Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2004. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Science and Engineering. Bibliography: leaves 172-182.

During the past few years, in comparison to traditional riveted structures, integral metallic skin stringer structures have played more and more important roles in aircraft design due to the fact they are economical and also have the ability to reduce weight. Their wide application in aircraft, especially large integral structures is limited because of the fact that they have shortcomings in damage tolerance performance. Hence, calculating the crack growth lives and improving the damage tolerance performance of integral structures by selecting appropriate materials or choosing rational structures is a critical work. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is to find effective analysis methods of integral metallic skin-stringer panels for the use in engineering. Cont/d.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:18:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PRE TEXTO DISSERTACAO EDER.pdf: 124262 bytes, checksum: 341b7782cf7b9bd27e25fca751a05985 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-26 / Since 1983, when the experiment of dynamic load has been plunged in Brazil, the execution of this kind of experiment has become a common practice in foundation sites on precast inserted piles. In many cases the experiment of dynamic load doesn t mobilize the ultimate strength of the tested pile; the causes of these events may be due to: the available equipment at the site isn t capable of obtaining enough kinetic energy to mobilize the ultimate strength; the structural element presents ruptures; the client desire of not mobilizing all the ultimate strength; among others. Knowing the necessity of determining the ultimate strength in order to adapt the construction to the security factors required by NBR 6122/1996, this essay pursuits developing a methodology of extrapolation of the curve of mobilized static resistance versus the maximum displacement obtained through the dynamic load proof (dynamic load experiment of crescent energy), applying the Simplified Method CASE, to inserted precast piles. Studying 21 (twenty-one) proofs of dynamic load (PDL), an extrapolation methodology has been developed entitled as Simplified Extrapolation Methodology of CASE Method (SEM-CASE). The methodology is based on the criteria of complementary energy, presented by Aoki in 1997. The results have demonstrated that the method SEM-CASE has presented itself as easy manipulation. The estimated values of ultimate complementary strength calculated by the SEM-CASE has presented pretty close to the measured values, existing only one pile which presented a value error bigger than 10%. The estimated values of ultimate pile strength, obtained by the SEM-CASE, showed themselves similar to the measured values, also having a value error inferior to 10%. The exponential function has obtained better results of adjustment coefficient (R2) related to the points of the curve of mobilized static resistance versus the maximum displacement measured in the dynamic load proof. Besides, applying model selection criteria was obtained that the exponential function is more efficient to estimate the curve of mobilized static resistance versus the maximum displacement than the hyperbolic and parabolic functions. / Desde 1983, quando o ensaio de carregamento dinâmico foi introduzido no Brasil, a execução deste tipo de ensaio vem se tornando uma prática comum em obras de fundação em estacas de concreto pré-moldado cravadas. Em vários casos o ensaio de carregamento dinâmico não mobiliza a resistência última da estaca ensaiada, as causas desses eventos podem ser devido a: o equipamento disponível na obra não é capaz de obter energia cinética necessária para mobilizar a resistência última; o elemento estrutural apresenta rupturas; o cliente não desejar mobilizar toda resistência última; entre outros motivos. Sabendo a necessidade da determinação da resistência última, para a adequação da obra com os fatores de segurança exigidos pela NBR 6122/1996, este trabalho procura desenvolver uma metodologia de extrapolação da curva resistência estática mobilizada versus deslocamento máximo obtida pela prova de carga dinâmica (ensaio de carregamento dinâmico de energia crescente), empregando o Método Simplificado CASE, para estacas de concreto pré-moldado cravadas. Por meio de estudos de 21 (vinte e uma) provas de carga dinâmica (PCD), desenvolveu-se uma metodologia de extrapolação intitulada como Método de Extrapolação Simplificado do Método CASE (MES-CASE). A metodologia é baseada no critério da energia complementar, apresentada por Aoki em 1997. Os resultados demonstraram que o método MES-CASE apresentou-se de fácil manuseio. Os valores estimados de energia complementar última, calculados pelo método MES-CASE, apresentaram-se bem próximos dos valores medidos, havendo apenas uma estaca que apresentou valor de erro maior que 10%. Os valores estimados de resistência estática última, obtidos pelo método MES-CASE, mostraram-se semelhantes aos valores medidos, tendo também um erro inferior a 10%. A função exponencial obteve os melhores resultados de coeficiente de ajuste (R2) em relação aos pontos da curva resistência estática mobilizada versus deslocamento máximo medidos na prova de carga dinâmica. Além disso, empregando critérios de seleção de modelo obteve-se que a função exponencial é mais eficaz para estimar a curva resistência estática mobilizada versus deslocamento máximo do que as funções hiperbólica e parabólica.

The central aim for the research undertaken in this PhD thesis is the development of a model for simulating water droplet movement on a leaf surface and to compare the model behavior with experimental observations. A series of five papers has been presented to explain systematically the way in which this droplet modelling work has been realised. Knowing the path of the droplet on the leaf surface is important for understanding how a droplet of water, pesticide, or nutrient will be absorbed through the leaf surface. An important aspect of the research is the generation of a leaf surface representation that acts as the foundation of the droplet model. Initially a laser scanner is used to capture the surface characteristics for two types of leaves in the form of a large scattered data set. After the identification of the leaf surface boundary, a set of internal points is chosen over which a triangulation of the surface is constructed. We present a novel hybrid approach for leaf surface fitting on this triangulation that combines Clough-Tocher (CT) and radial basis function (RBF) methods to achieve a surface with a continuously turning normal. The accuracy of the hybrid technique is assessed using numerical experimentation. The hybrid CT-RBF method is shown to give good representations of Frangipani and Anthurium leaves. Such leaf models facilitate an understanding of plant development and permit the modelling of the interaction of plants with their environment. The motion of a droplet traversing this virtual leaf surface is affected by various forces including gravity, friction and resistance between the surface and the droplet. The innovation of our model is the use of thin-film theory in the context of droplet movement to determine the thickness of the droplet as it moves on the surface. Experimental verification shows that the droplet model captures reality quite well and produces realistic droplet motion on the leaf surface. Most importantly, we observed that the simulated droplet motion follows the contours of the surface and spreads as a thin film. In the future, the model may be applied to determine the path of a droplet of pesticide along a leaf surface before it falls from or comes to a standstill on the surface. It will also be used to study the paths of many droplets of water or pesticide moving and colliding on the surface.