Advanced Engineering Analysis Research Articles

Advancing a Non-Contact Structural and Prognostic Health Assessment of Large Critical Structures.

This paper presents an overview of integrating new research outcomes into the development of a structural health monitoring strategy for the floating cover at the Western Treatment Plant (WTP) in Melbourne, Australia. The size of this floating cover, which covers an area of approximately 470 m × 200 m, combined with the hazardous environment and its exposure to extreme weather conditions, only allows for monitoring techniques based on remote sensing. The floating cover is deformed by the accumulation of sewage matter beneath it. Our research has shown that the only reliable data for constructing a predictive model to support the structural health monitoring of this critical asset is obtained directly from the actual floating cover at the sewage treatment plant. Our recent research outcomes lead us towards conceptualising an advanced engineering analysis tool designed to support the future creation of a digital twin for the floating cover at the WTP. Foundational work demonstrates the effectiveness of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based photogrammetry methodology in generating a digital elevation model of the large floating cover. A substantial set of data has been acquired through regular UAV flights, presenting opportunities to leverage this information for a deeper understanding of the interactions between operational conditions and the structural response of the floating cover. This paper discusses the current findings and their implications, clarifying how these outcomes contribute to the ongoing development of an advanced digital twin for the floating cover.

Subsurface imaging dataset acquired at the Garner Valley Downhole Array site using a dense network of three-component nodal stations

There is a growing need to characterize the engineering material properties of the shallow subsurface in three dimensions for advanced engineering analyses. However, imaging the near-surface in three dimensions at spatial resolutions required for such purposes remains in its infancy and requires further study before it can be adopted into practice. To enable and accelerate research in this area, we present a large subsurface imaging data set acquired using a dense network of three-component (3C) nodal stations acquired in 2019 at the Garner Valley Downhole Array (GVDA) site. Acquisition of this data set involved the deployment of 196 stations positioned on a 14 × 14 grid with a 5 m spacing. The array was used to acquire active-source data generated by a vibroseis truck and an instrumented sledgehammer, and passive-wavefield data containing ambient noise. The active-source acquisition included 66 vibroseis and 209 instrumented sledgehammer source locations. Multiple source impacts were recorded at each source location to enable stacking of the recorded signals. The active-source recordings are provided in terms of both raw, uncorrected units of counts and corrected engineering units of meters per second. For each source impact, the force output from the vibroseis or instrumented sledgehammer was recorded and is provided in both raw counts and engineering units of kilonewtons. The passive-wavefield data include 28 h of ambient noise recorded over two nighttime deployments. The data set is shown to be useful for active-source and passive-wavefield three-dimensional imaging and other subsurface characterization techniques, which include horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSRs), multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), and microtremor array measurements (MAM).

Robust and Transparent Lossless Directional Omniphobic Ultra-Thin Sticker-Type Film with Re-entrant Micro-Stripe Arrays.

Directional droplet-sliding control without wetting the surface is immensely required in advanced surface engineering, including biological and chemical analyses or green technology. However, the development of robust and transparent thin sticker-type directional omniphobic films for portable usage in smart microfluidic platforms is rare. In this study, we report a novel perfluoropolyether (PFPE) directional omniphobic film (PDOF). The PDOF is a robust and transparent ultra-thin sticker-type film that can control the anisotropic sliding of various liquid droplets on the surface. The PFPE is a chemically stable and turgid material compared to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is often used to fabricate liquid-repellent thin films. A well-designed fabrication criterion through adhesion engineering in the soft-molding process was developed using the PFPE to obtain a PDOF with a thickness of 56 μm, with re-entrant micro-stripe structures on the surface. The fabricated PDOF showed intriguing liquid sliding properties based on the direction and spacing of the microstructures. This aspect is defined as an anisotropic factor.

Innovations in a submarine piggyback pipeline project in the East China Sea.

Submarine pipelines are widely used to transport offshore oil and gas. Bundling service pipes and cables with these pipelines can cut costs but such ‘piggyback’ installations can lead to problems with torsion and buckling, particularly at crossings. This paper reports on an innovative anti-rotation device that was successfully implemented in a piggyback pipeline project in the East China Sea. A three-layer concrete mattress together with secondary pipe protection devices was developed for crossings, and advanced engineering analysis was conducted to evaluate risks from shallow gas eruptions.

Determination of Multilayer Soil Strength Parameters Using Genetic Algorithm

This paper employs a back analysis method to determine soil strength parameters of the Mohr-Coulomb model from in situ geotechnical measurements. The lateral displacement of a soil nailed wall retaining an excavation in Tehran city used as a criterion for the back analysis. For this purpose, a genetic algorithm is applied as an optimization algorithm to minimize the error function, which can perform the back analysis process. When the accuracy of modeling is verified, the back analysis is performed automatically by creating a link between genetic algorithm in MATLAB and Abaqus software using Python programming language. This paper demonstrated that the genetic algorithm is a particularly suitable tool to determine 9 soil strength parameters simultaneously for 3 soil layers of the project site to decrease the difference of lateral displacement between the results of project monitoring and numerical analysis. The soil strength parameters have increased, with the most changes in Young's modulus of the first to third layers as the most effective parameter, 49.45%, 61.67% and 64.35% respectively. The results can be used in advanced engineering analyses and professional works.

Experimental and numerical evaluation of the influence of the soot yield on the visibility in smoke in CFD analysis

Experimental and numerical analysis have been performed to evaluate the influence of the soot yield parameter on the results of advanced engineering analysis, in regards to visibility. After identifying soot yield as the most influential factor on the results, fuels with various values of Ys have been analysed in a fire chamber and then compared to numerical data. The numerical analysis has been performed using two different CFD packages, ANSYS® Fluent®, and Fire Dynamics Simulator. The numerical analysis itself show an apparent hyperbolic trend of the visibility when changing the soot yield with clear consequences on the ASET (Available Safe Egress Time). Below a cut-off point, that exists at a soot yield value close to Ys =0,10g/g, a small change in the parameter causes a substantial shift in the results (visibility or ASET time), while above this value an increase to soot yield does barely influence the results. Qualitative assessment of the results shows a need for use of conservative values of Ys in engineering analysis if detailed and precise material data is not available. Additionally to the full-scale experiments, a real case study has been included to show how this research can be translated into the Fire Safety Engineering design process. In this study, change of Ys value below 0,10g/g caused a significant change of the qualitative assessment of the results of CFD.

CPC Power Theory for Analysis of Arc Furnaces

Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) are facilities with an intensive use of energy where small improvements in their control imply significant electrical energy savings. The electric arcs are highly nonlinear and chaotic; a power theory for non-sinusoidal voltages and currents is needed for the analysis of the EAF electrical parameters. The current and power decomposition proposed by Czarnecki in the Current's Physicals Components (CPC) power theory allows an advanced engineering analysis of the energy transfer at the arc furnaces. Each one of the current components can be used to dynamically diagnose either the energy transfer or the heat process conditions. This solid and complete power theory can help to design power control algorithms to optimize the energy efficiency at arc furnaces.

Exergetic simulation of a combined infrared-convective drying process

Optimal design and performance of a combined infrared-convective drying system with respect to the energy issue is extremely put through the application of advanced engineering analyses. This article proposes a theoretical approach for exergy analysis of the combined infrared-convective drying process using a simple heat and mass transfer model. The applicability of the developed model to actual drying processes was proved using an illustrative example for a typical food.

Computer-aided engineering analysis of tooth-bending fatigue-based failure in horizontal-axis wind-turbine gearboxes

Purpose – Wind energy is one of the most promising and the fastest growing alternative-energy production technologies, which have been developed in response to stricter environmental regulations, the depletion of fossil-fuel reserves, and the world's ever-growing energy needs. This form of alternative energy is projected to provide 20 percent of the US energy needs by 2030. For economic reasons, wind turbines (articulated structures that convert wind energy into electrical energy) are expected to operate, with only regular maintenance, for at least 20 years. However, some key wind turbine components (especially the gearbox) tend to wear down, malfunction and fail in a significantly shorter time, often three to five years after installation, causing an increase in the wind-energy cost and in the cost of ownership of the wind turbine. Clearly, to overcome this problem, a significant increase in long-term gearbox reliability needs to be achieved. Design/methodology/approach – While purely empirical efforts aimed at identifying shortcomings in the current design of the gearboxes are of critical importance, the present work demonstrates that the use of advanced computational engineering analyses, like the finite-element stress analysis and a post-processing fatigue-life assessment analysis, can also be highly beneficial. Findings – The results obtained in the present work clearly revealed how a variety of normal operating and extreme wind-loading conditions can influence the service-life of a wind-turbine gearbox in the case when the service-life is controlled by the gear-tooth bending-fatigue. Originality/value – The present work attempts to make a contribution to the resolution of an important problem related to premature-failure and inferior reliability of wind-turbine gearboxes.

Review on wind turbines with focus on drive train system dynamics

AbstractThe strong growth within the wind technology market, underpinned by policy goals around the world, has highlighted the demand for advanced engineering analysis to improve wind turbine (WT) design, both in terms of reliability and design of larger turbines. This paper presents a review of the latest research that has been carried out in modeling and analysis of load transmission in WT drive train systems and their components. Common failure roots are elaborated, and probable hypotheses are presented. A modeling approach is derived by classification into engineering, mathematical and computational models with a focus on gearbox modeling efforts. Precise understanding of drive train system dynamics and load transmission is necessary for a cost efficient and robust system design to enhance reliability and reduce the maintenance costs. Design optimization of WTs and their subsystems will make future WTs more attractive compared with fossil and nuclear power plants, and it is therefore an important issue for a more sustainable environment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Seismicity Models and New Ground-Motion Prediction Equations on Seismic Hazard Assessment for Four Canadian Cities

Seismicityratesandground-motionpredictionequations(GMPEs)arethe key uncertainties in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). We explore the impact of new findings and knowledge from seismological and ground-motion studies on seismic hazard assessment for eastern and western Canada. Updated information includes the reevaluation of seismicity rates and their interpretation in terms of seismic source zones and the use of new GMPEs. We refer to our model as an interim updated seismic hazard model, as it does not treat all uncertainties comprehensively; rather, we address the impact of key uncertainties. Based on our updated interim seismic hazard model, uniform hazard spectra (UHS) at four major cities across Canada are obtained and compared with UHS in the current seismic hazard maps of Canada (2005/2010), whicharebasedona1995seismichazardmodeldevelopedbytheGeologicalSurveyof Canada. Sensitivity analysis highlights the significant impact of seismicity smoothing in low-to-moderate seismic regions (eastern Canada), while GMPEs are important for all regions. Moreover, our interim updated seismic hazard model can readily produce seismic hazard curves as well as seismic hazard deaggregation results for various site conditionsandformultipleprobabilitylevels;thiscapabilityisessentialforcarryingout advanced earthquake engineering analyses.

Soft Computing Based Multilevel Strategy for Bridge Integrity Monitoring

Abstract: In recent years, structural integrity monitoring has become increasingly important in structural engineering and construction management. It represents an important tool for the assessment of the dependability of existing complex structural systems as it integrates, in a unified perspective, advanced engineering analyses and experimental data processing. In the first part of this work the concepts of dependability and structural integrity are discussed and it is shown that an effective integrity assessment needs advanced computational methods. For this purpose, soft computing methods have shown to be very useful. In particular, in this work the neural networks model is chosen and successfully improved by applying the Bayesian inference at four hierarchical levels: for training, optimization of the regularization terms, data-based model selection, and evaluation of the relative importance of different inputs. In the second part of the article, Bayesian neural networks are used to formulate a multilevel strategy for the monitoring of the integrity of long span bridges subjected to environmental actions: in a first level the occurrence of damage is detected; in a following level the specific damaged element is recognized and the intensity of damage is quantified.

A Parallel Simulated Annealing Architecture for Model Updating in Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, wireless sensing technologies have provided a much sought-after alternative to expensive cabled monitoring systems. Wireless sensing networks forego the high data transfer rates associated with cabled sensors in exchange for low-cost and low-power communication between a large number of sensing devices, each of which features embedded data processing capabilities. As such, a new paradigm in large-scale data processing has emerged; one where communication bandwidth is somewhat limited but distributed data processing centers are abundant. By taking advantage of this grid of computational resources, data processing tasks once performed independently by a central processing unit can now be parallelized, automated, and carried out within a wireless sensor network. By utilizing the intelligent organization and self-healing properties of many wireless networks, an extremely scalable multiprocessor computational framework can be developed to perform advanced engineering analyses. In this study, a novel parallelization of the simulated annealing stochastic search algorithm is presented and used to update structural models by comparing model predictions to experimental results. The resulting distributed model updating algorithm is validated within a network of wireless sensors by identifying the mass, stiffness, and damping properties of a three-story steel structure subjected to seismic base motion.

Precision Diagnosis of Electric Multiple Units for Performance Evaluation

The precision diagnosis of subway electric multiple units (EMUs) was conducted with various types of engineering analysis techniques for the current performance and wear evaluation. The evaluation was conducted on detailed parts of EMUs, such as car bodies, bogies, braking systems, and electrical systems of EMUs. Several characterization means including nondestructive evaluation techniques, corrosion testing, and three-dimensional measurements, were employed for the evaluation of car bodies and bogies. For braking system, degradation and performance tests were conducted, while the functional and degradation tests were performed on electrical system in order to identify the actual performance of the system. Moreover, stress and structural analyses using commercial finite element method (FEM) software provided important information on stress distribution and load transfer mechanisms. In this investigation, various advanced engineering analysis techniques for the safety analysis of subway EMUs have been introduced and the analysis results have been used to provide the critical information for the criteria of safety assessment.

A Study on the Safety Assessment of Car-Body Structure for Urban EMU

Engineering safety diagnosis of crashed subway electric multiple units (EMUs) was conducted for safety assessment. Several advanced engineering analysis techniques including nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques and stress and structural analyses programs, were performed for better understandings and exploration of failure analysis and safety concerns. Moreover, stress and structural analyses using commercial I-DEAS software provided important information on stress distribution and load transfer mechanisms as well as the amount of damages during the crash. One-dimensional crashworthiness was conducted to estimate the speed at the time of the accident by investigating the permanent deformation of the train. The estimated speed was used as the input value of a three-dimensional crashworthiness analysis. A good agreement has been found between structural analysis results and the results of actual damages in EMUs during crash. In this investigation, various advanced engineering analysis techniques for the safety analysis of subway EMUs have been introduced and the analysis results have been used to provide the critical information for the safety assessment of crashed EMUs.

A Study on the Methodology of Safety Diagnosis for Urban Railway Vehicle

Engineering safety diagnosis of crashed subway electric multiple units (EMUs) was conducted for safety assessment. Several advanced engineering analysis techniques including nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques and stress and structural analyses programs, were performed for better understandings and exploration of failure analysis and safety concerns. NDE techniques such as ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing, were used to detect manufacture-induced and/or in-service defects and collision-induced flaws, and measure the dimensions of deformed and non-deformed parts on damaged EMUs due to a rear-end collision. Moreover, stress and structural analyses using commercial I-DEAS software provided important information on stress distribution and load transfer mechanisms as well as the amount of damages during the crash. A good agreement has been found between structural analysis results and the results of actual damages in EMUs during crash. In this investigation, various advanced engineering analysis techniques for the safety analysis of subway EMUs have been introduced and the analysis results have been used to provide the critical information for the safety assessment of crashed EMUs.

Safety Diagnosis of Collided Subway Electric Multiple Units (EMUs)

Engineering safety diagnosis of collided subway electric multiple units (EMUs) was conducted for safety assessment. Several advanced engineering analysis techniques including nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques and stress and structural analyses programs, were performed for better understandings and exploration of failure analysis and safety concerns. NDE techniques such as ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing, were used to detect manufactureinduced and/or in-service defects and collision-induced flaws, and measure the dimensions of deformed and non-deformed parts on damaged EMUs due to a rear-end collision. Moreover, stress and structural analyses using commercial I-DEAS software provided important information on stress distribution and load transfer mechanisms as well as the amount of damages during the crash. A good agreement has been found between structural analysis results and the results of actual damages in EMUs during crash. In this investigation, various advanced engineering analysis techniques for the safety analysis of subway EMUs have been introduced and the analysis results have been used to rovide the critical information for the safety assessment of collided EMUs.

3-2 ADVENTURE と Meshman を用いた CAE 教育の試み

An educational program that uses ADVENTURE was performed. ADVENTURE stands for ADVanced ENgineering analysis Tool for Ultra large REal world and is distributed as open source software. A task of stress analysis and weight reduction study for a mechanical part was set. The purpose was to experience engineering analysis and design without thoroughly learning the FEM. The task requires solid modeling and node density designation with Insight's Meshman before performing analysis on ADVENTURE system. Students attended an introductory lecture with a demo and after analysis prepared a report about their design. Although ADVENTURE is developed for parallel analysis, task was performed on a single machine due to resources in preparation time

Quasidifferentiability in nonsmooth, nonconvex mechanics

Nonconvex and nonsmooth optimization problems arise in advanced engineering analysis and structural analysis applications. In fact the set of inequality and complementarity relations that describe the structural analysis problem are generated as optimality conditions by the quasidifferential potential energy optimization problem. Thus new kind of variational expressions arise for these problems, which generalize the classical variational equations of smooth mechanics, the variational inequalities of convex, nonsmooth mechanics and give a solid, computationally efficient explication of hemivariational inequalities of nonconvex, nonsmooth mechanics. Moreover quasidifferential calculus and optimization software make this approach applicable for a large number of problems. The connection of quasidifferential optimization and nonsmooth, nonconvex mechanics is discussed in this paper. A number of representative examples from elastostatic analysis applications are treated in details. Numerical examples illustrate the theory.

Construction Applications of Relational Data Bases in Three‐Dimensional GIS

A geographic information system (GIS) is a hybrid between computer‐assisted drafting and data‐base programs, where geographically characterized information retrieved from the data base is displayed on a graphical representation of a site. GISs, however, have been developed by specializations interested mainly in two‐dimensional land surface applications, and they generally lack three‐dimensional capabilities. By contrast, many civil engineering applications require three‐dimensional characterization of a site. This paper describes a method of extending the PC Arc/Info GIS to represent boreholes as complex three‐dimensional objects and to include such borehole data in a regional geotechnical data base. Borehole data in the form of boring logs can be graphically displayed entirely within the Arc/Info environment through the creation of pseudo‐coverages using the Arc/Info drawing and annotation capabilities. For more advanced engineering analyses, it is necessary to interface data contained within the data base with external programs. This paper illustrates this possibility by an interface to HOOPS, an object‐oriented graphics library, to construct a three‐dimensional representation of soil strata.