This paper introduces a scaled PRT system, by which the expense and time for development can be reduced and the field applicability can also be improved. Furthermore, due to the propulsion based on the in-track linear induction motor (LIM), the need to carry motors and controllers on each vehicle and to provide guideway power rails can be eliminated, and thus the economical efficiency can be im...

Medical applications are among the most impactful areas of microrobotics. The ultimate goal of medical microrobots is to reach currently inaccessible areas of the human body and carry out a host of complex operations such as minimally invasive surgery (MIS), highly localized drug delivery, and screening for diseases at their very early stages. Miniature, safe and energy efficient propulsion sys...

An analysis is made of the synergism of electric propulsion and non-nuclear power for deep space applications (i.e., to the asteroid belt and beyond). In current generation systems, electric propulsion is usually considered to be impractical because of the lack of high power for deep space, and non-nuclear power is thought to be impractical partly due to its high mass. However, when taken in co...

At very low Reynolds number, the regime in which fluid dynamics is governed by Stokes equations, a helix that translates along its axis under an external force but without an external torque will necessarily rotate. By the linearity of the Stokes equations, the same helix that is caused to rotate due to an external torque will necessarily translate. This is the physics that underlies the mechan...

As modern space propulsion and exploration systems improve in capability and efficiency, their designs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Determining the health state of these systems using traditional parameter limit checking, model-based, or rule-based methods is becoming more difficult as the number of sensors and component interactions grow. Data-driven monitoring techniqu...

This study aims at studying the reliability evaluation for the marine propulsion shaft system under the severe sea conditions. The variations of the contact stress between the bearings and the marine propulsion shaft under the severe sea conditions are analyzed using the finite element simulation. The stress-strength interference theory is used to evaluate the reliability of the marine propulsi...