• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.223-231
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• 2019

The properties of Electroactive Polymer (EAP) materials are attracting the attention of engineers and scientists from many different disciplines. From the point-of-view of robotics, Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) belong to the most developed group of the EAP class. To allow effective design of IPMC-actuated mechanisms with large induced strains, it is necessary to have adequate analytical tools for predicting the behavior of IPMC actuators as well as simulating their response as part of prototyping methodologies. This paper presents a novel IPMC motor construction. To simulate the bending behavior that is the dominant phenomenon of motor movement process, a nonlinear model is used. To accomplish the motor design, the IPMC model was identified via a series of experiments. In the proposed model, the curvature output and current transient fields accurately track the measured responses, which is verified by measurements. In this research, a three-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) model of the IPMC motor, composed of IPMC actuators, simultaneously determines the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the device and achieves reliable analysis results. The principle of the proposed drive and the output signals are illustrated in this paper. The proposed modelling approach can be used to design a variety of controllers and motors for effective micro-robotic applications, where soft and complex motion are required.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.351-375
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• 2019

The present work investigates the use of a rigid rocking block as a tool to reduce vibrations in a frame structure. The study is based on a simplified model composed by a 2-DOF linear system, meant to represent a general M-DOF frame structure, coupled with a rocking rigid block through a linear visco-elastic device, which connects only the lower part of the 2-DOF system. The possibility to restrain the block directly to the ground, by means of a second visco-elastic device, is investigated as well. The dynamic response of the model under an harmonic base excitation is then analysed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the coupling in reducing the displacements and the drift of the 2-DOF system. The nonlinear equations of motion of the coupled assemblage 2-DOF-block are obtained by a Lagrangian approach and then numerically integrated considering some reference mechanical and geometrical quantities as variable parameters. It follows an extensive parametric analysis, whose results are summarized through behaviour maps, which portray the ratio between the maximum displacements and drifts of the system, with and without the coupling with the rigid block, for several combinations of system's parameters. When the ratio of the displacements is less than unity, the coupling is considered effective. Results show that the presence of the rocking rigid block improves the dynamics of the system in large ranges of the characterizing parameters.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.178-201
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• 2019

The appropriate design of a mooring system to maintain the position of an offshore structure in deep sea under various environmental loads is important. Fatigue design of the mooring line considering OPB/IPB(out-of-plane bending/in-plane bending) became an essential factor after the incident of premature fatigue failure of the mooring chain due to OPB/IPB in the Girassol region in West Africa. In this study, mooring line fatigue analysis was performed considering the OPB/IPB of a spread moored FPSO in deep sea. The tension of the mooring line was derived by hydrodynamic analysis using the de-coupled analysis method. The floater motion time histories were calculated under the assumption that the mooring line behaves in quasi-static manner. Additional time domain analysis was carried out by prescribing the obtained motions on top of the selected critical mooring line, which was determined based on spectral fatigue analysis. In addition, nonlinear finite element analysis was performed considering the material nonlinearities, and both the interlink stiffness and stress concentration factors were derived. The fatigue damage to the chain surface was estimated by combining both the hydrodynamic and stress analysis results.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.45-60
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• 2019

The Earth's outer radiation belt has long received considerable attention mainly because the MeV electron flux in the belt varies often dramatically and at various time scales. It is now widely accepted that the wave-particle interaction is one of the major mechanisms responsible for such flux variations. The wave-particle interaction can accelerate electrons to MeV energies, explaining the observed flux increase events, and can also scatter the electrons' motion into the loss cone, resulting in atmospheric precipitation and thus contributing to flux dropouts. In this paper, we provide a review of the current state of research on relativistic electron scattering and precipitation due to the interaction with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the inner magnetosphere. The review is intended to cover progress made over the last ~15 years in the theory and simulations of various issues, including quasilinear resonance diffusion, nonlinear interactions, nonresonant interactions, effects of finite normal angle on pitch angle scattering, effects due to rising tone emission, and ways to scatter near-equatorial pitch angle electrons. The review concludes with suggestions of a few promising topics for future research.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.367-392
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• 2020

The specific characteristics of near-field earthquake records can lead to different dynamic responses of bridges compared to far-field records. However, the effect of near-field strong ground motion has often been neglected in the seismic performance assessment of the bridges. Furthermore, damage to horizontally curved multi-frame RC box-girder bridges in the past earthquakes has intensified the potential of seismic vulnerability of these structures due to their distinctive dynamic behavior. Based on the nonlinear time history analyses in OpenSEES, this article, assesses the effects of near-field versus far-field earthquakes on the seismic performance of horizontally curved multi-frame RC box-girder bridges by accounting the vertical component of the earthquake records. Analytical seismic fragility curves have been derived thru considering uncertainties in the earthquake records, material and geometric properties of bridges. The findings indicate that near-field effects reasonably increase the seismic vulnerability in this bridge sub-class. The results pave the way for future regional risk assessments regarding the importance of either including or excluding near-field effects on the seismic performance of horizontally curved bridges.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.31-46
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• 2021

The current research deals with, stability/instability and cylindrical composite nano-scaled shell's resonance frequency filled by graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs) under various thermal conditions (linear and nonlinear thermal loadings). The piece-wise GPL-reinforced composites' material properties change through the orientation of cylindrical nano-sized shell's thickness as the temperature changes. Moreover, in order to model all layers' efficient material properties, nanomechanical model of Halpin-Tsai has been applied. A functionally modified couple stress model (FMCS) has been employed to simulate GPLRC nano-sized shell's size dependency. It is firstly investigated that reaching the relative frequency's percentage to 30% would lead to thermal buckling. The current study's originality is in considering the multifarious influences of GPLRC and thermal loading along with FMCS on GPLRC nano-scaled shell's resonance frequencies, relative frequency, dynamic deflection, and thermal buckling. Furthermore, Hamilton's principle is applied to achieve boundary conditions (BCs) and governing motion equations, while the mentioned equations are solved using an analytical approach. The outcomes reveal that a range of distributions in temperature and other mechanical and configurational characteristics have an essential contribution in GPLRC cylindrical nano-scaled shell's relative frequency change, resonance frequency, stability/instability, and dynamic deflection. The current study's outcomes are practical assumptions for materials science designing, nano-mechanical, and micromechanical systems such as micro-sized sensors and actuators.

• 국제초고층학회논문집
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.149-164
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• 2021

Most of high-rise buildings in Japan^*1 are structure with damping systems recently. The design procedure is performance-based design (PBD), which is based on the nonlinear response history procedure (NRHP) using 2 or 3-dimentional frame model. In addition, hysteretic property of steel plates or velocity-dependent property of viscous dampers are common practice for the damping system. However, for the selection of damping system, the easy dynamic analysis of recent date may lead the most of engineers to focus attention on the maximum response only without thinking how it shakes. By nature, the seismic design shall be to figure out the action of inertia forces by complex & dynamic loads including periodic and pulse-like characteristics, what we call seismic ground motion. And it shall be done under the dynamic condition. On the contrary, we engineers engineers have constructed the easy-to-use static loads and devoted ourselves to handle them. The structures with damping system shall be designed considering how the stiffness & damping to be applied to the structures against the inertia forces with the viewpoint of dynamic aspect. In this paper we reconsider the role of damping in vibration and give much thought to the basic of shake with damping from a standpoint of structural design. Then, we present some design examples based on them.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.337-351
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• 2021

On September 12, 2016, the Gyeongju earthquake occurred in the south-eastern region of the Korean peninsula. The event was ranked as the largest magnitude earthquake (=5.8) since instrumental recording was started by the Korean Metrological Administration (KMA) in 1978. The objective of this study is to provide information obtained from the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake and to propose a procedure estimating seismic risk of a typical old RC building for past and potential earthquakes. Ground motions are simulated using the point source model at 4941 grid locations in the Korean peninsula that resulted from the Gyeongju earthquake and from potential future earthquakes with the same hypocenter considering different soil conditions. Nonlinear response history analyses are conducted for each grid location using a three-story gravity-designed reinforced concrete (RC) frame that most closely represents conventional old school and public buildings. Then, contour maps are constructed to present the seismic risk associated with this building for the Gyeongju earthquake and potential future scenario earthquakes. These contour maps can be useful in the development of a mitigation plan for potential earthquake damage to school and public buildings at all grid locations on the Korean peninsula.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제77권6호
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• pp.735-744
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• 2021

In recent years, the use of new materials and technologies with the aim of developing high-performing and cost-effective structures has greatly increased. Application of high-strength concrete (HSC) has been found effective in reducing the dimensions of frame members; nonetheless, such reduction in dimensions of structural elements in the most cases may result in the lack of accountability in the tolerable drift capacity. On this basis, strengthening of frame members using fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) may be deemed as an appropriate remedy to address this issue, which albeit requires comprehensive and systematic investigations. In this paper, the performance of properly-designed, two-dimensional frames made of high-strength concrete and strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) is investigated through detailed numerical simulation. To this end, nonlinear dynamic time history analyses have been performed using the Seismosoft software through application of five scaled earthquake ground motion records. Unstrengthened (bare) and strengthened frames have been analyzed under seismic loading for performance assessment and comparison purposes. The results and findings of this study show that use of CFRP can be quite effective in seismic response improvement of high-strength-concrete structures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.926-939
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• 2022

The area of this study will cover the location-wise seismic response variation of an electrical cabinet in nuclear power point (NPP) based on classical reliability analysis. The location-based seismic ground motion (GM) selection is carried out with the help of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis using PSHRisktool, where the variation of reliability analysis can be understood from the relation between the reliability index and intensity measure. Two different approaches such as the first-order second moment method (FOSM) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) are helped to evaluate and compare the reliability assessment of the cabinet. The cabinet is modeled with material uncertainty utilizing Steel01 as the material model and the fiber section modeling approach is considered to characterize the section's nonlinear reaction behavior. To verify the modal frequency, this study compares the FEM result with recorded data using Least-Squares Complex Exponential (LSCE) method from the impact hammer test. In spite of a few investigations, the main novelty of this study is to introduce the reader to check and compare the seismic reliability assessment variation in different seismic locations and for different earthquake levels. Alongside, the betterment can be found by comparing the result between two considered reliability estimation methods.