Adaptive autoregressive modeling of non-stationary vibration signals under distinct gear states. Part 2: experimental analysis

Parametric time-frequency representation based on parametric models is more desirable for presenting highly precise time-frequency domain information due to its high-resolution property. However, the sensitivity and robustness of parametric models, in particular the parametric models on the basis of advanced adaptive filtering algorithms, has never been investigated for on-line condition monitoring of rotating machinery. Part 1 of this study proposed three adaptive parametric models based on three advanced adaptive filtering algorithms. Part 2 of this study is concerned with the effectiveness of the proposed models under distinct gear states, especially the highly non-stationary conditions accrued from advanced gear faults. Four gear states are considered: healthy state, adjacent gear tooth failure, non-adjacent gear tooth failure and distributed gear tooth failure. The vibration signals used in this study include the time-domain synchronous averaging signal and gear motion residual signal for each considered gear state. The test results demonstrate that the optimum filter behavior can readily be attained and the white Gaussian assumption of innovations can relatively be easily guaranteed for the NAKF-based model under distinct gear states and a wide variety of model initializations. On the other hand, the EKF- and MEKF-based models are capable of generating more accurate time-frequency representations than the NAKF-based model, but in general the optimality condition for white Gaussian assumption cannot be guaranteed for these two advanced models. Therefore, the NAKF-based model is preferred for automatic condition monitoring due to its appealing robustness to distinct gear states and arbitrary model initializations, whereas the EKF- and MEKF-based models are desirable when accurate time-frequency representation is concerned.     

Adaptive optics for airborne platforms—Part 1: modeling

Adaptive optics systems mitigate the atmospheric turbulence-induced distortion of a propagating light wavefront. The use of adaptive optics entails the design of a feedback controller, which requires the development of a model of the plant to be controlled. In adaptive optics, the plant consists of the atmosphere through which light is traveling. Moreover, a distinct feature of the adaptive optics control application is the presence of random signals in the plant. In optics, Zernike orthonormal polynomials are commonly used as a basis set for the expansion of wavefront phase distortions. Due to the atmospheric turbulence-induced random nature of the underlying physical process, the spatial-temporal correlation functions of the Zernike polynomial phase distortion expansion coefficients must be evaluated if a proper stochastic model of the plant is to be developed and adaptive optics is to be employed. In Part 1 of this paper, these correlation functions are developed using a layered atmospheric model and calculations for the first few low-order Zernike modes are performed. Using these correlation functions, an underlying stochastic linear dynamical system, which is adequate for control design, is synthesized. This system models the plant and, in turn, provides the basis for the employment of advanced model-based control and estimation concepts in an adaptive optics system for an airborne platform application.     

Transient vibration phenomena in deep mine hoisting cables. Part 1: Mathematical model

The classical moving co-ordinate frame approach and Hamilton's principle are employed to derive a distributed-parameter mathematical model to investigate the dynamic behaviour of deep mine hoisting cables. This model describes the coupled lateral-longitudinal dynamic response of the cables in terms of non-linear partial differential equations that accommodate the non-stationary nature of the system. Subsequently, the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure is applied to formulate a discrete mathematical model. Consequently, a system of non-linear non-stationary coupled second order ordinary differential equations arises to govern the temporal behaviour of the cable system. This discrete model with quadratic and cubic non-linear terms describes the modal interactions between lateral oscillations of the catenary cable and longitudinal oscillations of the vertical rope. It is shown that the response of the catenary-vertical rope system may feature a number of resonance phenomena, including external, parametric and autoparametric resonances. The parameters of a typical deep mine winder are used to identify the depth locations of the resonance regions during the ascending cycles with various winding velocities.     

Reference motion in deformable bodies under rigid body motion and vibration. Part I: theory

This paper examines the motions of reference systems linked to deformable bodies under simultaneously vibration and large translations and rotations. These motions depend on the particular type of linkage between the moving reference system and the deformable body, which is defined by the so-called reference conditions. When using the Rayleigh-Ritz method, the reference conditions also dictate the boundary conditions to be fulfilled by the shape functions used to describe the body's elasticity. This paper analyses three different types of reference conditions, namely: free linkage, rigid linkage and two-point linkage. It is shown that, moving reference frames only evolve at a constant velocity in the absence of external forces when the free linkage is used. The reference velocities for systems with a free linkage are designated rigid body equivalent velocities for the deformable body here. Such velocities can also be calculated under other types of reference conditions and are usually functions of the elastic and reference co-ordinates, and also of their derivatives. Rigid body equivalent velocities are useful for purposes such as estimating the trajectory of deformable bodies moving freely in space without the need to examine the deformations they undergo. Also, their calculation is required with a view to determining the kinematic restitution coefficient for deformable body collisions, which is dealt within Part II of this series.     

Parametric modeling of steady-state gradient coil vibration: Resonance dynamics under variations in cylinder geometry

Gradient coil (GC) vibration is the root cause of many problems in MRI adversely affecting scanner performance, image quality, and acoustic noise levels. A critical issue is that GC vibration will be significantly increased close to any GC mechanical resonances. It is well known that altering the dimensions of a GC fundamentally affects the mechanical resonances excited by the GC windings. The precise nature of the effects (i.e., how the resonances are affected) is however not well understood. The purpose of the present paper is to study how the mechanical resonances excited by closed whole-body Z-gradient coils are affected by variations in cylinder geometry. A mathematical Z-gradient coil vibration model recently developed and validated by the authors is used to theoretically study the resonance dynamics under variation(s) in cylinder: (i) length, (ii) mean radius, and (iii) radial thickness. The forced-vibration response to Lorentz-force excitation is in each case analyzed in terms of the frequency response of the GC cylinder's displacement. In cases (i) and (ii), the qualitative dynamics are simple: reducing the cylinder length and/or mean radius causes all mechanical resonances to shift to higher frequencies. In case (iii), the qualitative dynamics are much more complicated with different resonances shifting in different directions and additional dependencies on the cylinder length. The more detailed dynamics are intricate owing to the fact that resonances shift at comparatively different rates and this leads to several novel and theoretically interesting predicted effects. Knowledge of these effects advance our understanding of the basic mechanics of GC vibration and offer practically useful insights into how such vibration may be passively reduced.     

Absorbing boundary conditions for scalar waves in anisotropic media. Part 1: Time harmonic modeling

With the ultimate goal of devising effective absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) for general anisotropic media, we investigate the accuracy aspects of local ABCs designed for the scalar anisotropic wave equation in the frequency domain (time harmonic case). The ABC analyzed in this paper is the perfectly matched discrete layers (PMDL). PMDL is a simple variant of perfectly matched layers (PML) and is equivalent to rational approximation-based local ABCs. Specifically, we derive a sufficient condition for PMDL to accurately absorb wave modes with outgoing group velocities and this condition turns out to be a simple bound on the PMDL parameters. The reflection coefficient derived in this paper clearly reveals that the PMDL absorption is based on group velocities, and not phase velocities, and hence a PMDL can be designed to correctly identify and accurately absorb all outgoing wave modes (even those with opposing signs of phase and group velocities). The validity of the sufficient condition is demonstrated through a series of frequency domain simulations. In part 2 of this paper [S. Savadatti, M.N. Guddati, Absorbing boundary conditions for scalar waves in anisotropic media. Part 2: Time-dependent modeling, J. Comput. Phys. (2010), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2010.05.017], the accuracy condition presented here is shown to govern both the well-posedness and accuracy aspects of PMDL designed for transient (time-dependent) modeling of scalar waves in anisotropic media.     

Republication of: Black hole equilibrium states Part II. General theory of stationary black hole states

This is a reprinting of Part 2 of Brandon Carter’s lectures given at the 1972 Les Houches school on black holes, first published in a book of proceedings of that school in 1973, in which the author presents a general theory of stationary black holes. The paper has been selected by the Editors of General Relativity and Gravitation for re-publication in the Golden Oldies series of the journal. Several errors of the original text were corrected for this reprinting by the author. The reprinted article is accompanied by an editorial note written by Marek Abramowicz.     

Responses of discretized systems under narrow band nonstationary random excitations. Part 1: linear problems

The extended stochastic central difference (ESCD) method is proposed as a viable alternative for computing linear responses of discretized multi-degrees-of-freedom (mdof) systems under narrow band stationary and nonstationary random disturbances. The method provides a means of controlling the center frequencies and bandwidths of narrow band stationary and nonstationary random excitation processes. It is suitable for larger-scale random response analysis of complicated structures idealized by the finite element method. Its additional important feature is that application of normal mode or complex normal mode analysis or direct numerical integration algorithms such as the fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme is not required. Examples, including one of flow-induced vibration of a pipe containing a moving fluid are included to demonstrate: (1) the capability of the proposed method and difference between responses of discretized systems under narrow band and wide band random excitations, and (2) its accuracy and efficiency by way of comparison to the Monte Carlo simulation data. Generalization of the ESCD method for computation of responses of nonlinear mdof systems is presented in a companion paper.