Essential to human life is water. Drinking water, in particular, is of utmost significance for all living creatures including man. An examination of the transmission process of drinking water reveals the high importance of pipe lines. The water pipe lines delivering water today encounter serious problems. Corrosion has caused deterioration in pipe lines, which contributes rust to drinking, a serious water quality problem. In addition, pipe line failures have caused social issues, such as suspension of water supply. This study developed a model to estimate the life expectancy and residual life of a pipe based on the assessment of failure risk in order to evaluate the current failure possibility and predict when the pipe will reach the point of failure. The developed model for estimation of residual life by failure risk was used to assess the failure risk of water pipes based on the general data and pipe sources of the Chang Won City water pipes. The efforts to diagnose and evaluate water pipes are limited to the assessment of current pipe conditions, which is why they can easily determine the priority of rehabilitation based on the current pipe conditions but have hard time getting information about how the pipes have deteriorated to the point of requiring rehabilitation. The objectives of this study are: (1) develop a model for estimating corrosion rates and residual thickness of water pipes, (2) assess loads and stress affecting water pipes, (3) to estimate damage risk, and (4) calculate safety factors. Results of the study could help reduce rehabilitation costs and secure water quality after renovation. Thus it would contribute to the safe and stable operation and management of pipe networks by increasing the life of water pipes.

A practical engineering design problem is used to examine the over-conservativeness of designs obtained using deterministic optimization with worst-case parameter assumptions and a safety factor. Additionally, an attempted application of reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) demonstrates the limits of RBDO for practical problems. The design problem considered here is TESCO's Internal Casing Drive System (ICDS), which is used in feeding pipeline, or casing, into predrilled holes. After developing a finite element model of the ICDS, experimental data is used to successfully validate modeling methods and assumptions. The validated model is then subjected to multiple analyses to determine an appropriate design configuration to be used as the starting point for optimization. Worst-case, safety factor-based design optimization (SFBDO) is then applied considering two and three design variables, and is successful in increasing the critical load of the ICDS, Pcrit, by 35% and 45%, respectively. An efficient and recognized RBDO method, Sequential Optimization and Reliability Assessment, is selected for application to the design problem to determine an optimum design based on reliability. Due to the optimization formulation, however, SORA cannot be applied. The ICDS design problem represents a practical example that demonstrates the difficulties and limits in applying RBDO to practical engineering design problems. To evaluate the over-conservativeness of worst-case SFBDO, structural reliability analysis is performed on the deterministic optimum designs. It is found that the value of Pcrit for both the two and three variable optimum designs can be increased by 53% while maintaining acceptable probability of failure, demonstrating the over-conservativeness of the worst-case SFBDO. / Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-05 10:51:26.273

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The effect of changing edge safety factor on the toroidal flow of the STOR-M plasma has been investigated during the application of both resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) and compact torus injection (CTI). The edge safety factor was varied by varying the plasma current while keeping the toroidal field constant. A Czyner-Turner spectrometer was used to collect the spectral data from which the velocity of specific impurity ions was diagnosed. Time resolved velocity measurements were inferred from the Doppler wavelength shift of the emission lines. Impurity emission lines at different ionization stages are located at different radial locations within the STOR-M plasma. Properties of these impurity ions are assumed to be closely related the hydrogen ion (main working gas) due to the strong interaction among the ion species. Changing the edge safety factor has a similar effect on the toroidal flow of STOR-M plasma during discharges with both RMP and CTI. A velocity shear was discovered for different impurity ions. The toroidal flow is enhanced for edge ions while a reversal of flow is observed for core ions. As the edge safety factor reduces, the emission location for the core ions is located with q=2 surface and RMP has a significant impact on their toroidal flow velocity. It was also observed that CT injection has a significant effect on the toroidal velocity of the core ions compared to that of the edge ions. In addition, high plasma current (low safety factor) induced large change in the toroidal flow velocity of the STOR-M plasma.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / Presplitting is a controlled-blasting technique with applications in open-pit mines. The main purpose of this technique is to prevent and control overbreaks caused by excessive vibrations due to blasting. This technique is especially effective in controlling overbreaks because it provides a separation surface between the main blasting pattern and the walls of the final slopes. The drilling mesh and loading conditions in the drill are designed in this study by considering the uncontrollable variables of the rock mass as important factors. The proposed model for the presplitting optimization process helps to optimize controlled-blasting designs. The main idea of the proposal is to develop a model that includes the most relevant processes, as well as the most suitable parameters for an efficient design. Copyright 2019.

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Automated Guided Vehicles, AGV:er, används i huvudsak som monteringsplattform inom tung fordonsindustri. En AGV kan användas vid montering av motorer, växellådor och chas-sin. AGV:n transporterar produkten genom en slinga i fabriken, där produkten monteras. Idag säljs AGV:n med ett löfte om femfaldig säkerhet mot brott för alla de ingående komponenter-na. AGV:n är konstruerad för att bära upp en last på maximalt 1800 kg, med säkerhetsfaktorn inkluderad. Lastens tyngdpunkt tillåts ligga en meter ut från infästningen som kopplar sam-man AGV:n med lasten. I arbetet illustreras lasten av en fiktiv motor, som väger 1800 kg med tyngdpunkten placerad en meter ut från infästningen. I detta arbete undersöks om konstruktionen av kopplingen, som kopplar samman motorn med AGV:n, lever upp till utlovad säkerhet. De delar som, i huvudsak, utgör kopplingen mellan AGV och motor är fixtur, kamskiva samt adapterplatta. Fixturen och kamskiva är monterade på AGV:n, adapterplattan monteras temporärt på motorn. Adapterplattan har tre klackar som sammanlänkar den med fixturen. För att avgöra hur väl kopplingen lever upp till femfaldig säkerhet mot brott, kartläggs de krafter som verkar i kopplingen. Dessa krafter ligger till grund för de FE-analyser som utreder kopplingens spänningsfördelning. Utifrån FE-analyser och analytiska beräkningar av kopp-lingen bestäms hållfasthetsegenskaperna. Kopplingens komponenter har, generellt, goda hållfasthetsegenskaper som lever upp till fem-faldig säkerhet mot brott. Resultaten visar att vissa komponenter har tiofaldig säkerhet mot brott vid belastning med den 1800 kg tunga motorn. Dock visar beräkningar av skruvför-banden i kopplingen på brister som bör åtgärdas. Skruvförbanden i fixturens klackar understi-ger de krav, som baseras på säkerhetsfaktorn. Under förstudien uppdagas det att fixturen, på vissa AGV:er, monterats med skruvar med lägre hållfasthetsklass än vad som står angivet på ritningsunderlaget. Detta medför en allvar-ligt sänkt säkerhet för kopplingen. Orsaken till att fel skruvar använts är inte känd. Ett arbets-sätt för att förhindra fel skruv vid montering bör finnas. I arbetet studeras Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrift ”AFS 2008:3 – Maskiner” vilken har legat till grund vid val av säkerhetsfaktor för konstruktionen. Utifrån studien av AFS 2008:3 genom-förs ett försök till att tolka den säkerhetsfaktor som gäller för kopplingen. Resultaten av denna rapport kan ligga till grund för ett fortsatt arbete, då en vidareutveckling av kopplingen blir aktuell. / Automated Guided Vehicles, AGV´s, are mainly used as a mounting platform in the heavy vehicle industry. An AGV is commonly used in the assembly process of; engines, gearboxes and chassis. The AGV transports the product through a predefined trail in the plant where the product is mounted. Today the AGV is being sold with a promise, from the manufacturer, that the construction is engineered with a safety factor five, against fracture, for any component in the AGV. It is engineered to support loads to a maximum of 1800 kg, with this safety factor included. The center of gravity is allowed to be one meter out from the mount that connects AGV with the supported load. This work investigates if the coupling, which connects the supported engine with the AGV, meets safety requirements. The coupling consists three main parts; fixture, cam-disk and an adapter plate. The fixture and cam-disk is mounted on the AGV, and the adapter plate is tem-porarily mounted on the engine. The adapter plate has three so called “heels” that links it with the fixture. To determine how well the coupling meets the safety requirements, the forces acting in the structure, while the AGV is loaded, is calculated. The work load is illustrated by a fictional engine, weighing 1800 kg with its center of gravity placed one meter out from the mount. These forces form the basis for the FE-analyzes, investigating the coupling strength proper-ties. Knowing the couplings strength properties, conclusions if the coupling meets the safety requirements can be adopted. The coupling component has, in general, good strength properties that meet the safety re-quirement of five-times security. The results show that some components have tenfold safety, while the AGV carries a load of 1800 kg. Calculations show that the screw connections of the fixture don’t meet the safety requirement and needs to be further investigated. The pilot study revealed that the fixture, for some AGVs, has been assembled with wrong screws. Instead of 10.9-screws, 8.8-screws were used. This leads to a serious consequence of reduced security for the construction. The cause of why fault screw was used is not known. One approach to prevent wrong screw is highlighted as suggestions for improvement. To understand why such a high security factor as five is chosen, the regulations “AFS 2008:3 – maskiner” that formed the basis for selecting the safety factor is studied. The study has been a basis for the conclusions for this work. The results of this survey may serve as a basis for further work, when further development of the coupling is relevant.

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O presente trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre o cálculo dos fatores de segurança de taludes utilizando o campo de tensões obtido pelo método dos elementos finitos. São discutidas diferentes definições para o fator de segurança global do maciço. Considerações sobre a definição do fator de segurança, em termos de deslocamentos, também são traçadas. Foi desenvolvido um pós-processador gráfico, para a visualização dos resultados das análises por elementos finitos. Estudos de um talude estável e de um caso de ruptura foram realizados. Os fatores de segurança obtidos mostraram-se coerentes com os resultados dos métodos de equilíbrio limite convencionais. No caso do talude estável, a influência da deformabilidade relativa do maciço foi analisada. / The present work shows a study about computation of slope stability safety factors using stress fields generated by finite element method analysis. Differents definitions of the global safety factor are discussed. Considerations about the definition of the safety factor in terms of nodal displacements are addressed too. A graphical software for visualizing the results of finite element method analysis was developed for this study. Studys of a stable slope and a failure case are performed. Safety factors values were both consistent with results of conventional limit equilibrium methods. Influence of relative deformability is analyzed in the stable case.

Designing with Limit Equilibrium Methods involve a factor of safety (FS) in order to maintain the stability and to keep the resisting structure away from limit state on the safe side. Finite Element Program (such as Plaxis) on the other hand, instead of an FS, reduces the shear strength of the soil by introducing a reduction factor that is applied to tan