Engineering Commons^™

Physics-Based Machine Learning Methods For Control And Sensing In Fish-Like Robots, Colin Rodwell

All Dissertations

Underwater robots are important for the construction and maintenance of underwater infrastructure, underwater resource extraction, and defense. However, they currently fall far behind biological swimmers such as fish in agility, efficiency, and sensing capabilities. As a result, mimicking the capabilities of biological swimmers has become an area of significant research interest. In this work, we focus specifically on improving the control and sensing capabilities of fish-like robots.

Our control work focuses on using the Chaplygin sleigh, a two-dimensional nonholonomic system which has been used to model fish-like swimming, as part of a curriculum to train a reinforcement learning agent to …

Investigation Of The Quenching Characteristics Of Steel Components By Static And Dynamic Analyses, Pratik Sarker

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Machine components made of steel are subjected to heat treatment processes for improving mechanical properties in order to enhance product life and is usually done by quenching. During quenching, heat is transferred rapidly from the hot metal component to the quenchant and that rapid temperature drop induces phase transformation in the metal component. As a result, quenching generates some residual stresses and deformations in the material. Therefore, to estimate the temperature distribution, residual stress, and deformation computationally; three-dimensional finite element models are developed for two different steel components – a spur gear and a circular tube by a static and …

Modal Characterization And Structural Dynamic Response Of A Crane Fly Forewing, Jose E. Rubio

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study describes a method for conducting the structural dynamic analysis of a crane fly (family Tipulidae) forewing under different airflow conditions. Wing geometry is captured via micro-computed tomography scanning. A finite element model of the forewing is developed from the reconstructed model of the scan. The finite element model is validated by comparing the natural frequencies of an elliptical membrane with similar dimensions of the crane fly forewing to its analytical solution. Furthermore, a simulation of the fluid-structure interaction of the forewing under different airflows is performed by coupling the finite element model of the wing with a …

Isogeometric Fluid–Structure Interaction Analysis With Emphasis On Non-Matching Discretizations, And With Application To Wind Turbines, Y. Bazilevs, Ming-Chen Hsu, M. A. Scott

Ming-Chen Hsu

In this paper we develop a framework for fluid–structure interaction (FSI) modeling and simulation with emphasis on isogeometric analysis (IGA) and non-matching fluid–structure interface discretizations. We take the augmented Lagrangian approach to FSI as a point of departure. Here the Lagrange multiplier field is defined on the fluid–structure interface and is responsible for coupling of the two subsystems. Thus the FSI formulation does not rely on the continuity of the underlying function spaces across the fluid–structure interface in order to produce the correct coupling conditions between the fluid and structural subdomains. However, in deriving the final FSI formulation the interface …

Ale-Vms And St-Vms Methods For Computer Modeling Of Wind-Turbine Rotor Aerodynamics And Fluid–Structure Interaction, Yuri Bazilevs, Ming-Chen Hsu, Kenji Takizawa, Tayfun E. Tezduyar

Ming-Chen Hsu

We provide an overview of the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian Variational Multiscale (ALE-VMS) and Space–Time Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) methods we have developed for computer modeling of wind-turbine rotor aerodynamics and fluid–structure interaction (FSI). The related techniques described include weak enforcement of the essential boundary conditions, Kirchhoff–Love shell modeling of the rotor-blade structure, NURBS-based isogeometric analysis, and full FSI coupling. We present results from application of these methods to computer modeling of NREL 5MW and NREL Phase VI wind-turbine rotors at full scale, including comparison with experimental data.

3d Simulation Of Wind Turbine Rotors At Full Scale. Part Ii: Fluid–Structure Interaction Modeling With Composite Blades, Y. Bazilevs, Ming-Chen Hsu, J. Kiendel, R. Wuchner, K. U. Bletzigner

Ming-Chen Hsu

In this two-part paper, we present a collection of numerical methods combined into a single framework, which has the potential for a successful application to wind turbine rotor modeling and simulation. In Part 1 of this paper we focus on: 1. The basics of geometry modeling and analysis-suitable geometry construction for wind turbine rotors; 2. The fluid mechanics formulation and its suitability and accuracy for rotating turbulent flows; 3. The coupling of air flow and a rotating rigid body. In Part 2, we focus on the structural discretization for wind turbine blades and the details of the fluid–structure interaction computational …

3d Simulation Of Wind Turbine Rotors At Full Scale. Part I: Geometry Modeling And Aerodynamics, Y. Bazilevs, Ming-Chen Hsu, I. Akkerman, S. Wright, K. Takizawa, B. Henicke, T. Spielman, T. E. Tezduyar

Ming-Chen Hsu

In this two-part paper we present a collection of numerical methods combined into a single framework, which has the potential for a successful application to wind turbine rotor modeling and simulation. In Part 1 of this paper we focus on: 1. The basics of geometry modeling and analysis-suitable geometry construction for wind turbine rotors; 2. The fluid mechanics formulation and its suitability and accuracy for rotating turbulent flows; 3. The coupling of air flow and a rotating rigid body. In Part 2 we focus on the structural discretization for wind turbine blades and the details of the fluid–structure interaction computational …