The nonlinear interactions between aerodynamic forces and wing structures are numerically investigated as integrated dynamic systems, including structural models, aerodynamics, and control systems, in the time domain. An elastic beam model coupled with rigid-body rotation is developed for the wing structure, and the natural frequencies and mode shapes are found by the finite-element method. A general unsteady vortex-lattice method is used to provide aerodynamic forces. This method is verified by comparing the numerical solutions with the experimental results for several cases; and thereafter applied to several applications such as the inboard-wing/twin-fuselage configuration, and formation flights. The original thought that the twin fuselage could achieve two-dimensional flow on the wing by eliminating free wing tips appears to be incorrect. The numerical results show that there can be a lift increase when two or more wings fly together, compared to when they fly alone. Flutter analysis is carried out for a High-Altitude-Long-Endurance aircraft wing cantilevered from the wall of the wind tunnel, a full-span wing mounted on a free-to-roll sting at its mid-span without and with a center mass (fuselage). Numerical solutions show that the rigidity added by the wall results in a higher flutter speed for the wall-mounted semi-model than that for the full-span model. In addition, a predictive control technique based on neural networks is investigated to suppress flutter oscillations. The controller uses a neural network model to predict future plant responses to potential control signals. A search algorithm is used to select the best control input that optimizes future plant performance. The control force is assumed to be given by an actuator that can apply a distributed torque along the spanwise direction of the wing. The solutions with the wing-tip twist or the wing-tip deflection as the plant output show that the flutter oscillations are successfully suppressed with the neural network predictive control scheme. / Ph. D.

In this study, a new engineering model is presented which treats the motions of a rigid body to ground shock. A rigid body is defined as one whose deformations are small compared to the deformations of the surrounding media. The new model treats non-planar normal loads on the structure, tensile cut-off constraints at the upstream and downstream faces of the structure, and shear forces on the lateral surfaces of the structure. It assumes linear elastic material properties for all materials, and collinearity between reflected and transmitted particle velocities and stresses. An important feature of the model is that it incorporates the effects of wave diffraction around the rigid body through simple bounding arguments on the conditions which prevail in the shadow zone of the structure at early-times, intermediate-times, and late-times after the wave has engulfed the rigid body. The resulting expressions are uncomplicated, and provide bounds on the structure’s motion. The model was tested against a series of linear elastic finite element calculations and was found to be accurate, and able to explain the velocity overshoot which, while not widely known, accompanies the motions of rigid bodies under certain circumstances. The model was also tested against the results of a high-explosive test in sand, and a high explosive test in a competent shale, by treating the ground motion instrument canisters on the tests as rigid bodies. Again the model was found to be accurate, and accounted for the differences observed between finite difference predictions of the flow fields and the measured canisters’ responses. The model is expected to find application in aiding in the interpretation of ground motion measurements from explosion tests, in the design of ground motion transducers, and as an aid in the vulnerability analysis of underground Structures to the effects from large explosions. / Ph. D.

Beams in a typical steel framed floor design are assumed to have pinned supports for purposes of design. In reality, the connections between the beams and girders in a steel framed floor system are not pinned. The design bending moments and deflections of the attached beam could be reduced if the true rotational restraint provided by the beam-girder connections could be included in the design. The connection rotational restraint is characterized by the moment-rotation behavior. Consequently, a method for approximating the moment-rotation behavior of the beam-girder connection is required before the beneficial effects of the true connection rotational restraint can be considered in design. Experimental and analytical research on the moment-rotation behavior of a specific type of beam-girder connection is presented in this dissertation. The primary objective of this research is to develop a component model of the connection that can be used to approximate the moment-rotation behavior. The component model is based on the hypothesis that the connection behavior can be modeled as a combination of the connection component behaviors. The connection components are the fundamental pieces of the connection such as bolts, shear studs, and welds. In general, the component model can be very computationally intensive. Consequently, a secondary objective of this research is to develop a connection model that is simpler to use. Behavior models for each of the connection components are presented and/or developed. These models are derived from a combination of existing literature, experimental and analytical research, and basic mechanics. Next, a method of combining the component behaviors into a connection model that can be used to approximate the moment-rotation behavior is developed. Results from experimental research on the moment-rotation behavior of the beam-girder connection are then used to verify the model. Finally, a simplified model of the beam-girder connection is developed. This model is based on the same hypothesis as the component model; however, through a combination of assumptions, simplifications, and the results of parametric studies the simplified model becomes far less computationally intensive than the full component model. / Ph. D.

In most road infrastructure networks, the two prevalent types of pavements considered during the pavement type selection (PTS) process are flexible and rigid. Thus, these two structures are the most commonly constructed in the road industry. A consideration of a different pavement alternative is proposed in this study. Composite pavements, which are in essence a combination of a rigid base overlaid with a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) surface course, have the potential to meet the technical and economic requirements that are sought in the PTS process. For that reason, technical and economic evaluations were performed to justify the consideration of composite pavement systems in the PTS process. At the technical level, composite pavement design guidelines from various transportation agencies were obtained and followed to design their respective composite pavement structures. A mechanistic analysis based on the multi-layer linear elastic theory was performed on different composite structures to understand the behavior they present when compared to traditional pavements. In addition, distresses affecting composite pavements such as fatigue (bottom-up and top-down) cracking, rutting, and reflective cracking were modeled and investigated using sensitivity analyses. At the economic level, a deterministic life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) based on Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) guidelines was performed. This LCCA compared two proposed composite pavements (one with a cement-treated base [CTB] and the other with a continuously reinforced concrete pavement [CRCP] base) to traditional flexible and rigid pavement structures. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses involving discount rates and traffic volumes were performed to investigate their effect on the present worth (PW) computation of the four pavement alternatives. Results from this study suggest that composite pavements have both the technical and economic potential to be considered during the PTS process. / Master of Science

Tires are the most influential component of the vehicle as they constitute the only contact between the vehicle and the road and have to generate and transmit forces necessary for the driver to control the vehicle. The demand for the tire models are increasing due to the need to study the variations of force generation mechanisms due to various variables such as load, pressure, speed, and road surface irregularities. Another need from the vehicle manufactures is the study of potential incompatibilities associated with safety systems such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and tires. For vehicle dynamic simulations pertaining to the design of safety systems such as ABS, ESC and ride controllers, an accurate and computationally efficient tire model is required. As these control algorithms become more advanced, they require accurate and extended validity in the range of frequencies required to cover dynamic response due to short wavelength road disturbances, braking and steering torque variations. Major thrust has been provided by the tire industry to develop simulation models that accurately predict the dynamic response of tires without the use of computationally intensive tools such as FEA. The objectives of this research are • To develop, implement and validate a rigid ring tire model and a simulation tool to assist both tire designers and the automotive industry in analyzing the effects of tire belt vibrations, road disturbances, and high frequency brake and steering torque variations on the handling, braking, and ride performances of the vehicle. • To further enhance the tire model by considering dynamic stiffness changes and temperature dependent friction properties. • To develop, and implement novel control algorithms for braking, stability, and ride performance improvements of the vehicle / Ph. D.

A nonlinear finite element model of the hot and cold rolling processes has been developed for flat rolling stock with rectangular cross section. This model can be used to analyze the flat rolling of cold and hot steel rectangular strips under a series of different parameters, providing the rolling designer with a tool that he can use to understand the behavior of the steel as it flows through the different passes. The models developed, take into account all of the non-linearities present in the rolling problem: material, geometric, boundary, and heat transfer. A coupled thermal-mechanical analysis approach is used to account for the coupling between the mechanical and thermal phenomena resulting from the pressure-dependent thermal contact resistance between the steel slab and the steel rolls. The model predicts the equivalent stress, equivalent plastic strain, maximum strain rate, equivalent total strain, slab temperature increase, increase in roll temperature, strip length increase, slab thickness % reduction (draft), and strip's velocity increase, for both the cold and hot rolling processes. The FE model results are an improvement over the results obtained through the classical theory of rolling. The model also demonstrates the role that contact, plastic heat generation and friction generated heat plays in the rolling process. The analysis performed shows that the steel in cold rolling can be accurately modeled using the elastic-plastic (solid Prandtl-Reuss) formulation, with a von Mises yield surface, the Praguer kinematic hardening rule, and the Ramberg-Osgood hardening material model. The FE models also demonstrate that the steel in hot rolling can be modeled using the rigid-viscoplastic (flow Levy-Mises) formulation, with a von Mises yield surface, and Shida's material model for high temperature steel where the flow stress is a function of the strain, strain rate, and the temperature. Other important contributions of this work are the demonstration that in cold rolling, plane sections do not remain plane as the classic theory of rolling assumes. As a consequence, the actual displacements, velocity, and stress distributions in the workpiece are compared to and shown to be an improvement over the distributions derived from the classical theory. Finally, the stress distribution in the rolls during the cold rolling process is found, and shown to be analogous to the stress distribution of the Hertz contact problem. / Master of Science

In this study we investigate the propagation of uncertainties in the input forces through a mechanical system. The system of interest was a wheel loader, but the methodology developed can be applied to any multibody systems. The modeling technique implemented focused on efficiently modeling stochastic systems for which the equations of motion are not available. The analysis targeted the reaction forces in joints of interest. The modeling approach developed in this thesis builds a foundation for determining the uncertainties in a Caterpillar 980G II wheel loader. The study begins with constructing a simple multibody deterministic system. This simple mechanism is modeled using differential algebraic equations in Matlab. Next, the model is compared with the CAD model constructed in ProMechanica. The stochastic model of the simple mechanism is then developed using a Monte Carlo approach and a Linear/Quadratic transformation method. The Collocation Method was developed for the simple case study for both Matlab and ProMechanica models. Thus, after the Collocation Method was validated on the simple case study, the method was applied to the full 980G II wheel loader in the CAD model in ProMechanica. This study developed and implemented an efficient computational method to propagate computational method to propagate uncertainties through "black-box" models of mechanical systems. The method was also proved to be reliable and easier to implement than traditional methods. / Master of Science

Yes / This review paper addresses the structure of the mean flow and key turbulence quantities in free-surface flows with emergent vegetation. Emergent vegetation in open channel flow affects turbulence, flow patterns, flow resistance, sediment transport, and morphological changes. The last 15 years have witnessed significant advances in field, laboratory, and numerical investigations of turbulent flows within reaches of different types of emergent vegetation, such as rigid stems, flexible stems, with foliage or without foliage, and combinations of these. The influence of stem diameter, volume fraction, frontal area of stems, staggered and non-staggered arrangements of stems, and arrangement of stems in patches on mean flow and turbulence has been quantified in different research contexts using different instrumentation and numerical strategies. In this paper, a summary of key findings on emergent vegetation flows is offered, with particular emphasis on: (1) vertical structure of flow field, (2) velocity distribution, 2nd order moments, and distribution of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in horizontal plane, (3) horizontal structures which includes wake and shear flows and, (4) drag effect of emergent vegetation on the flow. It can be concluded that the drag coefficient of an emergent vegetation patch is proportional to the solid volume fraction and average drag of an individual vegetation stem is a linear function of the stem Reynolds number. The distribution of TKE in a horizontal plane demonstrates that the production of TKE is mostly associated with vortex shedding from individual stems. Production and dissipation of TKE are not in equilibrium, resulting in strong fluxes of TKE directed outward the near wake of each stem. In addition to Kelvin–Helmholtz and von Kármán vortices, the ejections and sweeps have profound influence on sediment dynamics in the emergent vegetated flows.

Yes / The performance of buried rigid pipes underneath geogrid-reinforced soil while applying incrementally increased cyclic loading was assessed using a fully instrumented laboratory rig. The influence of varying two parameters of practical importance was investigated; the pipe burial depth and the number of geogrid-layers. Measurements were taken for pipe deformation, footing settlement, strain in pipe and reinforcing layers, and pressure/soil stress on the pipe crown during various stages of cyclic loading. The research outcomes demonstrated a rapid increase in the rate of deformation of the pipe and the footing, and the rate of generated strain in the pipe and the geogrid-layers during the first 300 cycles. While applying further cycles, those rates were significantly decreased. Increasing the pipe burial depth and number of geogrid-layers resulted in reductions in the footing and the pipe deformations, the pressure on pipe crown, and the pipe strains. Redistribution of stresses, due to the inclusion of reinforcing layers, formed a confined zone surrounding the pipe providing it with additional lateral support. The pipe invert experienced a rebound, which was found to be dependent on pressure around the pipe and the degree of densification of the bedding layer. Data for strains measured in the geogrid-layers showed that despite the applied loading value and the pipe burial depth, the tensile strain in the lower geogrid-layer was usually higher than that measured in the upper layer.

The objective of a coating operation is to transfer a defect free liquid film onto a continuous substrate in order to meet the requirements of the final products. Mainly two concerns govern the process. The first concern is the economics of the process and the second concern is the quality of the coated film. The economics of the process are dictated by the speed of coating and the film thickness. Clearly, higher speeds mean better productivity hence less cost of operation and thinner films are desirable because less material is being used. Quality is governed by film uniformity and integrity, indicating that the film will perform as designed. Film defects such as streaks or tiny air bubbles are indication that the film properties are not uniform rendering it unacceptable to customers. One of the most versatile coating systems to achieve thin films at high speeds is reverse roll coating which has been used for a long time all over the world. At low speed, typically 1m/s, this coating operation is inherently stable and with small gaps of order 100 microns can ii lead to film thickness of order 30-50 microns. Much research, theoretical and experimental, has been devoted to this coating flow but only at low speeds and for large gaps (>100 microns). There are no comprehensive data how very thin films, 20 microns and less (particularly lower limits in the region of 5 microns) can be achieved at high speeds, of 2 or more metres per second. This study is concerned precisely with this aim, that of investigating the effect of large speeds and small roller gaps (rollers nearly touching or in elastohydrodynamic contact) to achieve the very thin films desired by modern applications (electronics, medical and others). In order to achieve this aim, a rig was designed and built to enable to understand the effect of various coating conditions and liquid properties on the metered film thickness and coating instability. To achieve thin films at high speeds, small roll gap and low viscosity are needed, however flow instabilities will develop under these conditions. To achieve stable coating window at high speeds high surface tension is needed. It was found that the roll gap and the viscosity have complicated effect on the coating window. In the case of low viscosity liquid (7mPa.s), small roll gaps are needed, whereas in the case of high viscosity liquid (more than 30mPa.s), large gaps are needed. It was found that Weber number is better describer for ribbing instability in rigid reverse roll coating unlike in rigid forward roll coating in which capillary number is the one. In addition the potential of reverse deformable roll coating (rolls in elastohydrodynamic contact) was investigated in order to achieve much thinner films at higher speeds. As a result of the investigation of reverse deformable roll coating, it was found that there is a possibility to get much thinner stable films at much higher speeds compared to reverse rigid roll coating. The liquid transfer from an applicator roller to a PET film was investigated in this study. It was found that air stagnation at downstream meniscus and air entrainment at upstream meniscus depend on the liquid properties such as viscosity and surface tension and coating conditions such as web tension and wrap angle of web. As a result, wet film instability also depends on liquid properties and coating conditions. It was found that air stagnation causes streaks on the wet film and air entrainment caused bubbles on the wet film. To get a stable wet film, it was found that suitable viscosity and high surface tension were needed. / TOYOBO