Vibration control using self-organizing look-up tables

The self-organizing map neural network is used in a supervised way to represent a sensor-actuator mapping. The learning of the controller assumes no prior information, but only reward/failure signals that are produced by an evaluation criterion. The evaluation criterion used is based on the low-pass filtering of the gradient of a reward function and the local storing of the filtered gradient value. The control method is tested in vibration isolation of a flexible spray boom used in agriculture for pesticide application. The neural network learns to stabilize the boom on-line without any prior information and with a very high performance.     

Vibration characteristics measurement of beam-like structures using infrared thermography

Infrared thermography (IRT) has matured and is now widely accepted as a condition monitoring tool where temperature is measured in a non-contact way. Since the late 1970s, it has been extensively used in vibrothermography (Sonic IR) non-destructive technique for the evaluation of surface cracks through the observation of thermal imaging of the vibration-induced crack heat generation. However, it has not received research attention on prediction of structural vibration behaviour, hence; the concept to date is not understood. Therefore, this paper explores its ability to fill the existing knowledge gap. To achieve this, two cantilever beam-like structures couple with a friction rod subjected to a forced excitations while infrared cameras capturing the thermal images on the friction interfaces. The analysed frictional temperature evolution using the Matlab Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm and the use of the heat conduction equation in conjunction with a finite difference approach successfully identifies the structural vibration characteristics; with maximum error of 0.28% and 20.71% for frequencies and displacements, respectively. These findings are particularly useful in overcoming many limitations inherent in some of the current vibration measuring techniques applied in structural integrity management such as strain gauge failures due to fatigue.     

A practical technique for quantifying the performance of acoustic emission systems on plate-like structures

A model for quantifying the performance of acoustic emission (AE) systems on plate-like structures is presented. Employing a linear transfer function approach the model is applicable to both isotropic and anisotropic materials.The model requires several inputs including source waveforms, phase velocity and attenuation. It is recognised that these variables may not be readily available, thus efficient measurement techniques are presented for obtaining phase velocity and attenuation in a form that can be exploited directly in the model. Inspired by previously documented methods, the application of these techniques is examined and some important implications for propagation characterisation in plates are discussed. Example measurements are made on isotropic and anisotropic plates and, where possible, comparisons with numerical solutions are made.By inputting experimentally obtained data into the model, quantitative system metrics are examined for different threshold values and sensor locations. By producing plots describing areas of hit success and source location error, the ability to measure the performance of different AE system configurations is demonstrated. This quantitative approach will help to place AE testing on a more solid foundation, underpinning its use in industrial AE applications.     

Vibration control of a string using a scabbard-like actuator

The dynamics of a vibrating string subjected to a constraint at one boundary is investigated in this paper. The constraint is applied by a scabbard that moves a small distance along the mean position of the string. The scabbard is moved instantaneously such that the position and the velocity of the string outside the scabbard is unaffected immediately after application of the constraint, whereas the length of the string covered by the scabbard is brought to rest. The constraint is removed by moving the scabbard back to its original position and the change in energy of the string is investigated for different values of scabbard travel distance and time of application of the constraint. Analytical and numerical simulation results are first provided for the string vibrating in the first mode, and then for a more general case where the string has arbitrary initial conditions. The results show that the energy of the string can increase or decrease depending on the time of application of the constraint for a given distance of travel of the scabbard. This provides the opportunity for active control of vibration of the string through direct physical interaction, using the scabbard as an actuator. A simple feedback control strategy is proposed and numerical simulation results are presented. These results indicate that although removal of the constraint does not change the energy of the string, the effectiveness of the control strategy depends on the time of removal of the constraint.     

Curvature rate approach to the evaluation of the stiffness distribution in plate-like structures

A procedure for identifying the bending stiffness distribution in plate-like structures is presented. The algorithm is based on the correlation between a parameter called curvature increased factor (CIF) and the bending stiffness of the plate, D. Accurate correlation can be achieved only by considering the effect of the redistribution of internal forces and moments due to the damage on the curvature distribution. In order to achieve this goal, the study offers an iterative procedure, which eliminates the effect of the moment redistribution from the CIF and eventually correlates accurately between CIF and D. The curvature rate is evaluated from the displacement mode shape using a 2D smoothing technique. The procedure takes into account the presence of random errors and the limited number of measured nodes. The procedure?s effectiveness, reliability, and range of applicability are demonstrated using numerical examples.     

A novel acoustic emission beamforming method with two uniform linear arrays on plate-like structures

A novel acoustic emission (AE) source localization approach based on beamforming with two uniform linear arrays is proposed, which can localize acoustic sources without accurate velocity, and is particularly suited for plate-like structures. Two uniform line arrays are distributed in the x-axis direction and y-axis direction. The accurate x and y coordinates of AE source are determined by the two arrays respectively. To verify the location accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed approach, the simulation of AE wave propagation in a steel plate based on the finite element method and the pencil-lead-broken experiment are conducted, and the AE signals obtained from the simulations and experiments are analyzed using the proposed method. Moreover, to study the ability of the proposed method more comprehensive, a plate of carbon fiber reinforced plastics is taken for the pencil-lead-broken test, and the AE source localization is also realized. The results indicate that the two uniform linear arrays can localize different sources accurately in two directions even though the localizing velocity is deviated from the real velocity, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method in AE source localization for plate-like structures.     

Active vibration control of beam structures using acceleration feedback control with piezoceramic actuators

In this study, the active vibration control of clamped–clamped beams using the acceleration feedback (AF) controller with a sensor/moment pair actuator configuration is investigated. The sensor/moment pair actuator is a non-collocated configuration, and it is the main source of instability in the direct velocity feedback control system. First, the AF controller with non-collocated sensor/moment pair actuator is numerically implemented for a clamped–clamped beam. Then, to characterize and solve the instability problem of the AF controller, a parametric study is conducted. The design parameters (gain and damping ratio) are found to have significant effects on the stability and performance of the AF controller. Next, based on the characteristics of AF controllers, a multimode controllable single-input single-output (SISO) AF controller is considered. Three AF controllers are connected in parallel with the SISO architecture. Each controller is tuned to a different mode (in this case, the second, third and fourth modes). The design parameters are determined on the basis of the parametric study. The multimode AF controller with the selected design parameters has good stability and a high gain margin. Moreover, it reduces the vibration significantly. The vibration levels at the tuned modes are reduced by about 12 dB. Finally, the performance of the AF controller is verified by conducting an experiment. The vibration level of each controlled mode can be reduced by about 12 dB and this value is almost same as the theoretical result.     

Vibration analysis of planar serial-frame structures

A hybrid analytical/numerical method is proposed that permits the efficient dynamic analysis of planar serial-frame structures. The method utilizes a numerical implementation of a transfer matrix solution to the equation of motion. By analyzing the transverse and longitudinal motions of each segment simultaneously and considering the compatibility requirements across each frame angle, the undetermined variables of the entire frame structure system can be reduced to six which can be determined by application of the boundary conditions. The main feature of this method is to decrease the dimensions of the matrix involved in the finite element methods and certain other analytical methods.     

Vibration confinement and energy harvesting in flexible structures using collocated absorbers and piezoelectric devices

We propose an optimal design for supplementing flexible structures with a set of absorbers and piezoelectric devices for vibration confinement and energy harvesting. We assume that the original structure is sensitive to vibrations and that the absorbers are the elements where the vibration energy is confined and then harvested by means of piezoelectric devices. The design of the additional mechanical and electrical components is formulated as a dynamic optimization problem in which the objective function is the total energy of the uncontrolled structure. The locations, masses, stiffnesses, and damping coefficients of these absorbers and capacitances, load resistances, and electromechanical coupling coefficients are optimized to minimize the total energy of the structure. We use the Galerkin procedure to discretize the equations of motion that describe the coupled dynamics of the flexible structure and the added absorbers and harvesting devices. We develop a numerical code that determines the unknown parameters of a pre-specified set of absorbers and harvesting components. We input a set of initial values for these parameters, and the code updates them while minimizing the total energy in the uncontrolled structure. To illustrate the proposed design, we consider a simply supported beam with harmonic external excitations. Here, we consider two possible configurations for each of the additional piezoelectric devices, either embedded between the structure and the absorbers or between the ground and absorbers. We present simulations of the harvested power and associated voltage for each pair of collocated absorber and piezoelectric device. The simulated responses of the beam show that its energy is confined and harvested simultaneously.     

Self-adaptive modal control for time-varying structures

For the past several years, modal controllers are widely studied and used in the field of vibration or vibro-acoustics control. They are efficient but not robust, because these methods involve a reconstructor based on a modal truncation. When the dynamic behavior of the structure change, the controller and reconstructor must be updated to cope with the changes in the structure behavior, in order to maintain both performance and robustness. A solution is adaptive control but this approach needs some specific information not generally available particularly in the case of undergone modifications. This paper deals with a self-adaptive modal control based on a real-time identifier, which avoid the need of specific information. The identifier permits to update the controller and the reconstructor according to the changes of modal characteristics of time-varying structures. A classical algorithm of identification is used to obtain a state space model with an unspecified state vector. Then, based on this model, a well adapted transformation is carried out to get the modal characteristics from the expression of complex modes, including the mode shapes. As a criterion of running identification, the value of “variance-accounted for” (VAF) is employed to carry out the identifier only when the initial or previous model is not enough exact. A Linear Quadratic Gaussian Algorithm is employed in such a way that the controller and observer can be optimized according to the updated modal model. By this way, a self-adaptive modal control is completed and can demonstrate some smart properties. The proposed methodology is carried out on a simple but representative time-varying mechanical discrete structure. An inertia modification leads not only to low modal frequency shifts but also to inversion of a mode shape which is shown to lead to unstable configuration when control system is not updated. The overall procedure will be described through simulations and performed for different operating conditions, which will prove that mode shapes have to be precisely determined and updated in the controller and observer to guarantee a robust modal control with high performance in spite of the changes of structure.     

Vibration control of the finite L-shaped beam structures based on the active and reactive power flow

This paper analyzes the physical meaning of the active and reactive power flow in the finite L-shaped beams and studies the active vibration control of the structures based on the active and reactive power flow.The traveling wave approach is used to calculate the structural dynamic responses.Because the error of control force is inevitable in practical applications,the effects of the error of control force on the control results are studied.The study indicates that the error of control force has pronounced ...     

Vibration reduction in piecewise bi-coupled periodic structures

The problem of minimizing transmitted vibrations through finitely long periodic structures is addressed. Bi-coupled periodic element properties and arrangement are tailored to localize the response around the excitation source within any assigned frequency range. Bi-dimensional analytical maps of the single unit free-wave propagation domains (stop, pass and complex domains) provide the optimal choice of the cell properties and ordering. Moreover, the amount of vibration suppression along the periodic structure is also controlled as it can be described through iso-attenuation curves representing the contour plot of the real part of the propagation constants. Applications to both undamped and damped beams resting on elastic supports are illustrated. The response of the periodic structures to harmonic excitations is expressed through the wave vector method taking into account the effects of wave reflection due to changes in the cell properties along the structure and boundary conditions. Such computational schemes enables one to overcome numerical difficulties arising in the transfer matrix formulation for structures with a large number of periodic units.     

ZnO hedgehog-like structures for control cell cultivation

Growth of biocompatible zinc oxide hedgehog-like structures on glass substrates using hydrothermal method at low temperature is demonstrated. The as-grown samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The optical absorption of the as-grown ZnO microstructures measured with photothermal deflection spectroscopy showed very low optical absorption and strong scattering making ZnO microrods an ideal diffuser in the visible and near IR regions. In addition, the effect of ZnO microstructures on the cultivation of osteosarcoma cells (SAOS-2) is presented. During the 48 h cultivation period, no toxic effect of ZnO as a chemical agent on SAOS-2 cells was observed.     

Vibration control of a structure with ATMD against earthquake using fuzzy logic controllers

In this paper, fuzzy logic and PD controllers are designed for a multi-degree-of freedom structure with active tuned mass damper (ATMD) to suppress earthquake-induced vibrations. Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is preferred because of its robust character, superior performance and heuristic knowledge use effectively and easily in active control. A fifteen-degree-of-freedom structural system is modeled with two types of actuators. These actuators are installed on the first storey and fifteenth storey which has ATMD. The system is then subjected to Kocaeli Earthquake vibrations, which are treated as disturbances. In control, linear motors are used as the active isolators. At the end of the study, the time history of the storey displacements and accelerations, ATMD displacements, control voltages, frequency responses of the both uncontrolled and the controlled structures are presented. Performance of the designed FLC has been shown for the different loads and disturbances using ground motion of the Kobe Earthquake. The results of the simulations show a good performance by the fuzzy logic controllers for different loads and the earthquakes.     

Ratchet-like topological structures for the control of microdrops

The concepts of ‘force-free’ motion can be applied to liquid microdrops confined in asymmetrically structured geometries to set them into motion. We illustrate this idea with several experiments in which fluctuations in the drop shape and wetting properties are triggered by different physical means either by acting transversally to the motion with an on/off electric field, or along this motion with a low-frequency electric field of zero mean value or by vibrating the substrate. These findings can find natural applications in the field of integrated analysis systems. Received: 25 October 2001 / Accepted: 14 January 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002     

Vibration of complex structures: The modal constraint method

A method is described for establishing the natural frequencies of an arbitrary structure with arbitrary supports. The method is based on the modal constraint technique described in a previous paper [1]. As shown in the present paper Weinstein's theory for the intermediate problem can be regarded as equivalent to the Lagrangian multiplier method: i.e., both methods result in the same eigenvalue equations. Weinstein's theory deals with modifications of base differential operators whereas the Lagrangian multiplier method deals with modifications of base energy functionals. The modal constraint technique is an extension of Weinstein's theory, or in energy terms the generalized Fourier expansion of the Lagrangian multiplier. The merits of this method lie in the fact that the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of structures are used as base structures. The coupling of these structures are taken into account by Lagrangian generalized forces of the constraint acting on the base structures. Some examples are given and the results compared with known solutions.     

Semi-active friction tendons for vibration control of space structures

Semi-active vibration control systems are becoming popular because they offer both the reliability of passive systems and the versatility of active control without high power demands. In this work, a new semi-active control system is proposed and studied numerically. The system consists of variable-friction dampers linked to the structure through cables. Auxiliary soft springs in parallel with these friction dampers allow them to return to their initial pre-tensioned state. Using cables makes the system suitable for deployable, flexible and lightweight structures, such as space structures (spacecraft). A control system with three control laws applied to a single-degree-of-freedom structure is studied. Two of these laws are derived by using Lyapunov theory, whereas the third one is developed heuristically. In order to assess the performance of the control system, a parametric study is carried out through numerical simulations. An application of the proposed method to multi-degree-of-freedom structures is also presented and demonstrated through a numerical example. The system in semi-active mode is more effective than in passive mode and its effectiveness is less sensitive to loss of pre-tension.     

New approaches for growth control of GaN-based HEMT structures

This paper reports on new approaches for growth control of GaN-based heterostructures for high frequency and high power application. First in situ methods are presented and their further development discussed [1]. The development leads to a greatly improved observation of growth parameter influences in the MOVPE of GaN. A new growth process is introduced which enhances growth reproducibility [2]. This new growth process is then optimized with respect to the envisaged application. To this end process modeling will be employed. The application envisaged is the Al_xGa_1-xN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). At last device results will be presented. All in all it will be shown how fundamental research can drive technology and how basic knowledge can be employed for process development with respect to device applications. PACS 68.35.Ct; 68.55.Ac; 78.66.Fd; 81.15.Kk