• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.75-92
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• 2016

The design of a semi-active (SA) control system addressed to mitigate wind induced structural demand to high wind turbine towers is discussed herein. Actually, the remarkable growth in height of wind turbines in the last decades, for a higher production of electricity, makes this issue pressing than ever. The main objective is limiting bending moment demand by relaxing the base restraint, without increasing the top displacement, so reducing the incidence of harmful "p-delta" effects. A variable restraint at the base, able to modify in real time its mechanical properties according to the instantaneous response of the tower, is proposed. It is made of a smooth hinge with additional elastic stiffness and variable damping respectively given by springs and SA magnetorheological (MR) dampers installed in parallel. The idea has been physically realized at the Denmark Technical University where a 1/20 scale model of a real, one hundred meters tall wind turbine has been assumed as case study for shaking table tests. A special control algorithm has been purposely designed to drive MR dampers. Starting from the results of preliminary laboratory tests, a finite element model of such structure has been calibrated so as to develop several numerical simulations addressed to calibrate the controller, i.e., to achieve as much as possible different, even conflicting, structural goals. The results are definitely encouraging, since the best configuration of the controller leaded to about 80% of reduction of base stress, as well as to about 30% of reduction of top displacement in respect to the fixed base case.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1133-1152
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• 2015

A frequency-domain method is developed for evaluating the earthquake input energy to two building structures connected by viscous dampers. It is shown that the earthquake input energies to respective building structures and viscous connecting dampers can be defined as works done by the boundary forces between the subsystems on their corresponding displacements. It is demonstrated that the proposed energy transfer function is very useful for clear understanding of dependence of energy consumption ratios in respective buildings and connecting viscous dampers on their properties. It can be shown that the area of the energy transfer function for the total system is constant regardless of natural period and damping ratio because the constant Fourier amplitude of the input acceleration, relating directly the area of the energy transfer function to the input energy, indicates the Dirac delta function and only an initial velocity (kinetic energy) is given in this case. Owing to the constant area property of the energy transfer functions, the total input energy to the overall system including both buildings and connecting viscous dampers is approximately constant regardless of the quantity of connecting viscous dampers. This property leads to an advantageous feature that, if the energy consumption in the connecting viscous dampers increases, the input energies to the buildings can be reduced drastically. For the worst case analysis, critical excitation problems with respect to the impulse interval for double impulse (simplification of pulse-type impulsive ground motion) and multiple impulses (simplification of long-duration ground motion) are considered and their solutions are provided.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2012

In this stury, control performance of tuned mass damper (TMD) with torsional rigidity for an eccentric structure showing torsional responses is investigated. To this end, an eccentric structure subjected to earthquake excitation is used to evaluate the control performance of torsional TMD by varying installed location and torsional rigidity of TMD, To reduce computational time required for repetitive time history analysis of an example structure having non-proportional damping system due to TMD, an equivalent analytical model is used in this study. Torsional properties of TMD usually neglected in typical TMD are verified to be effective in reduction of torsional responses of the eccentric structure. In the case of eccentric structures, it has been seen that the center of a plane of a structure may not be optimal location of TMD.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.135-143
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• 2008

In this study, it was investigated for dynamic nonlinear characteristics using dynamic data obtained by shaking table test. The design of Tuned Liquid Damper(TLD) has limitation to plan based on Tuned Mass Damper(TMD) analogy and linear wave theory. Also, while there are many studies regarding properties of TLD under harmonic load, there are not estimated for dynamic non-linear characteristics of TLD under the load that is not governed by particular frequency like a white noise. This paper investigated dynamic non-linear characteristics of TLD varied with load amplitude using a white noise and suggested equations that can estimate damping ratio, natural frequency ratio and effective mass ratio of TLD.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.353-367
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• 2015

As concrete wind-turbine towers are increasingly being used in wind-farm construction, there is a growing need to understand the behavior of concrete wind-turbine towers. In particular, experimental evaluations of concrete wind-turbine towers are necessary to demonstrate the dynamic characteristics and load-carrying capacity of such towers. This paper describes a model test of a prestressed concrete wind-turbine tower that examines the dynamic characteristics and load-carrying performance of the tower. Additionally, a numerical model is presented and used to verify the design approach. The test results indicate that the first natural frequency of the prestressed concrete wind turbine tower is 0.395 Hz which lies between frequencies 1P and 3P (0.25-0.51 Hz). The damper ratio is 3.3%. The maximum concrete compression stresses are less than the concrete design compression strength, the maximum tensile stresses are less than zero and the prestressed strand stresses are less than the design strength under both the serviceability and ultimate limit state loads. The maximum displacement of the tower top are 331 mm and 648 mm for the serviceability limit state and ultimate limit state, respectively, which is less than L/100 = 1000 mm. Compared with traditional tall wind-turbine steel towers, the prestressed concrete tower has better material damping properties, potential lower maintenance cost, and lower construction costs. Thus, the prestressed concrete wind-turbine tower could be an innovative engineering solution for multi-megawatt wind turbine towers, in particular those that are taller than 100 m.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.291-309
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• 2020

To study oceanic and meteorological problems related to climate change, Korea has been operating several ocean research stations (ORSs). In 2011, the Gageocho ORS was attacked by Typhoon Muifa, and its structural members and several observation devices were severely damaged. After this event, the Gageocho ORS was rehabilitated with 5 m height to account for 100-yr extreme wave height, and the vibration measurement system was equipped to monitor the structural vibrational characteristics including natural frequencies and modal damping ratios. In this study, a mass reallocation method is presented for structural model updating of the Gageocho ORS based on the experimentally identified natural frequencies. A preliminary finite element (FE) model was constructed based on design drawings, and several of the candidate baseline FE models were manually built, taking into account the different structural conditions such as corroded thickness. Among these candidate baseline FE models, the most reasonable baseline FE model was selected by comparing the differences between the identified and calculated natural frequencies; the most suitable baseline FE model was updated based on the identified modal properties, and by using the pattern search method, which is one of direct search optimization methods. The mass reallocation method is newly proposed as a means to determine the equivalent mass quantities along the height and in a floor. It was found that the natural frequencies calculated based on the updated FE model was very close to the identified natural frequencies. In conclusion, it is expected that these results, which were obtained by updating a baseline FE model, can be useful for establishing the reference database for jacket-type offshore structures, and assessing the structural integrity of the Gageocho ORS.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.260-269
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• 2014

Transition tracks are an alternative for enhancing the long-term serviceability and durability of concrete track components in railway bridges. The goal of this paper is to investigate the structural behavior for transition track systems of railway bridge deck ends. In this study, the structural behavior of transition tracks such as the variations in static, dynamic, and fatigue behaviors and dynamic properties (natural frequency and damping ratio) are assessed and compared through performing loading tests and finite element analyses using actual vehicle impact loadings. As a result, it is found that the structural behavior of the transition track system is expected to satisfy the actual vehicle impact loading, and the variation in the neutral axis and dynamic characteristics are not affected by the fatigue loading. Therefore, it is inferred that the structural capacity and long-term durability of the transition track system is proven.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.110.2-110.2
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• 2012

We investigate a cool loop and a dark lane over a limb active region on 2007 March 14 by the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). The cool loop is clearly seen in the EIS spectral lines formed at the transition region temperature (log T = 5.8). The dark lane is characterized by an elongated faint structure in coronal spectral lines (log T = 5.8 - 6.1) and rooted on a bright point. We examine their electron densities, Doppler velocities, and non-thermal velocities as a function of distance from the limb using the spectral lines formed at different temperatures (log T = 5.4 - 6.4). The electron densities of the cool loop and the dark lane are derived from the density sensitive line pairs of Mg VII, Fe XII, and Fe XIV spectra. Under the hydrostatic equilibrium and isothermal assumption, we determine their temperatures from the density scale height. Comparing the scale height temperatures to the peak formation temperatures of the spectral lines, we note that the scale height temperature of the cool loop is consistent with a peak formation temperature of the Mg VII (log T = 5.8) and the scale height temperature of the dark lane is close to a peak formation temperature of the Fe XII and Fe XIII (log T = 6.1 - 6.2). It is interesting to note that the structures of the cool loop and the dark lane are most visible in these temperature lines. While the non-thermal velocity in the cool loop slightly decreases (less than 7 km $s^{-1}$) along the loop, that in the dark lane sharply falls off with height. The variation of non-thermal velocity with height in the cool loop and the dark lane is contrast to that in off-limb polar coronal holes which are considered as source of the fast solar wind. Such a decrease in the non-thermal velocity may be explained by wave damping near the solar surface or turbulence due to magnetic reconnection near the bright point.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.859-887
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• 2015

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has gained in popularity in recent years since it can assess the performance and condition of instrumented structures in real time and provide valuable information to the asset's manager and owner. Operational modal analysis plays an important role in SHM and it involves the determination of natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes of a constructed structure based on measured dynamic data. This paper presents the operational modal analysis and seismic response characterization of the Tsing Ma Suspension Bridge of 2,160 m long subjected to different earthquake events. Three kinds of events, i.e., short-distance, middle-distance and long-distance earthquakes are taken into account. A fast Bayesian modal identification method is used to carry out the operational modal analysis. The modal properties of the bridge are identified and compared by use of the field monitoring data acquired before and after the earthquake for each type of the events. Research emphasis is given on identifying the predominant modes of the seismic responses in the deck during short-distance, middle-distance and long-distance earthquakes, respectively, and characterizing the response pattern of various structural portions (deck, towers, main cables, etc.) under different types of earthquakes. Since the bridge is over 2,000 m long, the seismic wave would arrive at the tower/anchorage basements of the two side spans at different time instants. The behaviors of structural dynamic responses on the Tsing Yi side span and on the Ma Wan side span under each type of the earthquake events are compared. The results obtained from this study would be beneficial to the seismic design of future long-span bridges to be built around Hong Kong (e.g., the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge).

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.62-68
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• 2015

A magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a smart material whose rheological behavior can be controlled by varying the parameters of the applied magnetic field. Because the damping force and shear force of an MR fluid can be controlled using a magnetic field, it is widely employed in many industrial applications, such as in vehicle vibration control, powertrains, high-precision grinding processes, valves, and seals. However, the characteristics of friction caused by iron particles inside the MR fluid need to be understood and improved so that it can be used in practical applications. Surface process technologies such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are widely used to improve the surface friction properties. This study examines the friction characteristics of an MR fluid with different surface process technologies such as PTFE coatings and DLC coatings, by using a reciprocating friction tester. The coefficients of friction are in the following descending order: MR fluid without any coating, MR fluid with a DLC coating, and MR fluid with a PTFE coating. Scanning electron microscopy is used to observe the worn surfaces before and after the experiment. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to analyze the chemical composition of the worn surface. Through a comparison of the results, the friction characteristics of the MR fluid based on the different coating technologies are analyzed.