This thesis work provides an insight into the design of Force-amplifying Compliant Mechanisms (FaCMs) that are integrated with micromachined resonant accelerometers to increase their sensitivity. An FaCM, by mechanically amplifying the inertial force, enhances the shift in the resonance frequency of the beams used for sensing the acceleration whose effect causes an axial force on the beams. An extensive study on different configurations of resonators namely, single beam resonator, single-ended tuning fork (SETF), and double-ended tuning fork (DETF), is carried out to gain insights about their resonant behavior. The influence of the boundary conditions on the sensor’s sensitivity emerged from the study. We found that not only the force-amplification factor but also the multi-axial stiffness of the FaCM and proof-mass influence the resonance frequency of the resonator as well as the bandwidth of the modified sensor for certain configurations but not all. Thus, four lumped parameters were identified to quantify the effectiveness of an FaCM. These parameters determine the boundary condition of the sensing beams and also the forces and the moment transmitted to them. Also presented in this work is a computationally efficient model, called the Lumped Parameter Model (LPM) for evaluation of the sensitivity. An analytical expression for the frequency-shift of the sensing resonator beams is obtained by considering the FaCM stiffness parameters as well as the lumped stiffness of the suspension of the inertial mass. Various FaCMs are evaluated and compared to understand how the four lumped parameters influence the sensor’s sensitivity. The FaCMs are synthesized using topology optimization to maximize the net amplification factor with the volume constraint. One of the FaCMs outperforms the lever by a factor of six. Microfabrication of resonant accelerometer coupled with FaCM and comb-drive actuator is carried out using a silicon-on-insulator process. Finally, the selection map technique, a compliant mechanism redesign methodology is used for enhancing the amplification of FaCMs. This technique provides scope for further design improvement in FaCMs for given sensor specifications.

Enterprising technologies and policies that focus on energy reduction in buildings are paramount to achieving global carbon emissions targets. Energy retrofits, building stock modelling, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades and demand side management all present high leverage opportunities in this regard. Advances in computing, data science and machine learning can be leveraged to enhance these methods and thus to expedite energy reduction in buildings but challenges such as lack of data, limited model generalizability and reliability and un-reproducible studies have resulted in restricted industry adoption. In this thesis, rigorous and reproducible studies are designed to evaluate the benefits and limitations of state-of-the-art machine learning and statistical techniques for high-impact applications, with an emphasis on addressing the challenges listed above. The scope of this work includes calibration of physics-based building models and supervised deep learning, both of which are used to estimate building properties from real and synthetic data. • Original grey-box methods are developed to characterize physical thermal properties (RC and RK)from real-world measurement data. • The novel application of supervised deep learning for thermal property estimation and HVAC systems identification is shown to achieve state-of-the-art performance (root mean squared error of 0.089 and 87% validation accuracy, respectively). • A rigorous empirical review is conducted to assess which types of gray and black box models are most suitable for practical application. The scope of the review is wider than previous studies, and the conclusions suggest a re-framing of research priorities for future work. • Modern interpretability techniques are used to provide unique insight into the learning behaviour of the black box methods. Overall, this body of work provides a critical appraisal of new and existing data-driven approaches for thermal property estimation in buildings. It provides valuable and novel insight into barriers to widespread adoption of these techniques and suggests pathways forward. Performance benchmarks, open-source model code and a parametrically generated, synthetic dataset are provided to support further research and to encourage industry adoption of the approaches. This lays the necessary groundwork for the accelerated adoption of data-driven models for thermal property identification in buildings. / Graduate

The Hybrid Norwood (HN) is a relatively new first stage procedure for neonates with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), in which a sustainable univentricular circulation is established in a less invasive manner than with the standard procedure. A computational multiscale model of such HLHS circulation following the HN procedure was used to obtain detailed hemodynamics. Implementation of a reverse-BT shunt (RBTS), a synthetic bypass from the main pulmonary to the innominate artery placed to counteract aortic arch stenosis, and its effects on local and global hemodynamics were studied. A synthetic and a 3D reconstructed, patient derived anatomy after the HN procedure were utilized, with varying degrees of distal arch obstruction, or stenosis, (nominal and 90% reduction in lumen) and varying RBTS diameters (3.0, 3.5, 4.0 mm). A closed lumped parameter model (LPM) for the peripheral or distal circulation coupled to a 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model that allows detailed description of the local hemodynamics was created for each anatomy. The implementation of the RBTS in any of the chosen diameters under severe stenosis resulted in a restoration of arterial perfusion to near-nominal levels. Shunt flow velocity, vorticity, and overall wall shear stress levels are inverse functions of shunt diameter, while shunt perfusion and systemic oxygen delivery correlates positively with diameter. No correlation of shunt diameter with helicity was recorded. In the setting of the hybrid Norwood circulation, our results suggest: (1) the 4.0mm RBTS may be more thrombogenic when implemented in the absence of severe arch stenosis and (2) the 3.0mm and 3.5mm RBTS may be a more suitable alternative, with preference to the latter since it provides similar hemodynamics at lower levels of wall shear stress.

No description available.

No description available.

"Thanks to significant worldwide research directed at understanding and predicting structural behavior at elevated temperatures, analytical methods are available to support a rational, performance-based approach to the structural design of buildings for fire conditions. To utilize these analytical methods effectively, structural engineers need guidance on reliable and appropriate approaches to dealing with a variety of factors, including the effects of fire protection measures, temperature-dependent thermal and structural properties, elastic and inelastic behavior of structural components and assemblies, and thermal and structural response of framing connections. To meet the objective of guiding the structural engineer in appropriate analytical methods and parameter values for performance-based structural fire protection, this thesis proposes a comprehensive way of thinking about the design and analysis of structures for fire conditions. This integration of structural engineering and fire protection engineering into a functional framework is defined herein as Fire-Robust Structural Engineering (FRSE). The FRSE process, which is presented as a series of flowcharts, is designed to guide the structural engineer in executing the functions involved in the design of fire-safe structures and to help identify informational needs critical to these tasks. Currently, mechanisms for identifying possible resources to fulfill fire-related informational needs are generally organized for the convenience of the fire research community. Identification of resources that provide appropriate information for fire-robust structural engineering, such as laboratory fire test results, parametric studies of analytical methods, and other sources of guidance, is often difficult because these resources are rarely organized and presented for the benefit of structural engineers. To begin to resolve this problem, this thesis has developed a prototype information management system (IMS) based on the framework of the FRSE process. The IMS addresses the critical challenge of organizing and presenting the available knowledge and data in a format that is consistent with the perspective and informational needs of the structural engineer. The prototype version of the IMS has been implemented using a Microsoft Excel® platform. In addition to guidance in utilizing specific analytical methods and choosing appropriate parameter values, the structural engineer also requires an understanding of the input requirements and accuracy of various analytical methods in order to make informed decisions regarding which methods are appropriate for use with different structural configurations. Therefore, this thesis includes a model study as an example of a resource that could aid the structural engineer in making such decisions. The model study compares various analytical methods (simplified spreadsheet applications and advanced finite element techniques) to published laboratory test data and discusses concerns that the structural engineer must keep in mind when using each method. Conclusions are drawn regarding the appropriateness of each analytical method to the analysis of a fully restrained, spray-protected steel beam. Given this type of information, the structural engineer can make decisions regarding the types of analytical methods and the level of analytical sophistication required to solve a given design problem."

Η θερμική ανάλυση είναι μια σημαντική περιοχή μελέτης και γίνεται περισσότερο σημαντική για την σχεδίαση ηλεκτρικών μηχανών εξαιτίας της ανάγκης για μείωση του όγκου των υλικών και του κόστους κατασκευής τους καθώς και για την αύξηση της απόδοσής τους. Είναι εξίσου σημαντική με την ηλεκτρομαγνητική ανάλυση μιας και η θέρμανση της μηχανής θα οριοθετήσει την ονομαστική της ισχύ καθώς και την διάρκεια ζωής της μόνωσης. Στόχος της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η εύρεση της κατανομής της θερμοκρασίας στο εσωτερικό ενός ασύγχρονου τριφασικού κινητήρα στη μόνιμη κατάσταση λειτουργίας του με τη μέθοδο των συγκεντρωμένων παραμέτρων. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο αναφέρονται βασικές έννοιες της θερμοδυναμικής. Γίνεται αναφορά σε διάφορους συντελεστές, παρουσιάζονται οι θερμοδυναμικοί νόμοι και γίνεται σύντομη αναφορά στους μηχανισμούς μετάδοσης θερμότητας. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο δίνεται η αναλυτική περιγραφή των μηχανισμών μετάδοσης θερμότητας και παρουσιάζεται ένα απλό δίκτυο μοντελοποίησης με ισοδύναμες θερμικές αντιστάσεις. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζεται σύντομα η δομή, η αρχή λειτουργίας και οι τύποι μιας ασύγχρονης μηχανής. Εδώ επίσης αναφέρονται και οι διάφορες μορφές απωλειών ενέργειας κατά την λειτουργία μιας τριφασικής ασύγχρονης μηχανής. Παρουσιάζεται ακόμη ο υπό μελέτη κινητήρας και αναφέρονται τα θερμοστοιχεία που χρησιμοποιούνται στην πειραματική διαδικασία. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο περιγράφεται η μέθοδος θερμικής ανάλυσης με χρήση ισοδυνάμου κυκλώματος θερμικών αντιστάσεων για την μόνιμη κατάσταση. Στη συνέχεια δίνεται το προτεινόμενο κύκλωμα και παρουσιάζονται αναλυτικά οι ισοδύναμες θερμικές αντιστάσεις του μοντέλου. Τέλος στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο παρατίθενται τα αποτελέσματα της θερμικής ανάλυσης, γίνεται σύγκριση με τα πειραματικά δεδομένα θερμοκρασιακών τιμών που πάρθηκαν από τα θερμοστοιχεία και ακολουθεί η διαδικασία της παραμετροποίησης στους διάφορους συντελεστές που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν είτε υπολογίστηκαν κατά την ανάλυση. / Thermal analysis is an important design area and becoming more important part of the electric motor design process due to the push for reduced weights and costs and increased efficiency. Thermal analysis is of equal importance as the electromagnetic design of the machine, because the temperature rise of the machine eventually determines the maximum output power. The purpose of this study is to record the temperature distribution of the internal parts of an induction motor at steady state using an equivalent thermal circuit with lumped parameters. The first chapter is an introduction of the thermodynamic theory. The laws of thermodynamics are described and there is a brief report of heat transfer mechanisms. The second chapter describes analytically the heat transfer mechanisms. Also, an example of modelling using thermal equivalent resistances is given. The third chapter introduces shortly the operational principles of an induction machine. Here are also referred the various losses that occur during the rotation of an induction motor. The studied induction motor, with the modified stator winding to include thermocouples, is shown. The fourth chapter introduces the method of thermal analysis using thermal equivalent circuit with lumped parameters. The proposed model is given and its components are described in particular. At last, in the fifth chapter the results of temperature distribution are given and compared with experimental data of temperature values that are acquired using the thermocouples. Here also takes apart the parameterising of the various coefficients that were used or calculated during this study.

Suspension systems and wheels play a critical role in vehicle dynamics performance of a car in areas such as ride comfort and handling. Lumped parameter models (LPMs) are commonly used for assessing the performance of vehicle suspension systems. However, there is a lack of clarity with regard to the relative capabilities of different LPM configurations. A comprehensive comparative study of three most commonly used LPMs of increasing complexity has been carried out in the current work. The study reported here has yielded insights into the capabilities of the considered LPMs in predicting response time histories which may be used for assessing ride comfort. A shortcoming of available suspension system models appears to be in representation of harsh situations such as jounce movement which cause full compression of springs leading to ‘jerks’ manifested as high values of rate of change of acceleration of sprung mass riding on a wheel. In the current research work, a modified nonlinear quarter-car model is proposed to account for the contact force that results in jerk-type response. The numerical solution algorithm is validated through the simulation of an impact test on a car McPherson strut in a Drop Weight Impact Testing Tower developed in CAR Laboratory, CPDM. This is followed by a detailed comparison of HCM and QCM to examine their suitability for such analysis. For decades, wheel bearings in vehicles have been designed using simplified analytical approaches based on Hertz contact theory and test data. In the present work, a hybrid approach has been developed for assessing the load bearing capacity of a wheel ball bearing set. According to this approach, the amplitude of dynamic wheel load can be obtained from a lumped parameter analysis of a suspension system, which can then be used for detailed static finite element analysis of a wheel bearing system. The finite element modelling approach has been validated by successfully predicting the load bearing capacity of an SKF ball bearing set for an acceptable fatigue life. For the first time, using a powerful commercial explicit finite element analysis tool, a detailed dynamic analysis has been carried of a deep groove ball bearing with a rotating inner race. The analysis has led to a consistent representation of complex motions consisting of rotations and revolutions of rolling elements, and generated insights into the stresses developed in the various components such as balls and races. In conclusion, a simple yet effective fuzzy logic-based yaw control algorithm has been presented in the current research. According to this algorithm, two inputs i.e. a yaw rate error and a driver steering angle are used for generating an output in the form of an additive steering angle which potentially can aid a driver in avoiding straying from an intended path.

Les machines électriques synchrones à aimants permanents sont susceptibles de rencontrer un disfonctionnement suite à un échauffement non maîtrisé. L’objectif de cette étude est de développer un modèle thermique générique et prédictif pouvant simuler diverses situations d’intérêts: régime permanent, régime transitoire, mode dégradé, entrefer immergé, haute vitesse. Pour cela, la méthode nodale est utilisée pour développer le modèle thermique générique. En parallèle, un banc d’essai et un prototype sont conçus pour valider le modèle. L’étude de sensibilité des résultats du modèle à certains paramètres montrent que certains coefficients de convection, certaines conductances de contact et la conductivité thermique radiale du bobinage ont une influence considérable sur les résultats du modèle. Cependant ces paramètres sont mal connus, car ils sont issus des formules empiriques ou des abaques. Grâce au prototype et au modèle développé, ces paramètres sont identifiés. Trois méthodes d’identification sont testées pour aboutir à une stratégie d’identification: les algorithmes génétiques, la méthode de Gauss-Newton et la méthode de Levenberg-Marquardt. Plusieurs essais sont effectués sur le prototype instrumenté. La mesure des températures à des lieux précis du prototype permet d’identifier les paramètres mal connus et de valider le modèle. / Permanent magnet synchronous machines are likely to break down due to poorly controlled heating. The goal of this study was to develop a generic and predictive thermal model to calculate the temperature of machines during the design phase simulating temperatures at various states. These states include: steady state, transient state, fault mode, axial circulating of a cooling fluid in the air-gap and high speed. The lumped parameter method was used to develop this generic thermal model. Meanwhile, a test bench and a prototype instrumented with thermocouples were manufactured to validate the model at the same time. Sensitivity studies of the results of the model to some parameters demonstrated that some convective coefficients, contact conductances and the thermal conductivity of the winding in the radial direction influenced the model. However, these parameters are poorly known, because empirical formulas or abacus are used to calculate them. Using, the prototype and the developed model, these parameters were identified. Three methods of identification were tested in order to find a strategy for the identification: the genetic algorithms method, the Gauss-Newton method and the Levenberg-Marquardt method. Many tests were done on the prototype. The measure of the temperatures on the specific place allows to identify these parameters and to validate the model.

Evaluation of the performance of a product and its components under impact loading is one of the key considerations in design. In order to assess resistance to damage or ability to absorb energy through plastic deformation of a structural component, impact testing is often carried out to obtain the 'Force - Displacement' response of the deformed component. In this context, it may be noted that load cells and accelerometers are commonly used as sensors for capturing impact responses. A drop-weight impact testing set-up consisting of a moving impactor head with a lightweight piezoresistive accelerometer and a strain gage based compression load cell mounted on it is used to carry out the impact tests. The basic objective of the present study is to assess the accuracy of responses recorded by the said transducers, when these are mounted on a moving impactor head. In the present work, a novel approach of theoretically evaluating the responses obtained from this drop-weight impact testing set-up for different axially loaded specimen has been executed with the formulation of an equivalent lumped parameter model (LPM) of the test set-up. For the most common configuration of a moving impactor head mounted load cell system in which dynamic load is transferred from the impactor head to the load cell, a quantitative assessment is made of the possible discrepancy that can result in load cell response. Initially, a 3-DOF (degrees-of-freedom) LPM is considered to represent a given impact testing set-up with the test specimen represented with a nonlinear spring. Both the load cell and the accelerometer are represented with linear springs, while the impacting unit comprising an impactor head (hammer) and a main body with the load cell in between are modelled as rigid masses. An experimentally obtained force-displacement response is assumed to be a nearly true behaviour of a specimen. By specifying an impact velocity to the rigid masses as an initial condition, numerical solution of the governing differential equations is obtained using Implicit (Newmark-beta) and Explicit (Central difference) time integration techniques. It can be seen that the model accurately reproduces the input load-displacement behaviour of the nonlinear spring corresponding to the tested component, ensuring the accuracy of these numerical methods. The nonlinear spring representing the test specimen is approximated in a piecewise linear manner and the solution strategy adopted and implemented in the form of a MATLAB script is shown to yield excellent reproduction of the assumed load-displacement behaviour of the test specimen. This prediction also establishes the accuracy of the numerical approach employed in solving the LPM system. However, the spring representing the load cell yields a response that qualitatively matches the assumed input load-displacement response of the test specimen with a lower magnitude of peak load. The accelerometer, it appears, may be capable of predicting more closely the load experienced by a specimen provided an appropriate mass of the impactor system i.e. impacting unit, is chosen as the multiplier for the acceleration response. Error between input and computed (simulated) responses is quantified in terms of root mean square error (RMSE). The present study additionally throws light on the dependence of time step of integration on numerical results. For obtaining consistent results, estimation of critical time step (increment) is crucial in conditionally stable central difference method. The effect of the parameters of the impact testing set-up on the accuracy of the predicted responses has been studied for different combinations of main impactor mass and load cell stiffness. It has been found that the load cell response is oscillatory in nature which points out to the need for suitable filtering for obtaining the necessary smooth variation of axial impact load with respect to time as well as deformation. Accelerometer response also shows undulations which can similarly be observed in the experimental results as well. An appropriate standard SAE-J211 filter which is a low-pass Butterworth filter has been used to remove oscillations from the computed responses. A load cell is quite capable of predicting the nature of transient response of an impacted specimen when it is part of the impacting unit, but it may substantially under-predict the magnitudes of peak loads. All the above mentioned analysis for a 3 DOF model have been performed for thin-walled tubular specimens made of mild steel (hat-section), an aluminium alloy (square cross-section) and a glass fibre-reinforced composite (circular cross-section), thus confirming the generality of the inferences drawn on the computed responses. Further, results obtained using explicit and implicit methodologies are compared for three specimens, to find the effect, if any, on numerical solution procedure on the conclusions drawn. The present study has been further used for investigating the effects of input parameters (i.e. stiffness and mass of the system components, and impact velocity) on the computed results of transducers. Such an investigation can be beneficial in designing an impact testing set-up as well as transducers for recording impact responses. Next, the previous 3 DOF model representing the impact testing set-up has been extended to a 5 DOF model to show that additional refinement of the original 3 DOF model does not substantially alter the inferences drawn based on it. In the end, oscillations observed in computed load cell responses are analysed by computing natural frequencies for the 3 DOF lumped parameter model. To conclude the present study, a 2 DOF LPM of the given impact testing set-up with no load cell has been investigated and the frequency of oscillations in the accelerometer response is seen to increase corresponding to the mounting resonance frequency of the accelerometer. In order to explore the merits of alternative impact testing set-ups, LPMs have been formulated to idealize test configurations in which the load cell is arranged to come into direct contact with the specimen under impact, although the accelerometer is still mounted on the moving impactor head. One such arrangement is to have the load cell mounted stationary on the base under the specimen and another is to mount the load cell on the moving impactor head such that the load cell directly impacts the specimen. It is once again observed that both these models accurately reproduce the input load-displacement behaviour of the nonlinear spring corresponding to the tested component confirming the validity of the model. In contrast to the previous set-up which included a moving load cell not coming into contact with the specimen, the spring representing the load cell in these present cases yields a response that more closely matches the assumed input load-displacement response of a test specimen suggesting that the load cell coming into direct contact with the specimen can result in a more reliable measurement of the actual dynamic response. However, in practice, direct contact of the load cell with the specimen under impact loading is likely to damage the transducer, and hence needs to be mounted on the moving head, resulting in a loss of accuracy, which can be theoretically estimated and corrected by the methodology investigated in this work.