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The paper is a study of the mathematical model and kinematics of a parallel spherical manipulator. This type of manipulator was proposed back in the 80s of the last century and has since found application in exoskeletons and rehabilitation robots due to its structure, which allows imitating natural joint movements of the human body.

The Parallel Spherical Manipulator is a robot with three legs and two platforms, a base platform and a mobile platform. Its legs consist of two support links that are arc-shaped. Mathematically, the manipulator can be described using two virtual pyramids that are placed on top of each other.

The paper considers two types of manipulator configurations: classical and asymmetric, and solves basic kinematic problems for each. The study shows that the asymmetric design of the manipulator has the maximum workspace, especially when the motors are mounted at the joints of the manipulator’s links inside legs.

To optimize the parameters of the parallel spherical manipulator, we introduced a metric of usable workspace volume. This metric represents the volume of the sector of the sphere in which the robot does not experience internal collisions or singular states. There are three types of singular states possible within a parallel spherical manipulator — serial, parallel, and mixed singularity. We used all three types of singularities to calculate the useful volume. In our research work, we solved the problem related to maximizing the usable volume of the workspace.

Through our research work, we found that the asymmetric configuration of the spherical manipulator maximizes the workspace when the motors are located at the articulation point of the robot leg support arms. At the same time, the parameter $\beta_1$ must be zero degrees to maximize the workspace. This allowed us to create a prototype robot in which we eliminated the use of lower links in legs in favor of a radiused rail along which the motors run. This allowed us to reduce the linear dimensions of the robot itself and gain on the stiffness of the structure.

The results obtained can be used to optimize the parameters of the parallel spherical manipulator in various industrial and scientific applications, as well as for further research of other types of parallel robots and manipulators.

In this paper, we consider two variants of the concept of sharp minimum for mathematical programming problems with quasiconvex objective function and inequality constraints. It investigated the problem of describing a variant of a simple subgradient method with switching along productive and non-productive steps, for which, on a class of problems with Lipschitz functions, it would be possible to guarantee convergence with the rate of geometric progression to the set of exact solutions or its vicinity. It is important that to implement the proposed method there is no need to know the sharp minimum parameter, which is usually difficult to estimate in practice. To overcome this problem, the authors propose to use a step adjustment procedure similar to that previously proposed by B. T. Polyak. However, in this case, in comparison with the class of problems without constraints, it arises the problem of knowing the exact minimal value of the objective function. The paper describes the conditions for the inexactness of this information, which make it possible to preserve convergence with the rate of geometric progression in the vicinity of the set of minimum points of the problem. Two analogs of the concept of a sharp minimum for problems with inequality constraints are considered. In the first one, the problem of approximation to the exact solution arises only to a pre-selected level of accuracy, for this, it is considered the case when the minimal value of the objective function is unknown; instead, it is given some approximation of this value. We describe conditions on the inexact minimal value of the objective function, under which convergence to the vicinity of the desired set of points with a rate of geometric progression is still preserved. The second considered variant of the sharp minimum does not depend on the desired accuracy of the problem. For this, we propose a slightly different way of checking whether the step is productive, which allows us to guarantee the convergence of the method to the exact solution with the rate of geometric progression in the case of exact information. Convergence estimates are proved under conditions of weak convexity of the constraints and some restrictions on the choice of the initial point, and a corollary is formulated for the convex case when the need for an additional assumption on the choice of the initial point disappears. For both approaches, it has been proven that the distance from the current point to the set of solutions decreases with increasing number of iterations. This, in particular, makes it possible to limit the requirements for the properties of the used functions (Lipschitz-continuous, sharp minimum) only for a bounded set. Some computational experiments are performed, including for the truss topology design problem.

Numerical investigation of mixing non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant in a T-branch is carried out in the FlowVision CFD software. This study is aimed at argumentation of applicability of different approaches to prediction of oscillating behavior of the flow in the mixing zone and simulation of temperature pulsations. The following approaches are considered: URANS (Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokers), LES (Large Eddy Simulation) and quasi-DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation). One of the main tasks of the work is detection of the advantages and drawbacks of the aforementioned approaches.

Numerical investigation of temperature pulsations, arising in the liquid and T-branch walls from the mixing of non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant was carried out within a mathematical model assuming that the flow is turbulent, the fluid density does not depend on pressure, and that heat exchange proceeds between the coolant and T-branch walls. Model LMS designed for modeling turbulent heat transfer was used in the calculations within URANS approach. The model allows calculation of the Prandtl number distribution over the computational domain.

Preliminary study was dedicated to estimation of the influence of computational grid on the development of oscillating flow and character of temperature pulsation within the aforementioned approaches. The study resulted in formulation of criteria for grid generation for each approach.

Then, calculations of three flow regimes have been carried out. The regimes differ by the ratios of the sodium mass flow rates and temperatures at the T-branch inlets. Each regime was calculated with use of the URANS, LES and quasi-DNS approaches.

At the final stage of the work analytical comparison of numerical and experimental data was performed. Advantages and drawbacks of each approach to simulation of mixing non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant in the T-branch are revealed and formulated.

It is shown that the URANS approach predicts the mean temperature distribution with a reasonable accuracy. It requires essentially less computational and time resources compared to the LES and DNS approaches. The drawback of this approach is that it does not reproduce pulsations of velocity, pressure and temperature.

The LES and DNS approaches also predict the mean temperature with a reasonable accuracy. They provide oscillating solutions. The obtained amplitudes of the temperature pulsations exceed the experimental ones. The spectral power densities in the check points inside the sodium flow agree well with the experimental data. However, the expenses of the computational and time resources essentially exceed those for the URANS approach in the performed numerical experiments: 350 times for LES and 1500 times for ·DNS.

Although the era of exponential performance growth in computer chips has ended, processor core numbers have reached 16 or more even in general-purpose desktop CPUs. As DRAM throughput is unable to keep pace with this computing power growth, CPU designers need to find ways of lowering memory traffic per instruction. The straightforward way to do this is to reduce the miss rate of the last-level cache. Assuming “non-inclusive cache, inclusive directory” (NCID) scheme already implemented, three ways of reducing the cache miss rate further were studied.

The first is to achieve more uniform usage of cache banks and sets by employing hash-based interleaving and indexing. In the experiments in SPEC CPU2017 refrate tests, even the simplest XOR-based hash functions demonstrated a performance increase of 3.2%, 9.1%, and 8.2% for CPU configurations with 16, 32, and 64 cores and last-level cache banks, comparable to the results of more complex matrix-, division- and CRC-based functions.

The second optimisation is aimed at reducing replication at different cache levels by means of automatically switching to the exclusive scheme when it appears optimal. A known scheme of this type, FLEXclusion, was modified for use in NCID caches and showed an average performance gain of 3.8%, 5.4 %, and 7.9% for 16-, 32-, and 64-core configurations.

The third optimisation is to increase the effective cache capacity using compression. The compression rate of the inexpensive and fast BDI*-HL (Base-Delta-Immediate Modified, Half-Line) algorithm, designed for NCID, was measured, and the respective increase in cache capacity yielded roughly 1% of the average performance increase.

All three optimisations can be combined and demonstrated a performance gain of 7.7%, 16% and 19% for CPU configurations with 16, 32, and 64 cores and banks, respectively.

This paper demonstrates the advantages of using artificial intelligence algorithms for the design of experiment theory, which makes possible to improve the accuracy of parameter identification for an elastostatic robot model. Design of experiment for a robot consists of the optimal configuration-external force pairs for the identification algorithms and can be described by several main stages. At the first stage, an elastostatic model of the robot is created, taking into account all possible mechanical compliances. The second stage selects the objective function, which can be represented by both classical optimality criteria and criteria defined by the desired application of the robot. At the third stage the optimal measurement configurations are found using numerical optimization. The fourth stage measures the position of the robot body in the obtained configurations under the influence of an external force. At the last, fifth stage, the elastostatic parameters of the manipulator are identified based on the measured data.

The objective function required to finding the optimal configurations for industrial robot calibration is constrained by mechanical limits both on the part of the possible angles of rotation of the robot’s joints and on the part of the possible applied forces. The solution of this multidimensional and constrained problem is not simple, therefore it is proposed to use approaches based on artificial intelligence. To find the minimum of the objective function, the following methods, also sometimes called heuristics, were used: genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, simulated annealing algorithm, etc. The obtained results were analyzed in terms of the time required to obtain the configurations, the optimal value, as well as the final accuracy after applying the calibration. The comparison showed the advantages of the considered optimization techniques based on artificial intelligence over the classical methods of finding the optimal value. The results of this work allow us to reduce the time spent on calibration and increase the positioning accuracy of the robot’s end-effector after calibration for contact operations with high loads, such as machining and incremental forming.

X-ray diffraction experiment allows determining of magnitudes of complex coefficients in the decomposition of the studied electron density distribution into Fourier series. The determination of the lost in the experiment phase values poses the central problem of the method, namely the phase problem. Some methods for solving of the phase problem result in a set of feasible solutions. Cluster analysis method may be used to investigate the composition of this set and to extract one or several typical solutions. An essential feature of the approach is the estimation of the closeness of two solutions by the map correlation between two aligned Fourier syntheses calculated with the use of phase sets under comparison. An interactive computer program ClanGR was designed to perform this analysis.

Technical diagnosis’ current trends are connected to application of FEM computer simulation, which allows, to some extent, replace real experiments, reduce costs for investigation and minimize risks. Computer simulation, just at the stage of research and development, allows carrying out of diagnostics of equipment to detect permissible fluctuations of parameters of equipment’s work. Peculiarity of diagnosis of rolling equipment is that functioning of rolling equipment is directly tied with manufacturing of product with required quality, including accuracy. At that design of techniques of technical diagnosis and diagnostical modelling is very important. Computer simulation of cold rolling of strip was carried out. At that upper working roll was doing vibrations in horizontal direction according with published data of experiments on continuous 1700 rolling mill. Vibration of working roll in a stand appeared due to gap between roll’s craft and guide in a stand and led to periodical fluctuations of strip’s thickness. After computer simulation with the help of DEFORM software strip with longitudinal and transversal thickness variation was gotten. Visualization of strip’s geometrical parameters, according with simulation data, corresponded to type of inhomogeneity of surface of strip rolled in real. Further analysis of thickness variation was done in order to identify, on the basis of simulation, sources of periodical components of strip’s thickness, whose reasons are malfunctions of equipment. Advantage of computer simulation while searching the sources of forming of thickness variation is that different hypothesis concerning thickness formations may be tested without conducting real experiments and costs of different types may be reduced. Moreover, while simulation, initial strip’s thickness will not have fluctuations as opposed to industrial or laboratorial experiments. On the basis of spectral analysis of random process, it was established that frequency of changing of strip’s thickness after rolling in one stand coincides with frequency of working roll’s vibration. Results of computer simulation correlate with results of the researches for 1700 mill. Therefore, opportunity to apply computer simulation to find reasons of formation of thickness variation of strip on the industrial rolling mill is shown.

The article is devoted to the construction and investigation of an averaged mathematical model of an aluminum-cobalt-molybdenum hydrocracking catalyst oxidative regeneration. The oxidative regeneration is an effective means of restoring the activity of the catalyst when its granules are coating with coke scurf.

The mathematical model of this process is a nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations, which includes kinetic equations for reagents’ concentrations and equations for changes in the temperature of the catalyst granule and the reaction mixture as a result of isothermal reactions and heat transfer between the gas and the catalyst layer. Due to the heterogeneity of the oxidative regeneration process, some of the equations differ from the standard kinetic ones and are based on empirical data. The article discusses the scheme of chemical interaction in the regeneration process, which the material balance equations are compiled on the basis of. It reflects the direct interaction of coke and oxygen, taking into account the degree of coverage of the coke granule with carbon-hydrogen and carbon-oxygen complexes, the release of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide during combustion, as well as the release of oxygen and hydrogen inside the catalyst granule. The change of the radius and, consequently, the surface area of coke pellets is taken into account. The adequacy of the developed averaged model is confirmed by an analysis of the dynamics of the concentrations of substances and temperature.

The article presents a numerical experiment for a mathematical model of oxidative regeneration of an aluminum-cobalt-molybdenum hydrocracking catalyst. The experiment was carried out using the Kutta–Merson method. This method belongs to the methods of the Runge–Kutta family, but is designed to solve stiff systems of ordinary differential equations. The results of a computational experiment are visualized.

The paper presents the dynamics of the concentrations of substances involved in the oxidative regeneration process. A conclusion on the adequacy of the constructed mathematical model is drawn on the basis of the correspondence of the obtained results to physicochemical laws. The heating of the catalyst granule and the release of carbon monoxide with a change in the radius of the granule for various degrees of initial coking are analyzed. There are a description of the results.

In conclusion, the main results and examples of problems which can be solved using the developed mathematical model are noted.

The article covered results of three-dimensional modeling of ecologic situation of shallow water on the example of the Azov Sea with using schemes of increased order of accuracy on multiprocessor computer system of Southern Federal University. Discrete analogs of convective and diffusive transfer operators of the fourth order of accuracy in the case of partial occupancy of cells were constructed and studied. The developed scheme of the high (fourth) order of accuracy were used for solving problems of aquatic ecology and modeling spatial distribution of polluting nutrients, which caused growth of phytoplankton, many species of which are toxic and harmful. The use of schemes of the high order of accuracy are improved the quality of input data and decreased the error in solutions of model tasks of aquatic ecology. Numerical experiments were conducted for the problem of transportation of substances on the basis of the schemes of the second and fourth orders of accuracy. They’re showed that the accuracy was increased in 48.7 times for diffusion-convection problem. The mathematical algorithm was proposed and numerically implemented, which designed to restore the bottom topography of shallow water on the basis of hydrographic data (water depth at individual points or contour level). The map of bottom relief of the Azov Sea was generated with using this algorithm. It’s used to build fields of currents calculated on the basis of hydrodynamic model. The fields of water flow currents were used as input data of the aquatic ecology models. The library of double-layered iterative methods was developed for solving of nine-diagonal difference equations. It occurs in discretization of model tasks of challenges of pollutants concentration, plankton and fish on multiprocessor computer system. It improved the precision of the calculated data and gave the possibility to obtain operational forecasts of changes in ecologic situation of shallow water in short time intervals.

Study of work of heating equipment is an actual issue because it allows determining optimal regimes to reach highest efficiency. At that it is very helpful to use computer simulation to predict how different heating modes influence the effectiveness of the heating process and wear of heating equipment. Computer simulation provides results whose accuracy is proven by many studies and requires costs and time less than real experiments. In terms of present research, computer simulation of heating of air tuyere of blast furnace was realized with the help of FEM software. Background studies revealed possibility to simulate it as a flat, axisymmetric problem and DEFORM-2D software was used for simulation. Geometry, necessary for simulation, was designed with the help of SolidWorks, saved in .dxf format. Then it was exported to DEFORM-2D pre-processor and positioned. Preliminary and boundary conditions were set up. Several modes of operating regimes were under analysis. In order to demonstrate influence of eah of the modes and for better visualization point tracking option of the DEFORM-2D post-processor was applied. Influence of thermal insulation box plugged into blow channel, with and without air gap, and thermal coating on air tuyere’s temperature field was investigated. Simulation data demonstrated significant effect of thermal insulation box on air tuyere’s temperature field. Designed model allowed to simulate tuyere’s burnout as a result of interaction with liquid iron. Conducted researches have demonstrated DEFORM-2D effectiveness while using it for simulation of heat transfer and heating processes. DEFORM-2D is about to be used in further studies dedicated to more complex process connected with temperature field of blast furnace’s air tuyere.