Thesis. 1978. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / M.S.

xii, 205 leaves : photos., diags., tables ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1978

An experimental study of a passive energy dissipation tension-compression yielding brace or buckling restrained brace has been conducted. The Confined Yielding Damper (CYD) consists of a steel yielding core confined within a tube filled with non-cohesive media. The external tube and confined non-cohesive media provide lateral stability to the core enabling the device to yield in compression as well as tension. This device is similar to the Unbonded Brace developed by Nippon Steel of Japan. Fourteen full-scale CYDs were tested to determine the effect of varied confining media, perforation blocking configuration, and a random displacement history. Based on the Confined Yielding Dampers tested relatively stable and symmetric hysteretic damping can be achieved with the CYD device. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Input¬output approximation of spacecraft motion is convenient and necessary in many situations. For a rigid¬body spacecraft, this process is simple because the system is governed by a set of equations that is linear in the system parameters. However, the combination of a flexible appendage and a rigid hub adds complexity by increasing the degrees of freedom and by introducing nonlinear coupling between the hub and appendage. Assumed Modes is one technique for modeling flexible body motion. Traditional Assumed Modes uses a set of linear assumed modes, but when dealing with rotating flexible systems, a modification of this method allows for the use of quadratic assumed modes. The quadratic assumed model provides an increased level of sophistication, but the derivation still neglects a set of higher¬order terms. This work develops the nonlinear equations of motion that arise from retaining these nonlinear, higher¬order terms. Simulation results reveal that the inclusion of these terms noticeably changes the motion of the system. Once the equations of motion have been developed, focus turns to the input¬output mapping of a system that is simulated using this set of equations. Approxi¬mating linear systems is straightforward, and many methods exist that can success¬fully perform this function. On the other hand, few approximation methods exist for nonlinear systems. Researchers at Texas A&M University recently developed one such method that obtains a linear estimation and then uses an adaptive polynomial estimation method to compensate for the disparity between that estimate and the true measurements. This research includes an in¬depth investigation of this nonlinear approximation technique. Finally, these two major research thrusts are combined, and input¬output approx¬imation is performed on the nonlinear rotational spacecraft model developed herein. The results of this simulation show that the nonlinear method holds a significant advantage over a traditional linear method in certain situations. Specifically, the nonlinear algorithm provides superior approximation for systems with nonzero natu¬ral frequencies. For the algorithm to be successful when rigid¬body modes are present, the system motion must be persistently exciting. This research is an important first step toward developing a nonlinear parameter identification algorithm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-216).

Thesis--Ph. D., University of Hong Kong. / Errata slip inserted. Mimeographed.

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The cross-flow past a pair of equal-diameter circular cylinders, arranged in a staggered configuration, was investigated experimentally in a closed-circuit water tunnel at Reynolds numbers, based on the mean-flow velocity and the cylinder diameter, within the lower subcritical range. The wake formation process was studied employing dye-injection flow visualization and hot-film measurements. The main emphasis was placed on acquiring a physical understanding of the mechanisms leading to vortex shedding, and particularly on the effect of a forced oscillation transverse to the flow direction of either of the two cylinders. For comparison purposes, investigations were also carried out with both cylinders stationary. / Experimental results showed that, for a reasonably large angle of incidence, the flow in the wake of a stationary cylinder pair could be characterized by two distinct periodicities, each of which was dominant on one side of the wake. Furthermore, for lower Reynolds numbers (Re < 1.0x10 4), there was an integral relationship between the two Strouhal numbers, but this integral relationship was no longer maintained for Re > 1.0x10 4. On the other hand, the flow around stationary cylinders for a small angle of incidence was characterized by a single Strouhal number, which remained approximately constant over the entire Reynolds number range. / For all the cylinder configurations investigated the wake flow patterns remained essentially the same as those of the corresponding static cases, when either of the two cylinders was forced to oscillate with a nondimensional forcing frequency less than approximately 0.10. However, beyond this value, the wake underwent considerable modification vis-a-vis when the cylinders were stationary, and the flow pattern within the wake was strongly dependent on the value of the forcing frequency. In particular, there were distinct regions of synchronization between the dominant wake periodicities and the cylinder oscillation; these synchronization regions involved sub- and superharmonics as well as fundamental synchronizations. With either upstream or downstream cylinder oscillation, the wake on the mean-flow side of the downstream cylinder synchronized with the shear layers separated from its outer surface, whereas synchronizations on the mean-flow side of the upstream cylinder were caused by the periodicities formed from the interaction of the other three shear layers. / The flow phenomena associated with the synchronizations were described in detail via flow visualization. The organization of the wake was strongly dependent on whether it was the upstream or downstream cylinder which was oscillating. The synchronized wake on the mean-flow side of the downstream cylinder at both lower and higher oscillation frequencies for upstream cylinder oscillation was observed to form either by the shedding of independent vortices or by the coalescence of two or more vortices. However, for downstream cylinder oscillation, although the synchronizations on this side of the wake at lower oscillation frequencies were caused by the shedding of independent vortices or by the coalescence of vortices, those at higher oscillation frequencies were the consequence of the coalescence of vortices only. For large incidence angles, the number of shear layers separated from the downstream cylinder which interacted with those separated from the upstream cylinder was critical in causing the synchronizations on the mean-flow side of the upstream cylinder. / In most cases, the flow for all the cylinder configurations traversed between the same patterns as those obtained when the cylinders were placed stationary at their minimum and maximum transverse spacings; but there were also some situations where the oscillation of either cylinder pushed the flow outside the regimes associated with the stationary configurations. The synchronization ranges obtained when the upstream or downstream cylinder was oscillating were different from each other, and these ranges were much wider than the corresponding synchronization ranges for a single oscillating cylinder. For two cylinders, an analysis of the fundamental synchronization showed that the frequency range over which this occurred was much broader for upstream cylinder oscillation than for downstream cylinder oscillation. Also, the fundamental synchronization ranges for downstream cylinder oscillation were closer to those for single cylinder oscillation in comparison to those for upstream cylinder oscillation.