Thesis (Ph.D.(Civil Engineering))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Engineering, 1966.

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / AIM &; OBJECTIVES: a) To quantify human vibration exposnres among the various similar occupational groups present on the mine, b) To determine the degree of vibration risk posed onto the mineworkers and c) To recommend and implement a sustainable human vibration management control progranune. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was carried out on 135 mine workers employed in various similar occupational groups at Rossing Uranium mine, Namibia Data acquisition originated from a multi-stage proportionally stratified random sampling technique. An approved Human Vibration measuring instrument was utilized to measure Hand-arm and Wholebcdy vibration exposure levels [Aeq (m/s2 )] prevalent among the similar exposure groups. A structured questionnaire, developed specifically for the actual work environment enabled the collection of information such as work history, type of vibration exposure, exposure duration and vibration symptoms. Furthermore, group specific results [A(8)] were computed by means of the latest internationally accepted Health & Safety Executive Vibration calculators. In addition, statistical analyses were performed in order to establish the occupational groups that are at increased risk for the development of hand-arm and wholebody vibration induced health disorders.

A low-order, dynamical systems approach is applied to the modeling of flow induced vibrations of flexible cables. By combining a coupled map lattice wake model with a linear wave equation cable model, both the free response of the cable as well as the resulting wake structures are examined. This represents an extension of earlier coupled map lattice models that only modeled the wake of forced cable vibration. The validity of the model is assessed through comparisons with both Computational Fluid Dynamics models (NEKTAR spectral element code) and wake experiments. The experimental wake data was collected through the use of hot-film anemometry techniques. Eight hot-film probes were placed along the span of a flexible cable mounted in the test section of a water tunnel. Through the use of frequency domain correlation algorithms, the phase of vortex shedding was calculated along the cable span from the hot-film velocity data. Results for an elastically mounted rigid cylinder showed that the freely vibrating CML model predicted behavior characteristic of a self-induced oscillator; the maximum amplitude of vibration was found to occur at a cylinder natural frequency that did not coincide identically with the natural shedding frequency of the cylinder. Furthermore, the variation of the frequency of cylinder vibration with its natural frequency was seen to be linear. For standing wave cable responses, the freely vibrating CML model predicted lace-like wake structures. This result is qualitatively consistent with both the NEKTAR simulations and experimental results. Little difference was found between the wakes of forced and freely vibrating cables at the Reynolds number of the study $Re=100$. Finally, it was found that the freely vibrating CML could match numerical predictions of cross-flow amplitude as the cable mass-damping parameter was varied over an order of magnitude (once the CML was tuned to match results at a specific mass-damping level). In addition to providing wake patterns for comparisons with the freely vibrating CML, experimental data was supplied to a self-learning CML scheme. This self-learning CML was able to estimate the experimental wake data with good accuracy. The self-learning CML is seen as the next extension of the freely-vibrating CML model, capable of estimating unmodeled wake dynamics through the use of experimental data.

To understand the phenomena associated with such stochastic processes and to predict, at least qualitatively, the behavior of mechanical systems within environments which are completely random in time, new mechanical tools are necessary. Fortunately, the derivation of these tools does not necessitate a complete departure from existing theories. In fact, they may be considered as an extension of the well-defined theory of the integral transform, in particular, the exponential Fourier integral transform.

Dans certaines conditions, une baisse significative de la taille des gouttes se produit en émulsification membranaire avec vibrations transversales. Pour comprendre les mécanismes impliqués, nous avons développé deux dispositifs expérimentaux, dans lesquels une goutte unique est formée à travers un capillaire dans une phase externe, qui est soit stationnaire, soit en écoulement. Le capillaire peut être mis en vibration parallèlement à son axe.Lorsque la phase externe est stationnaire, au-delà d’une amplitude seuil de forçage, la taille des gouttes formées diminue significativement. La goutte entre en résonance quand sa fréquence propre coïncide avec la fréquence de forçage et elle se détache si elle atteint une élongation critique. La goutte est modélisée comme un oscillateur harmonique linéaire forcé. Un terme d’amortissement additionnel décrit la dissipation visqueuse entre la goutte et la surface du capillaire. Ce modèle prédit bien les amplitudes seuils et les diamètres de gouttes.Lorsque la phase externe s’écoule, nous avons étudié deux régimes de formation de gouttes, en goutte à goutte (dripping) ou à partir d’un jet (jetting). Expérimentalement, la transition du dripping au jetting se produit à un nombre de Weber interne seuil, dont la valeur dépend des nombres capillaire et d’Ohnesorge externes. Le jet se rétrécit (narrowing) ou s’élargit (widening) selon le rapport de vitesses des phases choisi. En dripping, les diamètres de gouttes sont bien prédits par un bilan des moments. En jetting, un modèle basé sur l’équation du mouvement permet d’estimer la vitesse critique permettant la transition au jetting et les diamètres de gouttes résultants. / In transversally vibrating membrane emulsification, significantly smaller drops are generated in certain conditions. We aim to explain the mechanisms involved. To do so, two experimental setups were developed. A single drop is formed from a nozzle into an outer phase, which is either stationary or cross-flowing. The nozzle can be submitted to axial vibrations.For a drop formed into a stationary phase, a transition in drop generation occurs above a critical forcing amplitude. Below the threshold, a large drop forms by dripping. Above the threshold, a drop detaches when its first eigenfrequency and the forcing frequency coincide. The drop then resonates and detaches once a critical elongation ratio is reached. We model a drop as a linearly forced harmonic oscillator and add an extra damping term to account for the viscous dissipation between the drop and nozzle surface. We well reproduce the threshold amplitudes and drop diameters.We also study drops generated into cross-flow. In dripping mode, drop diameters are described by a torque balance. At a critical inner Weber number function of the outer capillary and Ohnesorge numbers, a transition to jetting occurs. Jet widening or narrowing takes place depending on the phase velocity ratio. We propose a model to account for the transition to jetting based on the drop equation of motion. Overall, we adequately account for the jetting velocity and drop diameters, with discrepancies which were explained.

Chatter, unstable vibration during machining, damages the tool and workpiece. A proper selection of spindle speed and depth of cut are required to prevent chatter during machining. Such proper cutting conditions are usually determined using vibration models of the machining process. Nonetheless, uncertainties in modeling or changes in dynamics during the machining operations can lead to unstable machining vibrations, and chatter may arise even when stable cutting conditions are used in the process planning stage. As a result, online chatter monitoring systems are key to ensuring chatter-free machining operations. Although various chatter monitoring systems are described in the literature, most of the existing methods are suitable for detecting chatter after vibrations become unstable. In order to prevent poor surface finish resulting from chatter marks during the finishing stages of machining, a new monitoring system that is capable of predicting the occurrence of chatter while vibrations are still stable is required. In this thesis, a new approach for predicting the loss of stability during stable turning operations is developed. The new method is based on the identification of the dynamics of self-excited vibrations during turning operations using Operational Modal Analysis (OMA). The numerical simulations and experimental results presented in this thesis confirm the possibility of using Operational Modal Analysis as an online chatter prediction method during stable machining operations. / Graduate

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Hani G. Melhem / This study reports the results of an analytical, experimental and a numerical study (proof of concept study) on a proposed method for extracting the pseudo-free-vibration response of a structure using ambient vibration, usually of a random nature, as a source of excitation to detect any change in the dynamic properties of a structure that may be caused by damage. The structural response contains not only a random component but also a component reflecting the dynamic properties of the structure, comparable to the free vibration for a given initial condition. Structural response to the arbitrary excitation is recorded by one or several accelerometers with a desired data-collection frequency and resolution. The free-vibration response of the structure is then extracted from this data by removing the random component of the response by the method proposed in this study. The features of the free-vibration response of the structure extracted by a suitable method, namely Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in this study, can be used for change detection. Possible change of the pattern of these features is dominantly linked to the change in dynamic properties of the system, caused by possible damage. To show the applicability of the concept, besides an analytical verification using Newmark’s linear acceleration method, two steel portal frames with different flexural stiffness were made in the steel workshop of the structural laboratory for an experimental study. These structures were also numerically modeled using a finite element software. A wireless accelerometer with a sampling frequency rate of 2046 Hz was affixed on the top of the physical structure, at the same location where the acceleration was recorded for the corresponding numerical model. The physical structure was excited manually by an arbitrary hit and the response of the structure to this excitation, in terms of the acceleration on the top of the structure, was recorded. The pseudo-free-vibration response was extracted and transferred into frequency domain using FFT. The frequency with the largest magnitude which is the fundamental frequency of the structure was traced. This was repeated for several independent excitations and the fundamental frequencies were observed to be the same, showing that the process can correctly identify the natural frequencies of the structure. Similarly, the numerical model was excited and for several base excitation cases, the fundamental frequencies were found to be the same. Considering the acceptable accuracy of the results from the two numerical models in simulating the response of their corresponding physical models, additional numerical models were analyzed to show the consistency and applicability of the proposed method for a range of flexural stiffness and damping ratio. The results confirm that the proposed method can precisely extract the pseudo-free-vibration response of the structures and detect the structural frequencies regardless of the excitation. The fundamental frequency is tied to the stiffness and a larger stiffness leads to a higher frequency, as expected, regardless of the simulated ambient excitation.

Déterminer la durée de vie d'une pièce sous excitation vibratoire est l'un des enjeux majeurs dans l'ingénierie mécanique. Afin de donner une estimation fiable de la durée de vie, un calcul correct de champ de contrainte, qui est fortement lié à la forme et l'amplitude modale est obligatoire. Cependant, le calcul de réponse d'une structure assemblée est difficile, surtout avec la présence de frottement sec aux interfaces de liaisons qui entraîne un amortissement non linéaire. La recherche de la thèse commence par une identification phénoménologique de l'amortissement induit par le frottement sec avec 3 modèles analytiques, notamment la plaque sandwich, la rotule frottante et la plaque von Kármán. Après la caractérisation de l'amortissement structural au 1er et 2ème ordre, les influences des paramètres comme la pression de serrage, le rapport d'épaisseurs ainsi que le nombre de soudures sont analysés. La deuxième partie des travaux traite les problèmes d'amortissement avec une géométrie de dimension finie. La plaque de von Kármán est reprise dans l'étude et une méthode hybride de différences finies et d'éléments finis est adopté pour résoudre le couplage entre la flexion et les efforts internes. Une attention particulière est portée à la notion de modes non linéaires dans le cas de la plaque von Kármán. Les conditions nécessitant l'introduction de modes non linéaires sont identifiées. Le champ de force fictif qui est proposé dans l'étude sur la plaque von Kármán est ensuite introduit dans le cas de la plaque sandwich. Puis la propagation de glissement et l'influence de champ fictif sont étudiées. Afin de vérifier les phénomènes trouvés dans les études théoriques, une installation expérimentale est conçue et montée pour l'amortissement structural au premier ordre. Dans la dernière partie qui est basée sur les observations faites dans les études précédentes, une méthode de calcul de l'amortissement dans un environnement industriel est proposée. Cette méthode permet de donner un amortissement pour chaque mode isolé. / The determination of a component's lifetime under vibrational excitation is one of the most difficult challenges in mechanical engineering. In order to provide a reliable estimation of lifetime, a correct calculation of stress field, which depends on the modal form and its amplitude, is needed. However, the vibrational response calculation on an assembled structure is not easy, especially with the nonlinear structural damping induced by frictional contact surface. The research in the current thesis starts from the phenomenological identification of damping with the help of 3 analytical models, in particular the sandwich plate, rotational joint and von Karman plate. Structural damping of 1st and 2nd order are identified. The influence of parameters like clamping pressure, thickness ratio and number of welding points are also analyzed. The second part of the research focuses on problems with finite dimensions. The von Karman plate serves as the subject of the study and a hydride method which combines FDM and FEM is proposed to solve the coupling between defection and in-plane force field. A special attention is paid to nonlinear mode theory, the conditions under which the nonlinear mode is necessary are identified. The fictive force field proposed in the study of von Kármán plate is then applied to the sandwich plate model. The slipping's propagation as well as the influence of fictive force field are studied. To verify the existence of the found phenomena in the previous studies, an experimental setup is designed and mounted for the 1st order structural damping. In the last part of the research, which is based on the observations previously obtained from academic models, a calculation method of friction-induced damping in structures with complex geometries is proposed for the application in the industrial environment. This methods enables the estimation of damping for each isolated mode.

Esse trabalho visa estudar a influência da vibração no desempenho de tarefas de pilotos de aeronaves. Para o seu desenvolvimento, foi montada uma bancada usando um assento de aeronave para avaliar a transmissibilidade da vibração vertical para os pilotos e verificar se níveis elevados de aceleração, como no caso de falha da turbina, podem prejudicar sua habilidade em desempenhar tarefas de leitura, escrita e digitação. Todos os experimentos foram realizados com sucesso, comprovando grande parte dos estudos anteriores sobre o assunto. Ainda são apresentadas comparações relacionando os mesmos níveis de aceleração usados no teste de transmissibilidade, com as normas ISO 2631-1 e ANSI S3.18 para avaliação da exposição humana à vibração de corpo inteiro, que são as mais apropriadas para a correlação com o mundo aeronáutico. / This work aims to study the influence of vibration in aircraft pilots task performance. For the study development, it was assembled a rig test using an aircraft pilot seat, in order to evaluate the transmissibility of vertical vibration to the pilots and to verify if high acceleration levels, as in the case of engine failure, are of significance to the pilots ability in performing tasks such as reading, writing and typing. All the experiments were accomplished successfully, confirming most of early studies about the subject. Comparisons are also presented, relating the same acceleration levels used in the transmissibility test with ISO 2631-1 and ANSI S3.18 standards for evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration which are the most appropriated for correlation with the aeronautical world.

This thesis investigates the footfall excitation of higher modes of vibration in low-frequency floor structures. This is motivated by the increased number of floors reportedly failing to meet the required occupants comfort level although being designed in accordance with the current state-of-the-art design guidelines. In particular modern, lightweight, and slender floor structures. The contribution to knowledge of this thesis can be summarised as: quantifying the signal energy of measured walking forces within and above the natural frequency cut-off proposed by the current state-of-the-art design guidelines; quantifying the contribution of higher modes of vibration to the overall response of low-frequency floors to human walking; propose measures to judge the response nature of low-frequency floors, these are the relevant change of the point stiffness and the shape of frequency response functions; proposing a frequency-domain approach that enables designers to include higher modes of vibration in the design against human-induced vibration. It was found that the signal energy of walking forces is distributed well beyond the natural frequency cut-off proposed by the current state-of-the-art design guidelines. Also, the contribution of localised, higher, modes of vibration to the overall response of ultra-lightweight floors was significant. Moreover, it was found that higher modes affect the response of floors of various construction types in one way or another. Hence, it was recommended to consider their contribution in the design of floors against human-induced vibration. Also, it was found that the higher the relative change of the point stiffness the more higher modes contribute to the overall response of floors. Finally, the frequency-domain analysis was found less expensive than time-domain analysis and could result in similarly useful information.