Sensitivity Analysis Approach to Multibody Systems Described by Natural Coordinates

The classical natural coordinate modeling method which removes the Euler angles and Euler parameters from the governing equations is particularly suitable for the sensitivity analysis and optimization of multibody systems. However, the formulation has so many principles in choosing the generalized coordinates that it hinders the implementation of modeling automation, A first order direct sensitivity analysis approach to multibody systems formulated with novel natural coordinates is presented. Firstly, a new selection method for natural coordinate is developed. The method introduces 12 coordinates to describe the position and orientation of a spatial object. On the basis of the proposed natural coordinates, rigid constraint conditions, the basic constraint elements as well as the initial conditions for the governing equations are derived. Considering the characteristics of the governing equations, the newly proposed generalized-ct integration method is used and the corresponding algorithm flowchart is discussed. The objective function, the detailed analysis process of first order direct sensitivity analysis and related solving strategy are provided based on the previous modeling system Finally, in order to verify the validity and accuracy of the method presented, the sensitivity analysis of a planar spinner-slider mechanism and a spatial crank-slider mechanism are conducted. The test results agree well with that of the finite difference method, and the maximum absolute deviation of the results is less than 3%. The proposed approach is not only convenient for automatic modeling, but also helpful for the reduction of the complexity of sensitivity analysis, which provides a practical and effective way to obtain sensitivity for the optimization problems of multibody systems.

Exact solution for warping of spatial curved beams in natural coordinates

The purpose of the paper is to present an exact analytical solution of a spatial curved beam under multiple loads based on the existing theory. The transverse shear deformation and torsion-related warping effects are taken into account. By using this solution, a plane curved beam subjected to uniform vertical loads and torsions is analyzed. Accuracy and efficiency of present theory are demonstrated by comparing its numerical results with Heins＇ solution. Furthermore, the effects of the transverse shear deformation and torsion-related warping on deformation of the beam are discussed.

Robust coordination of interdependent electricity and natural gas systems in day-ahead scheduling for facilitating volatile renewable generations via power-to-gas technology

The increasing interdependency of electricity and natural gas systems promotes coordination of the two systems for ensuring operational security and economics.This paper proposes a robust day-ahead scheduling model for the optimal coordinated operation of integrated energy systems while considering key uncertainties of the power system and natural gas system operation cost. Energy hub,with collocated gas-fired units, power-to-gas(Pt G) facilities, and natural gas storages, is considered to store or convert one type of energy(i.e., electricity or natural gas)into the other form, which could analogously function as large-scale electrical energy storages. The column-andconstraint generation(C&CG) is adopted to solve the proposed integrated robust model, in which nonlinear natural gas network constraints are reformulated via a set of linear constraints. Numerical experiments signify the effectiveness of the proposed model for handling volatile electrical loads and renewable generations via the coordinated scheduling of electricity and natural gas systems.

Deployment dynamics of a simplified spinning IKAROS solar sail via absolute coordinate based method

The spinning solar sail of large scale has been well developed in recent years. Such a solar sail can be considered as a rigid-flexible multibody system mainly composed of a spinning central rigid hub, a number of flexible thin tethers, sail membranes, and tip masses. A simplified interplanetary kite-craft accelerated by radiation of the Sun （IKAROS） model is established in this study by using the absolute-coordinate-based （ACB） method that combines the natural coordinate formulation （NCF） describing the central rigid hub and the absolute nodal coordinate formulation （ANCF） describing flexible parts. The initial configuration of the system in the second-stage deployment is determined through both dynamic and static analyses. The huge set of stiff equations of system dynamics is solved by using the generalized-alpha method, and thus the deployment dynamics of the system can be well understood.

Study of elastic wave propagation in two phase anisotropic media by numerical modeling of pseudospectral method

When there exists anisotropy in underground media elastic parameters of the observed coordinate possibly do not coincide with that of the natural coordinate. According to the theory that the density of potential energy, dissipating energy is independent of the coordinate, the relationship of elastic parameters between two coordinates is derived for two-phase anisotropic media. Then, pseudospectral method to solve wave equations of two-phase anisotropic media is derived. At last, we use this method to simulate wave propagation in two-phase anisotropic media four types of waves are observed in the snapshots, i.e., fast P wave and slow P wave, fast S wave and slow S wave. Shear wave splitting, SV wave cusps and elastic wave reflection and transmission are also observed.

Streamwise Vorticity Equation

A streamwise vorticity equation is derived in generalized natural coordinates. This equation reveals that the total change and local change of the streamwise vorticity are mainly determined by the curvature of streamline, unsteady feature of streamline and magnitude of velocity. This equation enables the study of mesoscale or small-scale systems since the term associated with pressure gradient force in the original vorticity equation is replaced by terms associated with streamlines and wind speed. With this modification the wind field rather than the pressure field is used in the calculation considering that 1) the pressure field is to adapt wind field. 2) Smoother and more consecutive streamline pattern is easier to obtain either by data analysis or by the numerical simulation. From this sense, this present study suggests the application of this equation to studying the evolution of severe storm system as well as other simplified cases. Key words Wind field instead of pressure field - Generalized natural coordinate - Streamwise vorticity This work was supported by the project on the study of the formative mechanism and predictive theory of the significant climate and weather disaster in China under Grant G 1998040907 and by the key project on the Dynamic Study of Severe Mesoscale Covective Systems sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 49735180.

Stability case study of the ACROBOTER underactuated service robot

The dynamics of classical robotic systems are usually described by ordinary differential equations via selecting a minimum set of independent generalized coordinates. However, different parameterizations and the use of a nonminimum set of （dependent） generalized coordinates can be advantageous in such cases when the modeled device contains closed kinematic loops and/or it has a complex structure. On one hand, the use of dependent coordinates, like natural coordinates, leads to a different mathematical representation where the equations of motion are given in the form of differential algebraic equations. On the other hand, the control design of underactuated robots usually relies on partial feedback linearization based techniques which are exclusively developed for systems modeled by independent coordinates. In this paper we propose a different control algorithm formulated by using dependent coordinates. The applied computed torque controller is realized via introducing actuator constraints that complement the kinematic constraints which are used to describe the dynamics of the investigated service robotic system in relatively simple and compact form. The proposed controller is applied to the computed torque control of the planar model of the ACROBOTER service robot. The stability analysis of the digitally controlled underactuated service robot is provided as a real parameter case study for selecting the optimal control gains.

Evaluation of E-sail parameters on central spacecraft attitude stability using a high-fidelity rigid–flexible coupling model

This study examines the impact of electric solar wind sail(E-sail)parameters on the attitude stability of E-sail’s central spacecraft by using a comprehensive rigid–flexible coupling dynamic model.In this model,the nodal position finite element method is used to model the elastic deformation of the tethers through interconnected two-node tensile elements.The attitude dynamics of the central spacecraft is described using a natural coordinate formulation.The rigid–flexible coupling between the central spacecraft and its flexible tethers is established using Lagrange multipliers.Our research reveals the significant influences of parameters such as tether numbers,tether’s electric potential,and solar wind velocity on attitude stability.Specifically,solar wind fluctuations and the distribution of electric potential on the main tethers considerably affect the attitude stability of the spacecraft.For consistent management,the angular velocities of the spacecraft must remain at target values.Moreover,the attitude stability of a spacecraft has a pronounced dependence on the geometrical configuration of the E-sail,with axisymmetric E-sails proving to be more stable.

A Note on Natural Coordinates and Frenet Frames

This paper discusses the relationship between natural coordinates in fluid mechanics and orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. Since orthogonal curvilinear coordinates have some excellent mathematical properties, natural coordinates can be applied more widely if they can be transformed to orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. Frenet formulas which describe the differential properties of natural coordinates were compared with the derivative formulas of orthogonal curvilinear coordinates to show that natural coordinates are not generally orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. A method was introduced to transform natural coordinormal planes of the natural coordinates about the streamlines. The transformation is true as long as the natural coordinates satisfy several equations. Vorticity decomposition in the natural coordinates is used to show that these conditional equations are satisfied only if the streamlines are perpendicular to the vortexlines on every given point in the flow field. These equations apply in both planar flows and axisymmetric flows without a circumferential velocity component, but do not apply in some 3-D flows such as Beltrami flow.

Integration of power-to-hydrogen in day-ahead security-constrained unit commitment with high wind penetration

The increasing integration of variable wind generation has aggravated the imbalance between electricity supply and demand. Power-to-hydrogen(P2H) is a promising solution to balance supply and demand in a variable power grid, in which excess wind power is converted into hydrogen via electrolysis and stored for later use. In this study, an energy hub(EH) with both a P2H facility(electrolyzer) and a gas-to-power(G2P) facility(hydrogen gas turbine) is proposed to accommodate a high penetration of wind power. The EH is modeled and integrated into a security-constrained unit commitment(SCUC) problem, and this optimization problem is solved by a mixed-integer linear programming(MILP) method with the Benders decomposition technique. Case studies are presented to validate the proposed model and elaborate on the technological potential of integrating P2H into a power system with a high level of wind penetration(HWP).