiments, new materials, such as bio asphalt and light weight concrete, nano technology approaches in self-cleaning materials, new polymeric materials, pharmaceutical applications, and new approaches towards nature sciences, such as biomimetics, water treatment, soil and air, healthy food, among others.
Perspectives
References
BioMem has made strategic alliances allowing for interdisciplinary work in the areas of tissue engineering and nanotechnology. Thanks to the new SEM, it is possible to perform morphological and structural characterization of the materials developed by electrospinning, such as scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Imaging & Microscopy. (2008). Electrospun Polymeric Fine Fibres. Retrieved from http://www.imaging-git. com/science/scanning-probe-microscopy/electrospunpolymeric-fine-fibres Jeol USA Inc. (2014). JEOL USA JSM-7100F/ LV Analytical Field Emission SEM. Retrieved from http://m.jeolusa.com/PRODUCTS/ ElectronOptics/ScanningElectronMicroscopesSEM/ FieldEmissionSEMs/JSM-7100FLV/tabid/1128/ Default.aspx
In the tissue engineering area, BioMEM aims to analyse cellular response, proliferation, and adhesion, in partnership with the Cell Therapy and Biobank research group of the Medical School of Universidad de Antioquia and the Cardiovascular Dynamics group of the UPB.
Klaus, A. (2002). Museum Applications for SEM and X-Ray Microanalysis. In Industrial Applications Of Electron Microscopy. CRC Press. doi:doi:10.1201/9780203910306. ch10
In regards to bioinstrumentation solutions, BioMEM will work in the development of neuro-engineering-based systems for computational simulators for neurosurgery, in partnership with Universidad de Antioquia. BioMEM will establish an inner alliance as well, collaborating with the Intelligent Machines and Pattern Recognition group of AEyCC (ITM). The research line aims to solve problems related with biomedical signal processing and acquisition for diagnosis, such as electrocardiography, electroencephalography, oxygen saturation of peripheral blood, non-invasive blood pressure, among others; but also aims to strengthen the investigative spirit of undergraduate students in electronic and biomedical engineering programs.
Kundu, S., Ghosh, M., Laik, A., Bhanumurthy, K., Kale, G. B., & Chatterjee, S. (2005). Diffusion bonding of commercially pure titanium to 304 stainless steel using copper interlayer. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 407(1-2), 154–160. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2005.07.010 The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd. (2013). Growing Futures: Electrospinning rainbow. Retrieved from http://www.plantandfood.co.nz/ growingfutures/case-studies/adding-value-to-hoki/ electrospinining-rainbow
As it was mentioned before, there are only two FEGSEMs in Colombia, of which the ITM´s microscope will be the most modern in the country, opening up great research opportunities into academic, scientific and industrial issues. In the city of Medellín, there are two thermionic SEMs for research and industrial applications. When a company, a research group or university needs the highest resolution available, the use of a FEG-SEM is indispensable.
Yonkeu, A. L., Buschmann, V., Miehe, G., Fuess, H., Goossens, A. M., & Martens, J. A. (2001). Structural characterization of a new “core-shell” zeolite overgrowth system: faujasite on micro sized EMT-crystals. Crystal Engineering, 4(2-3), 253–267. doi:10.1016/S14630184(01)00015-6
For the ITM, commissioning the new FEG-SEM is another achievement that represents the continuing growth in research fields related to the synthesis and processing of materials. The new microscope offers 12
Thermal Sciences Laboratory
PERFORMANCE OF A DIESEL ENGINE FOR TRIGENERATION SYSTEM Karen Cacua-Madero, Elizabeth Rodríguez-Acevedo, Bernardo Herrera-Múnera, Carlos Acevedo-Álvarez, Luis Carlos Olmos-Villalba, Robison Buitrago-Sierra robinsonbuitrago@itm.edu.co
Abstract The operation and performance characteristics of a diesel engine, such as thermal efficiency, pollutant emissions and exhaust gas temperature parameters were determined in a first experimental stage of trigeneration system. Experiments were carried out with a stationary compression ignition engine coupled with a generator located in the Thermal Sciences Laboratory. Engine loads were set from 6 to 12 kW with a variable electrical resistance bank. For full load, thermal efficiency was 25,2% and exhaust temperature was 255,2 °C, emissions of CO, CO2, O2, CH4, NOx and NO were also determined. These parameters allowed the proper functioning of the diesel engine to be verified before continuing on to the installation and evaluation of the other auxiliary equipment that makes up the trigeneration system. 13
Introduction Currently, in the Thermal Sciences Laboratory, the project “Trigeneration system for drying and cold production in noninterconnected agricultural zones” is underway. The aim of the project is to increase the energy efficiency of an electrogen diesel system. This is done by using alternative fuels and the heat available in the exhaust gas. Drying and absorption refrigeration systems can then be operated with this kind of energy. With the results of this project, it will be possible to provide a solution to the non-interconnected agricultural sector, in order to increase efficiency in the production process of electrical energy. Government policies around the world should propose more effective solutions in the search for new technologies and processes, aiming toward a continuous growth in energy efficiency and use of primary energy sources (Rocha, Andreos, & Simões-Moreira, 2012). Trigeneration is one of these technologies and processes, which involves the simultaneous production of electricity, heat and cold from the same primary source. This technology provides not only energy savings, but also reduction in CO2 emissions (Garnett, 2007) (Maidment, 2008).
“The projects that are under execution by the research line Thermal Energy from Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), aim at increasing both energy efficiency and the use of environmentfriendly alternative fuels.”
Trigeneration has emerged as an extension of cogeneration (simultaneous production of electricity and heat) due to research in thermally activated cooling processes. This cooling system transforms thermal energy into cold, lowering temperatures down to -55ºC, which improves the efficiency of a trigeneration system by up to 90% compared with diesel plants (Bassols, Kuckelkorn, Langreck, Schneider, & Veelken, 2002).
Non-interconnected zones of the electrical sector in Colombia correspond to 52% of the national population (Instituto de Planificación y Promoción de Soluciones Energéticas para las Zonas no Interconectadas (IPSE), 2014). The main form of electricity production in these zones is via diesel generators (Frias, 2010). Diesel fuel is a nonrenewable energy and every day is more difficult to obtain due to increases in price and geographical difficulties hindering its distribution (Gómez, 2011). Although in Colombia different projects have been implemented to meet the needs of non-interconnected zones (energético CORPOEMA, 2010), there are other more effective energy solutions such as trigeneration, which achieve high efficiencies by using the available resources in these areas. The Thermal Energy projects that are currently underway in the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), aim at increasing both energy efficiency and the use of environment-friendly alternative fuels. Thus, these projects offer innovative solutions for the generation and use of energy resources. The Thermal Energy Laboratory is equipped with the relevant equipment needed for research projects in disciplines such as combustion, energy recovery from waste, recovery of residual heat, thermal machines, energetic audits, and biofuels. The Thermal Sciences Laboratory has a diesel genset for electrical energy production, a combined heat exchanger with a drying system and absorption refrigerator, which can compose a trigeneration system. The project also includes the use of alternative energy sources such as biogas to reduce the use of diesel.
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Experimental methodology
evaluated individually to verify their operation, and then, the best configuration of the trigeneration system will be evaluated by calculating the utilization factor. Currently, the project is in assembly stage (Figure 1). The experimental work started with a preliminary experiment of the engine running at 1800 rpm with diesel fuel, in order to determine its performance characteristics. Electric power outputs at 50% and 100% of full load were obtained. Engine loads were set from 6 to 12 kW with a variable electrical resistance bank connected to the electricity generator.   The experimental factorial design employed to collect and analyze the data in this stage is shown in Table 2. The experimental performance was evaluated by comparing thermal efficiency, CO, CO2 and CH4 emissions.
Experimental tests will be carried out at the Thermal Science Laboratory. Table 1 shows the technical characteristics of the equipment used in the experimental tests of the trigeneration system. Each component of the trigeneration system will be evaluated individually to verify their operation, and then, the best configuration of the trigeneration system will be evaluated by the calculation of the utilization factor. Currently, the project is in assembly stage (Figure 1). The experimental work started with a preliminary investigation of the engine running at 1800 rpm with diesel fuel, in order to determine its performance characteristics. Electric power outputs at 50% and 100% of full load were obtained. Engine loads were set from 6 to 12 kW with a variable electrical resistance bank connected to the electricity generator. Each component of the trigeneration system will be Equipment
Specifications Diesel engine -Three cylinders -Naturally aspirated, water cooled -Direct injection -13,5 kW in continuous -1800 rpm Generator -4 poles, self-excited, self-regulated -Class H, solid state -127/220 V
Diesel Genset
- Adapted to receive thermal energy from the exhaust gases and performing heat exchange using heat pipes. -Gross capacity 72 liters -Refrigerator temperature 0-5 °C -Freezer temperature -18 °C -Refrigerant-absorber pair ammonia-water
Heat exchanger Absorption refrigerator Flow mass Coriolis sensor Hot wire meter Volumetric flow meter, Pitot K-type fine thermocouples Gas analyzer SICK
-Mass flow measurement of diesel, accurately +/-0,1% -Mass flow measurement of biogas -Mass flow measurement of air -Measuring the mean temperatures of the exhaust gas, cooling air inlet, engine lubricating oil, inlet and outlet temperatures in heat exchangers and drying system. -Exhaust emissions with a non-dispersive infrared sensor for CO, CO2, NO and CH4 and paramagnetic sensor for O2.
Table 1: Equipment used in the experimental tests of the trigeneration system 15
Factor Load (%)
Level Level description designation 1 50 2 100
Engine speed (rpm)
1
1800
Output Effective efficiency Exhaust temperature O2, CO y CO2 emissions
Table 2: Experimental design for recollecting and analyzing the data
A ηE =
NE ṁD.LHVD
100 [%] (1)
[kJ/kg] is the diesel low heating value, and NE is the power output.
Preliminary results In the first experimental stage, the thermal efficiency of diesel genset was determined bearing in mind the power losses in the generator clamp pins and the height loss. The results are shown in Table 3. The emissions and exhaust temperature for 100% load are shown in Table 4.
Load (%)
B
50 100
Thermal efficiency (%) 19,65 25,22
Table 3: Thermal Efficiency
Freezer
Load (%) CO CO2 O2 CH4 NOx NO T (°C)
Upper level
Lower level
C Figure 1: Diesel engine system (A), Measurement system assembly of biogas (B), thermocouple assembly in refrigerator (C)
100 0,03% 5,1 % 13,55% 0,05% 0,08% 0,07% 255,2
Table 4: Exhaust emissions and temperature
The thermal efficiency was defined as the ratio of electric power output to the energy contribution of diesel, as follows in Equation (1).
Four undergraduate theses have been carried out by students of electromechanical engineering during this experimental stage of assembly and performance evaluation of the diesel genset.
Where mḊ[kg/s] is the diesel mass flow rate, LHVD 16
Opportunities and discussion In this work, a first experimental stage of trigeneration system was presented. The thermal efficiency and exhaust emissions allowed us to verify the proper functioning of the diesel genset. Also, it was possible to continue the installation and evaluation of other auxiliary equipment that makes up the trigeneration system. The results of this project will provide an alternative for energy saving in non-interconnected agricultural areas. This project addresses the country’s sustainable development policies by introducing energy efficient technologies such as trigeneration, and renewable energy sources such as biogas.
References Bassols, J., Kuckelkorn, B., Langreck, J., Schneider, R., & Veelken, H. (2002). Trigeneration in the food industry. Applied Thermal Engineering, 22, 595–602 ST – Trigeneration in the food industry. doi:10.1016/s13594311(01)00111-9 Energético CORPOEMA, C. (2010). Formulación de un plan de desarrollo para las fuentes no convencionales de energía en Colombia (PDFNCE) Volúmen 2 (Vol. 2). UPME. Frias, O. (2010). Programa de Uso Racional y Eficiente de Energia y Fuentes no Convencionales - PROURE, Plan de acción 2010-2015. Garnett, T. (2007). Food refrigeration: What is the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and how might emissions be reduced? Food Climate Research Network (p. 88). Food Climate Research Network-Centre for Environmental Strategy University of Surrey. Gómez, N. E. (2011). Energización de las zonas no interconectadas a partir de las energias renovables solar y eólica. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Instituto de Planificación y Promoción de Soluciones Energéticas para las Zonas no Interconectadas (IPSE). (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ipse.gov.co/ipse/ informacion-institucional/ipse Maidment, G. (2008). Sustainable innovation-A technology review. London South Bank University. Rocha, M. S., Andreos, R., & Simões-Moreira, J. R. (2012). Performance tests of two small trigeneration pilot plants. Applied Thermal Engineering, 41, 84–91. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2011.12.007
Campus Fraternidad ITM
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www.deviantart.com Nanoparticles by RabidRabbit23 “Nanoparticles, with polymer and antibodies attached.”
Polymers Laboratory
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS Leyla Yamile Jaramillo-Zapata, Lina Marcela Marín-Muñoz, Jenny Ordoñez, Wilson Henao, Juan Felipe Santa-Marín juansanta@itm.edu.co
Abstract It is possible to obtain tailor-made nanostructured materials for interesting applications, such as adsorption refrigeration systems, the control, capture or transfer of molecules in drug delivery, polymerization supports, environmental catalysis, and new composite materials, among others. In the Polymers Laboratory, two fields of science converge: nanotechnology and polymers science. In this work we show preliminary results of nanomaterials synthesized in the Polymers Laboratory of Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano and their potential applications are described.
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Introduction The Polymers Laboratory of the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM) is located in the Fraternidad campus. The laboratory has a total area of 125 m2 divided in three separated zones: thermoplastic processing, high-performance composites, and synthesis and characterization of materials. Polymers are very large molecules encountered daily as the materials commonly referred to as plastics, rubbers, adhesives and coatings. Polymer materials changed our lives and they are everywhere in everyday life, in food packaging, electronic devices, clothes, among others. The field of nanotechnology is one of the most popular areas of current research and development in basically all technical disciplines (Román, 2012). The rapid development of nanotechnology worldwide is a testimony of the transformative power of identifying a concept or trend and laying out a vision at the synergistic confluence of diverse scientific research areas. Generally spoken, nanotechnology is the ability to control and restructure the matter at the atomic and molecular level in the range of approximately 1–100 nm, and exploiting the distinct properties and phenomena at that scale as compared to those associated with single atoms or molecules or bulk behavior. A steep increase in scientific papers and inventions in the field of nanotechnology has been observed in the last years. The rate of publications in areas related to nanotechnology has been quasi-exponential (23–35% annually), at rates at least two times higher than the average for all scientific fields (Roco, 2011). Nanoscience can be defined as the study of materials, processes and phenomena at the nanoscale. Accordingly, nanoparticles are objects with three dimensions on the nanoscale (on a scale of 10−9 m; having or involving dimensions of less than 100 nm). Nanoparticles are important since the properties of many conventional materials change when formed from nanoparticles. This is due to the fact that nanoparticles have a greater surface area per weight than larger particles and this causes them to be more reactive when they come in contact with other molecules. In the Polymers Laboratory, polymer science and the nanoscience converge, and synthesized nanoparticles are used to modify the physical-chemical properties of polymers. In the laboratory several undergraduate and postgraduate students are working to gain insight into the fundamentals of nanotechnology and the properties of polymers; and seven professors work on topics related to polymers and high-performance composites. The Polymers Laboratory was created by the Parque i project, which is promoted and financed by ITM. The new laboratory has three separate areas: synthesis and characterization, processing of thermoplastics, and processing of high-performance composites.
Main topics Synthetic particles of mesoporous silica and zeolites were synthetized in the Polymers Laboratory. The particles were obtained using a sol-gel and hydrothermal method. Initially, a solution was prepared with a silicon precursor and this solution was heated in an autogenous autoclave. After cleaning and filtration, the solution was dried and calcinated at 550°C for 24 hours. The obtained particles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Infrared analysis (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Figure 1 shows a scheme of the structure of the type of nanoparticles synthetized in the Polymers Laboratory (Petkov et al., 2002). These nanoparticles have pores of an average diameter around 70 Ȧ and they are useful to control, capture or aim molecules in drug delivery, smart filters, among others.
Figure 1: Structure of modified zeolites (Datt, 2012).
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are several functional groups in the sample: O-H stretch typical of zeolites and mesoporous silica, vibrations of the Si-O bonds in the SiO4 tetrahedrons and absorption bands of Si-O bonds. From the BET analysis it can be
An example of the nanoparticles obtained in the Polymers Laboratory are shown in Figure 2. The hexagonal-shaped particles (see arrow in Figure 2A) have a mean diameter of 100 nm. On the other hand, whiskers of mesoporous silica are shown in Figure 2B. The reader should observe the scale bar in the figures (2 Âľm and 1 Âľm for figure 2A and 2B, respectively) proving that the particles are very small (less than 1/1000 m). These results show that the shape of the particles can be controlled in the laboratory by changing the synthesis parameters A
B
Figure 3: Infrared spectra of nanoparticles and distribution of pores. Infrared spectrum from nanoparticles obtained in the Polymers Laboratory (A). Typical pore distribution obtained by Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms for mesoporous silica obtained in the Polymers Laboratory (B).
concluded that the pore diameter is around 6 nm and the superficial area approximately 800 m2/g. This makes the particles suitable for several applications in catalysis, refrigeration, polymerization support, membranes and biomedical applications, among others, as will be discussed in the following section.
Figure 2: Nanoparticles of mesoporous silica obtained in the Polymers Laboratory of ITM: Hexagonal-shaped particles (A), Whiskers-shaped particles (B)
such as heating time during the hydrothermal treatment and the amount of silicon precursor. Furthermore, we assume that it is possible to synthetize other particles in the laboratory such as zeolites and mesoporous silica, with surface modifications.
Applications The particles obtained in the Polymers Laboratory can be used for several applications. Typical applications of nanoparticles are the storage of molecules, the regulation of barrier and membrane properties for water and crude filtration, polymer-blend compatibility,
The infrared spectrum of the particles is shown in Figure 3. From the spectrum it can be concluded that there 20
biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems for the loading and release of small drug molecules, such as Aspirin. Nanoparticles are used for drug delivery since their porosity allows us to control the amount of substances desorbed during time, enhancing the delayed effect of lower concentrations before being eliminated from the body. Recent results (Abedini & Nezhadmoghadam, 2010) (Datt, 2012) have shown that mesoporous silica is one of the most promising materials for drug delivery and biomedical applications due to its drug release profile.
Surface area increases while total volumen remains constant
Total Surface area (height x width x number of sides x number of boxes) Total Volume (height x width x length x number of boxes) Surfaceto-volume ratio (Surface area / volume)
6
150
750
1
125
125
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1.2
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Currently, environmentally friendly refrigeration is an important area of research. Solid adsorption refrigeration has generated much interest around the world. Porous nanoparticles are popularly used in adsorption refrigeration systems as the adsorbent, (Datt, 2012). Like a compressor in a compression refrigeration system, the adsorbent (nanoparticles) is crucial in adsorption refrigeration systems since their internal characteristics such as pore diameter, internal area, and thermal properties, determine the performance of the adsorption refrigeration system. One example of a cooling process where the evaporative cooling of water combined with the ability of zeolites to adsorb large volumes of water vapor is shown in Figure 5. In this case the water is located in the evaporator. A second vessel
Figure 4: Example of change in properties of materials due to increased surface area to volume ratio. Reactions take place at the surface of a material, (Cantrell et al., 2014).
biomedical applications and refrigeration among others. Most of the applications rely on the change of surfaceto-volume ratio (Figure 4) when the size of the particles gets smaller. A membrane can be defined as a selective barrier between two phases, the ‘‘selective’’ being inherent to a membrane or a membrane process. A porous membrane is a rigid, highly voided structure with randomly distributed inter-connected pores. The separation of materials by a porous membrane is mainly a function of the permeate character and membrane properties, such as the molecular size of the membrane polymer, pore-size, and pore-size distribution, (Abedini & Nezhadmoghadam, 2010). Zeolites and mesoporous silica can be used in membranes.
Figure 5: Cooling process where the evaporative cooling of water is combined with the ability of zeolites, (Maier-Laxhuber, 2014).
containing zeolite is connected to the evaporator via a valve. Opening the valve leads to the adsorption of water vapor to the zeolite which results in the continuous evaporation of more water (Datt, 2012). Furthermore, the most important characteristic of this technology is that the system does not need electricity and hence can be useful in isolated zones to cool food, vaccines and other substances.
Zeolites and mesoporous silica are also used in 21
Lett., 89(7), 75502. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.075502
Nanoparticles are also used to improve polymer-blend compatibility. Most pairs of polymers are immiscible with each other. Compatibilizers are often used as additives to improve the compatibility of immiscible polymers which leads to improved morphology and properties of the blend. The nanoparticles can also improve the flammability and mechanical or thermal properties of polymers. Nanotechnology is also deeply embedded in the design of advanced devices for electronic and optoelectronic applications.
Roco, M. C. (2011). The long view of nanotechnology development: the National Nanotechnology Initiative at 10 years. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 13, 427–445. Román, F., Calventus, Y., Colomer, P., & Hutchinson, J. M. (2012). Identification of nanostructural development in epoxy polymer layered silicate nanocomposites from the interpretation of differential scanning calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy. Thermochimica Acta, 541(0), 76–85. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. tca.2012.05.001
Opportunities Nanotechnology has the potential to provide society with great benefits. In the future, many products will be adapted to contain this technology, thus increasing their performance. Nanoparticles can be used in manifold applications. New applications of nanoparticles include pharmaceutical applications, adsorption-related applications like in environmentally friendly adsorption refrigeration systems, packaging materials, electronics, and optoelectronics, just to name a few. Properties of polymers can be modified by adding nanoparticles. In the Polymers Laboratory of ITM new materials modified with nanoparticles are being synthetized.
References Abedini, R., & Nezhadmoghadam, A. (2010). Application of Membrane in Gas Separation Processes: Its Suitability and Mechanisms. Petroleum & Coal, 52(2), 69–80. Cantrell, R., Huang, L., Lu, S., Pradel, K., & Sun, W. (2014). Apples to Atoms Nano Ed Resources - Nano Lessons and Courses. Retrieved from http://community. nsee.us/lessons/Apples_to_Atoms/AtoAch5.pdf Datt, A. (2012). Applications of mesoporous silica and zeolites for drug delivery. University of Iowa. Retrieved from http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3442 Maier-Laxhuber, P. (2014). Zeolite/water. Retrieved from www.zeo-tecj.de. Petkov, V., Billinge, S. J. L., Vogt, T., Ichimura, A. S., & Dye, J. L. (2002). Structure of Intercalated Cs in Zeolite ITQ-4: An Array of Metal Ions and Correlated Electrons Confined in a Pseudo-1D Nanoporous Host. Phys. Rev. 22
RESEARCH IN MODELING, SIMULATION AND PROTOTYPING: NEW PROPOSALS FROM PARQUE i Edwar Andrés Torres-López, Ramón Fernando Colmenares-Quintero, Diego Andrés Hincapié-Zuluaga, Juan Gonzalo Ardila-Marín, Juan José Arbeláez-Toro edwartorres@itm.edu.co Modeling, simulation and prototype Laboratory
Abstract A well-structured society thrives in the hands of a dynamic and innovative industry. A way to achieve this goal is by modern manufacturing methods, based on the application of sophisticated computer systems, also known as virtual tools, for the design, validation and manufacturing of each engineering system. The Instituto Tecnologico Metropolitano (ITM), through the Faculty of Engineering, shapes future engineers with the aim of transforming local and national industry. In accordance with the vision for the city, ITM is committed to the construction of facilities that promotes the use of computational tools in academic programs, and the development of industrial and scientific projects, involving the design, evaluation and simulation of isolated or multifunctional systems. The Modeling, Simulation, and Prototypes laboratory, which belong to the Advanced Materials and Energy (MATyER) research group, is responsible for the education of students and for the development of research projects with industrial applications, related to simulation and construction of virtual and real prototypes, and the validation of results obtained via virtual tools. This paper presents a summary of the laboratory facilities and capabilities of the research line in Advanced Computing, Digital Design, and Manufacturing Processes (CADD-ProM), recently strengthened by the institutional project Parque i. Introduction The goal of the Faculty of Engineering of the Instituto Tecnologico Metropolitano (ITM) is high quality education in areas which guarantee the economic development of the region and country. The widely recognized industrial and vocational provision of services in the city must be supported with new and more creative engineers who produce tools, processes, mechanisms or systems that will lead the country into a true transformation and exploitation of their natural resources. The Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (ST+i) for MedellĂn 2011-2021 prioritizes three areas which are: energy, health, and information and communication technologies (TIC). This local plan promotes collaborative science, technology and innovation projects between the academic, productive and social sectors, particularly in potential areas of new business (e.g. engineering, smart grids and eco-efficient energy). Within this initiative, the Faculty of Engineering is part of the project of laboratories called Parque i which belongs to the ITM. The Advanced Materials and Energy (MATyER) research group has six specialized laboratories, two of which are dedicated to simulation, modeling and prototyping. The Modeling, Simulation, and Prototypes laboratory originated from the need to solve engineering problems based on the modeling and simulation of processes, supported by an infrastructure acquired by the Parque i project.
Facilities available for simulation, modeling and prototyping
of prototypes and studying fluid power. The modeling laboratory has fifteen basic workstations. One of the equipment that stands out is the V-40iT (Figure. 1A). It is a full 5-axis machine center, with a 5-axis architecture and 5-axis control system, a robust industrial machine, with the capacity to produce high weight and precision pieces. The machine features an 846 mm X-axis and a 635 mm Y-axis travel, with a 438 mm Z-axis travel and coupled rotational 4th and 5th axis (Figure. 1B). The machining center utilizes a heavy-duty 10,000 RPM spindle motor that produces 30 HP, for high torque
The Modeling, Simulation, and Prototypes laboratory has two facilities, one in the Robledo campus, called Modeling Laboratory, where students are trained, and simulations of basic phenomena of engineering are performed; the other laboratory, that is located in Parque i (in the Fraternidad campus), involves robust simulation of phenomena, digitization of geometries, construction 24
machining, and a sophisticated Heidenhain iTNC 530 control system (Figure 1C).
through the use of mechanical modeling laboratories, computational processing systems, prototyping and reverse engineering, and specialized software in CAD/ CAE/CAM, to provide projects for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and for research and extension programs.
In addition, the laboratory acquired a 3D Artec scanner (Figure 2A) with a weight of 0,85 kg; dimensions of 190 x 130 x 140 mm; with a capture capacity of 1.000.000 points by second; a resolution of 0,1 mm and 0.03 mm of 3D precision. The main feature of this device is its scanning area, 900 mm of height and 700 mm of width, when the point is considered closer; or 180 mm of height and 140 of width, to the most distant point. An example of the ability of this device is the reconstruction of images using points detected by the scanner which is shown in Figure 2B.
Areas of expertise CAD CAD is a graphical representation in two- (2) and three- (3) dimensions of physical objects in a virtual environment, through specialized software. In the
The laboratory also has an electro-hydraulic test bench with electric-proportional control, presented in Figure 3. This device consists of an axial piston pump of variable flow, a compensator, a line filter, a pressure filter, a hydraulic accumulator system, a proportional valve (servo), selector valves, and a hydraulic cylinder with double effect, a position transducer, a load cell sensor and an on-line particle counter. The electro-hydraulic test bench is important because it enables the associated query of measurements, the assembly of the hydraulic circuits and the generation of control strategies for fluid power problems.
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Finally, the laboratory has joined other laboratories in the ITM for the purchase, installation and management of a high-performance computing (HPC) system with 16 nodes, each with eight dual cores and 256 GB of RAM for a total of 256 processing cores, with 4 TB of RAM and 48 TB total storage, for the accelerated processing of complex engineering problems. The institution has a set of academic and research licenses in CAD/CAE/ CAM software such as ANSYS, Siemens-Nx, Solid Edge, Automation Studio and Matlab.
B
The laboratories, that belong to the Advanced Computing, Digital Design, and Manufacturing Processes (CADD-ProM) research line, carry out research in the areas of computeraided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided manufacture (CAM) and manufacturing processes based on Computational Multiphysics simulation techniques and creation of materials. CADDProM arose from the need to support the processes of virtual testing and manufacturing of the different research groups and academic programs of ITM, Figure 1: Full 5-Axis Leadwell V-40iT CNC Vertical Machining Center (VMC) (Leadwell, 2014) (A); large 4th and 5th axis table (Mikron Slovakia, 2014) (B) 25
C
Figure 1: Full 5-Axis Leadwell V-40iT CNC Vertical Machining Center (VMC) (Leadwell, 2014) (A); large 4th and 5th axis table (Mikron Slovakia, 2014) (B); control system Heidenhain iTNC 530 (Heidenhain, 2014) (C)
Figure 3: Bench of proportional hydraulics for studies of fluid power; source: Authors
modeling and construction of prototypes lab, CAD is indispensable for the development of parts and for the assembly of mechanical systems that are used in the process of CAE and CAM.
clouds are produced by either 3D scanners or conceptual design techniques. Parametric design of solids and assemblies are made by establishing a dynamic relationship between the dimensions that constitute the geometry. This process generates a tree that identifies the order in which the operations are carried out allowing the update of the piece when changing the dimensions. This form of work is useful in machine design. Figure 5 depicts some examples such as the gears and mechanical assemblies.
The development of parts and assemblies is achieved with a combination of two techniques, namely free modeling and parametric design by means of specific computer tools such as Nx-Siemens速, PTC Creo速, and Solid Edge速. Free modeling is essential for the construction of complex geometries, as is the case with biological elements (Figure 4A), ergonomic systems (Figure 4B) and turbine blades (Figure 4C). This type of technique is normally used in image parts. The point A
B
Figure 2: Scanner 3D Artec, Spider (A) and example of 3D reconstruction image from data acquired using the 3D scanner (B) (Artec 3D, 2014) 26
withstand. Another important analysis, calculation and design of structural elements, is the nonlinear analysis, which is used when the relation between the strain and the deformation of the material is nonlinear, such as hyper-elastic materials or metals that work in the plastic zone above the yield stress, contact between parts that
CAE In the engineering field, assisted by a computer one can work on engineering problems associated with structural analysis, multi-body simulation, computational fluid dynamics and system optimization. Specialized software in finite elements (such as Nx-Siemens and ANSYS) is used for computational structural analysis. Engineering events are simulated by using these tools, e.g. static-linear or modal analysis, fatigue, buckling, geometric and thermal optimization. The basic structural analysis process begins with the selection of a geometry or assembly that is digitized by a CAD package; then the model is taken to a simulation environment where solids are discretized using a grid in which a material is assigned with its respective properties. Subsequently the boundary conditions are established (charges and restrictions) and finally, it is simulated or solved. From the solution one can analyze the deformations, efforts, displacements and the reaction forces.
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For the particular case of static-linear analysis (Figure 6A), the structures undergo loads that do not vary in time, neglecting the inertia forces and damping. The modal analysis permits the calculation of natural frequencies and vibration modes of a link or structure during a free vibration. This type of simulation identifies the location and direction of the loads that excite the structure. Another type of study is the buckling phenomenon; it is developed on slender and elongated structural elements exposed to axial loads, where the configuration of the type of support, the magnitude of the force, and the geometric conditions are sufficient to prevent failure from the element´s instability.
B
Some structural elements are exposed to varying load conditions during time, which are shown in sinusoidal variation, and lead to failure of the parts in a given number of cycles. This phenomenon is known as fatigue; through finite element analysis, one can determine the durability or number of cycles of service loads which a part can A
Figure 5: Models of gear (A) and assembly of an automotive suspension (B) (Nx-Siemens, 2013)
B
C
Figure 4: Models of femur bone (A), ergonomic housing drill (B) (Nx-Siemens, 2013) and Kaplan turbine (C); source: Authors 27
change during the application of loads, vibration, impact problems, the effects of inertia and damping forces that depend on time.
have been conducted and analyzed, it will generate a block that has a transfer function representing the plant (mechanism). It engages the SIMULINK MATLAB to analyze the relation between the control strategy and the control system (Figure 7).
Finally, the CADD-ProM research line uses finite element techniques to work on geometric optimization problems. These techniques implement the use of an iterative simulation process in which the design variables are adjusted in order to maximize stiffness and minimize volume; maximize the first fundamental frequency, and minimize the volume applying displacement restrictions.
The study of fluids with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques Fluid simulation can be understood as a computer generation of realistic animation of liquids and gases using the Navier-Stokes equations which describe the physics of fluids under especially simplified conditions. CFD uses numerical methods and algorithms for solving complex models of partial differential equations of high order, that combine various transport phenomena (momentum, energy and mass) in different flows analysis, experiencing heat transfer and chemical reactions. Easy problems, for example simple flows in pumping systems or more complex ones such as free surface flow, multiphase flows, turbo machinery, erosion, fluid-structure interaction and reactive flows, can be analyzed. In mesh nodes located in a space region, which is discretized in small control volumes, each conservation equation is solved so that an algebraic matrix resolves every node iteratively until the residue is quite small. The data obtained by CFD must be verified via an experimental setup.
Multi-body analysis and co-simulation Another area of work of the Modeling, Simulation, and Prototypes laboratory is the design of prototypes that couple mechanical, electronic and control systems. The computational tools Nx-Siemens, Ansys and Matlab are used for this purpose. Mechanical systems are usually assembled in a CAD environment and are studied using multi-body analysis. This type of simulation consists of connecting multiple rigid bodies, which can move relative to one another. The forces and moments are caused by additional elements such as springs, dampers, actuators or rods, and other items. Once the mechanisms in the multi-body system
In the simulations laboratories of Parque-i, CFD is used during the design and computational analysis of turbo-machines, heat exchanger systems and separated system solidliquid type hydro-cyclones. These simulations are developed using the ANSYS速 CFD modules Fluent速 and CFX速. An example of development is the determination of correlations for twisted spiral coil tube of heat exchangers, which are used in the reservoir of high temperature heat pump systems (Figure 8A), or in analysis of water cooling systems that employ compact heat exchangers of the radiator type (Figure 8B). Airframe/Engine Design and Operations Optimization Figure 6: Examples of structural analysis: static-linear simulation 28
At the conceptual and preliminary design phase, optimizing aircrafts for environmental and economic
Materials processing and prototypes construction: exploring new skills Manufacturing processes are the steps through which raw materials are transformed into a final product. The manufacturing process begins with obtaining the materials from which the design is made, followed by their modification through operations that seek to change the shape and behavior of the materials and, in the majority of cases, their final installation in a system. Some examples of a manufacture process to change the shape are casting, forging, powder processes, machining and welding; while processes to modify the mechanical, chemical, thermal, magnetic or physical behavior are heat transfer, cleaning and coating. Often the aim of the processes is to obtain simultaneous changes in shape and other properties, for example cold working, shot peening and friction welding, which are shown in Figure 10. As part of research studies, each simulation requires a stage to verify the results of the models. This stage includes the design, manufacture and assembly of the elements of the experimental prototypes, which simulate the real conditions. As a starting point, for the design of mechanical, mechatronics or electromechanical systems, knowledge of the manufacturing processes enables a correct design, avoiding common faults like the design of impossible geometries or the use of expensive manufacturing technologies to obtain the desired geometry.
Figure 6: simulation of buckling (Nx-Siemens, 2013)
performance involves a holistic methodology which assesses the multidisciplinary features of the turbofans, airframes and their systems, and incorporates variables and constraints from all pertinent disciplines concurrently. Furthermore, when objectives are conflicting there is a need for trade-off analysis by means of a multiobjective optimization approach that is required in the employed methodology. The laboratories of Parque-i have the capacity of assessing different aircraft designs and their operations using a computational tool called Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Framework (MDOF). It consists of several interconnected modules, which are linked to an optimization and control unit. Figure 9 provides an overview of MDOF.
In the same way, the knowledge of the direct relationship between the shape and the manufacturing process is essential to determine how to transform the raw material into the desired piece. This change of shape has to be evaluated and also the way in which the properties of the materials could be affected by the manufacture method. This long chain of modeling, simulation, design, manufacture, construction, materials and properties is the
Figure 7: Simulink model, virtual plant identification. Source: Authors
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Figure 8: Simulation of heat transfer into a fluid in a helical tube (A); front view of the fluid in the tube (B); source: Authors
Opportunities
groundwork of the modern system of production, and new engineers should know and understand the basics of each of these areas. The area of the manufacturing processes within CADD-ProM corresponds to the design and manufacture of prototypes, as well as the selection of materials and the manufacturing process involved in the creation of mechanical devices.
The Modeling, Simulation, and Prototypes laboratory has the capability for advanced computing, digital design, and manufacturing processes, carrying out research projects such as modeling, design and construction of test benches, conversion of machines, simulation of micro turbines of hydroelectric generation, analysis of heat pumps and exchangers, and characterization of materials and structural simulation of parts. Each of these projects are associated with universities and
Figure 9: Overview of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Framework (MDOF); source: Authors
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companies, such as the Technological University of Pereira (UTP), the Antioquia University (UdeA), the Autonomous University of the Caribbean (UAC), the National University of Colombia, Medellín (UnalMedellín), E.S. Energía Solar Ltda, Solución Digital, SUMICOL, CENPEM (Campinas, Brazil), and CPqD (Campinas, Brazil). Finally, it is important to note that our laboratory is part of the newly created network of manufacturing for Medellín FABLAB, led by Rutan.
References Eichenberger. (n.d.). Cold Rolling Process - Moore International. Retrieved from http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=1zVqtMm_jyA. Scanners, A. 3D. (n.d.). Scanning a VW bus with Artec 3D. Retrieved from www.artec3d.com/es/case_ studies/Escaneando+un+bus+VW_5921. ScientiaWeb. (n.d.). Inertial Friction Welding. Retrieved from http://www.scientiaweb.com/2012/02/02/ inertia-friction-welding-an-amazing-manufacturingprocess-video/ Tmf. (n.d.). Technical Metal Finishing. Retrieved from http://www.tmfshotpeening.com/.
A
Figure 10: Cold working of a screw (A) (Eichenberger, 2014), shot peening of a gear (B) (Tmf, 2014) and inertial friction welding (C) (ScientiaWeb, 2014)
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C
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Polymers Laboratory
NEW EQUIPMENT AND PROJECTS IN THE POLYMERS LABORATORY
Carlos Andrés Vargas-Isaza, Juan Felipe Santa-Marín, Leyla Yamile JaramilloZapata, Juan Carlos Posada-Correa, Luis Alberto García carlosvargas@itm.edu.co
Abstract This article presents details about the Polymers Laboratory focusing on the background and the motivation to implement this laboratory. New equipment acquired is presented and a brief description of some research projects is provided. New opportunities related to polymers are also described. The Polymers Laboratory is focused on developing materials for high-performance applications, the use of sustainable materials, and nanocomposites. Introduction The research line on polymers that is a part of the Advanced Materials and Energy –MATyER research group, is working to propose solutions for issues related to synthesis, characterization and processing of polymers. For this purpose ITM recently opened a laboratory for analysis, development and processing of polymeric materials. Polymers are used today in everyday life. Some typical applications are biomedical devices (Sun et al., 2013), construction (Hollaway, 2010), packaging industry (Chin & Shivkumar, 2010), automotive industry (Szeteiová, 2010), airline and aerospace industry (Wright, 1991), etc. Polymers are versatile materials and their properties can be adapted to satisfy different requirements for specific applications. Hence, it is important to understand polymers and their properties, and how to modify them to create new and environmentally-friendly materials (Packham, 2012; Vasudevan, Ramalinga Chandra Sekar, Sundarakannan, & Velkennedy, 2012). In this context, a laboratory for studying polymers is important from a scientific and technological perspective. In the Polymers Laboratory researchers study, analyze and develop different polymers for a modern society demanding new materials.
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The polymers industry in Colombia has a consumption of raw materials estimated at 623 kilotons per year accounting for 623 million US dollars. Since it is necessary to satisfy a growing market that is becoming more competitive every day, it is crucial that production is highly efficient. Due to this fact, the use of new and optimal techniques to simulate, test and design products is of utmost importance. To optimize a polymer product or its production process, it is indispensable to take the different requirements and properties of the material into account, e.g. the mechanical, rheological, thermal properties, among others. The Polymers Laboratory of ITM provides the infrastructure to propose solutions to problems in the local polymer industry (Antioquia and Colombia). Polymers are important in different industrial clusters of Medellín, as they are typically used in textile/confection, construction, medicine and dentistry, and electric energy, among others. The Polymers laboratory started as a Galilei project. The aim of this project was the creation of a laboratory to perform mechanical tests and to process composite materials reinforced with fiber glass. The laboratory started with a Brookfield viscometer, mixers, ovens, thermocouples, thermo-stated baths, an injection machine of thermoset resins, and a universal testing machine. With this initial infrastructure it was possible to develop certain projects related to composites, such as: Design and construction of grillage for industrial applications from monolithic profiles made of Fiber Glass Reinforced Polyester (GFRP). Design and construction of aqueduct counter covers with GFRP obtained by Resin Transfer Molding. Design and construction of an automatic wheel chair for disabled population of ITM. Simulation by finite elements of flow front advance of resin in injection process by closed mold. Table 1 shows the published research articles from the projects mentioned above.
TITLE
JOURNAL / EVENT Advanced Composite Letters. ISSN 0963-6935. Volume. 20, Issue 06, November – December 2011. P. 173-182 Inglaterra. Tecno.lógicas. ISSN 0123-7799, N°28, enero – junio de 2012. Colombia Revista Ingeniería y Ciencia. ISSN 1794-9165. Colombia SLAP 2012. XIII Simposio Latinoamericano de Polímeros. XI Congreso Iberoamericano de Polímeros. Septiembre 2012. Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures. ISSN (Impreso): 1679-7817, ISSN (Digital): 1679-7825. Volume 10, Number 4. July 2013. P. 647-674. Brasil. Advanced Composite Letters. ISSN 0963-6935. Inglaterra.
State of the Art on Permeability Characterization of Fibrous Reinforcements Used in Resin Transfer Molding Process Selección de Resinas Poliester Insaturado para Procesos de Transferencia de Resina en Molde Cerrado Conjugate Stress – Strain Pairs for Finite Element Analysis Estudio del Fenómeno de Compactación en Preformas Reforzantes y su Influencia en las Propiedades Mecánicas de Materiales Compuestos Linear and Non Linear Finite Element Analysis of Shear-Corrected Composites Box Beams State of the Art on the Modeling and Simulation of the Filling Phenomenon in Liquid Composites Molding Boundary Element Approaches for Filling Simulations of Anisotropic Reinforced Preforms Used in the Resin Transfer Molding Process Filling Simulation of the RTM Process in Isotropic Homogeneous / Non Homogeneous Media Using the Boundary Element Method Vacíos por Atrapamiento Mecánico en Procesos de Moldeo Líquido: Mecanismos de Formación, Influencia y Reducción
Journal of Composite Materials. ISSN 0021-9983. Estados Unidos. Advanced Composite Materials. ISSN 09243046 (Print). 1568-5519 (Online). Japón Tecno.lógicas. ISSN 0123-7799, N°30, enero – junio de 2013. Colombia
Methods for Permeability Measurements of Fibrous Reinforced Preforms
Revista Facultad de Ingenierías. N°72, September 2014
Table 1: Publications from the composite team1 of the research line of polymeric materials. Source: Authors. 1
Juan David Vanegas Jaramillo, Iván David Patiño, Carlos Andrés Vargas, Leyla Jaramillo. 33
Other results obtained during in previous years are: Mold of grillage for industrial applications Mold for radial injections to perform experimental validations Equipment to measure permeability reinforcements Those projects focused on thermoset resins and the optimization during injection. The optimization was done in order to reduce waste and to obtain an environmentally-friendly process to increase productivity and reduce contamination. The studies were done using the equipment available in the laboratory to measure the main properties of materials, to design parts, and to optimize the processing of thermoset resins. The industry of thermoset resins in our region shows slow progress in technological development compared with the international market. Accordingly, it is important to have an adequate infrastructure to process polymers and perform characterization. The equipment available in the Polymers Laboratory of ITM can be used to provide solutions to problems in the polymer industry with great potential in new markets such as transport, aerospace, military industry, and others. Two years ago, a new research line named “Polymeric materials� was created in ITM and added to MATyER Group. The new research line and the Galilei laboratory were merged to create the new Polymers Laboratory. By using the equipment available in the new Polymers Laboratory, researchers are studying several families of polymers, e.g. thermosets, thermoplastics, elastomers and biopolymers.
New equipment and projects The Polymers Laboratory is one of the laboratories created in the Parque-i project. This project is promoted and financed by ITM. The new laboratory has three separate areas (as shown in Figures 1 to 3): Synthesis and characterization. Processing of thermoplastic. Processing of high-performance composites. The new equipment is now available and a brief description of the most important testing rigs is given as follows: Torque rheometer: This testing device is used to obtain small test blends of polymers and composites and to determine the processing parameters of blends A
Figure 1: Synthesis and characterization zone: Universal testing machine (A), storage and making of samples (B), synthesis zone (C); source: Authors, Polymers Laboratory, ITM
B
C
A
B
Figure 3: Thermoset and composites: Injection machine (A), molds (B), fibers (C); source: Authors, Polymers Laboratory, ITM
(Figure 4). The torque, required to deform the polymer at a given temperature is measured and used as a reference to select the injection parameters during processing. Injection Molding Machine: This machine injects thermoplastics by using molds and a heating system. The equipment has 90 Tons available to inject parts and evaluate different processing conditions and molds (see Figure 5 for details). It can be used to evaluate new materials and to obtain parts at an industrial scale. Twin Screw Extruder: This device obtains blends up to industrial scale. It is useful to study polymer recycling and to obtain new composite materials reinforced with fibers, nanoparticles and other polymers (see Figure 6).
Figure 2: Thermoplastics; source: Authors, Polymers Laboratory, ITM
Figure 4: Torque rheometer; source: Authors, Polymers Laboratory, ITM
Figure 5: Injection molding machine; source: Authors, Polymers Laboratory, ITM
The infrastructure of the Polymers Laboratory permits the development of research projects related to high– performance composites and conventional polymers. Additionally, other research projects in the field of thermoplastic and elastomeric materials are currently in progress. Some of the current research projects underway at the Polymers Laboratory are: Figure. 6: Twin Screw Extruder; source: Bimek ltda, www.bimek.com.co.
C
use of elastomers. And last but not least, a project to evaluate residual stress in injected thermoplastic parts is currently underway.
Nanocomposites from polyolefins and synthetic nanofillers Development of products obtained from a polymeric blend with coffee shuck Development of a master-blend from natural rubber modified with carbon black for the rubber productive chain
References Chin, A. W., & Shivkumar, S. (2010). Polymers for Innovative Food Packaging. Retrieved from http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/Eproject-050610-124822/unrestricted/Polymers_for_ Innovative_Food_Packaging.pdf
The research projects developed in the Polymers Laboratory are related to strategic areas in material science. In the first project, nanoparticles are used to optimize the properties of polymers using nanotechnology. In the second project, natural materials (fibers and waste materials) are used to make bio-based composites. In the last project, natural rubber is studied to find alternatives to replace synthetic rubber in order to process environmentally-friendly materials.
Hollaway, L. C. (2010). A review of the present and future utilisation of FRP composites in the civil infrastructure with reference to their important in-service properties. Construction and Building Materials, 24(12), 2419–2445. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.04.062
Opportunities
Packham, D. E. (2012). A crisis in the environment? The impact of polymers and adhesives. In POLYCHAR 20, World Forum on Advanced Materials (p. 13). Dubrovnik. Retrieved from http://opus.bath. ac.uk/27956/3/POLYCHAR_20_text.pdf
The team of the Polymers Laboratory is working on developing new materials, blends and composites and on proposing projects related to new challenges in polymer science. The aim is to give solutions to the polymer industry and different strategic clusters by applied research. One example of applied research deals with the development of high-performance composites made of a polymeric matrix and fabrics made of natural fibers via a liquid composite molding process for applications in bio-composites.
Sun, Z.-J., Sun, B., Tao, R.-B., Xie, X., Lu, X.-L., & Dong, D.-L. (2013). A poly(glycerol-sebacate-curcumin) polymer with potential use for brain gliomas. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A, 101(1), 253– 260. doi:10.1002/jbm.a.34319 SZETEIOVÁ, K. (2010). Automotive materials plastics in automotive markets today. Retrieved from http://www.mtf.stuba.sk/docs//internetovy_ casopis/2010/3/szeteiova.pdf
Thermoplastic and elastomeric materials are also processed in the Polymers Laboratory. Furthermore,
Vasudevan, R., Ramalinga Chandra Sekar, a., Sundarakannan, B., & Velkennedy, R. (2012). A technique to dispose waste plastics in an ecofriendly way – Application in construction of flexible pavements. Construction and Building Materials, 28(1), 311–320. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.08.031
This specific research project deals with the development of high-performance composites made of a polymeric matrix and fabrics made of natural fibers via a liquid composite molding process for applications in bio-composites.
Wright, W. W. (1991). Polymers in aerospace applications. Materials & Design, 12(4), 222–227. doi:10.1016/0261-3069(91)90169-5
a project entitled “Evaluation of nanostructure of inorganic materials as catalytic support in polyethylene production” will expand the research on Nanotechnology carried out in the Polymers Laboratory. Another project entitled “Design of a product from natural rubber blend and postindustrial leather” concentrates on the
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Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory
CONTROL SYSTEMS AND ROBOTICS LABORATORY: CURRENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS Juan Sebastián Botero-Valencia, Luis Javier Morantes-Guzmán, Leonardo Serna-Guarín, Germán David Goez-Sánchez, Augusto Enrique Salazar-Jiménez, Luis Germán García-Morales juanbotero@itm.edu.co
Abstract Control systems and robotics represent one of the fastest growing areas nowadays. Both areas are the result of the industry needs and the aim to facilitate some tasks of our daily life. In the Control Systems and Robotics Laboratory, we focus on problems related to automated diagnostics, characterization of new sensors, communication systems and the integration of new technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and 3D reconstruction. Currently, in this laboratory, we are working on some cutting-edge research areas such as cryptography algorithms, UAV, characterization of light sources, traffic engineering, computer-aided diagnosis and registration of surfaces for face modelling, in all cases oriented industrial applications. This article presents the current research areas we are concentrating on, the facilities in our laboratory, opportunities for the future, as well as the solutions we can provide to problems of our region and country. 37
Introduction Technology is clearly one of the most important factors that makes humans superior to other species. For this reason the development of technology, along with research processes, is closely related to economic growth. Particularly, control systems and robotics play an important role in this kind of progress. These two areas are intimately connected to automation processes, such as industrial control, assembly, perception and wireless control, among others. Currently, research in these areas has expanded to everyday applications, owing to the advent of the digital era and sensing technology. The application of control systems and robotics in different processes carried out by companies, would improve their efficiency and productivity, leading to a stronger Colombian industry in terms of competitiveness. However, this is still far from reality, even though some companies have started to include those technologies in the automation of several processes. Globally, the solution to some fundamental problems was been found already, but this is not the case in our country. With the purpose of offering innovative solutions to daily problems, a line of research named Control Systems and Robotics with its own laboratory has emerged in the Instituto Tecnol贸gico Metropolitano (ITM). This research line seeks to create knowledge in areas such as wireless sensor networks, sensor characterization, computer-aided diagnosis, teletraffic engineering, and applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can be applied to the different research and development processes in our region. Moreover, and thanks to the equipment available in our laboratory, we are conducting research on other cutting-edge topics like development of algorithms for humanoids, new strategies for industrial control, three-dimensional digital reconstruction, and human activity recognition.
Current Goals
area of investigation, viz. embedded systems, and in particular Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). WSNs are composed of a large number of nodes that are able to perform measurements through suitable sensors, to process the gathered data, and to send information to other network nodes. Nodes are small sensing devices placed in the environment, and therefore, they are resource-constrained. They are limited in terms of area, memory, computation capabilities or performance, and power. Power consumption is one of the most important constraints for battery-powered WSN nodes; power sources can, in some cases, be recharged by local power generators (e.g., small solar panels), although, the batteries might last longer, even without being recharged. In the last few years, we have developed a framework to help designers find an optimal trade-off between performance and power-consumption. This framework is oriented to nodes operating in hostile environments where security services such as authentication, confidentiality, and availability must be used to protect sensible data. The aim of the framework is to provide flexibility to the node tasks in terms of security, execution and energy management. This allows the tasks to run with an adequate level of security and with an effective use of the available energy. We are currently focusing on extending the capabilities of the framework and improving the way the security algorithms are used. New algorithms are being established in terms of power consumption, performance, implementation viability in low-end microprocessors and resistance to known attacks. Algorithms that provide a better balance between these aspects are being incorporated into the self-adjustment mechanism of our
The laboratory includes six research areas which have been developed using internal and external funding. These areas are: Cryptography algorithms characterization for nodes in wireless sensor networks UAVs Characterization of light sources Traffic engineering Computer-aided diagnosis of tuberculosis Non-rigid registration of surfaces for face modeling At the same time, we are exploring areas related to practical applications of newly acquired equipment such as: Designing a flexible radio prototype for wireless communications using Field Programmable Gate Arrays Inertial measurement to obtain and register variable biomechanics in athletes Human activity recognition Statistical traffic engineering UAVs autonomous navigation for farming
Cryptography algorithms characterization for Wireless Sensor Networks Our research group is involved in a cutting-edge 38
framework to be used in embedded systems which have a strong limitation in their computational capabilities.
ideal black body, which belongs to a particular color of light emanating from said radiation source. These measures are important as they determine two variables in the color measurement. Our method uses the above mentioned measures for characterizing objects in the real world and allows us to implement these methods into several manufacturing processes for quantitative quality control.
UAVs The use of UAVs has considerably increased in the past years, mostly due to their availability and the wide range of useful applications they offer. One of these applications is the use of UAVs in search and rescue missions in which the non-controlled environment of a disaster zone might pose a risk to human lives, and hence the versatility of UAVs with high maneuverability can be a reliable and effective solution. Thus, the UAVs might collect information over disaster or emergency zones and send it to a command and control station without endangering humans. For this scenario, we must provide UAVs with the ability to navigate through non-controlled environments or disaster areas. Another possible application is the use of UAVs as a primary system for land-mine detection. For this application, UAVs require capabilities for obstacle avoidance, in such a manner that a UAV is able to evade trees and follow paths where mobility might be problematic for humans or terrestrial vehicles.
Artificial lighting has been established from the necessity and the importance of using the correct light source for each case in order to achieve the most appropriate color reproduction. Classification was necessary to identify and develop measurement variables, such as first CCT and later CRI. These measures are calculated from the spectral power distribution, thus they are a representation of the spectral shape of the source. The spectral functions are not used as a measure because their interpretation does not directly reflect the information of color reproduction. Therefore, the indexes such as CCT and CRI allow the classification of light sources by their ability to reproduce color and are currently used in studies on environmental policies. Numerous studies confirm the effect of light sources on our daily lives and these studies directly relate to the CRI and CCT indexes.
UAVs are composed of electromechanical devices and require lots of automatic control algorithms. From this perspective, UAVs belong to the scope of this line of research and might enable the group to develop a high number of applications based on aerial robotics. At this time, we are concentrating our efforts on the definition and characterization of the required sensors for making UAVs aware of their surroundings, whether in a close or open space. One of the priorities is the use of low cost electronics and low complexity signal processing techniques that provide the UAV with capabilities of self-location and obstacle avoidance.
Finally, it is clear that the light sources affect the perception and therefore also the existing color. It is necessary to develop studies to derive measures, such as CCT and CRI, which allow the classification of light sources. Color has been important in human evolution, we now know that primitive instincts play a crucial role in decision making. Hence, the study of light, as one of the elements that make up a color system, is an important topic of research. We aim to find a better way of expressing the world that we see and bring it closer to the world we want to see.
Characterization of light sources
Traffic engineering
Color is a perceptual feature derived from the light reflected on an object and does not represent a physical property. Light sources play a key role in color perception; therefore, it is important to define color characterization models. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is one of the measures used in color characterization. CRI characterizes the color reproduction ability of a light source in comparison to an ideal source of light. The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) is another measure for color characterization. The CCT determines a respective color of a light source quantitatively. The color temperature is defined as the temperature of an
Traffic engineering is the method used to analyze and scale communication channels in both telephone systems and data channels. Its application extends to general systems of vehicular traffic and people. Companies and users demand increasingly high amounts of traffic and devices and technologies need to be appropriate or renewed. The communication channel capacity and the set of requirements for scaling are determined via traffic analysis techiques. In addition, performance analysis is carried out to find the optimum operating conditions in networks commonly 39
used as industrial enterprise networks which require high performances.
classification. The study begins with the acquisition of images from individual Ziehl-Neelsen-stained sputum smear slides that are positive for TB. With these images, a database without clinical or demographic patient identification is acquired. In conventional microscopy images, bacteria are not easy to separate. To overcome this obstacle, a background removal algorithm and color space techniques are used. Once the bacteria are detected, classified and interpreted within the recognition system, the results are compared to experts’ diagnoses for validation. The detection of TB, one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide, via a routine, computer-aided analysis will have a huge impact on the basic health care systems.
Our research group aims to develop methodologies for assessing traffic condition statistics from communications networks. We are focused on finding the most important features of the communication system. We determine the times and minimum conditions of a communication channel that can be used to process monitoring and remote control in real time. These monitoring and control processes are important for inaccessible environments, and even more so if they represent an imminent risk to the integrity of a human being. Therefore, our main interest is to develop strategies for remote sensing of systems installed in non-friendly environments where the response time is a critical factor.
Computer-aided tuberculosis
diagnosis
Non-rigid registration of surfaces for face modeling
of
Recent advances in the 3D acquisition technologies allow the higly accurate capture of geometry information of almost any object. This situation has motivated research since new information needs to be analyzed efficiently. We focus our attention on developing techniques for the automatic non-rigid registration of 3D data. This has a broad range of applications such as computed assisted design, biomedical imaging, non-destructive testing, and automatic inspection, among others. Currently, we are working with information from human faces. The aim is to compute dense point-to-point correspondences among a set of human face scans. We accepted the challenge of developing registration methods with the ability of handling variations due to facial expressions, ethnicities, occlusions, incomplete data, etc.
Microscopic image processing is used to produce and analyze images acquired from a microscope in fields such as medicine, biological research, and metallurgy. Image processing techniques have been widely used in the last decade in the field of medical imaging and microscopy with a consistent effort from researchers. Considering the importance of the efficiency in the diagnosis of any pathology, many computer aided image analysis systems have been proposed. The complex diagnostic process is time-consuming and tedious, but may, through the provision of quantitative data extracted from the images, facilitate and improve the work of pathologists and biologists.
Once the information is properly registered, it is possible to build statistical models that are able to encode the main modes of variation simultaneously. In the case of registered faces, the statistical model encodes face shape and expression at the same time. With these models we can design new registration methods, which are able to reconstruct the facial information from noisy and incomplete data. The model is also capable of coping with occlusions caused by accessories and clothing.
Sputum smear microscopy is a laboratory test for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), which is a pathological condition caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affects more than two billion people or every third person worldwide. Every year TB causes 2 million deaths and is, together with HIV and malaria, one of the world’s most common infectious diseases. This sputum smear microscopy is a completely manual process, requiring a dedicated professional to perform the evaluation.
Our next goal is the analysis of 4D data in order to model the dynamics embedded in the data. We also want to use the developed methods in other contexts, such as civil engineering, digital tomography, sports, and robotics, among others.
Pattern recognition techniques applied to microscopic images taken with digital cameras can be used to reduce the subjectivity of the evaluation particularly with regard to false negative results and support the biomedical specialist’s performance. The steps involved in aided microscopy include auto focusing of digital cameras, image capture, image segmentation and object
Figure 1: Digital Microscope System. Source: Authors 40
Facilities Digital Microscope System The Leica DM750 M (Figure 1) is a materials microscope that was specifically designed to serve the needs of standard quality control and material analysis for applications in an industrial laboratory. The mechanical stage can be used for both transmitted light (built in LED Illumination) and reflected light (4-Segment LED illumination for Incident light contrast, Oblique contrast, and Pol-contrast) to deliver high quality images of the most demanding specimens. This allows us to work with different specimens conserving the same microscope configuration. A Leica ICC50 HD digital camera is attached to the microscope, particularly remarkable for their fast live images (45 fps), exposure time (2 msec – 2 sec), high resolution (3.1 megapixels) and clear contrast. The camera can be connected to a PC with a single interface cable. This digital microscope system is used for digital inspection, observation and measurement in different biomedical and industrial aplications. NAO H25 Nao H25 is a humanoid robot with 25 Degrees of Freedom (DoG) manufactured by Aldebaran Robotics (Figure 2), France. The head has two DoG, each arm has five, the pelvis has one, each leg has five, and one for each hand. It also has two CMOS cameras, four microphones, touch sensors, ultrasonic sensors, one accelerometer, two
Figure 2: NAO H25, background KUKA KR5 arc HW. Source: Authors
gyroscopes and bumpers to acquire information from the environment. The programming interface is open and allows to directly (Phyton, .Net, Urbiscript) control all the sensors and actuators of the robot (with the risk involved) or can use a graphical interface provided by the manufacturer through which can modify only small scripts with some restrictions. The purpose of this system is to investigate new environment recognition algorithms, integrated in locomotion techniques for developing applications in human computer interaction (HMI). The H25 model in particular has been used in applications for interaction with children in autism therapy. Quadrotor The quadrotor is an aircraft that functions as a helicopter, but its structure is based on four motors. There are two of these machines in our laboratory, with a complete UAV solution that offers remote control and autonomous flight, allowing mission planning and telemetry to a ground station. The first quadrotor has the ability of flying automatically, with a flight range of 30 minutes, with a maximum range to the remote control of 500 meters, and range to the wireless telemetry system of 1,500 meters. Its load capacity is up to 1 kg. The second quadrotor (Figure 3) has the same abilities, but its load capacity is up to 2 kg.
Figure 3: Quadrotor with 2 Kg of load capacity. Source: Author
Opportunities Designing a Flexible Radio Prototype for Wireless Communications using Field Programmable Gate Arrays Wireless networking is becoming very important in modern communication systems given the number of conveniences that these kinds of networks provide. This is cause for a wide number of standards with specific requirements and constraints. The constant evolution of wireless communication represents a big challenge for designers because for each standard a new specific station has to be deployed, which is very expensive and the development is slow. In order to reduce the time to incorporate a new service, the Software Defined Radio concept is introduced. The main idea behind these systems is to implement a specified set of capabilities through elements that can be reconfigured by software. A Software Defined Platform contains the basic radio hardware and the software system necessary to support a waveform (reprogrammable components are configured by the waveform). Here, the radio hardware is generic and can support multiple waveforms. Software Defined Radio systems are very useful because they allow cost reduction of logistics and facilitate upgrading of current platforms. However, this kind of system is very complex and costly; they are computationally expensive as they
require a lot of signal processing at high rates. Thus, implementing all the required computations in software may not be very efficient.
relevant characteristics of the network as they determine the minimum time required for real-time control procedures. Monitoring systems and remote control play an important role in environments where access is difficult, or where imminent risks threaten the integrity of the user. Because of this, they need to be controlled remotely.
Alternatively, it is possible to provide a solution to overcome the problem of complexity. This is why we plan to design a flexible radio platform combining processors and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to allow the reconfiguration of its capabilities and specifications. Signal processing at physical and link layers (IEEE 802.11) is performed by programmable logic elements like FPGAs (hardware), which can be configured at runtime according to the requirements of the application. The processors, instead, are in charge of processing all the high-layer data as well as the programming and configuration of the hardware (FPGA).
Mixed networks are widely used, especially the Ethernet, due to its low-cost of implementation and maintenance, and the fact that it is appropriate to use in any process of data transfer. Thus, by analyzing network traffic, system conditions are evaluated in order to perform real-time monitoring and control. Human activity recognition Ambient-assisted living aims to exploit activity monitoring, recognition, and assistance to support independent living and ageing. Field-specific systems may also help high-level athletes to improve their performance or scores, as well as amateurs, to get insights about how to improve progress within a particular sport discipline. Although activity recognition shares many methodological challenges with other fields, such as computer vision, natural language processing or speech recognition, it also faces a number of unique challenges and requires a dedicated set of computational methods that extend on those developed in these fields. Activity recognition is a complex process that can be roughly characterized by four basic tasks. These tasks include:
Inertial measurement to obtain and register biomechanics variables in athletes Sport is one of the first manifestations of human competition. The search for benefits has been an ongoing area of research. Technology has played an important role in the development of sports seeking to optimize training conditions and the amount of information that can be obtained for further analysis. Inertial Measurement Units consist of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers that are manufactured currently in microelectronic circuits and are integrated in many mobile devices and in multiple games. One of the great advantages of using inertial measurement comes from the possibility of integrating physical measurements to derive new ones. Currently many applications have been developed, given its low cost and high level of integration.
1. Choosing and deploying appropriate sensors to objects and environments in order to monitor and capture a user’s behavior
In this line of research, we propose to develop an inertial measurement system with electronic components as well as a software platform for collecting, recording and displaying the biomechanical variables in athletes using low-cost hardware; in addition we will use the information to analyze the physical performance of athletes. In conjunction with the Swimming League of Antioquia we developed the early stages of this project and a wide experimental basis consistent of the behavior of inertial units, building electronic devices, the implementation of the communication system and the evaluation of EMC conditions.
2. Collecting, storage, and processing of perceived information through data analysis techniques and/or knowledge representation 3. Creating computational activity models in a way that allows software systems/agents to conduct reasoning and manipulation 4. Selecting or developing reasoning algorithms to infer activities from sensor data. For each individual task, a raft of methods, technologies, and tools are available for use. It is often the case that the selection of a method used for one task is dependent on the method used for another task.
Statistical traffic engineering We also focus on research into the use of statistical methodologies for assessing traffic conditions and
There are hundreds of contributions that tackle the 43
activity recognition problem; the maturity of this ďŹ eld is still reduced due to numerous unresolved issues related to system reliability and robustness. There is no common deďŹ nition, or structure of human activities that would allow us to formulate a clear problem. Moreover, human activity is highly diverse and its recognition therefore requires careful selection of several heterogeneous sensors that differ in their capabilities and characteristics.
number of flights and hence the collected information. In order to generate solutions that allow innovation for efficient growth of the cattle, there is still much to be done on automatic information processing. Therefore, we plan to develop a system for the acquisition and analysis of aerial images of cattle herds adapted to the Colombian geography. First, specialized navigation strategies will be developed for tracking the cattle. Next, computer vision techniques will be developed for the automatic analysis of the images. These procedures will be integrated into a user-friendly application to assist production processes for small and large farms in the country.
UAVs autonomous navigation for farming Agriculture and livestock have benefited greatly from advances in UAV technologies. New strategies for crop monitoring, and inventory control of cattle have been developed. This has led to the reduction of manufacturing costs, or even to quality improvement of products.
Current Projects 1. Development of a system for inertial measurement and recording biomechanical variables in athletes. Funded by Colciencias.
Cryptography algorithms characterization for nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSN)
2. Evaluation of distance sensors, inertial and geospatial for automatic navigation of a micro air vehicle, based on a set of four helices. Funded by ITM. 3. Development of an experimental methodology to obtain the spectral response of inexpensive photodetectors to derive photometric models. Eligible for internal funding. 4. Development of a methodology for evaluating the performance of a converged network. Case Study: Telecommunication laboratory of ITM. Eligible for internal funding.
However, in the case of livestock, control and processing of the information acquired with the UAVs still needs to be done under human supervision. One of the main challenges in developing a fully automated solution, it is to equip the UAVs with the ability to optimally explore rugged geography, with the aim of minimizing the
5. Computer-aided detection of acid-fast bacilli in sputum smear microscopy with a motorized microscope
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using image processing. Funded by ITM.
robot limpiador de piscinas. Tecnura.
6. Cryptography Algorithms Characterization for Nodes in Wireless Sensor Networks with the ability of adapting their behavior according to environment conditions. Eligible for internal funding.
Goez Sanchez, G. D., Botero Valencia, J. S., & Morantes Guzman, L. J. (2013). Light sensor characterization and linearization to compensate indoor ilumination. XVIII Simposio de Tratamiento de Señales, Imágenes Y Visión Artificial. Morantes Guzman, L. J., Roa Guerrero, E., Cortes Mancera, F., Guerrero Gonzalez, N., & Cardona Maya, W. (2012). Evaluación asistida por computador de la viabilidad espermática en humanos. Ingeniería Biomédica.
Recent publications Here, we present a compillation of recent studies published by researchers in our group.
Osorio, M. F., Salazar Jimenez, A. E., Prieto Ortiz, F. A., Boulanger, P., & Figueroa, P. (2012). Three-dimensional Digitization of Highly Reflective and Transparent Objects Using Multi-Wavelength Range Sensing. Machine Vision And Applications.
Botero Valencia, J. S., Lopez Giraldo, F. E., & Vargas Bonilla, J. F. (2013a). Calibration method for Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) measurement using RGB color sensors. XVIII Simposio de Tratamiento de Señales, Imágenes Y Visión Artificial.
Salazar Jimenez, A. E., Wuhrer, S., Shu, C., & Prieto Ortiz, F. A. (2014). Fully automatic expression-invariant face correspondence. Machine Vision And Applications.
Botero Valencia, J. S., Lopez Giraldo, F. E., & Vargas Bonilla, J. F. (2013b). Método de Calibración para Medir el Índice de Reproducción Cromática (CRI) usando Sensores RGB. Tecno Lógicas.
Vincenzo Taddeo, A., García Morales, L. G., & Ferrante, A. (2011). System Policies for Gradual Tuning of Security and Workload in Wireless Sensor Networks. Proceedings of IEEE.
Botero Valencia, J. S., & Morantes Guzman, L. J. (2013). Estimación de distancia con sensores ópticos reflexivos usando redes neuronales con funciones de base radial para aplicaciones embebidas. Ingenieria y Universidad.
Vincenzo Taddeo, A., García Morales, L. G., & Ferrante, A. (2012). A Framework For Dynamic Optimization of Security and Performances. Springer-Verlag.
Botero Valencia, J. S., Navarro Gallon, S. M., Giraldo Calderon, N. D., & Atehortua Garces, L. (2014). Estimación de Radiación Fotosintéticamente Activa (PAR) usando un espectrómetro de bajo costo. Ieee America Latina. Cardona Rendon, L., Ortiz Valencia, P. A., & Botero Valencia, J. S. (2014). Sistema de navegación para un
Campus Fraternidad ITM
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Machine intelligence and pattern recognition Laboratory
CURRENT TRENDS IN MACHINE INTELLIGENCE AND PATTERN RECOGNITION Leonardo Duque-Muñoz, Jairo Andrés Vélez-Pérez, Jorge Alberto Jaramillo-Garzón, Hermes Alexander Fandiño-Toro, María Constanza Torres-Madroñero, Delio Augusto Aristizabal-Martínez leonardoduque@itm.edu.co
Abstract Automatic recognition, description, classification, pattern grouping and machine learning are important problems in a variety of disciplines related to science and engineering; for this reason, machine learning becomes a transversal and multidisciplinary area of research. The present article introduces the Machine Intelligence and Pattern Recognition Laboratory (MIRP) of Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano. MIRP is dedicated to the study and development of artificial intelligence tools and machine learning. The research line generates knowledge through research projects of a high scientific level, which respond to the needs of the productive sector and the technological development in our region. In this paper, the researchers, laboratory equipment, research methodology, partial results in biomedical signal processing, image processing, bioinformatics and opportunities for future research of MIRP are presented.
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Introduction Automation refers to the use of machines, control systems and information technologies to optimize processes and bring them to levels beyond the quality achievable by human beings. In this sense, automation goes far beyond simple control engineering, as these machines must often perform tasks that involve making decisions and solving basic problems, which need to emulate human intelligence. The study and development of systems with these characteristics is known as “artificial intelligence” and includes the development of systems that can learn and use the knowledge learned in the automatic decision making process. Given the above, the Automatic, Electronics and Computer Science research group of Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), has a research line dedicated to the study and development of artificial intelligence tools and machine learning. This research area is called Machine Intelligence and Pattern Recognition (MIRP) and is at the forefront of development, research and innovation in the Institute. The research line generates knowledge through research projects of a high scientific level, which must respond to the needs of the productive sector and the technological development of Medellín and Antioquia, using technology and tools of machine intelligence and pattern recognition (Jain et. al., 2000). This mission is a challenge accepted and approached by signal-image processing and biological sequence processing. Signal processing includes the topics of pre-processing, representation and classification in order to create automated systems for decision making by different artificial intelligence techniques (Castellanos, 2005), thereby objectively supporting high risk procedures. Major applications include audio processing, speech processing (Godino et al., 2006), communications systems, vibration analysis, seismology, data mining and biomedicine. Meanwhile, biological sequences have derived different applications in bioinformatics. The MIRP research line, conducts its research activities in the Machine Intelligence Laboratory, in Parque i. The laboratory has five professors, six master students in the Control and Industrial Automation program who are working in pattern recognition, and fifteen undergraduate students of Electronic, Systems and Biomedical engineering programs. The main areas of research in MIRP are biomedical signal processing, image processing for remote sensing applications, thermography image processing and bioinformatics.
Methodology
interactive environment for algorithm development, resolving doubts and formulation of research projects in the areas of interest. Students can choose from five different areas of work once they complete the first four months of active presence in the group, where the students learn to handle informatics tools such as Matlab, R, laTeX, and Unix/Linux related to each area. This training process is complemented by the participation of students in active research projects of each researcher.
The main objective of the research line is to generate knowledge through research projects, support teaching of our students and generate cooperation with industry. This is approached from the areas of machine intelligence and pattern recognition, focused on the technological development of the region and the country. Research carried out in MIRP has several steps, from the selection of undergraduate and postgraduate students, to research processes, the management and implementation of scientific and technological projects. In order to include undergraduate students in MIRP, a formative research group focused on signal and image processing was created, called artificial and computational intelligence undergraduate group. In the undergraduate research group some activities such as discusion of scientific articles, studying theoretical foundations, practical issues of interest to the students, simulations using high-level technical computing language and
Finally, the involvement of these students has the additional purpose of promoting research capabilities so that they can enter the postgraduate programs offered at the institution. The Masters in Control and Industrial Automation is supported by MIRP. The design and implementation of research projects in MIRP is shown in Figure 1. At this stage the students in investigation, the MSc students and the professors of MIRP, begin their research process generating ideas or identifying research interests, and doing state of the art 47
reviews, to identify problems that need solutions. For this purpose, the following steps are followed:
related to the area and identifying key issues to solve problems. Once the contributions are identified, the proposed research will generate projects for researchers, professors or students that enable collaboration even with other research lines.
1. Interests Identification: students and researchers choose an application to solve an issue in the social, scientific or economic field, in order to develop their research projects.
5. After writing the research proposal, having
Figure 1: Methodology of investigation in MIRP
identified the problems that require solutions in selected fields, and in which the students of the research line find affinity, the project can be carried out.
2. Field selection: once the research interests are identified, the approach to solve the problem is designed. This approach is associated with the interest of the researcher. Approaches will be considered by reviewing the state of the art.
Hardware:
3. State of the art: a literature review should be performed to identify issues that require solution and allow focusing the investigations; this review will reveal failures and contributions that have been made to the area of application and approaches of interest.
For data acquisition and the construction of our own data bases, MIRP laboratory has a National Instrument DAQ called NI USB-6366 which has among its main features eight analog inputs to 16 bit resolution, two analog outputs at the same resolution, 24 digital input and output, four counter / timers with a sampling frequency of 100 MHz and USB storage with a PC greater than 1Gb / s values.
4. Possible contributions: once the state of the art in the selected field has been mapped out, a possible gap is identified, that can be targeted by a research project. This process is achieved by performing implementations that allow students to replicate results from other authors
MIRP has 5 Workstations Dell T7600 for executing 48
artificial intelligence algorithms. These workstations have 2 Operative Systems, Windows 7 by default, and Kubuntu 13.10. The workstations have 2 Processors Intel(R) Xeon(R) E5-2667 @2.90GHz with 64 bits, of 6 cores, 32 GB of RAM memory, video card Nvidia Quadro, and Tesla card C2075 of 448 applicationacceleration cores ideal for parallel computation. There are also 3 Raspberry Pi used for embedded system development. An important machine dedicated to complex computer simulations in bioinformatics, biomedical signal processing and image processing, is also available in the MIRP laboratory. This machine of High Performance Computing (HPC) has 4.6 teraflops, 42 disk teras, 16 modules, 256 GB RAM/module, 1 server I/O.
Results Biomedical signal processing Figure 2: Computed Relevance Rhythm Diagrams.
L. Duque-Muñoz has participated in research related to automatic diagnosis of epilepsy (Adeli et, al 2003). His latest paper, soon to be published, includes the development of a method for displaying neurological conditions called Relevance Rhythm Diagram (RRD), which is an orthorhombic–shaped strip of uniform width, computed in such a way that relevance weights of a given referenced neural state must be confined within the narrow region (actually, within a 3 times standard deviation width of corresponding rhythm values).
accuracy of 100%. Also, the introduced relevance rhythm diagram of physiological rhythms gives effective support to epileptic seizure monitoring with the added benefit of easy implementation and clinical interpretation.
Figure 2 shows an example of RRD for a single normal and ictal signal. Here, the signals of the reference class are circumscribed (red), while the signals of the compared class present variations in the energy of its rhythms (blue). In this case, the actual signal has an increased value in the delta and theta band, as compared with the reference normal signal. To improve the interpretation of the assessed weights for both neural brain states under comparison, the rhythm location is intentionally changed to get better perception among obtained relevance weights. To draw an RRD, relevance weights are estimated for a set of single–channel EEG segments of 23.6 s length. In the case of epileptic events, the shape of the seizure–related diamond becomes strained, i.e., the vertical axis is wider while the horizontal axis tends to be narrower.
Image processing applications
for
remote
sensing
Ph.D. Maria Torres has international publications in the area of remote sensing and hyperspectral image processing, in particular in the conference “SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing” in the USA (Torres-Madronero & Velez-Reyes 2012), the Workshop on Hyperspectral Image and Signal Processing: Evolution in Remote Sensing (WHISPERS) sponsored by IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (Torres-Madronero & Velez-Reyes 2013; Torres-Madronero & Velez-Reyes 2012b; Torres-Madronero et al. 2011). Additionally, she has a published article (Goenaga et al. 2012) in the Journal of selected topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing.
The proposed approach provides reliable identification of traces of interictal/ictal states of epilepsy with an 49
provide good results with the appropriate number of end members. However, there are no reliable methods to determine the number of end members. The automated estimation of the number of end members is still an open problem in hyperspectral image processing.
Remote sensing for earth observation uses space borne or airborne sensors to acquire information about a surface. These data allow the characterization of the terrestrial surface, the atmosphere, and the oceans. Remote sensors are useful tools for several applications such as land cover classification, cartography, urban growth monitoring, weather observations, military applications and even planetary exploration. One of the most promising types of remote sensing systems are hyperspectral sensors. These sensors measure the radiation reflected or emitted by a surface across the electromagnetic spectrum, capturing spectral information in hundreds of narrow contiguous bands. The spatial and spectral information collected by the hyperspectral sensors offer a unique opportunity for the remote identification of materials.
The increasing availability of high spatial and spectral resolution sensors opens new possibilities for remote exploration of materials, at the same time that new challenges are imposed for the processing of hyperspectral images. One of these challenges is the incorporation of the spatial information into the analysis. It is expected that spatial-spectral techniques will improve the results of spectral approaches, whence more algorithms that take full advantage of the spatial and spectral information captured by hyperspectral sensors should be developed. In the project, currently developed in MIRP with internal funding, we are looking for studying and developing new processing techniques that take full advantage of the spatial and spectral information of hyperspectral imagery. Using nonlinear diffusion techniques and multiscale representation, it is possible to integrate the spatial and spectral information, without using spatial kernel or segmentation techniques. The project seeks to understand the effects of different parameters of multiscale representation over hyperspectral processing results, parameter such as the suitable scale to do unmixing.
Spectral information collected by hyperspectral sensors can be the result of mixing different materials in the sensor field of the view. For instance, if the ground instantaneous field of view of the sensor is larger than the objects being sensed then multiple materials occupy a single pixel in the image. There are linear and nonlinear models to describe these mixed pixels. The Linear Mixing Model (LMM) sees the pixel surface as the result of the sum of the contributions of each material or end members weighted by their abundances. The nonlinear model assumes a more complex scenario where particles of a same material reflect the light in a non-uniform way. LMM is the most often used model since it is considered a good approximation to the reality, especially for remote sensing applications where images with resolution in meters are used. Solving the inverse problem, i.e. segregation or unmixing, is a great interest in remote sensing image analysis. In unsupervised unmixing, the number of end members, their spectral signatures and the abundances are estimated from hyperspectral data. Unmixing is a case of a generalized inverse problem where the model parameters are estimated from measured data. Unmixing is an ill posed problem, and their results are affected by the perturbation in the measured spectral images (resulted by the interaction of the signal with the environment and the system), and the underlying assumptions of the different unmixing approaches.
Thermography Image processing One of the research fields in which MIRP is working is the digital processing of infrared thermography (IRT) images. Specifically, analyzing methodologies for characterizing the heat propagation in surfaces, using directional information from IRT images, obtained from histogram of oriented gradients and orientation fields. We are also carrying out exploratory analysis for IRT image enhancement, intended for further projection over the surfaces from which we acquire the images. M.Eng. Hermes Fandi単o has international publications, presented in the International Conference on Surveillance (Fandi単o et al. 2011). This conference is devoted to all topics related to development of acoustical and vibration methods and applications for surveillance and diagnostics. He has also presented his research in The 3rd International Conference Condition Monitoring of Machinery in Non-Stationary Operations (Fandi単o et al. 2012),
Most algorithms for unmixing are based on the geometrical approach. Pixels in the hyperspectral images are points in a high-dimensional scatterplot that form a simplex where the vertices are the end members. The problem with the geometrical methods, as well as most of the unmixing techniques, is that they only use the spectral information in the hyperspectral image. In addition, most of the existing end member extraction algorithms
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and The International Symposium of Image, Signal Processing and Artificial Vision (Medina et al. 2013). The ongoing focus of this researcher is thermography image processing with orientation fields.
Bioinformatics Recent advances in molecular biology and genomic research, such as advances in DNA and protein sequencing techniques, have generated an unprecedented amount of stored data (Liew et. al., 2005). The early approaches on biologic annotation were experimental and usually focused on specific genes or proteins. However, the current dimensions of data bases have made of manual annotation a difficult and almost intractable problem, generating even an increasing gap between available and annotated sequences (Pandey et. al., 2006).
Orientation fields are estimations of the perpendicular directions to the gradients, averaged over a pixels window. Their main feature is that the angles in the orientation field are defined only for the range [-pi, pi], so it is possible to characterize the directional information of an image, using 180 gradients directions less than in the case of gradient directions (360).
Bioinformatics is a discipline focused on the utilization and development of computational techniques for addressing problems in molecular biology and associated disciplines, and one of its central problems is the prediction of protein functions from their amino acid sequences (Figure 4). There exist mainly three different approaches for trying to accomplish this task: annotation transfer from homologues, sub-sequence based methods and feature based methods (Pandey et. al., 2006).
We have shown the usefulness of orientation fields for diagnosing the operating condition of rotating machinery. The orientation fields, originally intended for description of anisotropic propagation processes, are mostly used for modeling ridge-valleys shapes in fingerprints, but we use them successfully for characterizing the heat propagation in IRT images, and we apply this methodology for the specific task of diagnosing the operating condition of a rotating machine as seen in Figure 3.
In this framework, research at the MIRP laboratory has been focused on the use of machine learning tools in order to predict protein function from the information contained in the primary sequence of the protein (Giraldo-Forero et. al, 2011), (Jaramillo-Garz贸n et. al, 2013), winning a national award at the XVI Symposium of Signal Processing, Images and Artificial Vision, STSIVA 2011, and an international award at the International Conference on Bioinformatics Models, Methods and Algorithms, Bioinformatics 2013.
A
Such works present the development of software tools allowing biologists to perform automatic annotations of novel protein sequences without experimental assays. Although several methods have previously been proposed for this task, they are mainly focused on refining the results obtained from common alignment tools (see, for example, GOblet (Groth et. al., 2004), OntoBlast (Zehetner, 2003), GOFigure (Khan, 2003) and GOtcha (Martin et. al., 2004)) and, in such methods,
B
Figure 3: Thermography image of rotatory machine (A); heat propagation in IRT images (B)
Figure 4: Hemoglobin protein 51
the failure of conventional alignment tools to adequately identify homologous proteins at significant e-values is not considered (Hawkings et. al., 2009). In contrast, methods developed at ITM are designed to avoid the dependency on alignment by using machine learning techniques trained over feature spaces of physicalchemical, statistical or locally-based attributes. Those methods employ techniques such as support vector machines combined with bio-inspired meta-heuristics, often outperforming other methods in the literature.
techniques offers an excellent opportunity to gain new knowledge. - Thermography images: currently we are working on the digital processing of infrared thermography images, which in its raw form associates each pixel in an image acquired with the thermographic camera, with the temperature value in the scene region represented by that pixel. This is a research field of growing interest because many phenomena can be described in terms of changes in the spatial distribution of temperatures of an object. In general, for an interesting surface, we can link a normal condition with maximum or minimum achievable temperature values, or with characteristic temperature spread patterns, and then it is possible to associate changes in values or spread patterns with a potentially abnormal condition. We can use this principle for applications ranging from detection of fever in persons, to detection of subsurface defects on metal surfaces and composite materials in the aerospace industry. Actually, we are focusing the analysis and processing of thermal images in the infrared and near infrared spectrum, and its projection on surfaces from which we acquire the images. Potential opportunities for this kind of analysis are manifold, as they would involve those applications in which the interest of both the thermal analysis (analysis of subsurface defects in materials of various kinds, medical imaging, etc.) and augmented reality is given, for the superposition of three-dimensional visual information on scenarios.
Opportunities In this section the research opportunities of MIRP are addressed: -Biomedical signal processing: future lines of research include the application of the discussed Relevance Rhythm Diagram to analyze other brain activities and to determine the feasibility of seizure prediction. Besides, more elaborate techniques of EEG analysis, (by example, neural activity mapping) are also considered for the diagnosis of epilepsy with higher accuracy. -Hyperspectral image processing: remote sensors have become more important for several Earth observation applications including environment studies, surveillance and security, terrestrial and maritime ecosystem monitoring, agriculture, and data mining. Remote sensing used spaceborne or airborne sensors to capture data about the Earth’s surface. This data require advanced processing techniques to extract useful information for the different applications. Machine learning, signal processing and digital image processing provide powerful tools to process the remote sensing data. Several techniques and methodologies have been proposed for remote sensing applications. However, there are still several unresolved questions about how to extract the information in an efficient and reliable form. For example, hyperspectral sensors collect the radiation reflected or emitted in hundred the narrow contiguous bands across the electromagnetic spectrum. These sensors offer a unique opportunity for the remotely exploration of the Earth. However, most of the techniques proposed are based on spectrophotometry analysis, i.e. this method does not take the spatial information in the hyperspectral image into account. Using advanced techniques of image processing combined with machine learning these unresolved problems can be addressed. For MIRP, this application field is new, but, the extend experience of MIRP with machine learning and signal processing
- Bioinformatics: research on bioinformatics offers promising opportunities and challenges for Colombia. Since we are one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, exploring biodiversity data could offer several interesting research fields and possibilities to develop new products and to create potential markets. However there is still a need for the design of the appropriate tools to explore such data. Bioinformatics provide the necessary knowledge and means for designing software applications that merge biology with engineering, and can be able to extract valuable information from raw data. Every day, new challenges in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics arise worldwide. Research groups with the capacity of facing those challenges will be at the vanguard of research in the world and will make our country competitive and innovative. The research trends that we are developing in this sense are focused on the use of proteomics software for predicting protein functions in vegetative organisms from the Colombian biodiversity (Jaramillo et. Al 2013), including agricultural products. Also, we are interested in using highperformance computing for the analysis of big data sets 52
in metabolomics and simulating RNA models for making predictions in viruses and bacteria.
and signal processing. Hermes Fandiño Toro concluded his undergraduate studies in electronic engineering in 2009, and his postgraduate studies in MEng of Industrial Automation at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Manizales, Colombia in 2012. Currently, he is working on parameter measurement in thermal imaging oriented to monitoring of operating condition in rotating machinery. His research interests encompass digital image processing and pattern recognition for feature extraction applied to thermographic images.
MIRP Laboratory MIRP leader, MSc. Leonardo Duque Muñoz was born in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. He received the B.E degree in electronic engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Manizales, Manizales, Colombia, in 2009, and MEng in Industrial Automation degree at the same University in 2011. His research
Delio Augusto Aristizábal Martínez finished his studies of systems engineering in 1998 in Universidad San Buenaventura, and in 2013 as Magister in Automation and Industrial Control in Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano. His research interest includes data mining and bioinformatics.
The research trends that MIRP are developing in BIOINFORMATICS are focused on the use of proteomics software for predicting protein functions in vegetative organisms from the Colombian biodiversity
Ph.D. Jorge Alberto Jaramillo Garzón received the B.E degree in electronic engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Manizales, Manizales, Colombia, in 2005, and a MEng in Industrial Automation 2007, and PhD in Automatics in 2014 at the same University. His research interest includes bioinformatics (sequence analysis on proteomic level), data mining, pattern recognition and machine learning. Maria C. Torres-Madronero was born in Pasto, Nariño, Colombia. She received the B.E. degree in electronic engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Manizales, Colombia, in 2006, and the MEng in Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Computing and Information Science and Engineering degrees from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, (UPRM) in 2008 and 2013 respectively. Dr. Torres-Madronero is a faculty member of the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano in Medellin, Colombia where she also coordinates the Master Program in Automation and Industrial Control. Her research interests include hyperspectral data, image processing, unmixing analysis, pattern recognition and machine learning.
interest includes biomedical signal processing, pattern recognition, and machine learning. Edilson Delgado-Trejos received the undergraduate degree in electronic engineering, the M.Sc. degree in industrial automation, and the Ph.D. degree in engineering sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Manizales, Colombia, in 2000, 2003, and 2008, respectively. In 2012 and 2013, he was working on advanced signal processing techniques for his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences –GNS Science, Wellington, New Zealand. Since August 2008, he has been a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Medellín, Colombia, where he is currently the Dean for the Faculty of Engineering. He has published more than 50 papers, 10 book chapters and 2 books in indexed scientific journals and editorials. His current research interests include pattern recognition, machine learning, multivariate data analysis, nonlinear analysis
References Adeli, H., Zhou, Z., & Dadmehr, N. (2003). Analysis of EEG records in an epileptic patient using wavelet transform. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 123(1), 69–87. Castellanos, G. (2005). Identificación de estados funcionales en bioseñales: Voz, electrocardiografía y fonocardiografía. Fandiño, H., García, J., & Germán, C. (2011). 53
Metodología no invasiva de indentificación de fallos asociados al desbalance del eje en motores, utilizando imágenes termográficas.
2073. Martin, D. M. A., Berriman, M., & Barton, G. J. (2004). GOtcha: a new method for prediction of protein function assessed by the annotation of seven genomes. BMC Bioinformatics, 5(1), 178.
Fandiño Toro, H., Cardona Morales, O., Garcia Alvarez, J., & Castellanos Dominguez, G. (2014). Bearing Fault Identification using Watershed-Based Thresholding Method. In Advances in Condition Monitoring of Machinery in Non-Stationary Operations (pp. 137–147). Springer.
Medina Salgado, B., Duque Munoz, L., & Fandino Toro, H. (2013). Characterization of EEG signals using wavelet transform for motor imagination tasks in BCI systems. In Image, Signal Processing, and Artificial Vision (STSIVA), 2013 XVIII Symposium of (pp. 1–4).
Giraldo Forero, A., Jaramillo Garzón, J. A., Rothlisberger, S., & Castellanos Domínguez, C. G. (2011). Análisis de la capacidad de generalización a interespecies en la predicción de ubicaciones o subcelulares de proteínas.
Pandey, G., Kumar, V., & Steinbach, M. (2006). Computational approaches for protein function prediction: A survey. Twin Cities: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota.
Godino Llorente, J. I., Gomez Vilda, P., & Blanco Velasco, M. (2006). Dimensionality reduction of a pathological voice quality assessment system based on Gaussian mixture models and short-term cepstral parameters. Biomedical Engineering, IEEE Transactions on, 53(10), 1943–1953.
Torres Madronero, M. C., & Velez Reyes, M. (2012). Unsupervised unmixing analysis based on multiscale representation. In SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing (p. 83901O–83901O). Torres Madronero, M. C., Velez Reyes, M., Van Bloem, S. J., & Chinea, J. D. (2011). Multi-temporal unmixing analysis of hyperion images over the guanica dry forest. In Hyperspectral Image and Signal Processing: Evolution in Remote Sensing (WHISPERS), 2011 3rd Workshop on (pp. 1–4).
Goenaga, M. A., Torres Madronero, M. C., Velez Reyes, M., Van Bloem, S. J., & Chinea, J. D. (2013). Unmixing analysis of a time series of Hyperion images over the guanica dry forest in Puerto Rico. Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, IEEE Journal of, 6(2), 329–338.
Torres Madronero, M., & Velez Reyes, M. (2014). Integrating Spatial Information in Unsupervised Unmixing of Hyperspectral Imagery Using Multiscale Representation.
Groth, D., Lehrach, H., & Hennig, S. (2004). GOblet: a platform for Gene Ontology annotation of anonymous sequence data. Nucleic Acids Research, 32(suppl 2), W313– W317.
Zehetner, G. (2003). OntoBlast function: From sequence similarities directly to potential functional annotations by ontology terms. Nucleic Acids Research, 31(13), 3799–3803.
Hawkins, T., Chitale, M., Luban, S., & Kihara, D. (2009). PFP: Automated prediction of gene ontology functional annotations with confidence scores using protein sequence data. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 74(3), 566–582. Jain, A. K., Duin, R. P. W., & Mao, J. (2000). Statistical pattern recognition: A review. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, IEEE Transactions on, 22(1), 4–37. Jaramillo Garzón, J. A., Gallardo Chacón, J. J., Castellanos Domínguez, C. G., & Perera Lluna, A. (2013). Predictability of gene ontology slim-terms from primary structure information in Embryophyta plant proteins. BMC Bioinformatics, 14(1), 68. Khan, S., Situ, G., Decker, K., & Schmidt, C. J. (2003). GoFigure: Automated Gene Ontology annotation. Bioinformatics, 19(18), 2484–2485. Liew, A. W.-C., Yan, H., & Yang, M. (2005). Pattern recognition techniques for the emerging field of bioinformatics: A review. Pattern Recognition, 38(11), 2055–
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Electric Energy and Power Laboratory
ONGOING RESEARCH IN ELECTRICAL ENERGY FIELD AT ITM Adolfo Escobar-Ordoñez, Álvaro Jaramillo-Duque, Gloria Bernal-Tobón adolfoescobar@itm.edu.co
Abstract The production of electricity is strongly linked to the development of countries. For this reason it is important and necessary to study the entire chain of production of electrical energy to solve local problems and reduce the technology gap. The research area Electric Energy and Power of the Advanced Materials and Energy Research Group (MATyER) is consolidated to achieve these goals. In this article, a brief introduction of the field of electric energy is presented and based on this context, a justification, introduction and description of the research area of the group are shown, as well as the ongoing projects and research trends are presented. 55
Introduction Energy is a prerequisite for the development of large scale industrial and commercial activities. An adequate supply of energy contributes greatly to the quality and competitiveness of these sectors. A significant increase in energy demand is expected in the global trend (EIA, 2009). There are a number of issues that deserve special attention when considering energy use and the sustainable growth of industries, particularly in developing countries. Additional costs caused by inefficient use of energy that especially occur in factory production and transportation are an issue that needs to be addressed, as well as the price of imported fuels and the impact of inefficient and unclean use of energy at a large scale. Although the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies is in an advanced stage in some developed countries, developing countries are still far from reaching these stages. This is due to various barriers like limited engagement of politicians, the need to regulate the proper use of energy, protection of non-renewable resources in the environment, reduction of emission of greenhouse gases, lack of trained staff, and, of course, lack of funding (EIA, 2009). In this regard, studies in the electric power and energy area, especially in the subjects of energy conversion, power quality, rational and efficient use of electrical energy, alternative energy sources and others, are subject of special interest for the lab and the institute. As part of the workflow, it is important to find and propose effective solutions to short- and medium-term problems, with the purpose of improving the competitiveness of the industrial sector (at the local and national level) and achieve a significant reduction of CO2 emissions, among other pollutants.
Motivation
driven by environmental concerns and the need for new energy sources. There are other motivations to adopt new technologies into the power system. These motivations are also based on low life cycle costs or the costs over the life of the projects. As found in the long term, new technologies in electric power generation often have a competitive cost, or are even less expensive compared with conventional technologies (UPME & Unal, 2007). It is not the cost of conventional electricity which makes conventional power plants unattractive right now, but the
Research in the electrical energy field is receiving special attention from governments, industry, and consumers. This interest is reflected in a growing awareness of the environmental, economic, and social benefits offered by these developments. Environmental reasons Environmental concern over global warming and local pollution is the main drive for the study of new technologies in electricity in the XXI century. Global warming is a phenomenon where an increment in the average temperature has been observed worldwide in the last years. This warming trend is generally attributed to the emissions of certain gases, known as greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, ozone, and various kinds of halocarbons (compounds containing carbon in combination with fluorine, bromine, and/or chlorine). Some of the objectives of electric power research are to improve and replace the energy sources that use fossil fuels in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases associated with them.
Research in the electrical energy field is receiving special attention from governments, industry, and consumers. This interest is reflected in a growing awareness of the environmental, economic, and social benefits offered by these developments.
Economic reasons The recent growth of electric power research has been 56
Maingoals
uncertainty associated with the future fuel cost is even more important in this context. The increase in energy prices and their volatility make this research area even more attractive.
Globally, all countries are making great efforts to develop technologies, materials, and energy studies related to electricity, aimed at assessing, regulating, implementing, and improving the efficiency and the rational use of electricity. The industry also shows the need to improve productivity and competitiveness in domestic and international markets, which requires continuous evaluation to maintain quality and performance of their electrical systems. For these reasons, in the Instituto Tecnol贸gico Metropolitano (ITM) there are several undergraduate and graduate programs which highlight the knowledge of power electronics and electrical energy.
Social reasons Improvements in electric power are associated with social benefits that are important to governments. New technologies in electric power generation generally require more work per unit of energy produced than conventional energy technologies, creating more jobs. Conventional energy technologies exploit concentrated energy resources in a capital-intensive manner and require constant exploration of new energy sources (UPME, 2007). Energy efficiency is focused on maximizing the use of existing resources, and in contrast renewable energy technologies take advantage of more dispersed energy resources. For these projects the social impact and the use of land that is required for the infrastructure of these new alternatives is more important.
The Electric Power and Energy Research area was established to take the local needs into account and generate new knowledge. The area deals with the generation, distribution, and utilization of electrical energy and proposes areas of further study of electric energy conversion (electrical machines and transformers), power electronics, power quality, and the rational and efficient use of electricity, all on the basis of national and international energy regulation and environmental protection.
It is not the cost of conventional electricity which makes conventional power plants unattractive right now, but the uncertainty associated with the future fuel cost is even more important
In the following section the areas of the research line are presented: Electric energy conversion The electromechanical conversion of energy covers all phenomena related to electric energy transformation into mechanical energy and vice versa. Electricity is a form of energy that has solved the main problems of transmission, distribution, and use in countless applications. Studies in this research area include efficiency assessment of motors and transformers, high efficiency motors, new materials for transformer construction, electric drives, measurement and control of electromechanical variables, and control of electrical machines.
Another social and economic reason for the interest in electric power research is the growing energy demand and the need to cover it. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that, based on historical trends and economic growth, worldwide energy demand will triple by 2050 (EIA, 2013). Industries have seen the potential of this expansion, and governments the need of new technologies and fuels to satisfy this demand. This has stimulated the interest in electric power research not only in the generation of alternative sources, but also in energy efficiency and in the rational use of energy to reduce power consumption.
Power Electronics Power electronics is a branch of electronics with high development in recent times. The area covers electronic devices, development of circuits, processing signals, and control and conversion of electrical energy. With the increasing number of technologies and applications, nowadays, power electronics is very important in the process of energy conversion, such as photovoltaic systems and wind turbines, because it is important to provide reliable and suitable electrical energy sources for the load. 57
important reason is the need to increase productivity and competitiveness of companies (Also, there is a relationship between power quality, efficiency, and productivity). Studies in this research area include high efficiency equipment, process automation, cost reduction associated with power quality, reduction of energy loss, quality of supply and use of electricity, and electromagnetic compatibility.
In other words, the power electronics discipline focuses on energy conversion in different ways, from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) among other combinations. The greater flexibility and control of electronic devices makes it possible to solve complex processes. Studies in this area include renewable energy connection to the power system, smart grids and power electronics in new technologies (electric cars, induction cooktops, etc.). These topics are developed in collaboration with the Automatics, Electronics and Computer Science (AEyCC acronym in Spanish) Research Group of the ITM.
Rational and efficient use of electricity The rational and efficient use of electricity is defined as the optimal use of energy in the whole energy chain, from the selection of the energy source, generation, transformation, transportation, and distribution, to consumption. Looking for economic growth, raising the quality of life and social welfare, without depleting the renewable resources, nor damaging the environment or the right of future generations to use and satisfy their own needs (UPME, 2010).
Power quality Power quality is defined as an absence of disruption, overvoltage, deformations caused by harmonics in the network and voltage variations supplied to the end user; all of this based on the stability of the voltage, frequency, and continuity of electrical service. Also, it has been determined that one of the most common problems caused by misspend of electrical power in companies is related to its quality, because it affects the efficiency of electrical equipment.
Studies in this research area include alternative sources of electrical energy, new technologies for efficient use of electrical energy, electrical energy as a substitute for fossil fuels, energy efficiency in industry and commerce. Similarly, the study and design of evaluation methods of energy efficiency, contributing to the harmonization of local and national regulations with the global context in the area of efficiency and quality of the electrical power.
Currently, the study on power quality has gained considerable importance, and perhaps the most
Ongoing Research Projects Some of the projects that are being developed in the group are presented next: Electric energy conversion The group is developing a research project to determine the efficiency of induction motors, with reference to the IEEE Standard 112 B-method (IEEE, 2004), as this standard is the most widely accepted by researchers in contrast to other standards. The main disadvantage of establishing a test laboratory with this method lies in the testing of mechanical load with torque and speed measurements. This restricts the test bench to a limited range of motors due to the nominal power. In addition, the F-method (IEEE, 2004) is studied because it only requires electrical measurement tests, which can simplify the measurements and the equipment required to implement the tests. This allows the implementation of a more flexible test laboratory and each test can be extended to a wider motor range, focusing on the industrial needs.
Figure 1: Three phase power source. Source: Authors
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micro-network of commercial photovoltaic panels and wind turbines representative of real systems. The results will be validated with radiation patterns and wind profiles typical for the area. Power quality
Figure 2: Photovoltaic panels. Source: Authors
To perform these tests the laboratory has acquired equipment and accessories. A three-phase power source of 10 kVA with a variable AC and DC voltage for general purposes (Figure 1) was acquired, also, a test bench for electric motors with a capacity of 500 kg. These devices allow testing electric motors up to 10 kW. Power Electronics One of the ongoing research projects in the lab is dealing with the design and implementation of a quasiresonant inverter (QRI) with zero voltage switching (ZVS) and pulse width modulation (PWM) for a domestic induction heating system with multiple loads. With this system it is expected to obtain high efficiency, low total harmonic distortion (THD), and low electromagnetic interference (EMI). The modulation and control strategy will be selected based on the study of different topologies, number of power switches, duty cycle, and low cost, among others. Additionally, we are working together with the AEyCC research group on topics related to photovoltaic systems and wind generation in our local context to maximize power generation in urban environments (Figure 2). The results of this project will contribute to the viability of distributed generation with renewable energy, mitigating the environmental impact caused by traditional generation systems. The studies will be performed on a Figure 3: Power frequency electric and magnetic field meter. Source: Authors
We are evaluating the effect on power quality of the electrical distribution system to increase the use of photovoltaic systems (PV) connected to the grid. For this project the equivalent model of the PV system will be identified, the parameters that affect their performance, and the distribution network model which will be performed on the simulations. Software selection will be performed and a scheme for simulations of different power levels fed into the grid will be selected. With this project, the network operators will benefit as they can set policies and standards for connection of PV systems to the grid without affecting the power quality levels allowed for existing standards. Furthermore, the assessment of the electromagnetic field in different places is posing a growing interest, due to the concern of people about potential health effects when exposed to these fields. Therefore, the aim of the project is to develop measurement procedures and identify the levels of electromagnetic fields of both high and low power frequency present in two Higher Education Institutions (ITM and Universidad de Caldas, Colombia), in order to evaluate and compare these values with national and international standards for human exposure. To do this, the laboratory has equipment for measuring the power frequency of electric and magnetic fields (Figure 3). Additionally, the ITM has spectrum analyzers for measurements at high frequency. To complement the area of computational electromagnetism, the laboratory acquired licenses of Ansys Electromagnetics to simulate the behavior of the fields in insulators and other equipment used in electrical substation.
References
Rational and efficient use of electricity
EIA. (2009). Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Report. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/carbon. html
In this subject, the group is developing a project directed to the development of a methodology that integrates free computational tools for the rational and efficient use of electricity in existing commercial buildings or buildings in the design stage. Thus, it can assist in the consolidation of a culture of energy efficiency, which will show the technologies and the best practices for lighting, HVAC, and non-conventional sources of energy.
EIA. (2013). International Energy Outlook 2013. IEEE. (2004). 112-2004 IEEE Standard Test Procedure for Polyphase Induction Motors and Generators. doi:10.1109/IEEESTD.2004.95394
In another project, we are evaluating the adaptation of whole-building energy simulation programs to be applied in Colombia, allowing optimization of energy resources and generating significant savings in building operations. These programs will be evaluated on a base case of a commercial building in Medellín, Colombia. The results will be compared with values of energy consumption measured in the building to determine which simulation program presents higher level of accuracy and optimization of energy consumption for the case of Colombia.
IPCC. (2007). Summary for Policymakers, Climate Change, IPCC WG1 Fourth Assessment Report. New York. UPME. (2007). PEN Plan Energético Nacional 20062025. Bogotá, Colombia. UPME. (2010). Programa de Uso Racional y Eficiente de Energía y Fuentes No Convencionales – PROURE, Plan de Acción 2010-2015. Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética. Retrieved from www. minminas.gov.co/minminas/downloads/UserFiles/ File/ENERGIA/URE/Informe_Final_Consultoria_ Plan_de_accion_Proure.pdf
Discussion
UPME, & Unal. (2007). Determinación del consumo final de energía en los sectores residencial urbano y comercial y determinación de consumos para equipos domésticos de energía eléctrica y gas. Bogotá, Colombia.
The Electric Power and Energy Research Area aims to provide improved alternatives and propose solutions to problems in the electrical and industrial sector, by conducting research projects related to the performance of power system elements in different technological contexts. Also, in this research area we will seek to promote relations between ITM and the electrical and industrial sectors through joint research, consultancy, and performance certification of some elements of the electrical sector. To do this, we will develop technological innovation projects aimed at solving problems in electrical systems, generating knowledge and effective solutions. At ITM, this research area seeks to intervene directly in the electromechanical undergraduate program involving electromechanical systems from analysis, design, improvement, and maintenance of electromechanical systems and devices. Training in this field integrates knowledge in the areas of electricity and mechanics, with multiple other associated areas such as computer programing, communications, electronics and materials, among others.
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Optics, Photonics and Artificial Vision Laboratory
ELASTIC FIBER OPTIC NETWORKS: FIBER BRAGG GRATINGS AS A KEY ELEMENT FOR DEVELOPING FLEXIBLE OPTICAL DEVICES Andrés Felipe Betancur-Pérez andresfbp@gmail.com
Abstract Until now optical access networks have been the method of choice, with which Internet Service Providers supply high capacity connectivity. However, soon the increasing information demands will saturate even the fiber optic based access networks. Taking into account the previous scenario, the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM) is participating actively in research on next generation optical communication systems to enable a robust and reconfigurable network. Fiber Bragg Gratings are used to study the possibility of developing low cost flexible multiplexers for dynamic wavelength assignment over WDM-PONs (Wavelength Division Multiplexing-Passive Optical Network). The results show a low degradation of the bit error rate over a RSOA (Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier) based WDM-PON and indicate the possibility of developing cost effective next generation elastic optical access networks. 61
Introduction Optical fiber is nowadays the key communication channel that enables the transmission of a huge quantity of information in a short time over long distances. Due to its huge potential, networks based on optical fiber are currently deployed, not only for interconnecting cities, countries or continents but also for the home environment with “Fiber to the Home” solutions. In Colombia, this fact is becoming evident by the massive deployment of fiber optic networks in over 200 towns. Responding to the rising number of users and their demands, researchers are working on how to increase the capacity of transporting information and how to increase the coverage of users via the inclusion of lasers with different emission frequencies into the already deployed optical fibers. This led to the WDM-PON (Wavelength Division Multiplexing-Passive Optical Network). This standard has great virtues compared to the present optical access networks. However, two main problems must be overcome: 1) the cost of this technology should be lowered and 2) the network should be able to share the resources of the telecommunication network among all users in an efficient manner in order to optimize the use of the optical fiber (Kani, 2010; Kim, Hwang & Yoo, 2007). In order to solve these problems, the Automation, Electronics and Computer Science research group of ITM, in association with the Applied Telecommunications research group from Universidad de Antioquia, investigates the technologies on optical devices to permit wavelength assignment in the WDM-PONs. This should be done according to the demand of data which are transmitted in the existing established connections. (Clarke, Sarkar & Mukherjee, 2006; Zhou, Cheng & Yeo, 2010). To overcome the previously mentioned obstacles, low cost elements such as Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) (see Figure 1) are used in our research.
Figure 1: Internal structure of a Fiber Bragg Grating. Two Laser beams with different wavelengths described as λ1 and λ2 are propagated inside the optical fiber. The refractive indexes vary in a periodic manner between values n1 and n2. This refractive index periodicity acts as a mirror for a specific wavelength. Source: Andrés Betancur.
Using FBGs tuned by temperature, the main objective is to create reconfigurable multiplexers for RSOA (Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier) based WDM-PONs
Research opportunities Due to the fast increase of data demands, the development of telecommunication technologies is exponentially growing to adapt to user needs. This is the reason why research on new technologies for ITM is of utmost importance in order to be part of progress in investigation in telecommunications. Currently, the Automation, Electronics and Computer Science group is researching new fiber optic technologies to improve the performance of high speed optical networks, designing new concepts of optical fiber enabling chromatic dispersion compensation.
network domain. Using FBGs tuned by temperature, the main objective is to create reconfigurable multiplexers for RSOA (Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier) based WDM-PONs (Park, Choi, Oh, Koo & Lee, 2007). This is a very interesting and promising approach, because of its cost-efficient architecture and the fact that the results have paved the way for a new technique that will hopefully improve the tuning velocity by means of the strain-optical property of the FBG (Kashyap, 2010).
Furthermore, the group works on the concept of flexible optical networks and more precisely, in the access 62
Discussion
a sun shutter with individually manipulated blades. This research has opened new investigation lines in topics related to optical access networks. Their objective is to improve the WDM-PON network and make it a costeffective technology to enable next generation elastic optical networks.
The FBG is a segment of optical fiber with a trap within that captures the incident light of a specific wavelength. The Fiber Bragg Grating has useful properties; this element has a susceptibility to strain and temperature change, (Kashyap, 2010). This ability may be used to tune the wavelength that is reflected. This fact makes this device useful for building wavelength-selective optical devices with the ability to assign carriers to the clients as required by underlying network demands.
References Clarke, F., Sarkar, S., & Mukherjee, B. (2006). Simultaneous and interleaved polling: an upstream protocol for WDM-PON. 2006 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference, 4–6.
A WDM-PON network was simulated in this research. It was found that the FBG has a minimum impact in the degradation of the transmitted signals between network transceivers. The FBG will be used to filter the optical sources that is intended to for the users. The mechanism to achieve this consists in tuning the temperature of the FBG grating with electrical signals to deform the fiber
Kani, J. I. (2010). Enabling technologies for future scalable and flexible WDM-PON and WDM/TDMPON systems. IEEE Journal on Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 16(5), 1290–1297. Kim, H., Hwang, J., & Yoo, M. (2007). A CostEfficient WDM-PON Architecture Supporting Dynamic Wavelength and Time Slot Allocation, 1564–1568.
A WDM-PON network was simulated in this research. It was found that the FBG has a minimum impact in the degradation of the transmitted signals between the network transceivers.
Park, S. J., Choi, Y. B., Oh, J. M., Koo, S. G., & Lee, D. (2007). An evolution scenario of a broadband access network using R-SOA-based WDM-PON technologies. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 25(11), 3479–3487. Raman, K. (2010). Fiber Bragg Gratings (2da Ed.). Oxford: Elsevier Inc. Zhou, L., Cheng, X., Yeo, Y.-K., & Ngoh, L. H. (2010). Hybrid WDM-TDM PON architectures and DWBA algorithms. 2010 5th International ICST Conference on Communications and Networking in China, 1–6.
and modify the refractive index period of the grating. In this way, the optical sources will be assigned at will with a communications protocol giving an elastic characteristic to the optical access network. In this laboratory an experimental setup was implemented in order to test the tuning speed of the fiber Bragg grating relative to the temperature. Due to the slow response of the material when changing the temperature, a Peltier cell was used. The cell, operated by a PID controller, enables the fast warming and cooling of the fiber. Furthermore, a short temperature range was used and as many fiber Bragg gratings as optical sources were present in the network. The idea is to create a set of traps connected one after another, or in a serial manner, that permit the capture of the incident light as if it were 63
Optics, Photonics and Artificial Vision Laboratory
EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS OF A PHOTO-BASED SCANNING SOFTWARE Mauricio Arias-Correa, Pedro Atencio-Ortíz, Danny Urrego-Cárdenas, Jakeline Serrano-García, Roger Martínez-Ciro, Santiago González-Acevedo mauricioarias@itm.edu.co
Abstract The Natural History Museum of La Salle, a cultural project of the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), needs to preserve its zoological collection which is disseminated to all audiences, including researchers worldwide by using web resources. Because the collection is quite extensive, it is necessary to implement easy to use and low-cost tools, as all of the museum’s employees will be involved in this process. Making 3D models of the specimens in the collection is the best way to meet these requirements. The first step is to evaluate different 3D scanning software to determine which is the most appropriate for scanning both small and large specimens. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach known as photo-based scanning and particularly one software tool: 123D Catch®. Some specimens were photographed using the “shoebox” method, with three different off the shelf cameras. The results were relevant to generate a proper technique adapted to the use of the photo-based scanning software. Introduction The Natural History Museum of La Salle, a cultural project of the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), founded in 1911 has become a main axis of production and appropriation of knowledge, allowing scientific communities worldwide to obtain knowledge about the rich biodiversity of Colombia.
Figure 1: Sekeleton of Balaenoptera physalus (finback whale) in the Natural History Museum of La Salle in mid 1970s (A); to date the same whale skeleton (B)
In 2008, ITM began a preventive conservation process for the zoological collection of the museum and its archaeological collections registered in the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History. The Museum also wanted to implement a virtual tool of the museum for those unable to travel to the museum due to distance. These requirements must be met by the use of novel technologies in modern museography. Researchers from the Optics, Photonics and Artificial Vision Lab, have been developing a project to meet the needs identified by the museum. One goal of this project is to preserve specimens with a high risk of degradation by using 3D scanning technologies.
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To achieve this goal, it is necessary to first evaluate different 3D scanning software to determine which is the most appropriate for scanning both small and large specimens. This means, that a high density of 3D points in a regular grid of the surface of an animal specimen at risk of degradation must be acquired effectively. In this context, software and tools such as laser scanners must be used. After various tests it has been established that this method is very efficient for the easy manipulation of small specimens, however, inconvenient for scanning larger specimens such as Crocodylus Intermedius, commonly known as the Orinoco crocodile, or the skeleton of Balaenoptera physalus (Figure 1), commonly known as finback whale, which seem to require other software and tools. In order to fill this gap, experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach known as photo-based scanning. The photo-based scanning approach uses light rays in a passive manner. The light is not sent out or projected by the scanner, but reflected ambient light is captured by a camera from two or more positions. Then the software takes care of finding the matching pictures by groups of pixels and for each pair of matches it assigns a value of position and orientation in a 3D space, obtaining a cloud of points in a 3D space (Walford, 2009; Erickson, Bauer & Hayes, 2013).
a high density of 3D points in a regular grid of the surface of an animal specimen at risk of degradation must be acquired effectively. In this context, software and tools such as laser scanners must be used.
During the last years, software to perform image based 3D modeling techniques has increased, especially in the domain of preservation of cultural heritage. Some of these software tools, process 3D reconstruction only using a data set consisting of structured Photos (ARC3D, 123D Catch, my3Dscanner), while others use both sets of structured and unstructured photos (VisualSFM, Photosynth), (Erickson, Bauer & Hayes, 2013; Santagati, Inzerillo & Di Paola, 2013).
Purpose
software, were acquired using the “shoebox” method, capturing photographs at roughly even intervals, while encircling the entire specimen. This process was repeated multiple times, with the camera positioned at varying heights above the ground surface (Autodesk 123D Catch; Erickson, Bauer & Hayes, 2013).
The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 123D Catch® online software in the cloud from Autodesk®, for reconstructing the 3D geometry of museum specimens as a previous step to developing other metric evaluation methods, which will state the quality of the reconstruction obtained from the specimens that will be on the museum´s website, available for scientific researchers and the public. The evaluation was performed by using different devices and techniques in the acquisition stage such as an iPhone®, a camera with medium resolution as well as a camera with high resolution. These devices have been selected due to their user-friendliness for museologists (or museographers).
The photos were acquired when standing further away from the specimen, such that the entire specimen was captured in each photograph, which reduced the number of required photographs compared to other methods like automated traditional photogrammetry. The pictures were captured with different devices, such as an 8 megapixel iPhone ® 4S camera, 10 megapixel Canon Powershot SX 120 IS and 18 megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T2i, all of them in auto/flash suppressed mode.
Photo-based 3D scanning
Using a Smartphone camera
The Mummified Siamese Twins, Erythrura gouldiae (rainbow finch), Plecostomus tenuicaudatus and Melolontidae, have been photographed for processing with the photo-based 3D scanning software, 123D Catch ®. The photographs captured for use with the
The 8 Mpx iPhone® 4S camera, is a great tool for taking pictures from a specimen using the shoebox method. In Figure 3A, pictures taken of an iridescent beetle or Melolontidae -by its scientific name- are shown. 66
completely opaque surface (unlike the previous specimen) (Figure 4A).
28 pictures were taken of this reflective armor beetle, erected on an acrylic base. However, the resulting model was a completely distorted image of the beetle, with much “waste” around it, which is definitely non-acceptable as a 3D model of the specimen (Figure 3B).
After processing online, 123D Catch® returned an acceptable 3D model which can be seen in figure 4B. As the same camera and acquisition method was used, through the experiment it was concluded that at least 40 pictures should be taken to obtain a realistic model of a specimen and that reflective surfaces are problematic for photo-based scanning software, because the value of position and orientation in a 3D space cannot be obtained, as the matching is impossible.
The next experiment was performed with the same iPhone® camera, but more than 42 pictures were taken of the specimen Mummified Siamese Twins, which has a
Using a 10Mpx compact digital camera A 10Mpx Canon Powershot SX 120 IS, which is a compact digital camera, was used in the acquisition stage of the Erythrura gouldiae -also known as Gouldian finch. 46 pictures were taken using the “shoebox” method. The bird does not have a reflective surface, so the 123D
Figure 2: Descriptive image of the shoebox method to acquire pictures all around an object, Courtesy of (Autodesk, 2014)
Figure 4: Pictures taken of the Mummified Siamese Twins” with an 8Mpx iPhone® 4S camera (A), 3D model processed online by 123D Catch® (B).
Figure 3: Pictures taken of Melolontidae with an 8Mpx iPhone® 4S camera (A), 3D model processed online by 123D Catch® (B).
A A
A
A
B
A A B
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Catch® had no processing problems and returned a very acceptable 3D model. Unlike the Mummified Siamese Twins acquisition, this bird had in its basis a flat textured image and the surrounding space was covered by a textured surface of constant black color. The light was also intervened, preventing reflections on the bird´s plumage. An indirect dim warm light was used, mixed with white indirect light. The auto flash mode was suppressed throughout the acquisition and the specimen was always kept in focus.
specimen. For very large specimens, such as the size of the whale skeleton, it is better to produce as large a set of images as possible, in order to assure an accuracy of a few centimeters in the model.
Using a 18Mpx digital camera Unlike the previous experiment, the basis was not flat, but of a wavy structure. Also, eight different tags were added in order to obtain better results in the 3D model. 64 pictures were taken with an 18 Mpx Canon EOS Rebel T2i camera with 24 mm lens.
• Using wide angle lenses yields undesirable artifacts which must be removed. • If the camera focus is away from the specimen in some photos, problems will arise in the reconstruction phase of the model and the result will probably not be adequate. • Photographs with lens flare, motion blur or undesirable artifacts must be removed before processing. • Photo-based 3D scanning using 123D Catch® is a valid mode of reconstructing the geometry of a museum specimen for the purpose of preserving cultural heritage. • Data collection using photo-based 3D scanning can be performed by any museologist with a digital camera and a computer. • Tags in the surface, near the specimen, are not a requirement for photo based 3D scanning; the presence of these features did not improve the mesh results for surfaces like the Plecostomus tenuicaudatus.
The processed 3D model did not have an acceptable visual quality (Figure 6B). In conclusion, additional tools should be used to “clean” the model, because of the surrounding “waste” resulting in the model. This latter situation is due to the wide angle lens of the camera, which also prevented the specimen from being focused during the acquisition stage.
Some advantages of photo-based scanning using 123D Catch® have been identified: + The time spent collecting data and generating a 3D model is reduced compared to other methods such as laser scanning. + There is a generation of a dense surface model of a specimen. Rather than discrete point data or dense reconstruction of only a part of a specimen.
Conclusions and discussions The amount of photographs must be appropriately selected depending on the size and level of detail of each
Some disadvantages are: - Given that photo-based 3D scanning involves automatic referencing of features among a series of photographs, objects that lack a sufficient quantity of unique detectable features, such as objects that are nearly transparent, reflective or with surfaces with little variation are problematic as the beetle model demonstrated.
Figure 5: Pictures taken of the Erythrura gouldiae with a 10Mpx Canon Powershot SX 120 IS camera (A), 3D model processed online by 123D Catch® (B)
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References Autodesk 123D Catch. (2014). Autodesk 123D. Retrieved from http://www.123dapp.com/catch Erickson, M. S., Bauer, J. J., & Hayes, W. C. (2013). The Accuracy of Photo-Based Three-Dimensional Scanning for Collision Reconstruction Using 123D Catch. System, 05–16.
Figure 6: Pictures taken of the Plecostomus tenuicaudatus with an 18 Mpx Canon EOS Rebel T2i (A), 3D model processed online by 123D Catch® (B)
Santagati, C., Inzerillo, L., & Di Paola, F. (2013). Image-based modeling techniques for architectural heritage 3D digitalization: Limits and potentialities. In International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences (pp. 555–560).
Opportunities As a future work, it is really important to develop a comparative method using the same set of images with other types of Structure from Motion tools, both online and desktop. Some software tools like Photosynth and Photo Modeller are strong candidates for comparison as other authors have stated.
Walford, A. (2009). A new way to 3D scan. A White Paper by Eos Systems Inc.
More experiments must be performed, to determine the metric accuracy of 123D Catch®. Project and Team Overview: LABORATORY
PROJECT
RESEARCH OFFICE CODE PROJECT TYPE
RESEARCHERS
RESEARCH STUDENTS
Optics, Photonics and Artificial vision “Implementing interactive and virtual museography technologies, as well as three-dimensional digital preservation for the Natural Sciences Museum of La Salle, a cultural project of ITM.” P14113 Research and Development (R&D) MSc. Mauricio Arias Correa MSc. Pedro Atencio Ortíz MSc. Danny Urrego Cárdenas MSc. Jakeline Serrano García Roger Alexander Martínez Ciro
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Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics Laboratory
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS: TOPICS AND PROJECTS Jorge Aurelio Herrera-Cuartas, Carlos Andrés Madrigal-González, Julián PeláezRestrepo Peláez, Sergio Ignacio Serna-Garcés, Ricardo Andrés Velásquez-Vélez ricardovelasquez@itm.edu.co
Abstract The Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics laboratory is one of the many labs in Parque-i. This article presents this laboratory’s capabilities, main areas of research, ongoing projects and opportunities. There are four areas of research in this laboratory, namely computer vision and artificial intelligence, advanced control, embedded and digital systems design, power electronics and renewable energy. There is also an engineering topic on printed circuit board design and prototyping implementation that cuts across all of the previously mentioned areas.
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Introduction The Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics (ETI) laboratory is part of the research line on Electronics and Communications associated with the Automatics, Electronics and Computer Sciences (AEyCC) research group, which was classified by Colciencias in the highest category in the country (A1). This lab covers areas of research in artificial intelligence, control theory, power electronics, embedded systems and renewable energy. The lab also has a space for manufacturing and assembling printed circuit boards, to support the validation of research results. The main purpose of this lab is to develop theories, systems and tools that positively impact local industry in the fields of electronics, telecommunications and informatics. In this context, the laboratory has developed four areas of research, which are computer vision and artificial intelligence, advanced control, embedded and digital systems design, power electronics and renewable energy. The purpose of computer vision and artificial intelligence is the automation of processes, developing computer vision techniques through the use of artificial intelligence algorithms. Our contributions in this area include autonomous navigation systems using static patterns (Jurado-Gutierrez, BoteroValencia, Serna-Garcés, & Madrigal-Gonzalez, 2013), a proposal for a traffic flow control system (Ospina, Tascon, Valencia, & Madrigal, 2011), and a method for classification of porcine sperm movement (Rojas, Rojas, Zuleta, & Madrigal, 2012), among others. The advanced control area aims at improving the multi-model control theory. This area works closely with the power electronics area and renewable energy area applying control techniques to improve the efficiency of power electronics for photovoltaic panels and wind generators. The main contributions in the area of advanced control include the use of pattern search techniques to systems with high delays (Herrera, Ibeas, de la Sen, Alcántara, & Alonso-Quesada, 2013)(Herrera, Ibeas, Alcántara, de la Sen, & Serna-Garcés, 2013)(Herrera, Ibeas, & de la Sen, 2013). The power electronics and renewable energy area applies and develops power electronic techniques to improve the efficiency of power systems in general and to the power stages of renewable energy systems. Finally, the area of embedded and digital system design develops methods and tools to facilitate the development of prototypes using complex embedded and digital systems. In the following sections of this article we present the areas of research and the ongoing projects in these areas; then we describe the capabilities of the lab for printed circuit board design and prototyping, and the research challenges and opportunities that will be faced by the laboratory in the future.
Areas of research
for collecting garbage on beaches, using the processing depth information provided by a 3D sensor, this project is also funded by Colciencias-ITM 2013. In this first stage we expect to build a robotic platform that can move autonomously in beach controlled environment, identify the garbage, such as cans and bottles, and collect and deposit them in a storage container. Finally, we are working on the Robocup-Small Size challenge, which aims to build a set of 6 robotic soccer players, to participate in the Latin American Competition of Robocup; this project will allow the research group to improve in areas such as electronic design, motor control, computer vision, and multi-agent systems. This project is in collaboration with the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands, as they have wide experience in participating in this event. Other projects that have been developed include a project for counting and automatic classification of cars using artificial vision, the measurement of the mobility of porcine sperm by artificial intelligence techniques (Rojas
Computer vision and artificial intelligence The in the area of automation of processes using computer vision and artificial intelligence we are currently working on 3 projects in which our students play a very important role. The first project is the “Intelligent Detection of Abandoned Objects in Crowded Places” (Figure 1), which is funded by Colciencias-ITM 2013. This project aims to automatically detect objects that have been left unattended in public places with high frequency of people, such as airports, transportation terminals, etc., all this by using artificial intelligence techniques. Figure 1 shows the results of the tracking and recognition process. This project has a great social impact; taking the need and growing interest in systems into account that help improve security. The second project aims at developing a robotic autonomous navigation platform 71
Figure 1: Intelligent detection of abandoned objects in crowded places. Source:(Young & Ferryman, 2005) .
techniques, which can be applied to real industrial processes. Additionally, it offers opportunities for advanced education (M.Sc.) in Automation and Industrial Control, and Industrial Energy Management, since an integral part of the topic of research is the commitment to be a constant source of ideas for master’s theses.
et al., 2012) and in the near future we plan on working with face recognition from 3D images and robotics navigation in complex environments. Advanced control
Embedded and digital systems design
The area of advanced control of the EyC research line aims at improving the theory and application of multi-model control, optimization and automation techniques, and applying these tools to a range of social and industrial problems. The advanced controls tools are available for real time testing of new multi-model control algorithms and development of dynamic simulations of real systems(Herrera & Ibeas, 2012) (Herrera, Ibeas, & de la Sen, 2013).
One important research area in the AEyCC research group is the development of technological tools (Hardware and Software) in the fields of control, electronics and computer science that can be integrated in the local industry. In particular, the EyC research line is addressing this area through the development of software tools that facilitate the design of embedded system. On one hand, embedded systems play a key role in the solution of modern problems and applications (Marwedel, 2006), and on the other hand, the complexity of embedded systems increases constantly and designers require tools to address the challenges that such complexity brings to the design process (Kopetz, 2008) (Pimentel, Erbas, & Polstra, 2006) (Malinowski & Yu, 2011). Multiple cores, heterogeneous SoCs, diverse communication capabilities and complex memory hierarchies are just a few examples of design options that must be taken into account during the design process. In general, Software Development Kits (SDKs) provide a basic set of tools for software development and do not help designers to make an efficient use of all the resources in a development platform (Malinowski & Yu, 2011). This is a very active topic of research in the scientific community interested in the design of embedded system. We are focusing our efforts on the development of tools needed in local industry and the projects developed at Parque i.
A key strategy involves close collaboration with partners from the same line of research to solve relevant control problems. For instance, we think that for an efficient power electronics an optimal controller is necessary; for this purpose, the topic spans multi-model control theory to power converter design via optimization methods (Herrera, Ibeas, AlcĂĄntara, et al., 2013) (Herrera, Ibeas, de la Sen, et al., 2013). On one hand, our theoretical work in multi-model control is focused on adaptive and optimal control, parameter identification and adaptive controller design; on the other hand, our theoretical work in power systems is focused on solutions to optimize the maximum power point tracking in an electronic DC to DC converter. Therefore, we apply our basic work in multi-model control and power electronics to increase the efficiency of the solar array (PV panels) and wind energy. In this way, we are contributing to efficient renewable energy systems, which can be economically viable; hence they can be used as a real energy source, creating a secure energy future for our society.
Another topic of interest is the use of simulators for the development and verification of automation systems. Some automation systems can be developed and verified directly in the plant without risk of system malfunction.
In conclusion, this area provides an appropriate scenario for the development of advanced control 72
However, there are some cases where a system malfunction might cause the destruction of the plant, or it might put people in the surroundings areas in danger. In these cases, a safe strategy is to develop and verify the automation system under the controlled conditions of a simulated environment. Hardware and software for automation can be developed using a technique known as hardware in the loop (Gu, Harrison, Tilbury, & Yuan, 2007). With this technique the hardware or software interacts directly with the simulation environment in real time. Currently, we are working in this direction on the project “Open Source Simulation Platform for analysis of problems related to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”. An important challenge of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is the risk of destroying the vehicle or hurting people when testing an automated navigation system or autopilot. A simulation environment with enough accuracy can be helpful in this case. For example, the autopilot can be developed using hardware in the loop with a simulated version of the UAV. When the autopilot has been tested and verified through simulation and we can be confident about its reliability, and it is possible to test the autopilot in the real world with the real UAV. Figure 2 shows our test bench for a fuzzy logic autopilot system running in a FPGA and using FligthGear flight simulator (Olson, 2010). Simulation has brought significant improvements to cars, airplanes, tires, computer systems, etc., as it allows a reduction of cost and risk, and we think that it is time to involve appropriate simulation technology as a key tool in the development of everyday complex digital systems.
Power electronics and renewable energy The area of power electronics and renewable energy, in the EyC research line, focuses on the analysis, design and implementation of both classical and multilevel switching converters (Eliana Arango, Ramos-Paja, Calvente, Giral, & Serna, 2012) (Eliana Arango, RamosPaja, Calvente, Giral, & Serna-Garces, 2013). The group also has experience in the design of compensators for frequency controllers. Pulse width modulator controllers, sliding mode controllers (Serna-Garcés, Jiménez, & Ramos-Paja, 2013), and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers (Ramos-Paja, Spagnuolo, Petrone, Serna, & Trejos, 2013) are examples of the techniques mastered by the group. Furthermore, the group has also worked on topics related to energy extraction systems for renewable resources such as wind and solar energy (E Arango, Ramos-Paja, Gonzalez, Serna, & Petrone, 2011). Figure 3 shows the photovoltaic panels on the sixth floor of the Fraternidad campus of ITM. Currently, the group of Power Electronics is working on a project called: “Identification, modeling and control of a wind turbine through maximum power point tracking”. This project involves the mathematical modeling of a wind turbine rotor and a permanent magnet synchronous generator. Once this is accomplished, the main objective is to find the maximum power coefficient Cp and the top-end blade speed λopt, that guarantees the maximum power extraction. An MPPT controller will be used to control the DC/DC converter.
Figure 2: Simulators for the development and verification of automation systems.
Prototyping and printed circuit board design A special topic of interest in electronics and communications research is the development of digital prototypes to validate research results. The importance of prototypes for electronics and systems engineering is even greater. This is mainly due to the high demand for embedded devices in multiple areas of knowledge. Embedded systems are present in virtually all economic sectors, namely aerospace, telecommunications, automotive, robotics, image processing, bio-engineering, oil industry, the commercial sector, the academic sector, and services sector, among others. All these sectors require increasingly complex devices with high mobility, which means that they must be small and power-saving. A key piece in the development of prototypes is the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs). The ETI lab has all the necessary equipment for producing PCBs up to 8 layers of copper. Figure 4 shows the machine for routing the circuit on the copper layers. The equipment also has capabilities for metallic through hole- and silk screen printing. The importance of this equipment lies in the opportunity to produce a PCB in a couple of hours, which is an important advantage for the rapid development of prototypes. Figure 5 presents a test bench for testing a power electronics circuit produced in the lab.
Figure 3:Renewable energy laboratory.
Opportunities Future challenges and opportunities that the area of power electronics will focus on is the study of systems for the management of AC sources (inverters, FACTS, etc.), and the design of variable speed motor drivers. We will also study multilevel topologies that are focused on higher power applications, with a relatively high efficiency. There are several issues with regard to advanced control which could be further investigated, such as implementation in real systems. Having worked with the theoretical properties of the advanced control, the next step will be the implementation of the developed theories in real systems such as microcontrollers, low-cost processors or similar programmable devices. The area of research on embedded systems offers a huge spectrum of opportunities in the automatic synthesis of software/hardware for controller algorithms, optimization algorithms, neural networks, etc. Automatic tools that implement efficiently this kind of algorithms and that offer an important flexibility on the target implementation platforms will be most welcome for the
Figure 4: Rapid prototyping PCB machine.
Figure 5: Testing and analysis of digital systems.
scientific and industrial community. One key point in the software/hardware synthesis is the possibility to modify the generated code once it is generated. There are many synthesis tools that make the generated code so dark and complex that intervention is impossible. Tackling these problems will be one of our main priorities. Additionally, research on simulation for hardware and software design will be reinforced with new projects. Moreover, in the near future we would like to establish a hotbed of research in the areas of digital design and embedded systems design.
Herrera, J., Ibeas, A., & de la Sen, M. (2013). Identification and control of integrative MIMO systems using pattern search algorithms: An application to irrigation channels. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 26(1), 334–346. doi:10.1016/j.engappai.2012.02.004
The area of Power Electronics is planning to center its attention on the study of systems for the management of renewable energy, and on the design of motor speed variators. Another topic of interest for future projects are the multilevel topologies applied to high power applications that require high efficiency.
Jurado-Gutierrez, V. M., Botero-Valencia, J. S., Serna-Garcés, S. I., & Madrigal-Gonzalez, C. A. (2013). Navegación Robótica Basada en Patrones Estáticos Utilizando el Sistema Embebido CMUcam3. Tecno Lógicas. Retrieved from http://itmojs.itm.edu.co/index. php/tecnologicas/article/view/480
Herrera, J., Ibeas, A., de la Sen, M., Alcántara, S., & Alonso-Quesada, S. (2013). Identification and control of delayed unstable and integrative LTI MIMO systems using pattern search methods. Advances in Difference Equations, 2013(1), 331. doi:10.1186/1687-1847-2013-331
References
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Arango, E., Ramos-Paja, C. A., Gonzalez, D., Serna, S., & Petrone, G. (2011). Automatic parameters calculation of controllers for photovoltaic dc/dc converters. In Electrical Engineering and Control (pp. 431–440). Springer.
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Arango, E., Ramos-Paja, C., Calvente, J., Giral, R., & Serna, S. (2012). Asymmetrical Interleaved DC/ DC Switching Converters for Photovoltaic and Fuel Cell Applications—Part 1: Circuit Generation, Analysis and Design . Energies, 5(12), 4590–4623. doi:10.3390/ en5114590
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Herrera, J., Ibeas, A., Alcántara, S., de la Sen, M., & Serna-Garcés, S. I. (2013). Identification and control of delayed SISO systems through pattern search methods. Journal of the Franklin Institute, 350(10), 3128–3148. doi:10.1016/j.jfranklin.2013.06.022
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Conference on Clean Electrical Power (ICCEP) (pp. 48–51). IEEE. doi:10.1109/ICCEP.2013.6586964 Rojas, H. A., Rojas, J. A., Zuleta, G. A., & Madrigal, C. A. (2012). Extraction of new features for classification of porcine sperm motility. In 2012 XVII Symposium of Image, Signal Processing, and Artificial Vision (STSIVA) (pp. 323–327). IEEE. doi:10.1109/STSIVA.2012.6340603 Serna-Garcés, S. I., Jiménez, R. E., & Ramos-Paja, C. A. (2013). Sliding-Mode Control of a Dc/Dc Postfilter for Ripple Reduction and Efficiency Improvement in POL Applications. Journal of Applied Mathematics, 2013. Young, D. P., & Ferryman, J. M. (2005). Pets metrics: On-line performance evaluation service. In Joint IEEE International Workshop on Visual Surveillance and Performance Evaluation of Tracking and Surveillance (VS-PETS) (pp. 317– 324).
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