• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.166-171
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• 2004

Recent developments in Bridge Management Systems (BMS) and in Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) of bridges, have raised the need for evaluation procedure of future condition (Deterioration) of a bridge. Predicting future deterioration is not an easy task due to limited past data to extrapolate from and also due to difficulty in measuring actual deterioration such as section loss of steel on an actual steel bridge. Also, increase in live load and reduction of resistance are random variables, thus a probabilistic approach should be adopted for determining the future deterioration. Due to difficulties in evaluation of future deterioration on steel bridges, accepting uncertainties within a reasonable error, a deterministic procedure using bridge condition rating can be a useful tool for projection of future condition of bridges to identify repair and maintenance needs. The object of this paper is to determine applicability of evaluating deterioration of steel bridge components based on Bridge condition ratings. Bridge condition ratings of bridge components show wide variation for bridges of same age and does not directly correlate well with the age of the bridge and/or deterioration of the bridge. High uncertainty can be reduced by breaking down the rating and by sensitivity analysis. From refined condition rating data, generalized deterioration profile of structures based on age can be derived. Examples are shown for sample bridges in USA. Approximately, 3,000 short to medium span steel bridges were listed in the inventory database. Results show wide variation of rating factors but by subdividing the Bridge condition ratings for various categories general deterioration profiles of steel bridges can be determined.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.212-217
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• 2012

A modified thermal noise method was proposed to measure the normal spring constants of the colloidal probes for an atomic force microscope. We used commercial tipless cantilevers (length 150, width 30, nominal k 7.4 N/m) and borosilicate spheres with a diameter of 20 to fabricate colloidal probes. The inverse optical lever sensitivity of both the tipless cantilever and colloidal probes were used to measure the normal spring constant of the colloidal probes. We confirmed the accuracy and usefulness of our method by comparing the measurement results with those obtained using the nanoforce calibrator (NFC), which reportedly has an uncertainty of 1.00%. The modified thermal method showed a good agreement (~10% difference) with the NFC, allowing us to conclude that the modified thermal method could be employed for the effective measurement of the normal spring constants of colloidal probes.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.575-583
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• 2001

It is hard to obtain good robust performance and robust stability for uncertain and time-varying system. The robust 2-DOF controller is frequently used to obtain the desired response and the good robustness. Two controllers can be independently designed. Generally, one controller reduces sensitivity to parameter variations, nonlinear effects, and other disturbances. On the other hand, the other controller reduces the error between the desired command and output. In this paper, the various robust perfect MFCs(model-following controllers) combined with TDC(Time Delay Control) are designed, and the imperfect stable MFC combined with TDC and SMC(Sliding Mode Control) is proposed. These controllers are based on the method of designing robust 2-DOF controllers for dynamic system with uncertainty. The performance of the proposed imperfect sable MFC has been evaluated through computer simulations. The simulation results indicate that the proposed controller shows the excellent performance characteristics for an overhead crane with uncertain and time-varying parameters.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.297-305
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• 2018

Fuel assembly (FA) bow in pressurized water reactor (PWR) cores is considered to be a complex process with a large number of influencing mechanisms and several unknowns. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are a common way to assess the predictability of such complex phenomena. To perform such analyses, a structural model of a row of 15 FAs in the reactor core is implemented with the finite-element code ANSYS Mechanical APDL. The distribution of lateral hydraulic forces within the core row is estimated based on a two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics model with porous media, assuming symmetric or asymmetric core inlet and outlet flow profiles. The influence of the creep rate on the bow amplitude is tested based on different creep models for guide tubes and fuel rods. Different FA initial states are considered: fresh FAs or FAs with higher burnup, which may be initially straight or exhibit an initial bow from previous cycles. The simulation results over one reactor cycle demonstrate that changes in the creep rate and the hydraulic conditions may have a considerable impact on the bow amplitudes and the bow patterns. A good knowledge of the specific creep behavior and the hydraulic conditions is therefore crucial for making reliable predictions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.191-208
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• 2015

The sensitivity-based finite element model updating method has received increasing attention in damage detection of structures based on measured modal parameters. Finding an optimization technique with high efficiency and fast convergence is one of the key issues for model updating-based damage detection. A new simple and computationally efficient optimization algorithm is proposed and applied to damage detection by using finite element model updating. The proposed method combines the Gauss-Newton method with region truncation of each iterative step, in which not only the constraints are introduced instead of penalty functions, but also the searching steps are restricted in a controlled region. The developed algorithm is illustrated by a numerically simulated 25-bar truss structure, and the results have been compared and verified with those obtained from the trust region method. In order to investigate the reliability of the proposed method in damage detection of structures, the influence of the uncertainties coming from measured modal parameters on the statistical characteristics of detection result is investigated by Monte-Carlo simulation, and the probability of damage detection is estimated using the probabilistic method.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.1719-1728
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• 2017

Recent concerns about environmental conditions have triggered the growing interest in using green energy resources. These sources of energy, however, bring new challenges mainly due to their uncertainty and intermittency. In order to alleviate the concerns on the penetration of intermittent energy resources, this paper investigates impacts of realizing demand-side potentials. Among different demand-side management programs, this paper considers demand response wherein consumers change their consumption pattern in response to changing prices. The research studies demand response potentials from different load sectors on generation system well-being. Consumers' sensitivity to time-varying prices is captured via self and cross elasticity coefficients. In the calculation of well-being indices, sequential Monte Carlo simulation approach is accompanied with fuzzy logic. Finally, IEEE-RTS is used as the test bed to conduct several simulations and the associated results are thoroughly discussed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.305-318
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• 2016

This study is to evaluate the uncertainty of the soil parameters associated with the Gap parameter during shield TBM tunnel excavation of ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ International Airport Terminal 2 connecting railway construction basic design. And This study is to evaluate the adequacy of the shield TBM design by performing a reliability analysis of the Surface settlement. In addition, By analyzing the reliability indices of the design constants and Sensitivity probability of failure to be used in designing an integer parameter Gap, and By evaluating the design constants of a great influence on the surface subsidence, it was to provide a basis for carrying out an optimum design.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.403-423
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• 2016

The challenges involved with fatigue damage assessment of steel catenary riser (SCR) in the touchdown zone (TDZ) are primarily due to the non-linear behaviour of the SCR-seabed interaction, considerable uncertainty in SCR-seabed interaction modelling and geotechnical parameters. The issue of fatigue damage induced by the cyclic movements of the SCR with the seabed has acquired prominence with the touch down point (TDP) interaction in the TDZ. Therefore, the SCR-seabed response is critical for reliable estimation of fatigue life in the TDZ. Various design approaches pertaining to the lateral pipe-soil resistance model are discussed. These techniques have been applied in the finite element model that can be used to analyse the lateral SCR-seabed interaction under hydrodynamic loading. This study investigates the sensitivity of fatigue performance to geotechnical parameters through a parametric study. In this study, global analyses are performed to assess the influence of vertical linear seabed springs, the lateral seabed model and the non-linear seabed model, including trench evolution into seabed, seabed normalised stiffness, re-penetration offset parameter and soil suction resistance ratio, on the fatigue life of SCRs in the TDZ.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.1412-1422
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• 2016

Austenitic stainless steels (ASSs) are widely used for nuclear pipes as they exhibit a good combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, high tensile residual stresses may occur in ASS welds because postweld heat treatment is not generally conducted in order to avoid sensitization, which causes a stress corrosion crack. In this study, round robin analyses on stress intensity factors (SIFs) were carried out to examine the appropriateness of structural integrity assessment methods for ASS pipe welds with two types of circumferential cracks. Typical stress profiles were generated from finite element analyses by considering residual stresses and normal operating conditions. Then, SIFs of cracked ASS pipes were determined by analytical equations represented in fitness-for-service assessment codes as well as reference finite element analyses. The discrepancies of estimated SIFs among round robin participants were confirmed due to different assessment procedures and relevant considerations, as well as the mistakes of participants. The effects of uncertainty factors on SIFs were deducted from sensitivity analyses and, based on the similarity and conservatism compared with detailed finite element analysis results, the R6 code, taking into account the applied internal pressure and combination of stress components, was recommended as the optimum procedure for SIF estimation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.1579-1587
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• 2022

The effects of hydride amount (20-850 wppm), orientation (circumferential and radial), and temperature (room temperature, 100 ℃, 200 ℃) on the axial mechanical properties of Zircaloy-4 cladding were comprehensively examined. The fraction of radial hydride fraction in the cladding was quantified using PROPHET, an in-house radial hydride fraction analysis code. Uniaxial tensile tests (UTTs) were conducted at various temperatures to obtain the axial mechanical properties. Hydride orientation has a limited effect on the axial mechanical behavior of hydrided Zircaloy-4 cladding. Ultimate tensile stress (UTS) and associated uniform elongation demonstrated limited sensitivity to hydride content under UTT. Statistical uncertainty of UTS was found small, supporting the deterministic approach for the load-failure analysis of hydrided Zircaloy-4 cladding. These properties notably decrease with increasing temperature in the tested range. The dependence of yield strength on hydrogen content differed from temperature to temperature. The ductility-related parameters, such as total elongation, strain energy density (SED), and offset strain decrease with increasing hydride contents. The abrupt loss of ductility in UTT was found at ~700 wppm. Demonstrating a strong correlation between total elongation and offset strain, SED can be used as a comprehensive measure of ductility of hydrided zirconium alloy.