• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2006

The reliability analysis of structures subjected to stochastic loading involves evaluation of time and probability of the system's residence in a reference domain. In this paper, we derive an asymptotic estimate of exit time for multi-degrees-of-freedom structural systems. The system's dynamics is governed by the Lagrangian equations with linear dissipation and fast additive noise. The logarithmic asymptotic of exit time is found explicitly as a sum of two terms dependent on kinetic and potential energy of the system, respectively. As an example, we estimate exit time and an associated structural performance for a rocking structure.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.74-80
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• 2018

A damper is a hydraulic device designed to absorb or eliminate shock impulses which is acting on the sprung mass of vehicle. It converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy, typically heat. In a vehicle, a damper reduce vibration of car, leading to improved ride comfort and running stability. Therefore, a damper is one of the most important components in a vehicle suspension system. Conventionally, the design process of vehicle suspensions has been based on trial and error approaches, where designers iteratively change the values of the design variables and reanalyze the system until acceptable design criteria are achieved. Therefore, the ability to tune a damper properly without trial and error is of great interest in suspension system design to reduce time and effort. For this reason, a many previous researches have been done on modeling and simulation of the damper. In this paper, we have conducted optimal design process to find optimal design parameters of damping force which minimize a acceleration of sprung mass for a given suspension system using genetic algorithm.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.4571-4584
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• 2022

The analysis of rapid flow transients in Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCP) is essential for a reactor safety study. An accurate and precise analysis of the RCP coastdown is necessary for the reactor design. The coastdown of RCP affects the coolant temperature and the colloidal crud in the primary coolant. A realistic and kinetic model has been used to investigate the behavior of activated colloidal crud in the primary coolant and steam generator that solves the pump speed analytically. The analytic solution of the non-dimensional flow rate has been determined by the energy ratio β. The kinetic energy of the coolant fluid and the kinetic energy stored in the rotating parts of a pump are two essential parameters in the form of β. Under normal operation, the pump's speed and moment of inertia are constant. However, in a coastdown situation, kinetic damping in the interval has been implemented. A dynamic model ACCP-SMART has been developed for System Integrated Modular and Advanced Reactor (SMART) to investigate the corrosion due to activated colloidal crud. The Fickian diffusion model has been implemented as the reference corrosion model for the constituent component of the primary loop of the SMART reactor. The activated colloidal crud activity in the primary coolant and steam generator of the SMART reactor has been studied for different equilibrium corrosion rates, linear increase in corrosion rate, and dynamic RCP coastdown situation energy ratio b. The coolant specific activity of SMART reactor equilibrium corrosion (4.0 mg s^-1) has been found 9.63×10^-3 µCi cm^-3, 3.53×10^-3 µC cm^-3, 2.39×10^-2 µC cm^-3, 8.10×10^-3 µC cm^-3, 6.77× 10^-3 µC cm^-3, 4.95×10^-4 µC cm^-3, 1.19×10^-3 µC cm^-3, and 7.87×10^-4 µC cm^-3 for ²⁴Na, ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁶Mn, ⁵⁹Fe, ⁵⁸Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁹⁹Mo, and ⁵¹Cr which are 14.95%, 5.48%, 37.08%, 12.57%, 10.51%, 0.77%, 18.50%, and 0.12% respectively. For linear and exponential coastdown with a constant corrosion rate, the total coolant and steam generator activity approaches a higher saturation value than the normal values. The coolant and steam generator activity changes considerably with kinetic corrosion rate, equilibrium corrosion, growth of corrosion rate (ΔC/Δt), and RCP coastdown situations. The effect of the RCP coastdown on the specific activity of the steam generators is smeared by linearly rising corrosion rates, equilibrium corrosion, and rapid coasting down of the RCP. However, the time taken to reach the saturation activity is also influenced by the slope of corrosion rate, coastdown situation, equilibrium corrosion rate, and energy ratio β.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.347-359
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• 2020

The Mega-Sub Controlled Structure System (MSCSS), an innovative vibration passive control system for building structures, is improved by adding lead rubber bearings (LRBs) on top of the substructure. For the new system, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the dynamic parameters and distributions of dampers and LRBs. The program uses various seismic performance indicators as optimization objectives, and corresponding results are compared. It is found that the optimization procedure for maximizing the energy dissipation ratio yields the best solutions, and optimized models have consistent seismic performances under different earthquakes. Seismic performances of optimized MSCSS models with and without LRBs, as well as the traditional Mega-Sub Structure model, are evaluated and compared under El Centro wave, Taft wave and 20 other artificial waves. In both elastic and plastic analysis, the model with LRBs shows significantly smaller story drift and horizontal acceleration than those of the other two models, and fewer plastic hinges are developed during severe earthquakes. Energy analysis also shows that LRBs installed in proper locations increase the deformation and energy dissipation of dampers, thereby significantly reduce the kinetic, potential, and hysteretic energy in the structure. However, LRBs do not have to be mounted on all the additional columns. It is also demonstrated that LRBs at unfavorable locations can decrease the energy dissipation for dampers. After LRBs are installed, the optimal damping coefficient and the optimal damping exponent of dampers are reduced to produce the best damping effect.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.28 no.B
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• pp.135-141
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• 2008

In this paper, the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) method, which is a statistical analysis technique to find the modal characteristics of a structure, is adapted to identify the modal parameters of a tall chimney structure. A wind force time history, which is applied to the structure, is obtained by a wind tunnel test of a scale down model. The POD method is applied on the wind force induced responses of the structure, and the true normal modes of the structure can be obtained. The modal parameters including, natural frequency, mode shape, damping ratio and kinetic energy of the structure can be estimated accurately. With these results, it may be concluded that the POD method can be applied to obtain accurate modal parameters from the wind-induced building responses.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.794-805
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• 1999

Pneumatic cushioning cylinders are commonly employed for vibration and shock control. A mathematical simulation model of a double acting pneumatic cushioning cylinder designed to absorb shock loads is presented which is based on the following assumptions; ideal equation of state isentropic flow through a port conservation of mass polytropic thermodynamics single degree of freedom piston dynamics and energy equivalent linear damping. These differential equation can be solved through numerical integration using the fourth order Runge-Kutta method. An experimental study was conducted to validate the results obtained by the numerical integra-tion technique. Simulated results show good agreement with experimental data. The computer simulation model presented here has been extremely useful not only in understanding the has been extremely useful not only in understanding the basic cushioning but also in evaluating different designs.

• Architectural research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2006

Starting from the quadratic optimal control algorithm, this study obtains the relation of the performance index for constrained systems and Gauss's principle. And minimizing a function of the variation in kinetic energy at constrained and unconstrained states with respect to the velocity variation, the dynamic equation is derived and it is shown that the result compares with the generalized inverse method proposed by Udwadia and Kalaba. It is investigated that the responses of a 10-story building are constrained by the installation of a two-bar structure as an application to utilize the derived equations. The structural responses are affected by various factors like the length of each bar, damping, stiffness of the bar structure, and the junction positions of two structures. Under an assumption that the bars have the same mass density, this study determines the junction positions to minimize the total dynamic responses of the structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.93-113
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• 2011

The explicit nonlinear dynamic relaxation method (DRM) is applied to the nonlinear geodesic shape finding analysis by introducing fictional tensioned 'strings' along the desired seams with a three or four-node membrane element. A number of results from the numerical example for the nonlinear geodesic shape finding and patterning analysis are obtained by the proposed method to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the developed method. Therefore, the proposed geodesic shape finding algorithm may improve the applicability of a four-node membrane element to membrane structural engineering and design analysis simultaneously for the shape finding, stress, and patterning analysis.

• Solar Energy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.77-86
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• 1998

This study presents a so-called regenerative ER damper which does not require external power sources with aid of energy conversion from kinetic energy into electrical energy. The ER damper is manufactured by employing a rack and pinion mechanism which converts a linear piston motion to a rotary motion. This rotary motion is amplified by gears and subsequently activates a generator to produce an electrical energy. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the mechanism, with respect to the frequency of the ER damper is investigated a generated electric voltage, which is amplified via a transformer prior to being applied to the ER damper. In addition, the damping force of the ER damper obtained by the regenerated voltage is evaluated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.539-560
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• 2012

This study uses an explicit numerical algorithm to evaluate the ultimate load capacity analysis of a unit Strarch frame, accounting for the initial imperfection effects of the stress-erection process. Displacement-based filament beam element and an explicit dynamic relaxation method with kinetic damping are used to achieve the analysis. The section is composed of the finite number of filaments that can be conveniently modeled by various material models. Ramberg-Osgood and bilinear kinematic elastic plastic material models are formulated to analyze the nonlinear material behaviors of filaments. The numerical results obtained in the present study are compared with the results of experiment for stress-erection and buckling of unit Strarch frames.