Dynamics and Control of Initialized Fractional-Order Systems

Due to the importance of historical effects in fractional-order systems,this paper presents a general fractional-order system and control theorythat includes the time-varying initialization response. Previous studieshave not properly accounted for these historical effects. Theinitialization response, along with the forced response, forfractional-order systems is determined. The scalar fractional-orderimpulse response is determined, and is a generalization of theexponential function. Stability properties of fractional-order systemsare presented in the complex w-plane, which is a transformation of thes-plane. Time responses are discussed with respect to pole positions inthe complex w-plane and frequency response behavior is included. Afractional-order vector space representation, which is a generalizationof the state space concept, is presented including the initializationresponse. Control methods for vector representations of initializedfractional-order systems are shown. Finally, the fractional-orderdifferintegral is generalized to continuous order-distributions whichhave the possibility of including all fractional orders in a transferfunction.     

Exact calculation of the flow of a staggered tandem cascade with moving second blade row

Summary  The plane flow around a tandem cascade of flat plates is calculated by means of conformal mapping. The blades of the two rows are perpendicular to each other. The first row is stationary, the second row moves with constant velocity. The conformal mapping will be constructed by a “mapping flow”. The blades of one row are stream lines and those of the other row are potential lines of the flow. By conformal mapping, the physical flow around the tandem cascade of the physical ζ-plane is converted into a flow between infinitely long straight walls in the z-plane, each wall corresponding to one of the blades. The conditions far upstream and far downstream of the cascade are represented by source-vortices. In the z-plane, the boundary conditions may be easily fulfilled by reflection and repetition of the source-vortices, and the flow may be calculated by well-known methods. The physical flow searched for is then obtained by inverse mapping. Received 24 July 2000; accepted for publication 6 December 2000     

Fractional Trigonometry and the Spiral Functions

This paper develops two related fractional trigonometries based on the multi-valued fractional generalization of the exponential function, the R-function. The trigonometries contain the traditional trigonometric functions as proper subsets. Also developed are relationships between the R-function and the new fractional trigonometric functions. Laplace transforms are derived for the new functions and are used to generate solution sets for various classes of fractional differential equations. Because of the fractional character of the R-function, several new trigonometric functions are required to augment the traditional sine, cosine, etc. functions. Fractional generalizations of the Euler equation are derived. As a result of the fractional trigonometry a new set of phase plane functions, the Spiral functions, that contain the circular functions as a subset, is identified. These Spiral functions display many new symmetries.     

Fractional Order Disturbance Observer for Robust Vibration Suppression

For the first time, the fractional order disturbance observer (FO-DOB) is proposed for vibration suppression applications such as hard disk drive servo control. It has been discovered in a recently published US patent application (US20010036026) that there is a tradeoff between phase margin loss and strength of the low frequency vibration suppression. Given the required cutoff frequency of the low pass filter, also known as the Q-filter, it turns out that the relative degree of the Q-filter is the major tuning knob for this tradeoff. The solution in US20010036026 was based on an integer order Q-filter with a variable relative degree. This actually motivated the use of a fractional order Q-filter. The fractional order disturbance observer is based on the fractional order Q-filter. The implementation issue is also discussed. The nice point of this paper is that the traditional DOB is extended to the fractional order DOB with the advantage that the FO-DOB design is now no longer conservative nor aggressive, i.e., given the cutoff frequency and the desired phase margin, we can uniquely determine the fractional order of the low pass filter.     

On the generalized Cauchy function and new Conjecture on its exterior singularities

This article studies on Cauchy’s function f (z) and its integral, (2πi)J[ f (z)] ≡■C f (t)dt/(t z) taken along a closed simple contour C, in regard to their comprehensive properties over the entire z = x + iy plane consisted of the simply connected open domain D + bounded by C and the open domain D outside C. (1) With f (z) assumed to be C n (n < ∞-times continuously differentiable) z ∈ D + and in a neighborhood of C, f (z) and its derivatives f (n) (z) are proved uniformly continuous in the closed domain D + = [D + + C]. (2) Cauchy’s integral formulas and their derivatives z ∈ D + (or z ∈ D ) are proved to converge uniformly in D + (or in D = [D +C]), respectively, thereby rendering the integral formulas valid over the entire z-plane. (3) The same claims (as for f (z) and J[ f (z)]) are shown extended to hold for the complement function F(z), defined to be C n z ∈ D and about C. (4) The uniform convergence theorems for f (z) and F(z) shown for arbitrary contour C are adapted to find special domains in the upper or lower half z-planes and those inside and outside the unit circle |z| = 1 such that the four general- ized Hilbert-type integral transforms are proved. (5) Further, the singularity distribution of f (z) in D is elucidated by considering the direct problem exemplified with several typ- ical singularities prescribed in D . (6) A comparative study is made between generalized integral formulas and Plemelj’s formulas on their differing basic properties. (7) Physical sig- nificances of these formulas are illustrated with applicationsto nonlinear airfoil theory. (8) Finally, an unsolved inverse problem to determine all the singularities of Cauchy function f (z) in domain D , based on the continuous numerical value of f (z) z ∈ D + = [D + + C], is presented for resolution as a conjecture.     

On the fundamental linear fractional order differential equation

This paper deals with the rational function approximation of the irrational transfer function G(s) = \fracX(s)E(s) = \frac1[(t₀s)^2m + 2z(t₀s)^m + 1]G(s) = \frac{X(s)}{E(s)} = \frac{1}{[(\tau _{0}s)^{2m} + 2\zeta (\tau _{0}s)^{m} + 1]} of the fundamental linear fractional order differential equation (t₀)^2m\fracd^2mx(t)dt^2m + 2z(t₀)^m\fracd^mx(t)dt^m + x(t) = e(t)(\tau_{0})^{2m}\frac{d^{2m}x(t)}{dt^{2m}} + 2\zeta(\tau_{0})^{m}\frac{d^{m}x(t)}{dt^{m}} + x(t) = e(t), for 0<m<1 and 0<ζ<1. An approximation method by a rational function, in a given frequency band, is presented and the impulse and the step responses of this fractional order system are derived. Illustrative examples are also presented to show the exactitude and the usefulness of the approximation method.     

Variable Order and Distributed Order Fractional Operators

Many physical processes appear to exhibit fractional order behavior thatmay vary with time or space. The continuum of order in the fractionalcalculus allows the order of the fractional operator to be considered asa variable. This paper develops the concept of variable and distributedorder fractional operators. Definitions based on the Riemann–Liouvilledefinition are introduced and the behavior of the new operators isstudied. Several time domain definitions that assign different argumentsto the order q in the Riemann–Liouville definition are introduced. Foreach of these definitions various characteristics are determined. Theseinclude: time invariance of the operator, operator initialization,physical realization, linearity, operational transforms, and memorycharacteristics of the defining kernels.A measure (m ₂) for memory retentiveness of the order history isintroduced. A generalized linear argument for the order q allows theconcept of `tailored' variable order fractional operators whose m ₂ memory may be chosen for a particular application. Memory retentiveness (m ₂) andorder dynamic behavior are investigated and applications are shown.The concept of distributed order operators where the order of thetime based operator depends on an additional independent (spatial)variable is also forwarded. Several definitions and their Laplacetransforms are developed, analysis methods with these operators aredemonstrated, and examples shown. Finally operators of multivariable anddistributed order are defined and their various applications areoutlined.     

Elliptic integral solutions of spatial elastica of a thin straight rod bent under concentrated terminal forces

In this article, we solve in closed form a system of nonlinear differential equations modelling the elastica in space of a thin, flexible, straight rod, loaded by a constant thrust at its free end. Common linearizations of strength of materials are of course not applicable any way, because we analyze great deformations, even if not so large to go off the linear elasticity range. By passing to cylindrical coordinates ρ, θ, z, we earn a more tractable differential system evaluating ρ as elliptic function of polar anomaly θ and also providing z through elliptic integrals of I and III kind. Deformed rod’s centerline is then completely described under both tensile or compressive load. Finally, the planar case comes out as a degeneracy, where the Bernoulli lemniscatic integral appears.     

A new method for solving Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer in the cylindrical coordinate system

A new method is developed to solve Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer in the cylindrical coordinate system. Based on the governing equations of Biot＇s consolidation and the technique of Laplace transform, Fourier expansions and Hankel transform with respect to time t, coordinate θ and coordinate r, respectively, a relationship of displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux is established between the ground surface （z = 0） and an arbitrary depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domain. By referring to proper boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the solutions for displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solutions in the physical domain can be acquired by inverting the Laplace and the Hankel transforms.     

The Time-Scaled Trapezoidal Integration Rule for Discrete Fractional Order Controllers

In this paper, the time-scaled trapezoidal integration rule for discretizing fractional order controllers is discussed. This interesting proposal is used to interpret discrete fractional order control (FOC) systems as control with scaled sampling time. Based on this time-scaled version of trapezoidal integration rule, discrete FOC can be regarded as some kind of control strategy, in which strong control action is applied to the latest sampled inputs by using scaled sampling time. Namely, there are two time scalers for FOC systems: a normal time scale for ordinary feedback and a scaled one for fractional order controllers. A new realization method is also proposed for discrete fractional order controllers, which is based on the time-scaled trapezoidal integration rule. Finally, a one mass position 1/s^k control system, realized by the proposed method, is introduced to verify discrete FOC systems and their robustness against saturation non-linearity.     

A higher order numerical scheme for generalized fractional diffusion equations

In this article, we develop a higher order approximation for the generalized fractional derivative that includes a scale function z(t) and a weight function w(t). This is then used to solve a generalized fractional diffusion problem numerically. The stability and convergence analysis of the numerical scheme are conducted by the energy method. It is proven that the temporal convergence order is 3 and this is the best result to date. Finally, we present four examples to confirm the theoretical results.     

Three dimensional K-T z stress fields around the embedded center elliptical crack front in elastic plates

Through detailed three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) calculations, the out-of-plane constraints T_z along embedded center-elliptical cracks in mode I elastic plates are studied. The distributions of T_z are obtained near the crack front with aspect ratios (a/c) of 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0. T_z decreases from an approximate value of Poisson ratio ν at the crack tip to zero with increasing normalized radial distances (r/a) in the normal plane of the crack front line, and increases gradually when the elliptical parameter angle ϕ changes from 0° to 90°at the same r/a. With a/c rising to 1.0, T_z is getting nearly independent of ϕ and is only related to r/a. Based on the present FE calculations for T_z, empirical formulas for T_z are obtained to describe the 3D distribution of T_z for embedded center-elliptical cracks using the least squares method in the range of 0.2≤a/c≤1.0. These T_z results together with the corresponding stress intensity factor K are well suitable for the analysis of the 3D embedded center-elliptical crack front field, and a two-parameter K-T_z principle is proposed. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50275073) The English text was polished by Keren Wang.     

Accurate and straightforward symplectic approach for fracture analysis of fractional viscoelastic media

An accurate and straightforward symplectic method is presented for the fracture analysis of fractional two-dimensional(2D) viscoelastic media. The fractional Kelvin-Zener constitutive model is used to describe the time-dependent behavior of viscoelastic materials. Within the framework of symplectic elasticity, the governing equations in the Hamiltonian form for the frequency domain(s-domain) can be directly and rigorously calculated. In the s-domain, the analytical solutions of the displacement ...     

On the Domain of Validity of Brinkman’s Equation

An increasing number of articles are adopting Brinkman’s equation in place of Darcy’s law for describing flow in porous media. That poses the question of the respective domains of validity of both laws, as well as the question of the value of the effective viscosity μ ^e which is present in Brinkman’s equation. These two topics are addressed in this article, mainly by a priori estimates and by recalling existing analyses. Three main classes of porous media can be distinguished: “classical” porous media with a connected solid structure where the pore surface S _p is a function of the characteristic pore size l _p (such as for cylindrical pores), swarms of low concentration fixed particles where the pore surface is a function of the characteristic particle size l _s , and fiber-made porous media at low solid concentration where the pore surface is a function of the fiber diameter. If Brinkman’s 3D flow equation is valid to describe the flow of a Newtonian fluid through a swarm of fixed particles or fibrous media at low concentration under very precise conditions (Lévy 1983), then we show that it cannot apply to the flow of such a fluid through classical porous media.     

Modelling heavy tails and asymmetry using ARCH-type models with stable Paretian distributions

Several approaches have been considered to model the heavy tails and asymmetric effect on stocks returns volatility. The most commonly used models are the Exponential Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (EGARCH), the Threshold GARCH (TGARCH), and the Asymmetric Power ARCH (APARCH) which, in their original form, assume a Gaussian distribution for the innovations. In this paper we propose the estimation of all these asymmetric models on empirical distributions of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 and the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 daily returns, assuming the Student’s t and the stable Paretian with (α < 2) distributions for innovations. To the authors’ best knowledge, analysis of the EGARCH and TGARCH assuming innovations with α-stable distribution have not yet been reported in the literature. The results suggest that this kind of distributions clearly outperforms the Gaussian case. However, when α-stable and Student’s t distributions are compared, a general conclusion should be avoided as the goodness-of-fit measures favor the α-stable distribution in the case of S&P 500 returns and the Student’s t distribution in the case of FTSE 100.     

SPLITTING OF THE SPECTRAL DOMAIN ELECTRICAL DYADIC GREEN’S FUNCTION IN CHIRAL MEDIA

A new method of formulating dyadic Green‘s functions in lossless , reciprocal and unbounded chiral medium was presented. Based on Helmholtz theorem and the nondivergence and irrotational splitting of dyadic Dirac delta-function was this method, the electrical vector dyadic Green‘s function equation was first decomposed into the nondivergence electrical vector dyadic Green‘s function equation and irrotational electrical vector dyadic Green‘s function equation, and then Fourier‘s transformation was used to derive the expressions of the non-divergence and irrotational component of the spectral domain electrical dyadic Green‘s function in chiral media. It can avoid having to use the wavefield decomposition method and dyadic Green‘s function eigenfunction expansion technique that this method is used to derive the dyadic Green‘s functions in chiral media.     

Holographic microrheology of polysaccharides from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus mutans</Emphasis> biofilms

We use three-dimensional holographic particle tracking to perform microrheological measurements of model gelled media, including the polysaccharide pellicle of dental biofilms created by the common cariogenic oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Nanometer-resolution video-rate holographic tracking of embedded colloidal spheres provides accurate measurements of the gels’ complex viscoelastic moduli, including insights into these properties’ heterogeneity. When applied to polysaccharides of S. mutans biofilms, these techniques promise quantitative microscopic assays for candidate therapeutic agents against cariogenic dental biofilms.     

EPSILON-ALGORITHM AND ETA-ALGORITHM OF GENERALIZED INVERSE FUNCTION-VALUED PAD APPROXIMANTS USING FOR SOLUTION OF INTEGRAL EQUATIONS

Two efficient recursive algorithms epsilon-algorithm and eta-algorithm are introduced to compute the generalized inverse function-valued Padé approximants. The approximants were used to accelerate the convergence of the power series with function-valued coefficients and to estimate characteristic value of the integral equations. Famous Wynn identities of the Padé approximants is also established by means of the connection of two algorithms. Foundation items: the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10271074) Biographies: LI Chun-jing (1958 −) GU Chuan-qing (1955 −)     

On exact solutions of a class of fractional Euler–Lagrange equations

In this paper, first a class of fractional differential equations are obtained by using the fractional variational principles. We find a fractional Lagrangian L(x(t), where _a ^c D _t ^α x(t)) and 0<α<1, such that the following is the corresponding Euler–Lagrange