APPLICATION OF SOFT COMPUTING TECHNIQUES TO MOTION CONTROL OF UNDERWATER ROBOTIC VEHICLE

Using of artificial intelligence techniques to steering of underwater robotic vehicle along a reference path is considered in the paper. For the tracking, the way-point line of sight scheme is applied. Command signals are generated by an autopilot consisting of four independent controllers with a fuzzy control law implemented. Parameters of the controllers are tuned by means of genetic algorithms. A quality of control is tested without and in presence of environmental disturbances. Selected results of computer simulations are inserted to demonstrate quality of the approach.

PROPERTIES OF MULTICOMPONENT BIOFUEL BLENDS, CONTAINING RAPESEED OIL BUTYL ESTERS, BIOBUTANOL AND FOSSIL DIESEL FUEL

Chemical and physical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, flash point, copper strip corrosion, calorific value) of multicomponent biofuel blends, containing rapeseed oil butyl or methyl esters, biobutanol and fossil diesel fuel are discussed in this paper. Ester, water and partial glycerides contents were determinated in multicomponent biofuel blends. These properties were compared with the same properties of pure biodiesel (rapeseed oil butyl and methyl esters) and pure diesel fuel. As there are no standards for blends fuel, containing more than 7  of biocomponents, that is why, density and viscosity were evaluated according standards EN 14214 and EN 590.It is determined that the addition of butanol and rapeseed oil butyl esters should improve the cold flow properties, such as cloud point and cold filter plugging point.As rapeseed oil butyl esters were produced from high acidity rapeseed oil (4%), much attention was deviated for oxidation stability and acidity of pure rapeseed oil butylesters and it blends with butanol and diesel fuel.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NATURAL GAS ENGINE PARAMETERS WITH QUALITY AND QUANTITY CONTROL

Parameters of natural gas engines were calculated with the aim to determine the optimal way of their working process organization. Analysis of calculations results demonstrated that quality power level control ensured the improvement of parameters of investigated engines. Calculations showed that compared with the diesel engine, the gas engine with quantity power level control, internal mixture formation and glow plug ignition of the gas-air mixture ensured the decrease of СО2 emissions by 26.8%, and the natural gas engine with quality power level control, external mixture formation and gas-air mixture ignition by a small pilot portion of fine atomized diesel fuel supplied by a Common Rail fuel system – by 25.5%. Therefore, one can choose one or another method of diesel engine conversion for operation on gas fuel considering available technical opportunities and with minimal expenses.