Numerical solution of static and dynamic problems of imprecisely defined structural systems

Static and dynamic problems with deterministic structural parameters are well studied. In this regard, good number of investigations have been done by many authors. Usually, structural analysis depends upon the system parameters such as mass, geometry, material properties, external loads and boundary conditions which are defined exactly or considered as deterministic. But, rather than the deterministic or exact values we may have only the vague, imprecise and incomplete informations about the variables and parameters being a result of errors in measurements, observations, experiments, applying different operating conditions or it may be due to maintenance induced errors, etc. which are uncertain in nature. Hence, it is an important issue to model these types of uncertainties. Basically these may be modelled through a probabilistic, interval or fuzzy approach. Unfortunately, probabilistic methods may not be able to deliver reliable results at the required precision without sufficient experimental data. It may be due to the probability density functions involved in it. As such, in recent decades, interval analysis and fuzzy theory are becoming powerful tools. In these approaches, the uncertain variables and parameters are represented by interval and fuzzy numbers, vectors or matrices.In general, structural problems for uncertain static analysis with interval or fuzzy parameters simplify to interval or fuzzy system of linear equations whereas interval or fuzzy eigenvalue problem may be obtained for the dynamic analysis. Accordingly, this thesis develops new methods for finding the solution of fuzzy and interval system of linear equations and eigenvalue problems. Various methods based on fuzzy centre, radius, addition, subtraction, linear programming approach and double parametric form of fuzzy numbers have been proposed for the solution of system of linear equations with fuzzy parameters. An algorithm based on fuzzy centre has been proposed for solving the generalized fuzzy eigenvalue problem. Moreover, a fuzzy based iterative scheme with Taylor series expansion has been developed for the identification of structural parameters from uncertain dynamic data. Also, dynamic responses of fractionally damped discrete and continuous structural systems with crisp and fuzzy initial conditions have been obtained using homotopy perturbation method based on the proposed double parametric form of fuzzy numbers. Numerical examples and application problems are solved to demonstrate the efficiency and capabilities of the developed methods. In this regard, imprecisely defined structures such as bar, beam, truss, simplified bridge, rectangular sheet with fuzzy/interval material and geometric properties along with uncertain external forces have been considered for the static analysis. Fuzzy and interval finite element method have been applied to obtain the uncertain static responses. Structural problems viz. multistorey shear building, spring mass mechanical system and stepped beam structures with uncertain structural parameters have been considered for dynamic analysis. In the identification problem, column stiffnesses of a multistorey frame structure have been identified using uncertain dynamic data based on the proposed algorithm. In order to get the dynamic responses, a single degree of freedom fractionally damped spring-mass mechanical system and fractionally damped viscoelastic continuous beam with crisp and fuzzy initial conditions are also investigated.Obtained results are compared in special cases for the validation of proposed methods

Response statistics and failure probability determination of nonlinear stochastic structural dynamical systems

Novel approximation techniques are proposed for the analysis and evaluation of nonlinear dynamical systems in the field of stochastic dynamics. Efficient determination of response statistics and reliability estimates for nonlinear systems remains challenging, especially those with singular matrices or endowed with fractional derivative elements. This thesis addresses the challenges of three main topics. The first topic relates to the determination of response statistics of multi-degree-of-freedom nonlinear systems with singular matrices subject to combined deterministic and stochastic excitations. Notably, singular matrices can appear in the governing equations of motion of engineering systems for various reasons, such as due to a redundant coordinates modeling or due to modeling with additional constraint equations. Moreover, it is common for nonlinear systems to experience both stochastic and deterministic excitations simultaneously. In this context, first, a novel solution framework is developed for determining the response of such systems subject to combined deterministic and stochastic excitation of the stationary kind. This is achieved by using the harmonic balance method and the generalized statistical linearization method. An over-determined system of equations is generated and solved by resorting to generalized matrix inverse theory. Subsequently, the developed framework is appropriately extended to systems subject to a mixture of deterministic and stochastic excitations of the non-stationary kind. The generalized statistical linearization method is used to handle the nonlinear subsystem subject to non-stationary stochastic excitation, which, in conjunction with a state space formulation, forms a matrix differential equation governing the stochastic response. Then, the developed equations are solved by numerical methods. The accuracy for the proposed techniques has been demonstrated by considering nonlinear structural systems with redundant coordinates modeling, as well as a piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device have been employed in the relevant application part. The second topic relates to code-compliant stochastic dynamic analysis of nonlinear structural systems with fractional derivative elements. First, a novel approximation method is proposed to efficiently determine the peak response of nonlinear structural systems with fractional derivative elements subject to excitation compatible with a given seismic design spectrum. The proposed methods involve deriving an excitation evolutionary power spectrum that matches the design spectrum in a stochastic sense. The peak response is approximated by utilizing equivalent linear elements, in conjunction with code-compliant design spectra, hopefully rendering it favorable to engineers of practice. Nonlinear structural systems endowed with fractional derivative terms in the governing equations of motion have been considered. A particular attribute pertains to utilizing localized time-dependent equivalent linear elements, which is superior to classical approaches utilizing standard time-invariant statistical linearization method. Then, the approximation method is extended to perform stochastic incremental dynamical analysis for nonlinear structural systems with fractional derivative elements exposed to stochastic excitations aligned with contemporary aseismic codes. The proposed method is achieved by resorting to the combination of stochastic averaging and statistical linearization methods, resulting in an efficient and comprehensive way to obtain the response displacement probability density function. A stochastic incremental dynamical analysis surface is generated instead of the traditional curves, leading to a reliable higher order statistics of the system response. Lastly, the problem of the first excursion probability of nonlinear dynamic systems subject to imprecisely defined stochastic Gaussian loads is considered. This involves solving a nested double-loop problem, generally intractable without resorting to surrogate modeling schemes. To overcome these challenges, this thesis first proposes a generalized operator norm framework based on statistical linearization method. Its efficiency is achieved by breaking the double loop and determining the values of the epistemic uncertain parameters that produce bounds on the probability of failure a priori. The proposed framework can significantly reduce the computational burden and provide a reliable estimate of the probability of failure

Characterization and evaluation of the microcantilever radiation detector

In this study, a microcantilever charged-particle detector was characterized and evaluated. The method employed involved sensing an electric field emanating from a small collector plate on which charge built up to charged-particle flux.Sensitivity to alpha particles was determined using frequency and damping rate parameter shifts. Alpha particle detection experiments were compared to experiments using a charged plate of fixed voltage in order to characterize response more fully and to identify differences between expected charge accumulation and actual accumulation. Changes in cantilever behavior resulting from changes in ambient environmental conditions were also studied in order to determine to what extent they would impact charged-particle detection. In particular, microcantilever tip-surface adhesion force and jump-to-contact distance were studied as a function of relative humidity, and the dynamics of the liquid neck extending between the micro cantilever tip and the surface at small separation distances were investigated. In addition, relationship between the angle of the microcantilever tip relative to the surface and the excitation of multiple resonance modes was identified and described

Third International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology

In order to examine the state of technology of all areas of magnetic suspension and to review recent developments in sensors, controls, superconducting magnet technology, and design/implementation practices, the Third International Symposium on Magnetic Suspension Technology was held at the Holiday Inn Capital Plaza in Tallahassee, Florida on 13-15 Dec. 1995. The symposium included 19 sessions in which a total of 55 papers were presented. The technical sessions covered the areas of bearings, superconductivity, vibration isolation, maglev, controls, space applications, general applications, bearing/actuator design, modeling, precision applications, electromagnetic launch and hypersonic maglev, applications of superconductivity, and sensors

International Conference on Mathematical Analysis and Applications in Science and Engineering – Book of Extended Abstracts

The present volume on Mathematical Analysis and Applications in Science and Engineering - Book of Extended Abstracts of the ICMASC’2022 collects the extended abstracts of the talks presented at the International Conference on Mathematical Analysis and Applications in Science and Engineering – ICMA2SC'22 that took place at the beautiful city of Porto, Portugal, in June 27th-June 29th 2022 (3 days). Its aim was to bring together researchers in every discipline of applied mathematics, science, engineering, industry, and technology, to discuss the development of new mathematical models, theories, and applications that contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and practice. Authors proposed research in topics including partial and ordinary differential equations, integer and fractional order equations, linear algebra, numerical analysis, operations research, discrete mathematics, optimization, control, probability, computational mathematics, amongst others. The conference was designed to maximize the involvement of all participants and will present the state-of- the-art research and the latest achievements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Forecasting: theory and practice

Forecasting has always been in the forefront of decision making and planning. The uncertainty that surrounds the future is both exciting and challenging, with individuals and organisations seeking to minimise risks and maximise utilities. The lack of a free-lunch theorem implies the need for a diverse set of forecasting methods to tackle an array of applications. This unique article provides a non-systematic review of the theory and the practice of forecasting. We offer a wide range of theoretical, state-of-the-art models, methods, principles, and approaches to prepare, produce, organise, and evaluate forecasts. We then demonstrate how such theoretical concepts are applied in a variety of real-life contexts, including operations, economics, finance, energy, environment, and social good. We do not claim that this review is an exhaustive list of methods and applications. The list was compiled based on the expertise and interests of the authors. However, we wish that our encyclopedic presentation will offer a point of reference for the rich work that has been undertaken over the last decades, with some key insights for the future of the forecasting theory and practice

Transient optimisation of a diesel engine

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN042276 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Forecasting: theory and practice

Forecasting has always been at the forefront of decision making and planning. The uncertainty that surrounds the future is both exciting and challenging, with individuals and organisations seeking to minimise risks and maximise utilities. The large number of forecasting applications calls for a diverse set of forecasting methods to tackle real-life challenges. This article provides a non-systematic review of the theory and the practice of forecasting. We provide an overview of a wide range of theoretical, state-of-the-art models, methods, principles, and approaches to prepare, produce, organise, and evaluate forecasts. We then demonstrate how such theoretical concepts are applied in a variety of real-life contexts. We do not claim that this review is an exhaustive list of methods and applications. However, we wish that our encyclopedic presentation will offer a point of reference for the rich work that has been undertaken over the last decades, with some key insights for the future of forecasting theory and practice. Given its encyclopedic nature, the intended mode of reading is non-linear. We offer cross-references to allow the readers to navigate through the various topics. We complement the theoretical concepts and applications covered by large lists of free or open-source software implementations and publicly-available databases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio