Hyperthermia based cancer treatments delivered under various modalities have the potential to become an effective option to eradicate the disease, maintain functionality of infected organs, and minimize complications and relapse. Moreover, hyperthermia therapies are a form of minimally invasive cancer treatment which are key to improving the quality of life post-treatment. Many modalities are available for delivering the heat source. However, the ability to control the energy deposition to prevent damage to adjacent healthy tissue is a limiting factor in all forms of thermal therapies, including cryotherapy, microwave, radio-frequency, ultrasound, and laser. The application of a laser heat source under the guidance of real-time treatment data has the potential to provide unprecedented control over the temperature field induced within the biological domain. The computational infrastructure developed in this work combines a computational model of bioheat transfer based on a nonlinear version of the Pennes equation for heterogeneous media with the precise timing and orchestration of the real-time solutions to the problems of calibration, optimal control, data transfer, registration, finite element mesh refinement, cellular damage prediction, and laser control; it is an example of Dynamic-Data-Driven Applications System (DDDAS) in which simulation models interact with measurement devices and assimilates data over a computational grid for the purpose of producing high-fidelity predictions of physical events. The tool controls the thermal source, provides a prediction of the entire outcome of the treatment and, using intra-operative data, updates itself to increase the accuracy of the prediction. A precise mathematical framework for the real-time finite element solution of the problems of calibration, optimal heat source control, and goal-oriented error estimation applied to the equations of bioheat transfer is presented. It is demonstrated that current finite element technology, parallel computer architecture, data transfer infrastructure, and thermal imaging modalities are capable of inducing a precise computer controlled temperature field within a biological domain. The project thus addresses a set of problems falling in the intersection of applied mathematics, imaging physics, computational science, computer science and visualizations, biomedical engineering, and medical science. The work involves contributions in the three component areas of the CAM program; A, Applicable Mathematics; B, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing; and C, Mathematical modeling and Applications. The ultimate goal of this research is to provide the medical community a minimally invasive clinical tool that uses predictive computational techniques to provide the optimal hyperthermia laser treatment procedure given real-time, patient specific data. / text

Extremely large telescopes (ELTs) are the next generation of ground-based reflecting telescopes of optical wavelengths. ELTs possess an aperture of more than 20 meters and share a number of common features, particularly the use of a segmented primary mirror and the use of adaptive optics systems. In 2005, the European Southern Observatory introduced a new giant telescope concept, named the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), which is scheduled for operation in 2018. The E-ELT will address key scientific challenges and will aim for a number of notable firsts, including discovering Earth-like planets around other stars in the ``habitable zones'' where life could exist, attempting to uncover the relationship between black holes and galaxies, measuring the properties of the first stars and galaxies, and probing the nature of dark matter and dark energy. In 2009, a feasibility study, conducted by National Instruments, proved the feasibility of the real-time (RT) control system architecture for the E-ELT's nearly 1,000 mirror segments with 3,000 actuators and 6,000 sensors. The goal of the RT control system was to maintain a perfectly aligned field of mirrors at all times with a loop-time of 1 ms. The study assumed a prescribed controller algorithm. This research report prescribes the optimal controller algorithms for large segmented telescopes. In this respect, optimal controller designs for the primary mirror of the E-ELT, where optimality is formulated in the [H-2] and [H-infinity] frameworks are derived. Moreover, the designed controllers are simulated to show that the desired performance metrics are met. / text

The control of electrical drives, or motion control, is important in modern industry. In order to satisfy the requirements of industry, it is important for tertiary institutions to produce graduates skilled in this field. The theoretical content of a typical electrical engineering course will prepare students to tackle design and offline simulation of a digital motion controller. However, to gain an in-depth understanding of the field, students need to be able to implement and test their designs in practice. The complete design process of a digital motion controller is an inherently lengthy process requiring a number of diverse skills, for example microprocessor based hardware and software design. While hardware design issues can be minimised by a choice of a commercially available controller board, the coding of real-time software for a complex controller can pose a steep learning curve. At the undergraduate level, students seldom will possess sufficient practical expertise to fully implement a challenging motion control design in the limited time frames allocated for such projects. This thesis presents a complete rapid prototyping environment for the design of motion control, the Control System Development Environment (CSDE). The CSDE allows a seamless progression of a motion control project through all stages, from initial design and simulation, through real-time implementation to final online tuning and validation. Users are freed from all low-level software and hardware design issues. In the context of undergraduate design projects, the CSDE allows students to design, simulate and prototype challenging solutions in the limited time available. Thus, students can gain in-depth, system level expertise in the design of motion control without being hampered by low-level design issues. The CSDE has been successfully tested by a number of undergraduate students at the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Natal. In particular, the CSDE's effectiveness has been demonstrated by its application during two prize winning final year design projects.

Engineering educators the world over are being faced with the dilemma of combining traditional mathematically intensive courses, like Control Systems and Robotics with advances in computational hardware and software. This is because it is impractical to include both software engineering issues as well as conventional course content. A solution to the problem lies in Rapid Prototyping technology to develop and design software, for application on PC's and embedded systems. Rapid Prototyping, based on automatic code generation, allows users to develop advanced software on high level graphical platforms like Simulink® and LabView®, while " hiding" the underlying layers of complex code. This approach allows the advanced hardware, traditionally reserved for software engineers, to be accessed by a much wider audience and is an ideal educational tool. This thesis presents the complete development of the Rapid Application Development Environment (RADE). The RADE system customises the Mathworks Real Time Workshop (RTW) revision 11 for application on both standalone and networked DS? cards. The functionality of the RTW is incorporated into the RADE system. This affords the user seamless code generation, downloading, on-line parameter tuning and on-line data visualisation with storage capability. An added advantage of the RADE system is its easy portability to multiple target platforms, which is demonstrated by its implementation on two different DSP cards. Finally the functionality of the RADE system is demonstrated as an educational tool, with the demonstration of a DC motor speed and position controller. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

No description available.

The switched reluctance motor (SRM) is receiving attention because of its merits: high operating temperature capability, fault tolerance, inherent shoot-through preventing inverter topology, high power density, high speed operation, and small rotor inertia. Rotor position information plays a critical role in the control of the SRM. Conventionally, separate position sensors, are used to obtain this information. Position sensors add complexity and cost to the control system and reduce its reliability and flexibility. In order to overcome the drawbacks of position sensors, this dissertation proposed and investigated a position sensorless control system that meets the needs of an electric actuator application. It is capable of working from zero to high speeds. In the control system, two different control strategies are proposed, one for low speeds and one for high speeds. Each strategy utilizes a state observer to estimate rotor position and speed and is capable of 4 quadrant operation. In the low speed strategy a Luenberger observer, which has been named the inductance profile demodulator based observer, is used where a pulse voltage is applied to the SRMs idle phases generating triangle shaped phase currents. The amplitude of the phase current is modulated by the SRMs inductance. The current is demodulated and combined with the output of a state observer to produce an error input to the observer so that the observer will track the actual SRM rotor position. The strategy can determine the SRMs rotor position at standstill and low speeds with torques up to rated torque. Another observer, named the simplified flux model based observer, is used for medium and high speeds. In this case, the flux is computed using the measured current and a simplified flux model. The difference between the computed flux and the measured flux generates an error that is input to the observer so that it will track the actual SRM rotor position. Since the speed ranges of the two control stragegies overlap, the final control system is capable of working from zero to high speed by switching between the two observers according to the estimated speed. The stability and performance of the observers are verified with simulation and experiments.

A single-phase, buck-boost based, dual-output AC-DC converter is studied in this thesis. The converter has two DC outputs with opposite polarities, which share the same ground with the input power line. The power stage performance, including the input filter, is studied and procedure to select power components is given. The circuit model is analyzed to develop appropriate control. Zerocrossing distortion of the source input current is addressed and a solution is proposed. Experimental results are satisfactory in that a high power factor line current results for steady-state operation.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-81).

Thesis--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-68).