Numerical Analysis of Local Joint Flexibility of K-joints with External Plates Under Axial Loads in Offshore Tubular Structures

The Local Joint Flexibility(_(LJF))of steel K-joints reinforced with external plates under axial loads is investigated in this paper.For this aim,firstly,a finite element(FE)model was produced and verified with the results of several experimental tests.In the next step,a set of 150 FE models was generated to assess the effect of the brace angle(θ),the stiffener plate size(ηandλ),and the joint geometry(γ,τ,ξ,andβ)on the_(LJF)factor(f_(LJF)).The results showed that using the external plates can decrease 81%of the f_(LJF).Moreover,the reinforcing effect of the reinforcing plate on the f_(LJF)is more remarkable in the joints with smallerβ.Also,the effect of theγon the f_(LJF)ratio can be ignored.Despite the important effect of the f_(LJF)on the behavior of tubular joints,there is not available any study or equation on the f_(LJF)in any reinforced K-joints under axial load.Consequently,using the present FE results,a design parametric equation is proposed.The equation can reasonably predict the f_(LJF)in the reinforced K-joints under axial load.

New Method for Predicting the Motion Responses of A Flexible Joint Multi-Body Floating System to Irregular Waves

A new hybrid method of frequency domain and time domain is developed in this paper to predict the motion responses of a flexibly joint multi-body floating system to irregular waves. The main idea of the method is that the three-dimensional frequency method is used to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients and the response equations are solved in time domain step by step. All the forces can be obtained at the same time. The motions and nonlinear mooring forces of a box type six-body floating system are predicted. A comparison of the theoretical method-based Solutions with experimental results has shown good agreement.

Dynamic surface control-backstepping based impedance control for 5-DOF flexible joint robots

A new impedance controller based on the dynamic surface control-backstepping technique to actualize the anticipant dynamic relationship between the motion of end-effector and the external torques was presented. Comparing with the traditional backstepping method that has ＂explosion of terms＂ problem, the new proposed control system is a combination of the dynamic surface control technique and the backstepping. The dynamic surface control （DSC） technique can resolve the ＂explosion of terms＂ problem that is caused by differential coefficient calculation in the model, and the problem can bring a complexity that will cause the backstepping method hardly to be applied to the practical application, especially to the multi-joint robot. Finally, the validity of the method was proved in the laboratory environment that was set up on the 5-DOF （degree of freedom） flexible joint robot. Tracking errors of DSC-backstepping impedance control that were 2.0 and 1.5 mm are better than those of backstepping impedance control which were 3.5 and 2.5 mm in directions X, Y in free space, respectively. And the anticipant Cartesian impedance behavior and compliant behavior were nchieved successfully as depicted theoretically.

Stability and oscillations in a slow-fast flexible joint system with transformation delay

Flexible joints are usually used to transfer velocities in robot systems and may lead to delays in motion transformation due to joint flexibility. In this paper, a linkrotor structure connected by a flexible joint or shaft is firstly modeled to be a slow-fast delayed system when moment of inertia of the lightweight link is far less than that of the heavy rotor. To analyze the stability and oscillations of the slowfast system, the geometric singular perturbation method is extended, with both slow and fast manifolds expressed analytically. The stability of the slow manifold is investigated and critical boundaries are obtained to divide the stable and the unstable regions. To study effects of the transformation delay on the stability and oscillations of the link, two quantitatively different driving forces derived from the negative feedback of the link are considered. The results show that one of these two typical driving forces may drive the link to exhibit a stable state and the other kind of driving force may induce a relaxation oscillation for a very small delay. However, the link loses stability and undergoes regular periodic and bursting oscillation when the transformation delay is large. Basically, a very small delay does not affect the stability of the slow manifold but a large delay affects substantially.

Unified Vibration Suppression and Compliance Control for Flexible Joint Robot

An adaptive control scheme is presented,which can simultaneously realize vibration suppression and compliance control for flexible joint robot(FJR).The proposed control scheme provides a unified formulation for both vibration suppression mode,where FJR tracks the desired position with little vibration,and compliance mode,in which FJR presents passive.Instead of designing multiple controllers and switching between them,both modes are integrated into a single controller,and the transition between two modes is smooth and stable.The stability of the closed-loop system is theoretically proven via the Lyapunov method,with the considering the dynamics uncertainties in both link side and motor side.Simulation results are presented to illustrate good performances of the proposed control scheme.

Fractional Order Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Linear Flexible Joint System

A linear flexible joint system using fractional order linear active disturbance rejection control is studied in this paper.With this control scheme,the performance against disturbances,uncertainties,and attenuation is enhanced.Linear active disturbance rejection control(LADRC)is mainly based on an extended state observer(ESO)technology.A fractional integral(FOI)action is combined with the LADRC technique which proposes a hybrid control scheme like FO-LADRC.Incorporating this FOI action improves the robustness of the standard LADRC.The set-point tracking of the proposed FO-LADRC scheme is designed by Bode’s ideal transfer function(BITF)based robust closed-loop concept,an appropriate pole placement method.The effectiveness of the proposed FO-LADRC scheme is illustrated through experimental results on the linear flexible joint system(LFJS).The results show the enhancement of the robustness with disturbance rejection.Furthermore,a comparative analysis is presented with the results obtained using the integer-order LADRC and FO-LADRC scheme.

Basic Characteristics of a New Flexible Pneumatic Bending Joint

Several typical flexible pneumatic actuators （FPA） and different mechanical models describing their behaviors have been proposed, however, it is difficult to balance compliance and load capacity in conventional designs, and these models still have limitations in predicting behavior of FPAs. A new flexible pneumatic bending joint （FPBJ） with special anisotropic rigidity structure is proposed. The FPBJ is developed as an improvement with regard to existing types of FPA, and its principal characteristic is derived from the special anisotropic rigidity structure. With this structure, the load capacity in the direction perpendicular to bending plane is strengthened. The structure of the new FPBJ is explained and a mathematical model is derived based on Euler-Bernoulli beam model and Hook’s law. To obtain optimum design and usage, some key structure parameters and input-output characteristics are simulated. The simulation results reveal that the relationship between the structure parameters and FPBJ’s bending angle is nonlinear. At last, according to the simulation results, the FPBJ is manufactured with optional parameters and tested. The experimental results show that the joint’s statics characteristics are reflected by the mathematical model accurately when the FPBJ is deflated. The maximum relative error between simulation and experimental results is less than 6%. However, the model still has limitations. When the joint is inflated, the maximum relative error reaches 20%. This paper proposes a new flexible pneumatic bending joint which has sufficient load capacity and compliance, and the mathematical model provides theoretical guidance for the FPBJ’s structure design.

Design of Robust Controller for Flexible Joint Robot with Nonlinear Friction Characteristics

A robust controller method for flexible joint robot considering the effect caused by nonlinear friction was presented.The nonlinear friction was denoted as inverse additive output uncertainty relative to the nominal model in our work,based on which the describing function was analyzed in frequency domain,and the weighting function of nonlinear friction was further calculated as well. By combining the friction uncertainty,the mixed sensitivity H∞optimization was proposed as the benchmark for controller design, which also leaded to good performance of robustness. Furthermore,unstructured perturbation to the system was analyzed so that the stability was guaranteed. Simulation results show that the proposed controller can provide excellent tracking and regulation performance.

Experimental study on the effect of flexible joints of a deep-buried tunnel across an active fault under high in-situ stress conditions

During dislocation,a tunnel crossing the active fault will be damaged to varying degrees due to its permanent stratum displacement.Most previous studies did not consider the influence of the tunnel’s deep burial and the high in-situ stress,so the results were not entirely practical.In this paper,the necessity of solving the anti-dislocation problem of deep-buried tunnels is systemically discussed.Through the model test of tunnels across active faults,the differences in failures between deep-buried tunnels and shallow-buried tunnels were compared,and the dislocation test of deep-buried segmental tunnels was carried out to analyze the external stress change,lining strain,and failure mode of tunnels.The results are as follows.(1)The overall deformation of deep-buried and shallow-buried tunnels is both Sshaped.The failure mode of deep-buried tunnels is primarily characterized by shear and tensile failure,resulting in significant compressive deformation and a larger damaged area.In contrast,shallow-buried tunnels mainly experience shear failure,with the tunnel being sheared apart at the fault crossing,leading to more severe damage.(2)After the segmental structure design of the deep-buried tunnel,the‘‘S”deformation pattern is transformed into a‘‘ladder”pattern,and the strain of the tunnel and the peak stress of the external rock mass are reduced;therefore,damages are significantly mitigated.(3)Through the analysis of the distribution of cracks in the tunnel lining,it is found that the tunnel without a segmental structure design has suffered from penetrating failure and that cracks affect the entire lining.The cracks in a flexible segmental tunnel affect about 66.6%of the entire length of the tunnel,and cracks in a tunnel with a short segmental tunnel only affect about 33.3%of the entire length of the tunnel.Therefore,a deep-buried tunnel with a short segmental tunnel can yield a better anti-dislocation effect.(4)By comparing the shallow-buried segmental tunnel in previous studies,it is concluded that the shallow-buried segmental tunnel will also suffer from deformation outside the fault zone,while the damages to the deep-buried segmental tunnel are concentrated in the fault zone,so the anti-dislocation protection measures of the deep-buried tunnel shall be provided mainly in the fault zone.The results of the above study can provide theoretical reference and technical support for the design and reinforcement measures of the tunnel crossing active fault under high in-situ stress conditions.

Study on anti-faulting design process of Urumqi subway line 2 tunnel crossing reverse fault

For the tunnel crossing active fault,the damage induced by fault movement is always serious.To solve such a problem,a detailed anti-faulting tunnel design process for Urumqi subway line 2 was introduced,and seven three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element models were established.The anti-faulting design process included three steps.First,the damage of tunnel lining from different locations of fault rupture surfaces was analyzed.Then,the analysis of the effect on tunnel buried depth was given.Finally,the effect of the disaster mitigation method on the flexible joint was verified and the location of the flexible joint was discussed.The results show that when the properties of surrounding rock at the tunnel bottom grows soft,the tunnel deformation curve is smoother and tunnel damage induced by fault movement is less serious.The vertical displacement change ratio of secondary linings along the tunnel axis may be the main factor to cause shear damage to the tunnel.The interface between the hanging wall and fracture zone is defined as the most adverse fault rupture surface.The tunnel damage was reduced with the decrease in the tunnel buried depth as more energy was dissipated by overburden soil and the differential uplift zone of soil became more diffuse.The method of the flexible joint can reduce the tunnel damage significantly and the disaster mitigation effect of different locations on the flexible joint is different.The tunnel damage is reduced by the greatest degree when the flexible joint is located on the fault rupture surface.

Method for optimizing manipulator's geometrical parameters and selecting reducers

A geometrical parameters optimization and reducers selection method was proposed for robotic manipulators design. The Lagrangian approach was employed in deriving the dynamic model of a two-DOF manipulator. The flexibility of links and joints was taken into account in the mechanical structure dimensions optimization and reducers selection, in which Timoshenko model was used to discretize the hollow links. Two criteria, i.e. maximization of fundamental frequency and minimization of self-mass/load ratio, were utilized to optimize the manipulators. The NSGA-II (fast elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithms) was employed to solve the multi-objective optimization problem. How the joints flexibility affects the manipulators design was analyzed and shown in the numerical analysis example. The results indicate that simultaneous consideration of the joints and the links flexibility is very necessary for manipulators optimal design. Finally, several optimal combinations were provided. The effectiveness of the optimization method was proved by comparing with ADAMS simulation results. The self-mass/load ratio error of the two methods is within 10%. The maximum error of the natural frequency by the two methods is 23.74%. The method proposed in this work provides a fast and effective pathway for manipulator design and reducers selection.

Development and control of flexible pneumatic wall-climbing robot

A new kind of flexible pneumatic wall-climbing robot,named WALKMAN-I,was proposed. WALKMAN-I is basically composed of a flexible pneumatic actuator (FPA),a flexible pneumatic spherical joint and six suction cups. It has many characteristics of low-cost,lightweight,simple structure and good flexibility. Its operating principle was introduced. Then three basic locomotion modes,which are linear motion,curvilinear motion and crossing the orthogonal planes,were presented. The safety conditions of WALKMAN-I were discussed and built. Finally,the control system was designed and experiments were carried out. Experimental results show that WALKMAN-I is able to climb on the vertical wall surface along a straight line or a curved path,and has the ability of crossing orthogonal planes and obstacles. The maximum rotation angle reaches 90°,the maximum velocity reaches 5 mm/s,and the rotation angle and the moving velocity of WALKMAN-I can be easily controlled.

Takagi–Sugeno Fuzzy Modeling and Control for Effective Robotic Manipulator Motion

Robotic manipulators are widely used in applications that require fast and precise motion.Such devices,however,are prompt to nonlinear control issues due to the flexibility in joints and the friction in the motors within the dynamics of their rigid part.To address these issues,the Linear Matrix Inequalities(LMIs)and Parallel Distributed Compensation(PDC)approaches are implemented in the Takagy–Sugeno Fuzzy Model(T-SFM).We propose the following methodology;initially,the state space equations of the nonlinear manipulator model are derived.Next,a Takagy–Sugeno Fuzzy Model(T-SFM)technique is used for linearizing the state space equations of the nonlinear manipulator.The T-SFM controller is developed using the Parallel Distributed Compensation(PDC)method.The prime concept of the designed controller is to compensate for all the fuzzy rules.Furthermore,the Linear Matrix Inequalities(LMIs)are applied to generate adequate cases to ensure stability and control.Convex programming methods are applied to solve the developed LMIs problems.Simulations developed for the proposed model show that the proposed controller stabilized the system with zero tracking error in less than 1.5 s.

Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization of Geometric Parameters of a New Fluid Bag Buffer Mechanism on Buffering Performance

A new fluid bag buffer mechanism,which can provide large axial stiffness under the small displacement,is designed.The dynamic change laws of the mechanism stiffness and the internal pressure of the fluid bag are studied when it is subjected to impact load.According to the protection performance for the flexible joint and the pressure change in the fluid bag during the impact process,the sensitivity of the geometric parameters of the fluid bag to the axial stiffness is analyzed by using the orthogonal experimental method,and the optimal parameter combination of the geometric parameters of the fluid bag under impact is obtained,leading to the displacement of the inner shell reduce by 41.4%.The results show that the internal pressure of the fluid bag is a rising process of oscillation and fluctuation.The sensitivity of the geometric parameters of the fluid bag to the displacement of the inner shell from high to low is as follows:Height H,radius r,wall thickness t,chamfer A.The correlation between the geometric parameters of the fluid bag and its internal pressure is:H is negatively correlated with the internal pressure,while the r,t,and A are positively correlated with the internal pressure.

Dynamic analysis of multi-link spatial flexible manipulator arms with dynamic stiffening effects

The dynamics for multi-link spatial flexible manipulator arms is investigated. The system considered here is an N-flexible-link manipulator driven by N DC-motors through N revolute flexiblejoints. The flexibility of each flexible joint is modeled as a linearly elastic torsional spring, and the mass of the joint is also considered. For the flexibility of the link, all of the stretching deformation, bending deformation and the torsional deformation are included. The complete governing equations of motion of the system are derived via the Lagrange equations. The nonlinear description of the deformation field of the flexible link is adopted in the dynamic modeling, and thus the dynamic stiffening effects are captured. Based on this model, a general-purpose software package for dynamic simulation of multi-link spatial flexible manipulator arms is developed. Several illustrative examples are given to validate the algorithm presented in this paper and to indicate that not only dynamic stiffening effects but also the flexibility of the structure has significant influence on the dynamic performance of the manipulator.

Influence of Different Filling Materials on Stiffness of a New Buffer Bag

A buffer bag mechanism is designed,which can provide axial impact protection under small displacement.The stiffness characteristics of the structure under impact load are studied.The stiffness of the mechanism and the internal pressure change of the buffer bag are compared and analyzed,when the filling materials are liquid and gas respectively.Finally,the influence of initial fluid bag pressure,bulk modulus and shell thickness on the stiffness of the mechanism and the change of bag pressure are studied.The results show that the stiffness of the liquid bag is better than that of the gas bag when the filler is liquid and gas;the liquid bag has obvious pressure rise after the mechanism is subjected to axial force by 300 kN,and the gas bag has almost no pressure rise;the change of bulk modulus,which is1000,1500,2000 and 2500 MPa,has an obvious effect on the liquid bag,and it is positively correlated with the stiffness of the mechanism.The change of gas modulus,which is 28 and 44,has little effect on the stiffness of the mechanism;the thickness of the buffer bag,which is 5,10 and 15 mm,also has an obvious effect on the stiffness.The stiffness of the liquid bag is greater,and the protection for flexible joint is better in the same condition.

Response of underground pipeline through fault fracture zone to random ground motion

It is assumed that a pipeline is laid through a vertical fault fracture zone, and is excited by seismic ground motion modelled as stationary stochastic process. For horizontal incidence of waves, the cross-PSD （Power Spectral Density） function is developed using wave propagation theory, while for vertical incidence of waves the cross-PSD function is composed by auto-PSD model, coherence model and site response model. As the seismic input, the eross-PSD function is used to calculate the the axial and lateral seismic responses of underground pipeline through the fracture zone. The results show that the incident directions of seismic waves, width and soil property of the fracture zone have great influence on underground pipeline. It is suggested that the flexible joints with appropriate stiffness should be added into the pipeline near the interfaces between the fracture zone and the surrounded media.

Robust dynamic surface control of flexible joint robots using recurrent neural networks

A robust neuro-adaptive controller for uncertain flexible joint robots is presented. This control scheme integrates H^infinity disturbance attenuation design and recurrent neural network adaptive control technique into the dy- namic surface control framework. Two recurrent neural networks are used to adaptively learn the uncertain functions in a flexible joint robot. Then, the effects of approximation error and filter error on the tracking performance are attenuated to a prescribed level by the embedded H-infinity controller, so that the desired H-infinity tracking performance can be achieved. Finally. simulation results verifv the effectiveness of the nronosed control scheme.

Sliding Mode and PI Controllers for Uncertain Flexible Joint Manipulator

This paper is dealing with the problem of tracking control for uncertain flexible joint manipulator robots driven by brushless direct current motor(BDCM). Flexibility of joint in the manipulator constitutes one of the most important sources of uncertainties. In order to achieve high performance, all parts of the manipulator including actuator have been modeled. To cancel the tracking error, a hysteresis current controller and speed controllers have been developed. To evaluate the effectiveness of speed controllers, a comparative study between proportional integral(PI) and sliding mode controllers has been performed. Finally, simulation results carried out in the Matlab simulink environment demonstrate the high precision of sliding mode controller compared with PI controller in the presence of uncertainties of joint flexibility.

Spiking-free HGO-based DSC for flexible joint manipulator

The tracking control problem for Flexible Joint Manipulator Control System(FJMCS)with unmeasurable states is addressed in this paper.Firstly,a High-Gain Observer(HGO)is constructed to estimate the unmeasurable states and the uncertainties.Then,a Dynamic Surface Control(DSC)scheme is developed by using the estimation of HGO.The newly proposed controller has two advantages over the existing methods:(A)a novel Spike Suppression Function(SSF)is developed to avoid the estimation spike problem in the existing HGO-based controllers.(B)Unlike the existing observer-based partial feedback control scheme that can only estimate the unmeasurable states,the proposed HGO can estimate both the unmeasurable states and uncertainties.The closed-loop system stability is proved by the Lyapunov theory.Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.