Using Targeted Energy Transfer to Stabilize Drill-string Systems

in 25th International Modal Analysis Conference, Orlando, 2007 (2007)

Torsional vibration of the drill strings used in drilling oil and gas wells arises from a complex interaction of the dynamics of the drilling structure with speed-dependent effective rock-cutting forces ... [more ▼]

Torsional vibration of the drill strings used in drilling oil and gas wells arises from a complex interaction of the dynamics of the drilling structure with speed-dependent effective rock-cutting forces. These forces are often difficult to model, and contribute substantially to the problems of controlling the drilling operation so as to produce steady cutting. We consider here the use of a nonlinear energy sink (NES) , an attachment which has been shown to be effective in reducing or even eliminating self-excited motions in van der Pol and aeroelastic systems. The NES is a completely passive, inherently broadband vibration absorber capable of attracting and dissipating vibrational energy from primary structures, in this case nonlinear discontinuous models of drill-string systems. In this paper we describe a prototypical drill string-NES system, briefly discuss some of the analytical and computational tools suitable for its analysis, and then concentrate on mathematical results on the efficacy of the NES in this application and their physical Interpretation. [less ▲]

Blind source separation techniques - Another way of doing operational modal analysis

in International Operational Modal Analysis Conference, Copenhague, 2007 (2007)

In many practical applications, it is difficult or even impossible to measure the force applied to a structure. This is especially the case in civil engineering applications. Therefore, this paper ... [more ▼]

In many practical applications, it is difficult or even impossible to measure the force applied to a structure. This is especially the case in civil engineering applications. Therefore, this paper proposes to explore the utility of blind source separation (BSS) techniques for operational modal analysis. The basic idea of BSS is to recover unobserved source signals from their observed mixtures. The feasibility and practicality of the proposed method are demonstrated using an experimental application. [less ▲]

PARTICIPATION OF ULG STUDENTS TO THE SSETI MICROSATELLITE PROGRAMME USING SAMCEF

Conference (2007)

The objective of this presentation is to discuss the participation of students at the University of Liège to the educational spacecraft project SSETI-ESEO proposed by the European Space Agency. SSETI ... [more ▼]

The objective of this presentation is to discuss the participation of students at the University of Liège to the educational spacecraft project SSETI-ESEO proposed by the European Space Agency. SSETI students are now mainly involved in the ESEO satellite for which the University of Liège is in charge of the MECH work package. The students have to propose a design for the structure of the solar panels (including the geometry and materials) and their deployment and pointing mechanisms (including electrical circuits, motors, hinges and actuators). Through detailed finite element computations in the SAMCEF software, they have to verify the structural integrity of the panels during the launch phase and to guarantee a safe deployment once on-orbit. Another task is to ensure an appropriate orientation of the solar panels to collect the maximum power from the sun. An industrial partner specialized in the development of computer-aided engineering solutions, SAMTECH, and a research center, Liège Space Center (CSL), also bring their expertise to the project. [less ▲]

Nonlinear System Identification in Structural Dynamics: A Short (and Biased) History

in 25th International Modal Analysis Conference, Orlando, 2007 (2007)

Although linear systems are now very well-understood in the context of structural dynamics, this is not at all the case for nonlinear systems. In particular, despite huge advances in the mathematical ... [more ▼]

Although linear systems are now very well-understood in the context of structural dynamics, this is not at all the case for nonlinear systems. In particular, despite huge advances in the mathematical theory of nonlinear dynamical systems, progress in the difficult field of nonlinear system identification (learning of models from measured input/output data) has largely remained fairly slow and incremental. This is not to say that there have been no major successes in the field in its comparatively short history, and the objective of this paper is to present some of the highlights, as perceived by the authors, and to pave the way for a second paper discussing new developments and possibilities for the future. [less ▲]

Electro-mechanical Coupling in MEMS: Modeling and Experimental Validation

Scientific conference (2007)

This paper presents the advantages of a strong coupled formulation to model the electro-mechanical coupling appearing in MEMS. The classical modeling approach is to use a staggered methodology iterating ... [more ▼]

This paper presents the advantages of a strong coupled formulation to model the electro-mechanical coupling appearing in MEMS. The classical modeling approach is to use a staggered methodology iterating between two different programs to obtain the solution of the coupled problem. In this research a strong coupled formulation is proposed and a tangent stiffness matrix of the whole problem is computed. Using this matrix, nonlinear algorithms such as the Riks-Crisfield algorithm may be applied to solve the static nonlinear problem and accurately determine the static pull-in voltage. Moreover, the natural frequencies may be computed around each equilibrium positions. The dynamic behavior of the structure may also be studied and two new parameters are defined: the dynamic pull-in voltage and the dynamic pull-in time. This strong coupled methodology deriving from variational principle may also be used for topology optimization and extended finite elements. [less ▲]

Participation of the undergraduate students to the solar panels design of the educational spacecraft ESEO

Conference (2006, November)

An extended flexible multibody dynamics software for mechatronic applications

in Proceedings of ISMA 2006 (2006, September)

This paper presents some extensions of flexible multibody formalisms for mechatronic applications. The software implementation is realized in a general purpose finite element code, and three specific ... [more ▼]

This paper presents some extensions of flexible multibody formalisms for mechatronic applications. The software implementation is realized in a general purpose finite element code, and three specific subjects are discussed: (i) nonlinear model reduction techniques for flexible multibody systems, (ii) integrated modelling of mechatronic systems, (iii) time-integration algorithms for coupled problems. The relevance of those developments are demonstrated for the dynamic analysis and the control design of an experimental lightweight manipulator. [less ▲]

Coupled electro-mechanics simulation methodology of the dynamic pull-in in micro-systems

in Sensor Letters (2006), 4(2), 206-213

The aim of this paper is to deal with multi-physics simulation of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based on an advanced numerical methodology. MEMS are very small devices in which electric as well ... [more ▼]

The aim of this paper is to deal with multi-physics simulation of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based on an advanced numerical methodology. MEMS are very small devices in which electric as well as mechanical and fluid phenomena appear and interact. Because of their microscopic scale, strong coupling effects arise between the different physical fields, and some forces, which were negligible at macroscopic scale, have to be taken into account. In order to accurately design such micro-electro-mechanical systems, it is of primary importance to be able to handle the strong coupling between the electric and the mechanical fields. In this paper, the finite element method (FEM) is used to model the electro-mechanical interactions and to perform static and transient analyses. The application example considered here is a micro-bridge consisting of a clamped-clamped beam suspended over a substrate (the lower electrode). When a voltage is applied between the beam and the substrate, electrostatic forces appear which force the beam to bend. When the applied voltage increases, the electrostatic forces become dominant and the plates stick together. The corresponding critical voltage is called the pull-in voltage. When the dynamic behaviour of the system is taken into account, it is shown that two new parameters have to be defined: the dynamic pull-in displacement and the dynamic pull-in time. [less ▲]

Null subspace-based damage detection of structures using vibration measurements

in Mechanical Systems & Signal Processing (2006), 20(3), 611-626

A damage detection method of mechanical system based on subspace identification concepts and statistical process techniques is presented. The aim is to propose a method that is sensitive to small-sized ... [more ▼]

A damage detection method of mechanical system based on subspace identification concepts and statistical process techniques is presented. The aim is to propose a method that is sensitive to small-sized structural damages and suitable for on-line monitoring. Measured time-responses of structures subjected to artificial or environmental vibrations are assembled to form the Hankel matrix, which is further factorised by performing singular-value decomposition to obtain characteristic subspaces. It may be demonstrated that the structural responses are mainly located in the active subspace defined by the first principal components, which is orthonormal to the null subspace defined by the remaining principal components. If no structural damage occurs, the orthonormality relation between the subspaces remains valid with small residues when consecutive data sets are compared, and these residues may be evaluated by the proposed damage indicators. The method is validated using an experimental mock-up of an airplane subjected to different levels of damages simulated. It is also applied in environmental vibration testing of a street lighting device to monitor structural fatigue evolution. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification of Thermoelastic Damping in Micro-Resonators

Conference given outside the academic context (2006)

In the design of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) such as micro-resonators, dissipation mechanisms may have detrimental effects on the quality factor, which is directly related to the response ... [more ▼]

In the design of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) such as micro-resonators, dissipation mechanisms may have detrimental effects on the quality factor, which is directly related to the response amplitude of the system that is excited at its natural frequency. One of the major dissipation phenomena to be considered in such micro-systems is thermoelastic damping. Hence, the performance of such MEMS is directly related to their thermoelastic quality factor which has to be predicted accurately. Moreover, the performance of MEMS depends on manufacturing processes which may cause substantial uncertainty in the geometry and in the material properties of the device. The reliability of MEMS devices is affected by the inability to accurately predict the behavior of the system due to the presence of these uncertainties. The aim of this paper is to provide a framework to account for uncertainties in the finite element analysis. Particularly, the influence of uncertainties on the performance of a micro-beam is studied using Monte- Carlo simulations. A random field approach is used to characterize the variation of the material as well as the geometric properties. Their effects on the thermoelastic quality factor of a micro-beam are studied. [less ▲]