Flow dynamics and turbulent coherent structures around sediment reduction plates of a sewer system.

In the management of urban drainage networks, great interest has been generated in the removal of sediments from sewer systems. The unsteady three-dimensional (3D) flow and turbulent coherent structures surrounding sediment reduction plates in a sewer system are investigated by means of the detached-eddy simulation (DES). Particular emphasis is given to detailing the instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields within the grooves, along with an examination of the three-dimensional, long-term, average flow structure at a Reynolds number of approximately 105. Velocity vectors demonstrate continuous flapping of the flow on the groove wall, periodically interacting with ejections of positive and negative vorticity originating from the grooves. The interaction between the three-dimensional groove flow and the shear flow leads to the downstream transport of patches of positive and negative vorticity, which significantly influence sediment transport. The high-velocity shear flows and strong vortices generated in undulating topography, as identified by the Q-criteria, are the key factors contributing to the efficient sediment reduction capabilities of the sediment reduction plates. The sediment reduction plates with partially enclosed structures exhibit low sedimentation rates in grooves on the plate, a broader acceleration region, and a lesser impact on the flow capacity. The results improve the understanding of the hydrodynamics and turbulent coherent structures surrounding the sediment reduction plates while elucidating the driving factors behind the enhancement of sediment scouring and suspension capacities. These results indicate that the redesign of the plates as partially enclosed structures contributes to further improving their sediment reduction performance.

A Novel Master-Slave Interventional Surgery Robot with Force Feedback and Collaborative Operation.

In recent years, master-slave vascular robots have been developed to address the problem of radiation exposure during vascular interventions for surgeons. However, the single visual feedback reduces surgeon immersion and transparency of the system. In this work, we have developed a haptic interface based on the magnetorheological fluid (MRF) on the master side. The haptic interface can provide passive feedback force with high force fidelity and low inertia. Additionally, the manipulation of the master device does not change the operating posture of traditional surgery, which allows the surgeon to better adapt to the robotic system. For the slave robot, the catheter and guidewire can be navigated simultaneously which allows the two degrees of action on the catheter and axial action of a guidewire. The resistance force of the catheter navigation is measured and reflected to the user through the master haptic interface. To verify the proposed master-slave robotic system, the evaluation experiments are carried out in vitro, and the effectiveness of the system was demonstrated experimentally.