Boom Design Research Articles

Shape Change Analysis and Design of Cylindrical Tensegrity Booms

Shape Change Analysis and Design of Cylindrical Tensegrity Booms

Dynamic Simulation Analysis of Truck Crane Based on ADAMS

Background: With a reduction in the weight of telescopic boom crane and an increase in its lifting capacity, the contradiction between its speed, stability and safety becomes more prominent. The telescopic arm also has flexible deformation during operation, which will cause vibration of the whole vehicle system. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, accuracy, and efficiency in the working process, it is necessary to accurately predict the dynamic characteristics of the telescopic boom load in the working process. Objective: The purpose of this study is to establish a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model of the crane, which can accurately reflect the dynamic characteristics of the telescopic boom during its operation in the simulation test. Methods: In theory, this study analyzes the characteristics of a truck crane and simplifies it as a cantilever beam. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the vibration differential equation of the mobile masscantilever beam system is established. In the aspect of simulation, the three-dimensional modeling software Solidworks is used to establish the solid model of the truck telescopic boom, the finite element analysis software is used to establish the finite element model of the telescopic boom, and the modal neutral file is generated and imported into ADAMS to establish the dynamic model of the truck crane multi-level flexible telescopic boom. The dynamic simulation of the virtual prototype model of the truck telescopic boom crane is carried out in ADAMS software to obtain the dynamic characteristics of the key components of crane under specific working conditions. Results: The vibration differential equation derived in theory can be used to solve the dynamic response of the crane jib under specific conditions by MATLAB programming. In the aspect of simulation, the error fluctuation and its causes in the key components of the crane in the working state are analyzed, and the rationality of the virtual prototype model is verified. Finally, through the trajectory planning of the crane under typical working conditions, the purpose of stable control of the telescopic boom system of the truck crane is realized. Conclusion: The derived equation is universal for solving the vibration of crane jib in general cases. The rigid-flexible coupling model also provides a reference for the dynamic modeling, analysis, design, and manufacture of a multi-stage flexible telescopic boom. The findings of this study can provide a reference for related patent research and development.

Roll-Out Deployment Process Analysis of a Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composite Tape-Spring Boom.

Deployable extendable booms are widely used in aerospace technology due to many advantages they have, such as high folded-ratio, lightweight and self-deployable properties. A bistable FRP composite boom can not only extend its tip outwards with a corresponding rotation speed on the hub, but can also drive the hub rolling outwards with a fixed boom tip, which is commonly called roll-out deployment. In a bistable boom's roll-out deployment process, the second stability can keep the coiled section from chaos without introducing a controlling mechanism. Because of this, the boom's roll-out deployment velocity is not under control, and a high moving speed at the end will give the structure a big impact. Therefore, predicting the velocity in this whole deployment process is necessary to be researched. This paper aims to analyze the roll-out deployment process of a bistable FRP composite tape-spring boom. First, based on the Classical Laminate Theory, a dynamic analytical model of a bistable boom is established through the energy method. Afterwards, an experiment is introduced to produce some practical verification for comparison with the analytical results. According to the comparison with the experiment, the analytical model is verified for predicting the deployment velocity when the boom is relatively short, which can cover most booms using CubeSats. Finally, a parametric study reveals the relationship between the boom properties and the deployment behaviors. The research of this paper will give some guidance to the design of a composite roll-out deployable boom.

Deep learning for inverse design of low-boom supersonic configurations

Mitigating the sonic boom to an acceptable stage is crucial for the next generation of supersonic transports. The primary way to suppress sonic booms is to develop a low sonic boom aerodynamic shape design. This paper proposes an inverse design approach to optimize the near-field signature of an aircraft, making it close to the shaped ideal ground signature after propagation in the atmosphere. By introducing the Deep Neural Network (DNN) model for the first time, a predicted input of Augmented Burgers equation is inversely achieved. By the K-fold cross-validation method, the predicted ground signature closest to the target ground signature is obtained. Then, the corresponding equivalent area distribution is calculated using the classical Whitham’s F-function theory from the optimal near-field signature. The inversion method is validated using the classic example of the C608 vehicle provided by the Third Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop (SBPW-3). The results show that the design ground signature is consistent with the target signature. The equivalent area distribution of the design result is smoother than the baseline distribution, and it shrinks significantly in the rear section. Finally, the robustness of this method is verified through the inverse design of sonic boom for the non-physical ground signature target.

The challenge of reducing macroplastic pollution: Testing the effectiveness of a river boom under real environmental conditions

Improving collection technologies is crucial to develop effective and economically feasible solutions for catching plastic from riverine environments. However, floating booms are being constructed and deployed in river around the world without rigorously testing its effectiveness. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a boom under realistic conditions for several configurations and treatments (including “C-shape” and “Slash-shape” configurations). For this, we used the same macroplastics that leak out of waste management channels in order to be as realistic as possible. In total we used 52 plastic articles of 13 different polymers. The global effectiveness of the tested C-shape boom was lower than expected under such conditions (around 37 % of retention). The effectiveness of the Slash-shape boom was considerably worst (<10 %). However, the effectiveness varies greatly according to the particular characteristics of the plastic articles (i.e., shape and polymer composition), ranged from 0 to 100 %. For example, the boom could be 100 % effective retaining plastics such as Stylofoam trays and cups, 40–20 % for food-wrappers but 0 % for disposable plates and spoons, straws, monofilament fishing lines, packaging straps, hoses, pipes, elastic bands, etc.It seems that to have a reasonable catch-effectiveness and be cost-efficient, boom designs need to be improved and tested under different environmental conditions before to reach the market. In addition, it is unrealistic to select only high buoyancy plastics for testing them.

Numerical solution of critical force of n-step telescopic boom with superlift device

The installation of a superlift device on the telescopic boom of a crane is the main method to improve the stress condition of the telescopic boom and to effectively improve the lifting performance of the crane. However, there is a lack of an effective and accurate numerical method to solve the critical force of a crane telescopic boom with a superlift device. Therefore, the telescopic boom with a superlift device is reasonably simplified as a stepped column and double cable model. Based on the longitudinal and transverse bending theory, the differential equations of the deflection of the n-stepped column with double cables model are established, the buckling characteristic equation and its recurrence formula of the n-stepped column with double cables model are derived, and the combined superlift equations are established. The Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm is used to solve the critical force and length coefficient. A large amount of data were compared and analyzed between the numerical solution results and the ANSYS finite element simulation results. The error result analysis proved the correctness of the deduced buckling characteristic equation and its derived formula and the accuracy of the numerical solution. The numerical solution method in this paper can be used to calculate the critical force and length coefficient under any number of boom sections, boom section length, sectional moment of inertia, cable length, and included angle between the two cables of the telescopic boom with a superlift device. The numerical solution method can provide a technical support for the structural design of a telescopic boom with a superlift device in practical projects.

SPARK: An automatic Score-Power-Area efficient RISC-V processor microarchitecture SeeKer

In this study, we provide an automatic multi-objective optimization framework for RISC-V processor microarchitecture. CoreMark benchmark and TSMC 28 nm CMOS process serve as the foundation for SPARK’s investigation of the design space to SonicBOOM for three design criteria of performance, power, and area. The sequential-BOED method demonstrates a convergence speed of ADRS 2.125 times faster than baseline thanks to the benefits of the suggested sampling algorithm RED. In the meantime, the SPARK framework’s SPA-Gen infrastructure parallelizes querying the VLSI flow of elite trials. Therefore, under the same convergence target of ADRS as sequential-BOED, the overall running time of Para-BOED algorithm can be further improved by a factor of 1.29. The official Two-Wide BOOM achieves a commendable compromise between performance score, power consumption, and area cost. SPARK framework, however, finds an optimal microarchitecture design of BOOM with improved performance-cost ratio compared to official Two-Wide BOOM within fully acceptable searching time.

Analysis of the rigid-body fluid–structure interaction on a log boom

Log booms are modular and floating structures that partially cross the hydroelectric power plant reservoir to retain and deflect floating objects in the river that can damage and clog the turbine and reduce energy availability. In rivers with a high volume of logs or vegetation, the correct design of these structures is essential to ensure the operability of the hydroelectric power plant. In order to aid in the design of log booms, this paper proposes a method to predict the hydrodynamics forces and movement of log boom lines using CFD tools. Due to the high computational cost of simulating the entire line, simulations are conducted only on a single log boom module using boundary conditions that simulate the interference effects from its adjacent ones, considering different velocity magnitudes and direction combinations. The individual module results are composed to obtain the expected forces on the log boom line. A towing tank experiment with a model-scale model of a segment of the log boom line is conducted to verify the reliability of the numerical model results, comparing the module movement (heave and pitch) and line extremity tension forces. The agreement between numerical and experimental approaches shows that the proposed method can be used to predict the tension in the log boom line and evaluate other conditions, log boom geometries, or line shapes.

Towards a Supersonic Transport: Minimization of Sonic Boom

An aircraft exceeding the speed of sound can cover large distances in short amount of time and has several important applications. Thus, there has always been an interest in producing a Supersonic Transport (SST) Aircraft for commercial usage in recent decades. However, the problem of sonic boom restricts operations over inhabited/ land areas. This major obstacle to overland supersonic flight has been subject of governmental and private research for a long time. The research has two parts: minimum acceptable parameters of ground boom signatures for supersonic flight and reduction of Sonic Boom. The methods developed to reduce the boom are generally classified into Aircraft operations, Design, and Exotic methods. This paper reviews the significant methods proposed under each of these categories with special emphasis on design. Due to the range and complexity of methods proposed, there is no consensus amongst the scientific community about the design for an SST. The requirements of low boom design conflict with the requirements of carriage of an effective payload and basic aerodynamics. With the development of high- fidelity CFD and wave propagation programmes like PCBoom, analysing new designs has become easier and understanding of the contribution of various configurations on ground signatures has improved. This has led to promising developments like the X-59 research aircraft, making this field of study one of the most exciting in the aviation industry today.

Conceptual design of sonic boom stealth supersonic transports

This paper introduces a supersonic transport aircraft design model developed in the GENUS aircraft conceptual design environment. A conceptual design model appropriate to supersonic transports with low-to-medium-fidelity methods are developed in GENUS. With this model, the authors reveal the relationship between the sonic boom signature and the lift and volume distributions and the possibility to optimise the lift distribution and volume distribution together so that they can cancel each other at some region. A new inspiring design concept—sonic boom stealth is proposed by the authors. The sonic boom stealth concept is expected to inspire the supersonic aircraft designers to design low-boom concepts through aircraft shaping and to achieve low ground impacts. A family of different classes of supersonic aircraft, including a single-seat supersonic demonstrator (0.47 psf), a 10-passenger supersonic business jet (0.90 psf) and a 50-seat supersonic airliner (1.02 psf), are designed to demonstrate the sonic boom stealth design principles. Although, there are challenges to balance the volume with packaging and control requirements, these concepts prove the feasibility of low-boom low-drag design for supersonic transports from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Deployable boom for Mars Orbiter Magnetometer onboard Tianwen-1

A more than 3 m-long deployable boom is an essential component of the Mars Orbiter Magnetometer (MOMAG) onboard the orbiter of Tianwen-1. The boom was developed to place fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) sensors away from the satellite to reduce the influence of the satellite magnetic field. It was designed as an articulated spring-driven deployable mechanism for single-shot deployment. Functionality, reliability and system constraints are fully considered in the boom design. Mechanical analyses and proof tests show that the boom has sufficient safety margin to withstand environmental conditions, even in the worst cases. After a long voyage from Earth to Mars, the boom was deployed successfully on May 25, 2021. A full deployment was performed in about 4.6 s, sending the two sensors to distances of 3.19 m and 2.29 m respectively, away from the orbiter. After deployment, the field from the orbiter decreased from 1250 nT to less than 6 nT at the sensor mounted at the tip of the boom. The MOMAG boom provides valuable engineering experience for the development of deployable structures stowed for long periods in cold temperatures in space missions.

Deployable boom for Mars Orbiter Magnetometer onboard “Tianwen-1”

A more than 3-m long deployable boom is an essential component of the Mars Orbiter Magnetometer (MOMAG) onboard the orbiter of “Tianwen-1”. The boom was developed to place fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) sensors away from the satellite to reduce the influence of the satellite magnetic field. It was designed as an articulated spring-driven deployable mechanism for single-shot deployment. Functionality, reliability and system constraints are fully considered in the boom design. Mechanical analyses and proof tests show that the boom has sufficient safety margin to withstand environmental conditions, even in the worst cases. After a long voyage from Earth to Mars, the boom was deployed successfully on May 25, 2021. A full deployment was performed in approximately 4.6 s, sending the two sensors to distances of 3.19 m and 2.29 m respectively, away from the orbiter. After deployment, the field from the orbiter decreased from 1250 nT to less than 6 nT at the sensor mounted at the tip of the boom. The MOMAG boom provides valuable engineering experience for the development of deployable structures stowed for long periods in cold temperatures in space missions.

Analytical method for the out-of-plane buckling of the telescopic boom with guy cables.

The guy cables can effectively improve the bearing capacity for the telescopic boom of the crane, while the introduction of tensioned cables makes the buckling analysis complicated. The primary objective of this study was to propose an analytical method for the out-of-plane buckling of the telescopic boom with the spatial symmetric guy cables. To analyze the influence of the guy cables on the out-of-plane buckling property of the telescopic boom, the deflection differential equation of the multi-stepped telescopic boom with guy cables was established based on the theory of elastic beam, then the buckling characteristic equation to determine the critical load of the telescopic boom was derived. Comparison of results with that given by the finite element method showed the high accuracy of the proposed method. In the end, with this equation, the influences of the structural geometric parameters on the critical load were investigated. The results indicated that, in the engineering application, the critical load of the telescopic boom can be increased by decreasing the length ratio a/L or increasing the angle φ between the two cables. The influence of angle θ on the out-of-plane buckling analysis of the telescopic boom can be neglected. With the proposed method, the buckling behavior of the telescopic boom with guy cables can be solved accurately. The present work is significant to structural design and safety analysis of the telescopic boom, and it can be utilized to provide technical support for the structural design of telescopic boom.

Reliability analysis of excavator boom considering mixed uncertain variables

AbstractThere are differences among sampling data and representation types of uncertain interval, fuzzy and random variables, which increases the complexity of structure reliability analysis. A α, β‐Cut‐FORM is proposed to analyze structure reliability considering the mixed uncertain variables. Fuzzy variables are optimized on the interval under two cut sets (α, β) based on the theory of cut set optimization. Interval variables are modeled with probability using a uniformity method. The proposed method involves the nested probabilistic analysis and interval analysis. The first‐order reliability method (FORM) is used for probabilistic analysis and nonlinear optimization is used for interval analysis. The excavator boom performance function is established for reliability analysis considering the mixed uncertain input variables, which verifies the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method. And it has great application for safe and reliable design of excavator boom.

КОНСТРУКТИВНО-ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ХВОСТО-ВИХ БАЛОК СІТЧАСТОГО ТИПУ З ПОЛІМЕРНИХ КОМПО-ЗИЦІЙНИХ МАТЕРІАЛІВ ВЕРТОЛЬОТІВ ТРАНСПОРТНОЇ КАТЕГОРІЇ

The analysis of the design and technological features of the tail boom (ТB) of a helicopter made of polymer composite materials (PCM) is carried out.Three structural and technological concepts are distinguished - semi-monocoque (reinforced metal structure), monocoque (three-layer structure) and mesh-type structure. The high weight and economic efficiency of mesh structures is shown, which allows them to be used in aerospace engineering. The physicomechanical characteristics of the network structures are estimated and their uniqueness is shown. The use of mesh structures can reduce the weight of the product by a factor of two or more.The stress-strain state (SSS) of the proposed tail boom design is determined. The analysis of methods for calculating the characteristics of the total SSS of conical mesh shells is carried out. The design of the tail boom is presented, the design diagram of the tail boom of the transport category rotorcraft is developed. A finite element model was created using the Siemens NX 7.5 system. The calculation of the stress-strain state (SSS) of the HC of the helicopter was carried out on the basis of the developed structural scheme using the Advanced Simulation module of the Siemens NX 7.5 system. The main zones of probable fatigue failure of tail booms are determined. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) provides a theoretical basis for design decisions.Shown is the effect of the type of technological process selected for the production of the tail boom on the strength of the HB structure. The stability of the characteristics of the PCM tail boom largely depends on the extent to which its design is suitable for the use of mechanized and automated production processes.A method for the manufacture of a helicopter tail boom from PCM by the automated winding method is proposed. A variant of computer modeling of the tail boom of a mesh structure made of PCM is shown.The automated winding technology can be recommended for implementation in the design of the composite tail boom of the Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters.

Sizing and prestress optimization of Class-2 tensegrity structures for space boom applications

Design of real engineering structures can benefit from an optimization step in which various parameters can be determined to satisfy a given set of requirements and constraints. Optimization of spatial assemblies such as truss or frame structures involves sizing optimization to minimize the mass of the structure. Optimization of tensegrity structures is more challenging as prestress levels should be optimized as well. In this paper, sizing and prestress optimization of Class-2 tensegrity booms are addressed using a particle swarm optimization approach. Nonlinear finite-element models of tensegrity structures and solution methods provide a starting point. Furthermore, a continuum beam modeling technique for tensegrity structures with repeating units is also useful. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is described and two numerical examples are presented. The first example studies the design and single-objective optimization of a deployable Class-2 tensegrity boom with reinforcing cables to maximize the bending stiffness-to-mass ratio. The results indicate that the optimum structure is capable of competing well with the state-of-the-art deployable booms in terms of stiffness-to-mass ratio. The second example investigates a multi-objective optimization problem of a Class-2 tensegrity boom. The objective functions are selected as minimization of the mass and tip displacement, respectively. The objective functions are at least partially conflicting; therefore, Pareto-optimal solutions are obtained to guide future design decisions. The results show the potential of tensegrity structures for implementation as space structures and the robustness of the particle swarm optimization algorithm, even for multi-objective optimization problems.

The Application of BP Neural Network Algorithm in Rapid Design of the Vertical Boom of Bridge Inspection Vehicle

During the analysis of the vertical boom of bridge inspection vehicle, it is not easy for the designer to provide a good design scheme quickly. In order to find a professional CAD software which can quickly obtain the ideal design scheme, the BP neural network algorithm is adopted to obtain the design solution by means of mapping. The better schemes of vertical boom are selected for different types of bridge inspection vehicles. These schemes are used as sample data to train the BP neural network for obtaining weights and thresholds. The trained neural network is used for the rapid design of the vertical boom of bridge inspection vehicle. As long as the design parameters are input, the design scheme of the vertical boom can be output directly.

Considerations in the design and deployment of flexible booms for a solar sail

The majority of solar sailing missions utilise semi-rigid boom technology but this places limits on the possible size of the sail. Practical large sails may be constructed using flexible booms on a spinning satellite. The dynamics of the deployment of long flexible booms are investigated and limiting parameters discussed. Deployment strategies are proposed utilising active deployment and a means of passive deployment which requires no direct control of the deployment process. Practical insights into the design, testing and use of a flexible boom solar sail deployment mechanism is presented based on small scale experimental testing, discussing aspects such as boom winding and balanced deployment. Three novel deployment mechanism design concepts are developed; two passive mechanisms using rotational damping to retard the boom deployment and one active concept takes advantage of the forces produced by the spinning nature of the satellite to develop a compact deployment mechanism.

Design, modeling, analysis and development of deployable tubular metallic booms for space application

Deployable space structures have always fascinated space scientist and engineers. They serve the purpose of compact packaging volume during launch and a large deployed length in space subsequent to satellite ejection in orbit. Booms are any kind of deployed cantilever arms stretching out of satellite or any other spacecraft’s main body to perform several tasks. Prediction of booms working stress in stowed as well as deployed state is a governing parameter for booms functioning and its operational life. The ability and accuracy of modeling tools for prediction of system dynamics and its behavior at various operating conditions has increased to a greater extent and becoming extremely popular these days. This paper presents the design, analysis and development of Deployable Tubular Metallic Booms. Theory of plates and shells with advanced mechanics concept are software coded for prediction of overlap angle and shear centre of booms. Slit cross-section overlapped section booms are considered here, which are stowed on a drum or spool during launch and deployed into the forms of huge cantilever arms using motor. Sincere efforts are made to simulate actual operating conditions, to achieve best possible analysis results. A working technology model is also made to validate analysis outcomes and to have a better know how of the physics involved in assembly, manufacturing and working of Deployable Booms. Geometrical parameters are extracted from analysis and are then utilized for generating technology model and results are found encouraging.

Design and Performance Evaluation of Self-propelled Intra-Canopy Boom Spraying System

A self-propelled intra-canopy boom spraying system was designed for spraying chemicals in small height row crops. The performance of the spraying system was evaluated both under laboratory and field conditions to assess the efficacy and minimize the loss of spray liquid. Flat fan and hollow cone nozzles were tested to determine the boom volumetric distribution, swath and spray angle at different combinations of pressure and height. The flat fan nozzle gave better volumetric distribution at 2.5 kgf.cm-2, while the hollow cone nozzle gave at 2.0 kgf.cm-2 pressure corresponding to 300 mm nozzle height. The spraying system was tested on soybean crop at forwarding speeds of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 km.h-1. With an increase in forwarding speed, the mean percentage of coverage decreased significantly (30.30 - 15.37 % for top and 20.01- 4.12 % for bottom part of the leaves), and the mean droplet density varied significantly (277.35 - 243.40 no.cm-2 for top and 262.87 - 78.44 no.cm-2 for the bottom part of the leaves) at 5 % level of significance. A good percentage of leaf area coverage (30.30 % and 20.01 % for top and bottom of the plant) was obtained at low forward speed (1.5 km.h-1) while compromising more spray volume and less field capacity as compared to higher forward travel speeds. The effect of forwarding travel speed, position of tags and nozzle types were significant (p&lt;0.05) for mean droplet size, number median diameter, percentage coverage of leaf area and droplet density. The field capacity of the spraying system ranged between 0.22 and 0.36 ha.h-1 with an increase in forward travel speed from 1.50 km.h-1 to 2.50 km.h-1 at an average swath of 1.8 m.