Stability analysis of a liquid crystal elastomer self-oscillator under a linear temperature field

Self-oscillating systems abound in the natural world and offer substantial potential for applications in controllers,micro-motors,medical equipments,and so on.Currently,numerical methods have been widely utilized for obtaining the characteristics of self-oscillation including amplitude and frequency.However,numerical methods are burdened by intricate computations and limited precision,hindering comprehensive investigations into self-oscillating systems.In this paper,the stability of a liquid crystal elastomer fiber self-oscillating system under a linear temperature field is studied,and analytical solutions for the amplitude and frequency are determined.Initially,we establish the governing equations of self-oscillation,elucidate two motion regimes,and reveal the underlying mechanism.Subsequently,we conduct a stability analysis and employ a multi-scale method to obtain the analytical solutions for the amplitude and frequency.The results show agreement between the multi-scale and numerical methods.This research contributes to the examination of diverse self-oscillating systems and advances the theoretical analysis of self-oscillating systems rooted in active materials.

Inverse reliability analysis and design for tunnel face stability considering soil spatial variability

The traditional deterministic analysis for tunnel face stability neglects the uncertainties of geotechnical parameters,while the simplified reliability analysis which models the potential uncertainties by means of random variables usually fails to account for soil spatial variability.To overcome these limitations,this study proposes an efficient framework for conducting reliability analysis and reliability-based design(RBD)of tunnel face stability in spatially variable soil strata.The three-dimensional(3D)rotational failure mechanism of the tunnel face is extended to account for the soil spatial variability,and a probabilistic framework is established by coupling the extended mechanism with the improved Hasofer-Lind-Rackwits-Fiessler recursive algorithm(iHLRF)as well as its inverse analysis formulation.The proposed framework allows for rapid and precise reliability analysis and RBD of tunnel face stability.To demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed framework,an illustrative case of tunnelling in frictional soils is presented,where the soil's cohesion and friction angle are modelled as two anisotropic cross-correlated lognormal random fields.The results show that the proposed method can accurately estimate the failure probability(or reliability index)regarding the tunnel face stability and can efficiently determine the required supporting pressure for a target reliability index with soil spatial variability being taken into account.Furthermore,this study reveals the impact of various factors on the support pressure,including coefficient of variation,cross-correlation between cohesion and friction angle,as well as autocorrelation distance of spatially variable soil strata.The results also demonstrate the feasibility of using the forward and/or inverse first-order reliability method(FORM)in high-dimensional stochastic problems.It is hoped that this study may provide a practical and reliable framework for determining the stability of tunnels in complex soil strata.

Evaluation of slope stability through rock mass classification and kinematic analysis of some major slopes along NH-1A from Ramban to Banihal, North Western Himalayas

The network of Himalayan roadways and highways connects some remote regions of valleys or hill slopes,which is vital for India’s socio-economic growth.Due to natural and artificial factors,frequency of slope instabilities along the networks has been increasing over last few decades.Assessment of stability of natural and artificial slopes due to construction of these connecting road networks is significant in safely executing these roads throughout the year.Several rock mass classification methods are generally used to assess the strength and deformability of rock mass.This study assesses slope stability along the NH-1A of Ramban district of North Western Himalayas.Various structurally and non-structurally controlled rock mass classification systems have been applied to assess the stability conditions of 14 slopes.For evaluating the stability of these slopes,kinematic analysis was performed along with geological strength index(GSI),rock mass rating(RMR),continuous slope mass rating(CoSMR),slope mass rating(SMR),and Q-slope in the present study.The SMR gives three slopes as completely unstable while CoSMR suggests four slopes as completely unstable.The stability of all slopes was also analyzed using a design chart under dynamic and static conditions by slope stability rating(SSR)for the factor of safety(FoS)of 1.2 and 1 respectively.Q-slope with probability of failure(PoF)1%gives two slopes as stable slopes.Stable slope angle has been determined based on the Q-slope safe angle equation and SSR design chart based on the FoS.The value ranges given by different empirical classifications were RMR(37-74),GSI(27.3-58.5),SMR(11-59),and CoSMR(3.39-74.56).Good relationship was found among RMR&SSR and RMR&GSI with correlation coefficient(R 2)value of 0.815 and 0.6866,respectively.Lastly,a comparative stability of all these slopes based on the above classification has been performed to identify the most critical slope along this road.

Stability analysis of loose accumulation slopes under rainfall:case study of a high‑speed railway in Southwest China

The high and steep slopes along a high-speed railway in the mountainous area of Southwest China are mostly composed of loose accumulations of debris with large internal pores and poor stability,which can easily induce adverse geological disasters under rainfall conditions.To ensure the smooth construction of the high-speed railway and the subsequent safe operation,it is necessary to master the stability evolution process of the loose accumulation slope under rainfall.This article simulates rainfall using the finite element analysis software’s hydromechanical coupling module.The slope stability under various rainfall situations is calculated and analysed based on the strength reduction method.To validate the simulation results,a field monitoring system is established to study the deformation characteristics of the slope under rainfall.The results show that rainfall duration is the key factor affecting slope stability.Given a constant amount of rainfall,the stability of the slope decreases with increasing duration of rainfall.Moreover,when the amount and duration of rainfall are constant,continuous rainfall has a greater impact on slope stability than intermittent rainfall.The setting of the field retaining structures has a significant role in improving slope stability.The field monitoring data show that the slope is in the initial deformation stage and has good stability,which verifies the rationality of the numerical simulation method.The research results can provide some references for understanding the influence of rainfall on the stability of loose accumulation slopes along high-speed railways and establishing a monitoring system.

Research on the Stability Analysis Method of DC Microgrid Based on Bifurcation and Strobe Theory

During the operation of a DC microgrid,the nonlinearity and low damping characteristics of the DC bus make it prone to oscillatory instability.In this paper,we first establish a discrete nonlinear system dynamic model of a DC microgrid,study the effects of the converter sag coefficient,input voltage,and load resistance on the microgrid stability,and reveal the oscillation mechanism of a DC microgrid caused by a single source.Then,a DC microgrid stability analysis method based on the combination of bifurcation and strobe is used to analyze how the aforementioned parameters influence the oscillation characteristics of the system.Finally,the stability region of the system is obtained by the Jacobi matrix eigenvalue method.Grid simulation verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Auto-parametric resonance of a continuous-beam-bridge model under two-point periodic excitation:an experimental investigation and stability analysis

The auto-parametric resonance of a continuous-beam bridge model subjected to a two-point periodic excitation is experimentally and numerically investigated in this study.An auto-parametric resonance experiment of the test model is conducted to observe and measure the auto-parametric resonance of a continuous beam under a two-point excitation on columns.The parametric vibration equation is established for the test model using the finite-element method.The auto-parametric resonance stability of the structure is analyzed by using Newmark's method and the energy-growth exponent method.The effects of the phase difference of the two-point excitation on the stability boundaries of auto-parametric resonance are studied for the test model.Compared with the experiment,the numerical instability predictions of auto-parametric resonance are consistent with the test phenomena,and the numerical stability boundaries of auto-parametric resonance agree with the experimental ones.For a continuous beam bridge,when the ratio of multipoint excitation frequency(applied to the columns)to natural frequency of the continuous girder is approximately equal to 2,the continuous beam may undergo a strong auto-parametric resonance.Combined with the present experiment and analysis,a hypothesis of Volgograd Bridge's serpentine vibration is discussed.

A comparative study of pseudo-static slope stability analysis using different design codes

Many researchers have developed new calculation methods to analyze seismic slope stability problems, but the conventional pseudo-static method is still widely used in engineering design due to its simplicity. Based on the Technical Code for Building Slope Engineering(GB 50330-2013) of China and the Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in California(SP117), a comparative study on the pseudo-static method was performed. The results indicate that the largest difference between these two design codes lies in determination of the seismic equivalence reduction factor( f_(eq)). The GB 50330-2013 code specifies a single value for f_(eq) of 0.25. In SP117, numerous factors,such as magnitude and distance, are considered in determining f_(eq). Two case studies show that the types of slope stability status evaluated by SP117 are in agreement with those evaluated by the seismic time-history stability analysis and Newmark displacement analysis. The factors of safety evaluated by SP117 can be used in practice for safe design. However, the factors of safety evaluated by GB 50330-2013 are risky for slope seismic design.

Improvement of Pseudo-static Method for Slope Stability Analysis

In this paper, two drawbacks of the traditional pseudo-static method(vertical slice method) in the slope stability evaluation have been studied. First, the sliding mass is divided into vertical slices according to this method, which is irrational to some extent in the seismic design of slope. Second,only peak ground acceleration(PGA) is considered,and the effects of shaking frequency and duration on slope stability are neglected. And then, based on the theory of elastic wave and the summarized geological model, this paper put forwards an improved method of pseudo-method by using the theory of elastic wave and Hilbert-Huang transform. The improved pseudostatic method gives reasonable considerations to the time-frequency effects of seismic wave and its rationality has been verified by the shaking table test.This method can evaluate the safety of a slope, the happening time and the scale of landslides. At the same time, this method also can improve the high accuracy of the evaluation of the safety of the slope.

Robust Stability Analysis of Smith Predictor Based Interval Fractional-Order Control Systems:A Case Study in Level Control Process

The robust stability study of the classic Smith predictor-based control system for uncertain fractional-order plants with interval time delays and interval coefficients is the emphasis of this work.Interval uncertainties are a type of parametric uncertainties that cannot be avoided when modeling real-world plants.Also,in the considered Smith predictor control structure it is supposed that the controller is a fractional-order proportional integral derivative(FOPID)controller.To the best of the authors'knowledge,no method has been developed until now to analyze the robust stability of a Smith predictor based fractional-order control system in the presence of the simultaneous uncertainties in gain,time-constants,and time delay.The three primary contributions of this study are as follows:ⅰ)a set of necessary and sufficient conditions is constructed using a graphical method to examine the robust stability of a Smith predictor-based fractionalorder control system—the proposed method explicitly determines whether or not the FOPID controller can robustly stabilize the Smith predictor-based fractional-order control system;ⅱ)an auxiliary function as a robust stability testing function is presented to reduce the computational complexity of the robust stability analysis;andⅲ)two auxiliary functions are proposed to achieve the control requirements on the disturbance rejection and the noise reduction.Finally,four numerical examples and an experimental verification are presented in this study to demonstrate the efficacy and significance of the suggested technique.

Sensitivity analysis of factors affecting gravity dam anti-sliding stability along a foundation surface using Sobol method

The anti-sliding stability of a gravity dam along its foundation surface is a key problem in the design of gravity dams.In this study,a sensitivity analysis framework was proposed for investigating the factors affecting gravity dam anti-sliding stability along the foundation surface.According to the design specifications,the loads and factors affecting the stability of a gravity dam were comprehensively selected.Afterwards,the sensitivity of the factors was preliminarily analyzed using the Sobol method with Latin hypercube sampling.Then,the results of the sensitivity analysis were verified with those obtained using the Garson method.Finally,the effects of different sampling methods,probability distribution types of factor samples,and ranges of factor values on the analysis results were evaluated.A case study of a typical gravity dam in Yunnan Province of China showed that the dominant factors affecting the gravity dam anti-sliding stability were the anti-shear cohesion,upstream and downstream water levels,anti-shear friction coefficient,uplift pressure reduction coefficient,concrete density,and silt height.Choice of sampling methods showed no significant effect,but the probability distribution type and the range of factor values greatly affected the analysis results.Therefore,these two elements should be sufficiently considered to improve the reliability of the dam anti-sliding stability analysis.

Two-dimensional face stability analysis in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion with a new multi-horn mechanism

The face stability problem is a major concern for tunnels excavated in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion.To provide an accurate prediction for the theoretical solution of the critical face pressure,this study adopts the piecewise linear method(PLM)to account for the nonlinearity of the strength envelope and proposes a new multi-horn rotational mechanism based on the Hoek-Brown strength criterion and the associative flow rule.The analytical solution of critical support pressure is derived from the energy-work balance equation in the framework of the plastic limit theorem;it is formulated as a multivariable nonlinear optimization problem relying on 2m dependent variables(m is the number of segments).Meanwhile,two classic linearized measures,the generalized tangential technique(GTT)and equivalent Mohr-Coulomb parameters method(EMM),are incorporated into the analysis for comparison.Surprisingly,the parametric study indicates a significant improvement in support pressure by up to 13%compared with the GTT,and as expected,the stability of the tunnel face is greatly influenced by the rock strength parameters.The stress distribution on the rupture surface is calculated to gain an intuitive understanding of the failure at the limit state.Although the limit analysis is incapable of calculating the true stress distribution in rock masses,a rough approximation of the stress vector on the rupture surface is permitted.In the end,sets of normalized face pressure are provided in the form of charts for a quick assessment of face stability in rock masses.

UAV-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar: an example for the stability analysis of a mountain rock debris slope

This paper describes scientific research conducted to highlight the potential of an integrated GPR-UAV system in engineering-geological applications.The analysis focused on the stability of a natural scree slope in the Germanasca Valley,in the western Italian Alps.As a consequence of its steep shape and the related geological hazard,the study used different remote sensed methodologies such as UAV photogrammetry and geophysics survey by a GPR-drone integrated system.Furthermore,conventional in-situ surveys led to the collection of geological and geomorphological data.The use of the UAV-mounted GPR allowed us to investigate the bedrock depth under the detrital slope deposit,using a non-invasive technique able to conduct surveys on inaccessible areas prone to hazardous conditions for operators.The collected evidence and the results of the analysis highlighted the stability of the slope with Factors of Safety,verified in static conditions(i.e.,natural static condition and static condition with snow cover),slightly above the stability limit value of 1.On the contrary,the dynamic loading conditions(i.e.,seismic action applied)showed a Factor of Safety below the stability limit value.The UAV-mounted GPR represented an essential contribution to the surveys allowing the definition of the interface debris deposit-bedrock,which are useful to design the slope model and to evaluate the scree slope stability in different conditions.

Comprehensive Analysis Method of Slope Stability Based on the Limit Equilibrium and Finite Element Methods and Its Application

To study the safety and stability of large slopes, taking the right side slope of the Yuxi’an tunnel of the Yuchu Expressway Bridge in Yunnan Province as an example, limit equilibrium and finite element analysis were applied to engineering examples to calculate the stability coefficient of the slope before and after excavation in the natural state. After comparative analysis, it was concluded that the former had a clear mechanical model and concept, which could quickly provide stability results;the latter could accurately determine the sliding surface of the slope and simulate the stress state changes of the rock and soil mass. The stability coefficients calculated by the two methods were within the stable range, but their values were different. On this basis, combined with the calculation principles, advantages and disadvantages of the two methods, a comprehensive analysis method of slope stability based on the limit equilibrium and finite element methods was proposed, and the rationality of the stability coefficient calculated by this method was judged for a slope case.

Stability behavior of the Lanxi ancient flood control levee after reinforcement with upside-down hanging wells and grouting curtain

The stability of the ancient flood control levees is mainly influenced by water level fluctuations, groundwater concentration and rainfalls. This paper takes the Lanxi ancient levee as a research object to study the evolution laws of its seepage, displacement and stability before and after reinforcement with the upside-down hanging wells and grouting curtain through numerical simulation methods combined with experiments and observations. The study results indicate that the filled soil is less affected by water level fluctuations and groundwater concentration after reinforcement. A high groundwater level is detrimental to the levee's long-term stability, and the drainage issues need to be fully considered. The deformation of the reinforced levee is effectively controlled since the fill deformation is mainly borne by the upside-down hanging wells. The safety factors of the levee before reinforcement vary significantly with the water level. The minimum value of the safety factors is 0.886 during the water level decreasing period, indicating a very high risk of the instability. While it reached 1.478 after reinforcement, the stability of the ancient levee is improved by a large margin.

The prediction of projectile-target intersection for moving tank based on adaptive robust constraint-following control and interval uncertainty analysis

To improve the hit probability of tank at high speed,a prediction method of projectile-target intersection based on adaptive robust constraint-following control and interval uncertainty analysis is proposed.The method proposed provides a novel way to predict the impact point of projectile for moving tank.First,bidirectional stability constraints and stability constraint-following error are constructed using the Udwadia-Kalaba theory,and an adaptive robust constraint-following controller is designed considering uncertainties.Second,the exterior ballistic ordinary differential equation with uncertainties is integrated into the controller,and the pointing control of stability system is extended to the impact-point control of projectile.Third,based on the interval uncertainty analysis method combining Chebyshev polynomial expansion and affine arithmetic,a prediction method of projectile-target intersection is proposed.Finally,the co-simulation experiment is performed by establishing the multi-body system dynamic model of tank and mathematical model of control system.The results demonstrate that the prediction method of projectile-target intersection based on uncertainty analysis can effectively decrease the uncertainties of system,improve the prediction accuracy,and increase the hit probability.The adaptive robust constraint-following control can effectively restrain the uncertainties caused by road excitation and model error.

Early warning system for shallow landslides using rainfall threshold and slope stability analysis

A combined cluster and regression analysis were performed for the first time to identify rainfall threshold that triggers landslide events in Amboori, Kerala, India. Amboori is a tropical area that is highly vulnerable to landslides. The 2, 3, and 5-day antecedent rainfall data versus daily rainfall was clustered to identify a cluster of critical events that could potentially trigger landslides. Further, the cluster of critical events was utilized for regression analysis to develop the threshold equations. The 5-day antecedent(xvariable) vs. daily rainfall(y-variable) provided the best fit to the data with a threshold equation of y = 80.7-0.1981 x. The intercept of the equation indicates that if the 5-day antecedent rainfall is zero, the minimum daily rainfall needed to trigger the landslide in the Amboori region would be 80.7 mm. The negative coefficient of the antecedent rainfall indicates that when the cumulative antecedent rainfall increases, the amount of daily rainfall required to trigger monsoon landslide decreases. The coefficient value indicates that the contribution of the 5-day antecedent rainfall is～20% to the landslide trigger threshold. The slope stability analysis carried out for the area, using Probabilistic Infinite Slope Analysis Model(PISA-m), was utilized to identify the areas vulnerable to landslide in the region. The locations in the area where past landslides have occurred demonstrate lower Factors of Safety(FS) in the slope stability analysis. Thus, rainfall threshold analysis together with the FS values from slope stability can be suitable for developing a simple, cost-effective, and comprehensive early-warning system for shallow landslides in Amboori and similar regions.

Rock-soil slope stability analysis by two-phase random media and finite elements

To investigate the strong random nature of the geometric interfaces between soil and rock, a rock-soil slope is considered as a two-phase random medium. A nonlinear translation of a Gaussian field is utilized to simulate the two-phase random media, such that the soil(or rock) volume fraction and the inclination of the soil layer can be examined. The finite element method with random media incorporated as the material properties is used to determine the factor of safety of the rock-soil slope. Monte-Carlo simulations are used to estimate the statistical characteristics of the factor of safety. The failure mode of the rock-soil slope is examined by observing the maximum principal plastic strain at incipient slope failure. It is found that the critical surface of a rock-soil slope is fairly irregular, and it significantly differs from that of a pure soil slope. The factor of safety is sensitive to the soil volume faction, but it is predictable. The average factor of safety could be well predicted by the weighted harmonic average between the strength of soil and rock; the prediction model is practical and simple. Parametric studies on the inclination of the soil layer demonstrate that the most instable scenario occurs when the slope angle is consistent with the inclination of the soil layer.

Stability Analysis of Hybrid-Driven Underwater Glider

Hybrid-driven underwater glider is a new type of tmmanned underwater vehicle, which combines the advantages of autonomous underwater vehicles and traditional underwater gliders. The autonomous underwater vehicles have good maneuverability and can travel with a high speed, while the traditional underwater gliders are highlighted by low power consumption, long voyage, long endurance and good stealth characteristics. The hybrid-driven underwater gliders can realize variable motion profiles by their own buoyancy-driven and propeller propulsion systems. Stability of the mechanical system determines the performance of the system. In this paper, the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider developed by Tianjin University is selected as the research object and the stability of hybrid-driven underwater glider unitedly controlled by buoyancy and propeller has been targeted and evidenced. The dimensionless equations of the hybrid-driven underwater glider are obtained when the propeller is working. Then, the steady speed and steady glide path angle under steady-state motion have also been achieved. The steady-state operating conditions can be calculated when the hybrid-driven underwater glider reaches the desired steady-state motion. And the steady- state operating conditions are relatively conservative at the lower bound of the velocity range compared with the range of the velocity derived from the method of the composite Lyapunov function. By calculating the hydrodynamic coefficients of the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider, the simulation analysis has been conducted. In addition, the results of the field trials conducted in the South China Sea and the Danjiangkou Reservoir of China have been presented to illustrate the validity of the analysis and simulations.and to show the feasibility of the method of the composite Lyapunov function which verifies the stability of the Petrel-II hybrid-driven underwater glider.

Combined influence of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability evaluated by upper-bound limit analysis

The combined influence of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability was evaluated using the upper-bound limit analysis theorem.The mechanism of slope collapse was analyzed by dividing it into arbitrary discrete soil blocks with the nonlinear Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and nonassociated flow rule.The multipoint tangent(multi-tangent) technique was used to analyze the slope stability by linearizing the nonlinear failure criterion.A general expression for the slope safety factor was derived based on the virtual work principle and the strength reduction technique,and the global slope safety factor can be obtained by the optimization method of nonlinear sequential quadratic programming.The results show better agreement with previous research result when the nonlinear failure criterion reduces to a linear failure criterion or the non-associated flow rule reduces to an associated flow rule,which demonstrates the rationality of the presented method.Slope safety factors calculated by the multi-tangent inclined-slices technique were smaller than those obtained by the traditional single-tangent inclined-slices technique.The results show that the multi-tangent inclined-slices technique is a safe and effective method of slope stability limit analysis.The combined effect of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability was analyzed,and the parameter analysis indicates that nonlinearity and dilation have significant influence on the result of slope stability analysis.

Probabilistic approach for open pit bench slope stability analysis——A mine case study

The geotechnical slope design of an open pit wall starts at the bench scale configuration.At this scale,the rock slope stability is governed primarily by the geological discontinuities within the rock mass and as a result,structurally-controlled failures(e.g.planar,wedge or toppling)are most likely to occur.The probabilistic approach offers a major advantage over the traditional deterministic method in that it accounts for the different degrees of variability and uncertainty often encountered in rock properties.This paper presents a bench slope stability assessment for an open pit mine in Peru using a probabilistic-based approach by coupling a kinematic analysis based on stereographic projection techniques followed by a kinetic analysis by means of the limit equilibrium method.Finally,these two probabilities are combined to provide an overall measure of the probability of failure(PoF)of the bench slope system.The case study is characterized by significant scatter in the geometrical and mechanical properties of the joints.Extensive surface mapping was conducted at 36 different sites following the ISRM suggested procedures.Several direct shear tests were carried out.It is shown that by combining field and laboratory measurements and engineering judgment,the probability density functions(PDF)of the discontinuity parameters can be obtained.These are then used in a Monte Carlo simulation process to compute both kinematic and kinetic probabilities of failure.The overall probability of failure aims to provide the design engineer with a tool to critically evaluate the bench performance from a geotechnical risk perspective and to provide a basis for future bench design optimization.