3,533 research outputs found

    A General Bayesian Framework for Ellipse-based and Hyperbola-based Damage Localisation in Anisotropic Composite Plates

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    This paper focuses on Bayesian Lamb wave-based damage localization in structural health monitoring of anisotropic composite materials. A Bayesian framework is applied to take account for uncertainties from experimental time-of-flight measurements and angular dependent group velocity within the composite material. An original parametric analytical expression of the direction dependence of group velocity is proposed and validated numerically and experimentally for anisotropic composite and sandwich plates. This expression is incorporated into time-of-arrival (ToA: ellipse-based) and time-difference-of-arrival (TDoA: hyperbola-based) Bayesian damage localization algorithms. This way, the damage location as well as the group velocity profile are estimated jointly and a priori information taken into consideration. The proposed algorithm is general as it allows to take into account for uncertainties within a Bayesian framework, and to model effects of anisotropy on group velocity. Numerical and experimental results obtained with different damage sizes or locations and for different degrees of anisotropy validate the ability of the proposed algorithm to estimate both the damage location and the group velocity profile as well as the associated confidence intervals. Results highlight the need to consider for anisotropy in order to increase localization accuracy, and to use Bayesian analysis to quantify uncertainties in damage localization.Projet CORALI

    Role of optimization in interdisciplinary analyses of naval structures

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    The need for numerical design optimization of naval structures is discussed. The complexity of problems that arise due to the significant roles played by three major disciplines, i.e., structural mechanics, acoustics, and hydrodynamics are discussed. A major computer software effort that has recently begun at the David W. Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center to accommodate large multidisciplinary analyses is also described. In addition to primarily facilitating, via the use of data bases, interdisciplinary analyses for predicting the response of the Navy's ships and related structures, this software effort is expected to provide the analyst with a convenient numerical workbench for performing large numbers of analyses that may be necessary for optimizing the design performance. Finally, an example is included that investigates several aspects of optimizing a typical naval structure from the viewpoints of strength, hydrodynamic form, and acoustic characteristics

    Advanced discontinuous integral-equation schemes for the versatile electromagnetic analysis of complex structures

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    Premi Extraordinari de Doctorat, promoció 2018-2019. Àmbit de les TICLes Equacions Integrals superficials més importants són l'Equació de Camp Elèctric (EFIE), per a l'anàlisi de la dispersió electromagnètica d'objectes conductors perfectes (PEC), i la formulació Poggio–Miller–Chang–Harrington–Wu–Tsai (PMCHWT), orientada a l'anàlisi d'objectes homogenis penetrables. Ambdues són normalment discretitzades, amb el Mètode dels Moments (MoM), amb funcions base div-conformes, dependents de les arestes del mallat. Les discretitzacions div-conformes de les formulacions EFIE i PMCHWT representen esquemes conformes; és a dir, amb solucions convergents a dins de l'espai físic de corrents. Tanmateix, les implementations MoM div-conformes requereixen que el mallat sigui conforme geomètricament, amb cada parell de triangles adjacents compartint només una aresta. El desenvolupament d'esquemes div-conformes per a objectes compostos amb línies al llarg de les quals tres o més regions hi intersecten, esdevé molt incòmoda perquè cal definir condicions de continuïtat especials en aquestes línies d'intersecció. A més, els mallats que resulten de la juxtaposició de subdominis independentment mallats són típicament no-conformes geomètricament i per tant no aptes per a l'anàlisi div-conforme convencional en Mètode dels Moments. En aquesta Tesi, es tracta l'anàlisi robusta, precisa i versàtil de la dispersió electromagnètica d'objectes conductors o penetrables amb forma arbitrària i d'objectes compostos amb línies d'intersecció entre differents regions, ja sigui amb mallats conformes com no-conformes. Amb aquest objectiu, fem ús de la formulació d'equació integral EFIE–PMCHWT, la qual resulta de l'aplicació de les formulacions EFIE o PMCHWTal llarg de superfícies de contorn, respectivament, incloent regions conductores o separant regions penetrables. Els esquemes proposats en aquesta Tesi es basen en el desenvolupament dels corrents amb conjunts de funcions base discontínues a través de les arestes del mallat i dependents només dels triangles del mallat. Aquesta estratègia dóna lloc a integrals de contorn amb Kernels hypersingulars, que maneguem mitjançant el testeig de les equacions amb funcions de testeig especialment dissenyades, definides fora de les triangulacions de la superfície de contorn, a dins de la regió a on els camps són zero d'acord amb al Teorema d'Equivalència superficial. Les nostres implementacions de la formulació EFIE-PMCHWT, dependents només de triangles, mostren millor precisió respecte dels esquemes continus convencionals en l'anàlisi d'objectes angulosos a on el modelatge acurat del comportament dels camps singulars és d'importància cabdal. A més, els nostres esquemes mostren en general una gran flexibilitat en l'anàlisi d'objectes compostos amb línies d'intersecció entre regions ja que no hi cal el modelatge especial dels corrents. Finalment, les implementacions proposades poden abordar l'anàlisi d'objectes amb forma arbitrària, totalment homogenis o homogenis a trossos, i amb mallats geomètricament no-conformes.The most prominent surface integral equations, the electric field integral equation (EFIE) used for the scattering analysis of perfectly electrically conducting (PEC) targets and the Poggio–Miller–Chang–Harrington–Wu–Tsai (PMCHWT) formulation commonly utilized for the analysis of homogeneous penetrable objects, are usually discretized, in the context of method of moments (MoM), with edge-based divergence-conforming basis functions. Divergence-conforming discretizations of the EFIE and PMCHWT formulations excel asconforming schemes, hence with converging solutions in the physical space of currents. However, the divergence-conforming MoM implementations require the underlying mesh to be geometrically conformal, with pairs of adjacent facets sharing a single edge. Thedevelopment of divergence-conforming schemes for composite objects with junctions, viz.boundary lines where more than two regions intersect, becomes somewhat awkward because of the definition of special continuity conditions at junctions. Moreover, the meshes arising from the juxtaposition of independently meshed subdomains in the modular design of complex objects are typically nonconformal and thus not suitable for conventional divergence-conforming MoM schemes. In this thesis, we address the robust, accurate and versatile scattering analysis of PEC and penetrable objects with arbitrary shape and composite objects with junctions meshed with conformal or nonconformal meshes. For this purpose, we employ the EFIE–PMCHWT integral-equation formulation, which follows from the application of the EFIE or PMCHWT formulations over boundary surfaces, respectively, enclosing PEC regions or separating penetrable regions. The proposed schemes rely on the expansion of the corrents with the facet-based, discontinuous-across-edges basis functions. This choice gives rise to boundary integrals with hypersingular kernels, which we handle by testing the equations with well-suited testing functions defined off the boundary tessellation, inside the region where, in light of the surface equivalence principle, the fields must be zero. Our facet-based EFIE-PMCHWT implementations exhibit improved accuracy when compared with the conventional continuous schemes in the analysis of sharp-edged targets where the accurate modelling of singular fields is of great importance. Moreover, our schemes manifest in general great flexibility in the analysis of composite objects with junctions as the special modelling of currents at junctions is not required. Finally, the proposed implementations can handle geometrically nonconformal meshes when applied to piecewise (or fully) homogeneous arbitrarily shaped objects.Postprint (published version

    Analysis of Finite Microstrip Structures Using an Efficient Implementation of the Integral Equation Technique

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    An efficient numerical implementation of the Integral Equation technique (IE) has been developed for the analysis of the electrical characteristics of finite microstrip structures. The technique formulates a volume version of the IE for the finite dielectric objects, and a standard surface IE technique for the metallic areas. The system of integral equations formu- lated are solved with special numerical techniques described in this paper. The input impedances of several microstrip antennas have been computed, showing good agreement with respect mea- surements. The technique has shown to be accurate even for complex geometries containing several stacked dielectric layers. The radiation patterns of the structures have also been com- puted, and measured results from real manufactured hardware confirm that backside radiation and secondary lobes are accurately predicted by the theoretical model. The paper also discuss a suitable excitation model for finite size ground planes, and investigates the possibilities for an independent meshing of the metallic areas and the dielectric objects inside a given geom- etry. The practical value of the approach derived is that microstrip circuits can be designed minimizing the volume and size of the dielectric substrates.This work has been supported bythe Spanish National Project ESP2001-4546-PE, and RegionalSeneca Project PB/4/FS/02

    Development of 3D electromagnetic modeling tools for airborne vehicles

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    The main goal of this project is to develop methodologies for scattering by airborne composite vehicles. Although our primary focus continues to be the development of a general purpose code for analyzing the entire structure as a single unit, a number of other tasks are also pursued in parallel with this effort. These tasks are important in testing the overall approach and in developing suitable models for materials coatings, junctions and, more generally, in assessing the effectiveness of the various parts comprising the final code. Here, we briefly discuss our progress on the five different tasks which were pursued during this period. Our progress on each of these tasks is described in the detailed reports (listed at the end of this report) and the memoranda included. The first task described below is, of course, the core of this project and deals with the development of the overall code. Undoubtedly, it is the outcome of the research which was funded by NASA-Ames and the Navy over the past three years. During this year we developed the first finite element code for scattering by structures of arbitrary shape and composition. The code employs a new absorbing boundary condition which allows termination of the finite element mesh only 0.3 lambda from the outer surface of the target. This leads to a remarkable reduction of the mesh size and is a unique feature of the code. Other unique features of this code include capabilities to model resistive sheets, impedance sheets and anisotropic materials. This last capability is the latest feature of the code and is still under development. The code has been extensively validated for a number of composite geometries and some examples are given. The validation of the code is still in progress for anisotropic and larger non-metallic geometries and cavities. The developed finite element code is based on a Galerkin's formulation and employs edge-based tetrahedral elements for discretizing the dielectric sections and the region between the target and the outer mesh termination boundary (ATB). This boundary is placed in conformity with the target's outer surface, thus resulting in additional reduction of the unknown count

    Study of optimal shapes for lightweight material design

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    The present end of studies project tries to assimilate the connections between the geometrical and physical domain in order to design optimal microstructures with the desired properties in 2D. The link between both domains is established by means of the crystallographic point groups, which relate the topology of the minimum volume unit and its symmetries with the elastic tensor. Therefore, there are two pre-processing variables that play a determining role on the way to the optimal topology: the shape of the mesh and the symmetries of the material distribution inside it. For this reason, in the present study a shape generator and unit cell meshing algorithm is implemented and a topological optimizer code is used to distribute geometrically the material inside the unit cells in order to obtain the desired elastic tensor (resolution of the inverse problem) while minimizing the amount of material used. In order to obtain the desired material properties, the capacity of the topological optimizer to generate the necessary geometric symmetries in the microstructure that guarantee the physical symmetries required by the design target tensor is evaluated. Therefore, during the course of the study there will be a theoretical review of topological optimization, crystallography and geometric and tensor symmetries, the development of the structure and operation of the mesh generator code and a practical study of the optimizer’s capacity to obtain the tensors designed with the selected lattice topologies. At the same time, the essential organizational concepts and main differences between the programming used in the meshing algorithm, that is object-oriented programming, and modular or functional programming, are also reviewed
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