Stability analysis and design of time-delay uncertain systems using robust reliability method

A robust reliability method for stability analysis and reliability-based stabilization of time-delay dynamic systems with uncertain but bounded parameters is presented by treating the uncertain parameters as interval variables.The performance function used for robust reliability analysis is defined by a delayindependent stability criterion.The design of robust controllers is carried out by solving a reliability-based optimization problem in which the control cost satisfying design requirements is minimized.This kind of treatment makes it possible to achieve a balance between the reliability and control cost in the design of controller when uncertainties must be taken into account.By the method,a robust reliability measure of the degree of stability of a time-delay uncertain system can be provided,and the maximum robustness bounds of uncertain parameters such that the time-delay system to be stable can be obtained.All the procedures are based on the linear matrix inequality approach and therefore can be carried out conveniently.The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method are demonstrated with two practical examples.It is shown by numerical simulations and comparison that it is meaningful to take the robust reliability into account in the control design of uncertain systems.

Reliability-based Robust Optimization Design of Automobile Components with Non-normal Distribution Parameters

In the reliability designing procedure of the vehicle components, when the distribution styles of the random variables are unknown or non-normal distribution, the result evaluated contains great error or even is wrong if the reliability value R is larger than 1 by using the existent method, in which case the formula is necessary to be revised. This is obviously inconvenient for programming. Combining reliability-based optimization theory, robust designing method and reliability based sensitivity analysis, a new method for reliability robust designing is proposed. Therefore the influence level of the designing parameters’ changing to the reliability of vehicle components can be obtained. The reliability sensitivity with respect to design parameters is viewed as a sub-objective function in the multi-objective optimization problem satisfying reliability constraints. Given the first four moments of basic random variables, a fourth-moment technique and the proposed optimization procedure can obtain reliability-based robust design of automobile components with non-normal distribution parameters accurately and quickly. By using the proposed method, the distribution style of the random parameters is relaxed. Therefore it is much closer to the actual reliability problems. The numerical examples indicate the following: (1) The reliability value obtained by the robust method proposed increases (】0.04%) comparing to the value obtained by the ordinary optimization algorithm; (2) The absolute value of reliability-based sensitivity decreases (】0.01%), and the robustness of the products’ quality is improved accordingly. Utilizing the reliability-based optimization and robust design method in the reliability designing procedure reduces the manufacture cost and provides the theoretical basis for the reliability and robust design of the vehicle components.

A Comprehensive Model for Structural Non-Probabilistic Reliability and the Key Algorithms

It is very difficult to know the exact boundaries of the variable domain for problems with small sample size,and the traditional convex set model is no longer applicable.In view of this,a novel reliability model was proposed on the basis of the fuzzy convex set(FCS)model.This new reliability model can account for different relations between the structural failure region and variable domain.Key computational algorithms were studied in detail.First,the optimization strategy for robust reliability is improved.Second,Monte Carlo algorithms(i.e.,uniform sampling method)for hyper-ellipsoidal convex sets were studied in detail,and errors in previous reports were corrected.Finally,the Gauss-Legendre integral algorithm was used for calculation of the integral reliability index.Three numerical examples are presented here to illustrate the rationality and feasibility of the proposed model and its corresponding algorithms.

APPLICATION OF SURROGATE BASED PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION TO THE RELIABILITY-BASED ROBUST DESIGN OF COMPOSITE PRESSURE VESSELS

A surrogate based particle swarm optimization （SBPSO） algorithm which combines the surrogate modeling technique and particle swarm optimization is applied to the reliability- based robust design （RBRD） of composite pressure vessels. The algorithm and efficiency of SBPSO are displayed through numerical examples. A model for filament-wound composite pressure vessels with metallic liner is then studied by netting analysis and its responses are analyzed by using Finite element method （performed by software ANSYS）. An optimization problem for maximizing the performance factor is formulated by choosing the winding orientation of the helical plies in the cylindrical portion, the thickness of metal liner and the drop off region size as the design variables. Strength constraints for composite layers and the metal liner are constructed by using Tsai-Wu failure criterion and Mises failure criterion respectively. Numerical examples show that the method proposed can effectively solve the RBRD problem, and the optimal results of the proposed model can satisfy certain reliability requirement and have the robustness to the fluctuation of design variables.