The Hopkinson pressure bar has been developed to calibrate and assess high g accelerometers’ capacity. The extreme caution is indispensable for performing calibration of severe characteristics, like the bearable super-high overload peak and wide duration of stress. In the paper, the Hopkinson bar calibrating system is being critically appraised. A limiting formula is deduced based on the stress wave theory. It indicates that the overload peak and duration of stress are limited by the elastic limit and wave speed of Hopkinson bar material. Both stress wave configurations in the form of linear ramp and cosine functions were designed theoretically to meet typical calibrating requirements. They were confirmed experimentally with the aid of the pulse shaping technique. Their corresponding calibration characteristics were analysed critically, and it was found that the cosine stress wave can achieve the values of acceleration peak or duration by π/2 times greater than those obtained with the linear stress wave. Finally, some suggestions are proposed for more extreme calibration requirements.
Hydrological modelling uses modern computational methods to simulate local and regional water circulation systems. How does this work, and what benefits does it bring?
This paper introduces a new comprehensive procedure for both geometric and colour calibration of structured light system. In order to perform both geometric and colour calibration procedure, a new calibration artifact is proposed. The intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of projector and camera are estimated by using an extended pinhole camera model with a tangential and radial distortion. Camera image plane coordinates are obtained by extracting features from images of a calibration artifact. Projector image plane coordinates are calculated on the basis of continuous phase maps obtained from a fringe pattern phase reconstruction procedure. In order to stereo calibrate camera-projector system, pairs of corresponding image plane points are calculated with subpixel accuracy. In addition, one of three pattern views is used in colour calibration. RGB values of a colour field pattern detected by camera and their reference values are compared. This comparison leads to derivation of a colour transformation matrix. The performance of the proposed method is tested by measuring plane, sphere and distance reference. Also 360 degrees complex object 3D model from a set of measurements is obtained. Residual mean errors for all tests performed are calculated.
The paper deals with calibration of the simulation models of hydraulic part of an irrigation project. Calibrated simulation model can be used in design, reconstruction, enlargement or maintenance of the pressurized irrigation systems. Computer model of the water distribution system is a valuable tool which can assist engineers and planners in analyzing the hydraulic performance of water delivery systems. Calibration of the water distribution model consists in comparison of pressures and flows predicted with observed pressures and flows for known operating conditions (i.e., pump operation, tank levels, pressure-reducing valve settings), and adjustment of the input data for the model to improve agreement between observed and predicted values. In practice, given a set or sets of measured state variables, engineers apply trial and error techniques with their judgment to vary the parameters and accomplish this task. Trial and error techniques are tedious do not guarantee reasonable results. The paper introduces the methodology of determination of calibrated parameters automatically. Described methodology of calibration is based on optimizing procedures using the harmony search approach.
HPM meters are required for the assessment of fields generated by sources of high-power microwaves. Finding the inverse calibration curves for such instruments is important for ensuring accuracy. The procedure is relatively simple for meters consisting of linear devices but there can also be hardware solutions implementing nonlinear ones. The objective of the present work was to develop a convenient procedure to allow finding such a curve when the meter uses a D-dot probe and a power detector. For that purpose, the results of low voltage measurements describing the properties of the detector were first analysed. Then a software code was developed to estimate the RMS value of an incident field based on measured output and frequency response. The response was estimated with very low electric field. And finally, the performance of the proposed procedure was verified by tests conducted with high electric field in a TEM cell. High conformity of the output of the meter with fields of known values was demonstrated. The maximum error related to the meter range did not exceed 4%.
The Lithuanian national standard of electric resistance is maintained as the basis for calibration and measurement capabilities published in the key comparison database of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). The stability and uncertainty of the resistance value measurements, performed since 2004 using the calibrated values of the standard resistors to predict their future behaviour as well as influence of environmental conditions, are discussed. Also discussed is the recovery of a standard resistor which had undergone a mechanical disturbance. It is concluded that the standard resistors operated by the Lithuanian National Electrical Standards Laboratory feature stable drift of resistance, which is well predicted by means of linear regression.
Radio environment maps (REMs) are beginning to be an integral part of modern mobile radiocommunication systems and networks, especially for ad-hoc, cognitive, and dynamic spectrum access networks. The REMs will use emerging military systems of tactical communications. The REM is a kind of database used at the stage of planning and management of the radio resources and networks, which considers the geographical features of an area, environmental propagation properties, as well as the parameters of radio network elements and available services. At the REM, for spatial management of network nodes, various methods of propagation modeling for determining the attenuation and capacity of wireless links and radio ranges are used. One method of propagation prediction is based on a numerical solution of the wave equation in a parabolic form, which allows considering, i.a., atmospheric refraction, terrain shape, and soil electrical parameters. However, the determination of a current altitudinal profile of atmospheric refraction may be a problem. If the propagation-prediction model uses a fixed refraction profile, then the calibration of this model based on empirical measurements is required. We propose a methodology for calibrating the analyzed model based on an example empirical research scenario. The paper presents descriptions of the propagation model, test-bed and scenario used in measurements, and obtained signal attenuation results, which are used for the initial calibration of the model.