• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1151-1172
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• 2014

This paper presents a user programmable computational/control platform developed to conduct real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS). The architecture of this platform is based on the integration of a real-time controller and a field programmable gate array (FPGA).This not only enables the user to apply user-defined control laws to control the experimental substructures, but also provides ample computational resources to run the integration algorithm and analytical substructure state determination in real-time. In this platform the need for SCRAMNet as the communication device between real-time and servo-control workstations has been eliminated which was a critical component in several former RTHS platforms. The accuracy of the servo-hydraulic actuator displacement control, where the control tasks get executed on the FPGA was verified using single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) and 2 degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) experimental substructures. Finally, the functionality of the proposed system as a robust and reliable RTHS platform for performance evaluation of structural systems was validated by conducting real-time hybrid simulation of a three story nonlinear structure with SDOF and 2DOF experimental substructures. Also, tracking indicators were employed to assess the accuracy of the results.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1221-1245
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• 2014

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is a promising cyber-physical technique used in the experimental evaluation of civil infrastructure systems subject to dynamic loading. In RTHS, the response of a structural system is simulated by partitioning it into physical and numerical substructures, and coupling at the interface is achieved by enforcing equilibrium and compatibility in real-time. The choice of partitioning parameters will influence the overall success of the experiment. In addition, due to the dynamics of the transfer system, communication and computation delays, the feedback force signals are dependent on the system state subject to delay. Thus, the transfer system dynamics must be accommodated by appropriate actuator controllers. In light of this, guidelines should be established to facilitate successful RTHS and clearly specify: (i) the minimum requirements of the transfer system control, (ii) the minimum required sampling frequency, and (iii) the most effective ways to stabilize an unstable simulation due to the limitations of the available transfer system. The objective of this paper is to establish a stability switch criterion due to systematic experimental errors. The RTHS stability switch criterion will provide a basis for the partitioning and design of successful RTHS.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.981-1002
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• 2015

For vibration control of civil structures, especially large civil structures, one of the important issues is how to place a minimal number of actuators and sensors at their respective optimal locations to achieve the predetermined control performance. In this paper, a methodology is presented for the determination of the minimal number and optimal location of actuators and sensors for vibration control of building structures under earthquake excitation. In the proposed methodology, the number and location of the actuators are first determined in terms of the sequence of performance index increments and the predetermined control performance. A multi-scale response reconstruction method is then extended to the controlled building structure for the determination of the minimal number and optimal placement of sensors with the objective that the reconstructed structural responses can be used as feedbacks for the vibration control while the predetermined control performance can be maintained. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed methodology are finally investigated numerically through a 20-story shear building structure under the El-Centro ground excitation and the Kobe ground excitation. The numerical results show that with the limited number of sensors and actuators at their optimal locations, the predetermined control performance of the building structure can be achieved.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.147-172
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• 2007

The present paper is concerned with the design of distributed sensors and actuators. Strain type sensors and actuators are considered with their intensity continuously distributed throughout a continuous structure. The sensors measure a weighted average of the strain tensor. As a starting point for their design we introduce the concept of collocated sensors and actuators as well as the so-called natural output. Then we utilize the principle of virtual work for an auxiliary quasi-static problem to assign a mechanical interpretation to the natural output of the sensors to be designed. Therefore, we take the virtual displacements in the principle of virtual work as that part of the displacement in the original problem, which characterizes the deviation from a desired one. We introduce different kinds of distributed sensors, each of them with a mechanical interpretation other than a weighted average of the strain tensor. Additionally, we assign a mechanical interpretation to the collocated actuators as well; for that purpose we use an extended body force analogy. The sensors and actuators are applied to solve the displacement tracking problem for continuous structures; i.e., the problem of enforcing a desired displacement field. We discuss feed forward and feed back control. In the case of feed back control we show that a PD controller can stabilize the continuous system. Finally, a numerical example is presented. A desired deflection of a clamped-clamped beam is tracked by means of feed forward control, feed back control and a combination of the two.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.329-345
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• 2015

As commonly known, sensor errors and faulty signals may potentially lead structures in vibration to catastrophic failures. This paper presents a new approach to deal with sensor errors/faults in vibration control of structures by using the Fault detection and isolation (FDI) technique. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, a space truss structure with semi-active devices such as Magneto-Rheological (MR) damper is used as an example. To address the problem, a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based fixed-order $H_{\infty}$ FDI filter is introduced and designed. Modeling errors are treated as uncertainties in the FDI filter design to verify the robustness of the proposed FDI filter. Furthermore, an innovative Fuzzy Fault Tolerant Controller (FFTC) has been developed for this space truss structure model to preserve the pre-specified performance in the presence of sensor errors or faults. Simulation results have demonstrated that the proposed FDI filter is capable of detecting and isolating sensor errors/faults and actuator faults e.g., accelerometers and MR dampers, and the proposed FFTC can maintain the structural vibration suppression in faulty conditions.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-46
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• 2016

Networked Control System (NCS) has evolved in the past decade through the advances in communication technology. The problems involved in NCS are broadly classified into two categories namely network issues due to network and control performance due to system network. The network problems are related to bandwidth allocation, scheduling and network security, and the control problems deal with stability analysis and delay compensation. Various delays with variable length occur due to sharing a common network medium. Though most delays are very less and mostly neglected, the network induced delay is significant. It occurs when sensors, actuators, and controllers exchange data packet across the communication network. Networked induced delay arises from sensor to controller and controller to actuator. This paper presents an adaptive delay compensation process for efficient control. Though Smith predictor has been commonly used as dead time compensators, it is not adaptive to match with the stochastic behavior of network characteristics. Time delay adaptive compensation gives an effective control to solve dead time, and creates a virtual environment using the plant model and computed delay which is used to compensate the effect of delay. This approach is simulated using TrueTime simulator that is a Matlab Simulink based simulator facilitates co-simulation of controller task execution in real-time kernels, network transmissions and continuous plant dynamics for NCS. The simulation result is analyzed, and it is confirmed that this control provides good performance.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.663-682
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• 2016

Continuum manipulators as a kind of mechanical arms are useful tools in special robotic applications. In medical applications, like colonoscopy, a maneuverable thin and flexible manipulator is required. This research is focused on developing a basic module for such an application using shape memory alloys (SMA). In the structure of the module three wires of SMA are uniformly distributed and attached to the circumference of a flexible tube. By activating wires, individually or together, different rotation regimes are provided. SMA model is used based on Brinson work. The SMA model is combined to model of flexible tube to provide a composite model of the module. Simulating the model in Matlab provided a platform to be used to develop controller. Complex and nonlinear behavior of SMA make the control problem hard especially when a few SMA actuators are active simultaneously. In this paper, position control of the two degree of freedom module is under focus. An experimental control strategy is developed to regulate a desired position in the module. The simulation results present a reasonable performance of the controller. Moreover, the results are verified through experiments and show that the continuum module of this paper would be used in real modular manipulators.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.1292-1297
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• 2000

For dynamic system under the external irregular disturbance, a performance of the controller designed by using of the 'Heo-stochastic control methodology' is investigated by simulations and experiments. MIMO Flexible cantilever beam, sticked with piezoceramics used as a sensor and actuator, under the irregular disturbance at bottom is modelled in physical domain. Dynamic moment equation about the system is derived through both the Ito's stochastic differential equation and Fokker-Planck-Kolmogoroff equation and also system's characteristics in stochastic domain is analyzed. In this study, the controller suppresses the amplitude of the system's moment response to the external disturbance. MIMO PI controller('Heo-stochastic MIMO PI controller') is designed in the stochastic domain and the response characteristics are investigated in the time domain

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.547-565
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• 2014

This paper investigates the design of a perfect point load actuator based on flat triangular piezoelectric patches. Applying a difference of electric potential between the electrodes of a triangular patch leads to point loads at the tips and distributed moments along the edges of the electrodes. The previously derived analytical expressions of these forces show that they depend on two factors: the width over height (b/l) ratio of the triangle, and the ratio of the in-plane piezoelectric properties ($e_{31}/e_{32}$) of the active layer of the piezoelectric patch. In this paper, it is shown that by a proper choice of b/l and of the piezoelectric properties, the moments can be cancelled, so that if one side of the triangle is clamped, a perfect point load actuation can be achieved. This requires $e_{31}/e_{32}$ to be negative, which imposes the use of interdigitated electrodes instead of continuous ones. The design of two transducers with interdigitated electrodes for perfect point load actuation on a clamped plate is verified with finite element calculations. The first design is based on a full piezoelectric ceramic patch and shows superior actuation performance than the second design based on a piezocomposite patch with a volume fraction of fibres of 86%. The results show that both designs lead to perfect point load actuation while the use of an isotropic PZT patch with continuous electrodes gives significantly different results.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.213-226
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• 2020

In this manuscript, static and dynamic behaviors of geometrically imperfect carbon nanotubes (CNTs) subject to different types of end conditions are investigated. The Doublet Mechanics (DM) theory, which is length scale dependent theory, is used in the analysis. The Euler-Bernoulli kinematic and nonlinear mid-plane stretching effect are considered through analysis. The governing equation of imperfect CNTs is a sixth order nonlinear integro-partial-differential equation. The buckling problem is discretized via the differential-integral-quadrature method (DIQM) and then it is solved using Newton's method. The equation of linear vibration problem is discretized using DIQM and then solved as a linear eigenvalue problem to get natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes. The DIQM results are compared with analytical ones available in the literature and excellent agreement is obtained. The numerical results are depicted to illustrate the influence of length scale parameter, imperfection amplitude and shear foundation constant on critical buckling load, post-buckling configuration and linear vibration behavior. The current model is effective in designing of NEMS, nano-sensor and nano-actuator manufactured by CNTs.