Tangible virtuality—perceptions of computer-aided and physical modelling

A primary requirement for the realization of FSA systems is the availability of a mathematical model for the actual process, and the ways to obtain this model may be broadly categorized into 2 methodologies: physical modelling techniques or process identification methods. The physical modelling approach seeks to derive the process model using fundamental laws governing the operations of the process, such as continuity and energy equations. Therefore, the parameters in the model have physical interpretations and they may sometimes be obtained from direct measurements on the process. Clearly, this modelling method requires a good and thorough understanding of the functioning of the entire process. However, even when the requirement can be satisfied, rarely can all parameters of the model be obtainable through direct measurements. Therefore, often physical modelling methods cannot be used alone and they are complemented with other modelling techniques.

Gimbals are mechatronic systems well known for their use in the stabilization of cameras which are under the effect of sudden movements. Gimbals help keeping cameras at previously defined fixed orientations, so that the captured images have the highest quality. This paper focuses on the design of a Linear Quadratic Gaussian, LQG, controller, based on the physical modeling of a commercial Gimbal with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), which is used for first-person applications in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This approach is proposed to make a more realistic representation of the system under study, since it guarantees high accuracy in the simulation of the dynamic response, as compared to the prediction of the mathematical model of the same system. The development of the model starts by sectioning the Gimbal into a series of interconnected links. Subsequently, a fixed reference system is assigned to each link body and the corresponding homogeneous transformation matrices are established, which will allow the calculation of the orientation of each link and the displacement of their centers of mass. Once the total kinetic and potential energy of the mechanical components are obtained, Lagrange’s method is utilized to establish the mathematical model of the mechanical structure of the Gimbal. The equations of motion of the system are then expressed in state space form, with two inputs, two outputs and four states, where the inputs are the torques produced by each one of the motors, the outputs are the orientation of the first two links, and the states are the aforementioned orientations along with their time derivatives. The state space model was implemented in MATLAB’s Simulink environment to compare its prediction of the transient response with the prediction obtained with the representation of the same system using MATLAB’s SimMechanics physical modelling interface. The mathematical model of each one of the three-phase Brushless DC motors is also expressed in state space form, where the three inputs of each motor model are the voltages of the corresponding motor phases, its two outputs are the angular position and angular velocity, and its four states are the currents in two of the phases, the orientation of the motor shaft and its rate of change. This model is experimentally validated by performing a switching sequence in both the simulation model and the physical system and observing that the transient response of the angular position of the motor shaft is in accordance with the theoretical model. The control system design process starts with the interconnection of the models of the mechanical components and the models of the Brushless DC Motor, using their corresponding state space representations. The resulting model features six inputs, two outputs and eight states. The inputs are the voltages in each phase of the two motors in the Gimbal, the outputs are the angular positions of the first two links, and the states are the currents in two of the phases for each motor and the orientations of the first two links, along with their corresponding time derivatives. An optimal LQG control system is designed using MATLAB’s dlqr and Kalman functions, which calculate the gains for the control system and the gains for the states estimated by the observer. The external excitation in each of the phases is carried out by pulse width modulation. Finally, the transient response of the overall system is evaluated for different reference points. The simulation results show very good agreement with the experimental measurements.

ABSTRACTThe hydrodynamic performance of a gas-stirred ladle is analyzed experimentally, through a factorial experimental design, through physical modeling and particle image velocimetry techniques, to find the effects of the nozzle position, and its number, the gas flow rate and the presence or not of an oil layer on the flow velocity field, the turbulent kinetic energy distribution, and the open eye area, A. Flow patterns changed drastically in the presence of one or two plugs and as a result of the nozzle’s positions. The turbulent flow fields showed significant differences under the presence or absence of an oil layer and the open eye area strongly depends on the gas flow rate, the position and the number of nozzles. Responses , , and A were statistically processed to identify the relevant effects of each variable on , , and A. These responses were used to calculate the optimum process conditions that minimize A and maximize both and , and then improve mixing efficiency in ladles using multi-objective optimization through the genetic algorithm (GAmultiobj). A Pareto characterization and its analysis were performed to reveal the embedded operation rules allowing optimum performances of the ladle for specific production goals.

The control of slag foaming is important for optimising basic oxygen furnace (BOF) performance. Acoustics systems monitoring wide frequency bandwidths have been applied to BOF monitoring for the purpose of understanding slag foam height and density but there is limited information about their accuracy and repeatability. Improved understanding of the fundamental behaviour of sound in slag foam could help resolve these issues. In this cold physical model study using, aqueous foams generated in a cylindrical vessel were used to study the attenuation of sound in large samples of foam. Sound pulses over the range of 201 to 1801 Hz were transmitted through varying aqueous foam heights of 100 to 250 mm and acoustic signals detected via a measurement microphone were analysed. The results indicated aqueous foams consisting of smaller bubbles in the range of 0.4 to 0.75 mm with visibly thicker outer films displayed a stronger correlation between the attenuated sound and the stationary foam heights. It was also observed that frequencies above 1009 Hz were more sensitive in terms of their attenuation in varying foam heights and the time-dependant drainage of bubbles compared to lower frequencies. These frequencies were generally higher than those used for industrial slag foam monitoring systems.

In the past 20 years, the US Navy has used the physical scale modeling (PSM) technique to design effective cathodic protection (CP) systems for the ships underwater hull, nickel-aluminum-bronze props and other hull components.In more recent years, a number of computational techniques have been devised in an attempt to fulfill this purpose.Physical models have proven highly adept at ICCP design, since modeled information provides a direct relationship to the actual hull and can be scaled up directly because of confidence in the physically measured data.Boundary element (BE) models have been correspondingly devised that mimic actual hull design and even the PSM layout, but because the BE method is a computational methodology, the calculated data requires systematic validation with a physical analog to insure confidence in the control response.BE literature has discussed design issues regarding mesh layout, intrinsic geometric complexities, accuracy of material response input, the predictive engineering design capability for zonal response, and assessment of electric field response.It does not significantly discuss the accuracy of the BE model calculated work predictive design capability, without the need for "tweaking," and ultimately a rigorous validation of both the mesh and resultant system design technique.This paper presents validation requirements, for any BE model, that is inherently robust enough to be used for CP design and control, and a proposed four-point methodology that will allow for the comprehensive validation of the BE model to predict the ICCP control responses and system performance behavior.

Physical Modeling and Computational Techniques for Thermal and Fluid-dynamics

Grey-box modelling and identification using physical knowledge and bayesian techniques

Landslide-generated tsunamis represent a serious source of hazard for many coastal and lacustrine communities. The understanding of the complex physical phenomena that govern the tsunami generation, propagation and interaction with the coast is essential to reduce and mitigate the tsunamis risk. Experimental, analytical, and numerical models have been extensively used (both as separated tools and in conjunction) to shed light on these complicated natural events. In this work, a non-exhaustive update of the state of the art related to the physical and numerical modeling techniques of landslide-generated tsunamis, with a special focus on those studies published in the last ten years, is provided. As far as numerical models are concerned, a special attention is paid to the most recently developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques, whose development and application have experienced a boost up the last decade.

Influence of major inherited faults zones on gravitational slope deformation: A two-dimensional physical modelling of the La Clapière area (Southern French Alps)

Tests were conducted in a 5m × 55 m wind wave tank to determine the response of a compliant tower to the combined action of random seas and a turbulent shear flow. The model, the sea state and the turbulence were modeled at a linear scale of 1:200 with other scales being determined by equality of Froude Number and fluid density. The test program included three sea states and four wind speeds including zero). The results presented include a detailed description of the model and the wind and wave conditions together with measured response spectra for all combinations of the wind and wave conditions. INTRODUCTION Compliant structures with natural frequencies well below the energy containing region of the design wave spectrum are an attractive form for deep-water production. The long fundamental natural period of this class of structure, usually greater than 30 seconds, alleviates the effect of the first order wave action. However, the structural response is sensitive to low frequency turbulent wind and non-linear (second-order) wave forces which can cause a resonant response of the lowest vibration modes. Despite the considerable advances in computational techniques and analytical models simulating the behavior of offshore structures, experimental investigation remains an alternative route to an understanding of the structural effects of environmental loads. The compliant structure studied in the model tests can be classified as a flexible tower. A hydroe1astic model of the compliant tower was constructed to study the effects of wind and wave loads on structural response at model scale and all experimental simulations were performed at the Wind Wave Testing Facility of the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. Unless otherwise stated, all response data are presented in prototype scale. The hydroe1astic model tests were designed to examine the dynamic response of the tower under controlled conditions. Laboratory scale response to prescribed loading conditions can with some restrictions, be scaled to predict the full scale structural performance. The physical modeling techniques and similitude requirements have been documented in the literature [1,2] and it is not intended to elaborate here. It is well known that both Froude number and Reynolds number similarity conditions cannot be fulfilled simultaneously in a laboratory model scale if the fluid media (air and water) used are the same as prototype. For most offshore structures, the system is dominated by gravity waves and inertia forces and Froude number similarity becomes important. Consequently, the Reynolds number similarity has to be relaxed. In Froude number scaling, the velocity, the time and the bending rigidity scale can be related to the geometric length scale as follows: (Equation available in full paper) The inability to obtain equality of Reynolds numbers detracts from the value of model results particularly if the results are to be scaled directly to prototype scale for a particular design rather than, as is the present case, used to explore interactions between wind and wave loads in a more general sense.

High resolution radiances from SPOT satellite imagery converted to Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) over a 16×16 km2 mixed ground cover study-area in the Apalachicola National Forest in northwest Florida, along with in situ measurements from a Bowen ratio surface flux monitoring system and physical modeling techniques, are used to determine the length manifold beyond which degraded resolution satellite imagery fails to capture flux variability over the scene. The investigation is relevant to an understanding of how bias error is generated in methods designed to produce scale-invariant surface flux estimates from satellite measurements. Error estimates are based on assigning characteristic NDVI values to the four predominant types of ground cover found within the study-area. An open site near the center of the study-area, which satisfies the conditions for surface flux monitoring, is used for obtaining input data for a biosphere-atmosphere exchange model designed to calculate representative fluxes for the different ground covers. Continuous 6-minute meteorological and surface flux measurements were made at the monitoring site for a period of 22 days. These measurements are used in conjunction with surface layer theory to provide surface layer profile estimates of wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity at the tops of the forested sites. The measured and derived meteorological parameters, together with representative biophysical parameters, are used as input to the biosphere-atmosphere exchange model. By representing sensible and latent heat flux distributions due to the variable ground cover with characteristic NDVI values at 20-m resolution, baseline area-wide sensible and latent heat flux quantities are calculated. Error-growth curves as a function of spatial resolution for the fluxes are found by degrading the resolution of the SPOT radiances used to calculate NDVI, and rationing the associated area-wide fluxes to the baseline values. The point at which an error-growth curve becomes invariant represents the edge of a length manifold beyond which the satellite input no longer contains information on surface flux variability, even though NDVI variability continues at all scales up to that of the complete SPOT scene. The error-growth curves are non-linear, with all the error build-up taking place between 20 m and 1.6 km. Decreasing the spatial resolution of the NDVI information down to or below 1.6 km, introduces bias errors in the area-wide surface flux estimates of 10% for sensible heat and 8% for latent heat. The underlying assumptions and modeling produce uncertainty in estimating the manifold limits, however, the principal objective is to show that in using satellite data for scale-invariant surface flux retrieval, there is an optimal spatial resolution factor that can be objectively quantified.

Monopiles used as foundations for offshore wind turbines can be installed using different methods including jacking, vibratory driving and impact driving. Significant research efforts have been dedicated to the characterisation of monopile−soil interaction under lateral loading, mainly using p–y curves. There has also been extensive research in quantifying the effect of different installation methods on the axial response using numerical modelling and physical modelling techniques. Little attention has been paid to the effect of the installation method on the subsequent lateral response of a monopile under the in-service condition. In this paper, a purpose-designed apparatus is described that allows in-flight installation using different installation methods followed directly by lateral loading without stopping the centrifuge and thus retaining the installation-induced stress state. Test results from three lateral loading tests are discussed, with the piles either jacked at 1g and Ng or impact driven at Ng into a dry medium dense sand, allowing the effect of the installation method on the initial stiffness and ultimate capacity to be examined. The successfully conducted tests illustrate the capabilities of the new apparatus for centrifuge testing of laterally loaded driven piles.

This paper examines overtopping failures of embankments at tailings impoundments from 1915-2015 and compares the severity of consequence for overtopping failures to that of other causes of failure. We find that the distribution by severity of consequence for overtopping at active mines is not significantly different from any of the other established "causes of failure." Further we find that the distribution by severity within and across all active TSF recorded failure causes (N=125) is also reflected in the mean distribution of severity for all of our recorded TSF failures (N=267) suggesting that a common root cause, rather than the individual causes of failure, may determine the severity of failure. We look here at the demonstrated link between severity of consequence of failure and the economic dynamics of the "Mining Metric" over 100 years (Bowker and Chambers 2015) as it applies to overtopping. We offer what is available from authoritative sources on the economics backstory of known overtopping failures and crises. We conclude that the deviations from best available technology and best applicable practices at the mine level are conscious choices driven by economics and that without a reframing of the professional, regulatory, and legal frameworks for mining these choices will continue to be made even where proven technology and new promising technology are available and better suited to a given mining asset. Solutions that will prevent mine failure require not only the work of evolving consensus on best available technology/best applicable practices, but also the recognition of root causes which build to catastrophic failure. A complete solution cannot be attained without accountability to best knowledge, best practice, best effective technology in mining law and regulation, as permit standards, as standards for oversight for life-of-mine and of life-of-tailings storage facilities.

3D Reconstruction of Face from 2D CT Scan Images

Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) has become the most widely accepted method for providing safe overtopping protection for embankment dams in the United States. The concept consists of placing horizontal layers of erosion resistant RCC on the downstream slope of existing dams to increase spillway capacity during extreme rainfall events. Since the first earth dam with an RCC overlay was constructed in 1984, more than 130 such projects have been put in service. Because most of these hydraulic upgrades were designed to accommodate rare flow events, there was little information initially available of their actual performance when overtopped. With more RCC overtopping protection in service, there are now more examples of floods in excess of the 1 in 100 year event overtopping RCC protected dams. This paper will present data on the performance of RCC overlay projects when overtopped and lessons learned from these actual examples.