The term hydrobatics refers to the agile maneuvering of underwater vehicles. Hydrobatic capabilities in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can enable increased maneuverability without a sacrifice in efficiency and speed. This means innovative robot designs and new use case scenarios are possible. Benefits and technical challenges related to hydrobatic AUVs are explored in this thesis. The dissertation contributes to new knowledge in simulation, control and field applications, and provides a structured approach to realize hydrobatic capabilities in real world impact areas. Three impact areas are considered - environmental monitoring, ocean production and security. A combination of agility in maneuvering and efficiency in performance is crucial for successful AUV applications. To achieve such performance, two technical challenges must be solved. First, these AUVs have fewer control inputs than degrees of freedom, which leads to the challenge of underactuation. The challenge is described in detail and solution strategies that use optimal control and model predictive control (MPC) are highlighted. Second, the flow around an AUV during hydrobatic maneuvers transitions from laminar to turbulent flow at high angles of attack. This renders flight dynamics modelling difficult. A full 0-360 degree envelope flight dynamics model is therefore derived, which combines a multi-fidelity hydrodynamic database with a generalized component-buildup approach. Such a model enables real-time (or near real-time) simulations of hydrobatic maneuvers including loops, helices and tight turns. Next, a cyber-physical system (CPS) is presented -- it safely transforms capabilities derived in simulation to real-world use cases in the impact areas described. The simulator environment is closely integrated with the robotic system, enabling pre-validation of controllers and software before hardware deployment. The small and hydrobatic SAM AUV (developed in-house at KTH as part of the Swedish Maritime Robotics Center) is used as a test platform. The CPS concept is validated by using the SAM AUV for the search and detection of a submerged target in field operating conditions. Current research focuses on further exploring underactuated control and motion planning. This includes development of real-time nonlinear MPC implementations running on AUV hardware, as well as intelligent control through feedback motion planning, system identification and reinforcement learning. Such strategies can enable real-time robust and adaptive control of underactuated systems. These ideas will be applied to demonstrate new capabilities in the three impact areas. / Termen hydrobatik avser förmåga att utföra avancerade manövrer med undervattensfarkoster. Syftet är att, med bibehållen fart och räckvidd, utvigda den operationella förmågan i manövrering, vilket möjliggör helt nya användningsområden för maximering av kostnadseffektivitet. I denna avhandling undersöks fördelar och tekniska utmaningar relaterade till hydrobatik som tillämpas på undervattensrobotar, vanligen kallade autonoma undervattensfarkoster (AUV). Avhandlingen bidrar till ny kunskap i simulering, reglering samt tillämpning i experiment av dessa robotar genom en strukturerad metod för att realisera hydrobatisk förmåga i realistiska scenarier.  Tre nyttoområden beaktas - miljöövervakning, havsproduktion och säkerhet. Inom dessa nyttoområden har ett antal scenarios identifierats där en kombination av smidighet i manövrerbarhet samt effektivitet i prestanda är avgörande för robotens förmåga att utföra sin uppgift. För att åstadkomma detta måste två viktiga tekniska utmaningar lösas. För det första har dessa AUVer färre styrytor/trustrar än frihetsgrader, vilket leder till utmaningen med underaktuering. Utmaningen beskrivs i detalj och lösningsstrategier som använder optimal kontroll och modellprediktiv kontroll belyses. För det andra är flödet runt en AUV som genomför hydrobatiska manövrar komplext med övergång från laminär till stark turbulent flöde vid höga anfallsvinklar. Detta gör flygdynamikmodellering svår. En full 0-360 graders flygdynamikmodell härleds därför, vilken kombinerar en multi-tillförlitlighets hydrodynamisk databas med en generaliserad strategi för komponentvis-superpositionering av laster. Detta möjliggör prediktering av hydrobatiska manövrar som t.ex. utförande av looping, roll, spiraler och väldigt snäva svängradier i realtids- eller nära realtids-simuleringar. I nästa steg presenteras ett cyber-fysikaliskt system (CPS) – där funktionalitet som härrör från simuleringar kan överföras till de verkliga användningsområdena på ett effektivt och säkert sätt. Simulatormiljön är nära integrerad i robot-miljön, vilket möjliggör förvalidering av reglerstrategier och mjukvara innan hårdvaruimplementering. En egenutvecklad hydrobatisk AUV (SAM) används som testplattform. CPS-konceptet valideras med hjälp av SAM i ett realistiskt sceanrio genom att utföra ett sökuppdrag av ett nedsänkt föremål under fältförhållanden. Resultaten av arbetet i denna licentiatavhandling kommer att användas i den fortsatta forskningen som fokuserar på att ytterligare undersöka och utveckla ny metodik för reglering av underaktuerade AUVer. Detta inkluderar utveckling av realtidskapabla ickelinjära MPC-implementeringar som körs ombord, samt AI-baserade reglerstrategier genom ruttplaneringsåterkoppling, autonom systemidentifiering och förstärkningsinlärning. Sådan utveckling kommer att tillämpas för att visa nya möjligheter inom de tre nyttoområdena. / SMaRC

To better manage deteriorating infrastructure, quantitative data about the performance of infrastructure assets is required. Rayleigh based distributed fibre optic strain sensing (FOS) is a technology that has the potential to offer this type of data and unlike traditional strain sensors it can measure the strain along the full length of the structure. A series of experiments were undertaken to develop installation techniques and evaluate sensor accuracy for typical civil engineering materials: steel, concrete and reinforced concrete. The results of these experiments showed that the choice of sensing fibre and adhesive was dependent on the material being monitored. When the sensing fibre and adhesive are chosen correctly, the Rayleigh system can provide the same accuracy as a strain gauge for steel and concrete, and useful measurements can be obtained even in areas of concrete cracking. The FOS technique was utilized to determine whether distributed strain measurements could be used to detect and quantify localized deterioration of the steel reinforcement (localized area reductions of 0-30%) at service loads. A series of specimens was tested, the sensing system was able to detect the presence of localized deterioration with embedded nylon and polyimide fibres, but the nylon fibre cannot quantify large strain gradients due to slip within the sensing fibre. The strain profiles gave insights to the failure mechanism occurring in the reinforced concrete specimens. The strain profiles for both test series indicated that the tension reinforcement was acting as a tension tie and the strain profiles suggested the presence of compressive struts indicative of an arching mechanism in the specimens. The Black River bridge in Madoc, Ontario was instrumented with fibre optics sensors to determine whether the use of FOS is both practical and beneficial for reinforced concrete bridge assessment when compared to conventional instrumentation. The FOS showed reasonably good agreement with conventional sensors. The fibre optic strain results are used to calculate curvature, slope and displacement but careful consideration of the boundary conditions is required. The results from the fibre optic sensors can be used to show the bridge load distribution and give insights into the support conditions of the beams. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-21 11:56:53.276

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective was to determine the effect of longitudinal distance between coulters and furrow openers about the operational performance of these associations working in different forward speeds, with regard to the energy requeriment and the amount of furrow, with the purpose of identifying the integration mechanism/regulation that presents the lowest energy consumption without compromising the quality of the furrow. This was carried out in an agricultural area located in the municipality of Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul), belonging to Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. The soil of the experimental area was classified as Ultisol and sandy. The experiment was composed of 24 combinations of treatments, in a factorial scheme of 2x3x4. These were composed by the interaction of the factors groove opening mechanisms (hoe furrow opener and mismatched double discs), longitudinal distance from center to center of coulter and furrowers (0,50,1,0 e 1,50 m) and forward speeds (1,11, 1,67, 2,22 e 2,78 m s-1). The variables responses of the performance of the mechanisms associations were obtained directly or indirectly, through the application of different methods by different tools. After the acquisition of the data, they were submitted to statistical analysis of variance and verified the significance of the factors through the F test. In addition, a mathematical analysis of the instantaneous rate of change, with the use of the differential calculus. The furrow, distance and velocity factors had a statistically significant influence on the primary performance variables resulting from instrumentation, except the distance factor on the slipping of the driving wheels. For the variables of soil mobilization, the furrow factor provided a significant change in all, while the distance factor significantly modified only the raised area and the maximum furrow depth. Already the velocity, interfered significantly in the latter and in the area of mobilized soil. In addition, in the secondary variables, the modification of the furrow and speed factors did not provide significant change only in the variable soil swelling, while the distance did not change the specific fuel consumption. The traction, the hourly consumption and the skating were higher for the configurations that employ the hoe furrow opener, present greater distance and work at higher speeds. The distance did not modify the mobilized area, the width and the depth of the furrow, and the reduction of this reduced the elevated area. The use of lower speeds and distances provides greater efficiency in the use of traction per unit of depth and of soil mobilized for both furrowers. / O objetivo foi determinar o efeito da distância longitudinal entre disco de corte e sulcador de fertilizante sobre o desempenho operacional destas associações trabalhando em diferentes velocidades de deslocamento, no que diz respeito ao requerimento energético e a qualidade de sulco, com o propósito de identificar a integração mecanismo/regulagem que apresente o menor consumo energético sem comprometer a qualidade do sulco. Este foi realizado em área agrícola situada no município de Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul), pertencente à Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. O solo da área experimental foi classificado como Argissolo e textura franca. O experimento foi composto por 24 combinações de tratamentos, em um esquema fatorial de 2x3x4. Estes foram compostos pela interação dos fatores mecanismos de abertura de sulco (haste sulcadora e discos duplos desencontrados), distância longitudinal de centro a centro do mecanismo de corte e dos sulcadores (0,50, 1,0 e 1,50 m) e velocidades de deslocamento (1,11, 1,67, 2,22 e 2,78 m s-1). As variáveis respostas do desempenho das associações de mecanismos foram obtidas de forma direta ou indireta, através da aplicação de diferentes métodos por distintas ferramentas. Após a aquisição dos dados, os mesmos foram submetidos à análise estatística de variância e verificado a significância dos fatores através do teste F. Além disso, foi realizada uma análise matemática da taxa de variação instantânea, com o uso do cálculo diferencial. Os fatores sulcador, distância e velocidade apresentaram influência estatisticamente significativa sobre as variáveis de desempenho primárias oriundas da instrumentação, exceto o fator distância sobre o patinamento dos rodados motrizes. Para as variáveis de mobilização do solo, o fator sulcador proporcionou alteração significativa em todas, enquanto que o fator distância modificou significativamente apenas a área elevada e a profundidade máxima do sulco. Já a velocidade, interferiu significativamente nesta última e na área de solo mobilizada. Ademais, nas variáveis secundárias, a modificação dos fatores sulcador e velocidade não proporcionaram alteração significativa apenas na variável empolamento, enquanto que a distância não modificou o consumo específico de combustível. O esforço tratório, o consumo horário e o patinamento, foram mais elevados para as configurações que empregam a haste sulcadora, apresentam maior distância e trabalham em maiores velocidades. A distância não modificou a área mobilizada, a largura e a profundidade do sulco, sendo que a redução desta diminuiu a área elevada. O emprego de velocidades e distâncias menores propiciou maior eficiência no uso da tração por unidade de profundidade e de solo mobilizada para ambos os sulcadores.

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