• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.387-396
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• 2005

The Rotational/Translational Actuator (RTAC) benchmark problem considers a fourth-order dynamical system involving the nonlinear interaction of a translational oscillator and an eccentric rotational proof mass. This problem has been posed to investigate the utility of a rotational actuator for stabilizing translational motion. In order to experimentally implement any of the model-based controllers proposed in the literature, the values of model parameters are required which are generally difficult to determine rigorously. In this paper, an approach to the least-squares estimation of the parameters of a system is formulated and practically applied to the RTAC system. On the other hand, this paper shows how to model a nonlinear system as a linear uncertain system via nonparametric system identification, in order to provide the information required for linear robust $H_\infty$ control design. This method is also applied to the RTAC system, which demonstrates severe nonlinearities, due to the coupling from the rotational motion to the translational motion. Experimental results confirm that this approach can effectively condense the whole nonlinearities, uncertainties, and disturbances within the system into a favorable perturbation block.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.26-31
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• 2015

The domestic and foreign specifications presented the effective width based on flange length to width ratio only. The existing paper on the effective width grasped of the effect of span, load type and cross-section properties, but localized steel bridges. Recently, The studies are going on in progress for the application of fiber reinforced composite material in construction field. Therefore, it is required to optimum design that have a good grasp the deformation characteristic of the displacements and stresses distribution and predict variation of the effective width for serviceability loading. This research addresses the effective width of all composite material box girder bridges using the finite element method. The characteristics of the effective width of composite structures may vary according to several causes, e.g., change of fibers, aspect, etc. Parametric studies were conducted to determine the effective width on the stress elastic analysis of all composite materials box bridges, with interesting observations. The various results through numerical analysis will present an important document for construct all composite material bridges.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 1999

To promote the usability of CFD techniques for the basic hull form design, a hull surface mesh generating program, based on given station offsets and centerline profile, is developed. The new method employs non-uniform parametric splines with predetermined waterline end-shapes of natural spline, normal spline, ellipse, parabola hyperbola, and their combinations. Generated hull surface meshes can be utilized for potential panel method immediately and can be also used as a boundary grid surface for 3-D field grid system. Mesh topology chosen to represent hull surface can be transformed into a rectangle, which he1ps the flow solvers to transform surface meshes for the nonlinear free surface condition or to define the turbulence quantities. To prove the applicability, a container ship with bow and stem bulb is chosen, and the procedures generating hull surface meshes are described.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2022

Micro hydropower is a readily available renewable energy source that can be harvested utilizing hydrokinetic turbines from shallow water canals, irrigation and industrial channel flows, and run-off river stream flows. These sources generally have low head (<1 m) and low velocity which makes it difficult to harvest energy using conventional turbines. A horizontal-axis screw turbine was designed and numerically tested to extract power from such low-head water sources. The 3-bladed screw-type turbine is placed horizontally perpendicular to the incoming flow, partially submerged in a narrow water channel at no-head condition. The turbine hydraulic performances were studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics models. Turbine design parameters such as the shroud diameter, the hub-to-shroud ratios, and the submerged depths were obtained through a steady-state parametric study. The resulting turbine configuration was then tested by solving the unsteady multiphase free-surface equations mimicking an actual open channel flow scenario. The turbine performance in the shallow channel were studied for various Tip Speed Ratios (TSR). The highest power coefficient was obtained at a TSR of 0.3. The turbine was then scaled-up to test its performance on a real site condition at a head of 0.3 m. The highest power coefficient obtained was 0.18. Several losses were observed in the 3-bladed turbine design and to minimize losses, the number of blades were increased to five. The power coefficient improved by 236% for a 5-bladed screw turbine. The fluid losses were minimized by increasing the blade surface area submerged in water. The turbine performance was increased by 74.4% after dipping the turbine to a bottom wall clearance of 30 cm from 60 cm. The final output of the novel horizontal-axis screw turbine showed a 2.83 kW power output at a power coefficient of 0.63. The turbine is expected to produce 18,744 kWh/year of electricity. The design feasibility test of the turbine showed promising results to harvest energy from small hydropower sources.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.33-52
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• 1997

A three dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis is used to study the influence of various design decisions for tieback walls. The numerical model simulates the soldier piles and the tendon bonded length of the anchors with beam elements, the unbonded tendon with a spring element, the wood lagging with the shell elements, and the soil with solid 3D nonlinear elements. The soil model used is a modified hyperbolic model with unloading hysteresis. The complete sequence of construction is simulated including the excavation, and the placement and stressing of the anchors. The numerical model is calibrated against a full scale instrumented tieback wall at the National Geotechnical Experimentation Site (NGES) on the Riverside Campus of Texas A&M University. Then a parametric study is conducted. The results give information on the influence of the following factors on the wall behavior : location of the first anchor, length of the tendon unbonded zone, magnitude of the anchor forces, embedment of the soldier piles, stiffness of the wood lagging, and of the piles. The implications in design are discussed.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.295-310
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• 2019

This study attempts to develop new simplified approximate formulas to predict the fundamental natural periods of vibration (T) for bearing wall systems engaged with special reinforced concrete shear walls (RCSW) under seismic loads. Commonly, seismic codes suggested empirical formulas established by regression analysis of measured T for buildings during earthquake motions. These formulas depend on structure type, building height, number, height and length of SW, and ratio of SW area to base area of structure. In this study, a parametric investigation is performed for T of 110 selected models of bearing RCSW systems with varying structural height, configuration of horizontal plans including building width, number and width of bays, presence of middle corridors and core SWs. For this purpose, a 3D non-linear response time history (TH) analysis is implemented using ETABS v16.2.1. New formulas to estimate T are anticipated and compared with those obtained from formulas of IBC 2012 and ASCE/SEI 7-10. Moreover, the study examines responses of an arbitrarily two selected test model of 60 m and 80 m in height with presence of SWs having middle corridors. It is observed that the performance of the tested buildings is different through arising of considerable errors when using codes' formulas for estimating T. Accordingly, using the present proposed formulas exhibits more reasonable and safer design compared to codes' formulas. The results showed that equitable enhancement is promising to improve T formulas approaching enhanced and accurate estimation of T with reliable analysis, design, and evaluation of bearing RCSW systems.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.177-204
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• 1998

In the present study, a method of quasi-three dimensional stability analysis is proposed for a systematic design of the GRS-RW(Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Retaining Wall) system based on the postulated three dimensional failure wedge. The proposed method could be applied to the analysis of the stability of both the straight-line and cove-shaped are. As with skew reinforcements. Maximum earth thrust expected to act on the rigid face wall is assumed to distribute along the depth, and wall displacements are predicted based on both the assumed compaction-induced earth pressures and one dimensional finite element method of analysis. For a verification of the procedure proposed in the present study, the predicted wall displacements are compared with chose obtained from the RMC tests in Canada and the FHWA tests in U.S.A. In these comparisons the wall displacements estimated by the methods of Christopher et at. and Chew & Mitchell are also included for further verification. Also, the predicted wall displacements for the convex-shaped zone reinforced with skew reinforcements are compared with those by $FLAC_{3D}$ program analyses. The assumed compaction-induced earth pressures evaluated on the basic of the proposed method of analysis are further compared with the measurements by the FHWA best wall. A parametric stduy is finally performed to investigate the effects of various design parameters for the stability of the GRS-RW system

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.397-408
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• 2012

This paper describes the refined 3-D finite element (FE) modeling of composite frames composed of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns and steel-concrete composite beams based on the test to get a better understanding of the seismic behavior of the steel-concrete composite frames. A number of material nonlinearities and contact nonlinearities, as well as geometry nonlinearities, were taken into account. The elastoplastic behavior, as well as fracture and post-fracture behavior, of the FE models were in good agreement with those of the specimens. Besides, the beam and panel zone deformation of the analysis models fitted well with the corresponding deformation of the specimens. Parametric studies were conducted based on the refined finite elememt (FE) model. The analyzed parameters include slab width, slab thickness, shear connection degree and axial force ratio. The influences of these parameters, together with the presence of transverse beam, on the seismic behavior of the composite frame were studied. And some advices for the corresponding seismic design provisions of composite structures were proposed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.287-297
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• 2020

This paper investigates the stability of a three-dimensional (3D) wedge under the pseudo-static action of an earthquake based on the nonlinear Barton-Bandis (B-B) failure criterion. The influences of the mechanical parameters of the discontinuity surface, the geometric parameters of the wedge and the pseudo-static parameters of the earthquake on the stability of the wedge are analyzed, as well as the sensitivity of these parameters. Moreover, a stereographic projection is used to evaluate the influence of pseudo-static direction on instability mode. The parametric analyses show that the stability coefficient and the instability mode of the wedge depend on the mechanical parameter of the rock mass, the geometric form of the wedge and the pseudo-static state of the earthquake. The friction angle of the rock φ_b, the roughness coefficient of the structure surface JRC and the two angles related to strikes of the joints θ₁ and θ₂ are sensitive to stability. Furthermore, the sensitivity of wedge height h, the compressive strength of the rock at the fracture surface JCS and the slope angle α to the stability are insignificant.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.351-364
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• 2020

This paper numerically investigates the effects of a dip-slip fault (a normal or a reverse fault) movement on a segmental tunnel which transversely crosses either of this kind of faults. After calibration of the numerical model with results from literature of centrifuge physical tests, a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effects of various parameters such as the granular soil properties, the fault dip angle, the segments thickness, and their connections stiffnesses on the tunnel performance. The results are presented and discussed in terms of the ground surface and tunnel displacements along the longitudinal axis for each case of faulting. The gradient of displacements and deformations of the tunnel cross section are also analyzed. It is shown that when the fault dip angle becomes greater, the tunnel and ground surface displacements are smaller, in the case of reverse faulting. For this type of fault offset, increasing the tunnel buried depth causes tunnel displacements as well as ground surface settlements to enhance which should be considered in the design.