Finite element analysis of dynamic stability of skeletal structures under periodic loading

This paper addresses the dynamic stability problem of columns and frames subjected to axially applied periodic loads. Such a structure can become unstable under certain combinations of amplitudes and frequencies of the imposed load acting on its columns/beams. These are usually shown in the form of plots which describe regions of instability. The finite element method (FEM) is used in this work to analyse dynamic stability problems of columns. Two-noded beam elements are used for this purpose. The periodic loading is decomposed into various harmonics using Fourier series expansion. Computer codes in C++ using object oriented concepts are developed to determine the stability regions of columns subjected to periodic loading. A number of nu-merical examples are presented to illustrate the working of the program. The direct integration of the equations of motions of the discretised system is carried out using Newmark’s method to verify the results.

THE APPLICATION OF COMPATIBLE STRESS ITERATIVE METHOD IN DYNAMIC FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT

There is a common difficulty in elastic-plastic impact codes such as EPIC[2,3] NONSAP[4], etc.. Most of these codes use the simple linear functions usually taken from static problem to represent the displacement components. In such finite element formulation, the stress components are constant in each element and they are discontinuous in any two neighboring elements. Therefore, the bases of using the virtual work principle in such elements are unreliable. In this paper, we introduce a new method, namely, the compatible stress iterative method, to eliminate the above-said difficulty. The calculated examples show that the calculation using the new method in dynamic finite element analysis of high velocity impact is valid and stable, and the element stiffness can be somewhat reduced.

Study of Finite Element Analysis on Launch Vehicle Connection Structural Strength

The strength of the connection structure has always been a key issue in the structural design of a launch vehicle.In this paper,the finite element analysis method is used for the strength of typical connection structures of a new launch vehicle.The research scope includes the inter-stage connection structure and the bundle connection structure.Aiming at establishing the strength of these two connection structures under flight conditions,we built a refined finite element model,simulated the bolt tensile test and obtained a calculation criteria,and carried out finite element analysis of the connection structures under flight conditions.As a result,we not only established the analysis and evaluation method of the connection structures based on the refined finite element modeling analysis,but also provided a fast numerical simulation design method for the development of the launch vehicle’s connection structures,which greatly improved the design efficiency and reduced the design risk.

Light weight analysis of a skeleton vehicle frame using BS960 super-high-strength steel

Static strength finite element analysis was conducted to decrease the weight of a skeleton vehicle＇s frame. Results indicated that the maximum stress occurs on the front beam ＇s variable section area. Dynamic sensitivity analysis elucidated the relationship between the maximum stress and the thickness of a particular beam,e. g.,top,middle,and bottom beam. Displacement was analyzed by the key part that influenced the maximum stress. Finally,the new plan using BS960 super-high-strength beam steel and the preferred beam thickness was compared with the original plan. New combinations of beam thickness were introduced on the basis of different purposes; the maximum responding light w eight ratio was 21%.

Dynamic Analysis of A Deepwater Drilling Riser with A New Hang-off System

The safety of risers in hang-off states is a vital challenge in offshore oil and gas engineering.A new hang-off system installed on top of risers is proposed for improving the security of risers.This approach leads to a challenging problem:coupling the dynamics of risers with a new hang-off system combined with multiple structures and complex constraints.To accurately analyze the dynamic responses of the coupled system,a coupled dynamic model is established based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam-column theory and penalty function method.A comprehensive analysis method is proposed for coupled dynamic analysis by combining the finite element method and the Newmarkβmethod.An analysis program is also developed in MATLAB for dynamic simulation.The simulation results show that the dynamic performances of the risers at the top part are significantly improved by the new hang-off system,especially the novel design,which includes the centralizer and articulation joint.The bending moment and lateral deformation of the risers at the top part decrease,while the hang-off joint experiences a great bending moment at the bottom of the lateral restraint area which requires particular attention in design and application.The platform navigation speed range under the safety limits of risers expands with the new hang-off system in use.

Dynamic Characteristics of Inflated Torus Using Finite Element Analysis

In recent years, inflatable structures have been a subject of interest for space applications such as communication antenna, solar thermal propulsion and entry/landing systems. The inflatable structures characterized by high strength-to-mass ratios, minimal stowage volume, which makes them suitable for cost-effective large space structures. A typical example for the inflatable structure is the inflated torus which often used in order to provide structure support. In this study, our main focus is to understand the dynamic characteristics of an inflated torus in order to formulate an accurate mathematical model suitable for active vibration control applications. A commercial finite element package, ANSYS, is used to model the inflated torus. To verify the model the obtained frequencies and mode shapes are compared with the published results, which are derived using analytical approach, the verification shows a good agreement between the FEM and the analytical results. Based on the verified model, parametric study was investigated; the material thickness increase causes the natural frequencies decrease, while the increase of the inflation pressure simply results in stiffening the ring, which means that the natural frequency increased. The FEM analysis gives an easy and fast way for the vibration analysis of the structures compared with the complicated analytical solutions.

An explicit finite element method for dynamic analysis in three-medium coupling system and its application

In this paper, an explicit finite element method to analyze the dynamic responses of three-medium coupled systems with any terrain is developed on the basis of the numerical simulation of the continuous conditions on the bounda-ries among fluid saturated porous medium, elastic single-phase medium and ideal fluid medium. This method is a very effective one with the characteristic of high calculating speed and small memory needed because the formulae for this explicit finite element method have the characteristic of decoupling, and which does not need to solve sys-tem of linear equations. The method is applied to analyze the dynamic response of a reservoir with considering the dynamic interactions among water, dam, sediment and basement rock. The vertical displacement at the top point of the dam is calculated and some conclusions are given.

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Paper Movement in Air

In order to improve the office paper feeder design, and eliminate paper jam fault in running office equipment, the static deformation and dynamic response of paper were analyzed by use of the Finite Element Method (FEM). In the analysis, the three nodes mangle plate and shell element were employed, and finite element incremental formulations were derived on the basis of Updated Lagrangian (U.L) description. The newmark method was used to analyze the transient response of paper. All the results calculated in this article coincide with those by experiments.

Dynamic analysis of pavement on long span steel bridge decks

In order to analyze the dynamic response of pavement on long-span steel bridge decks under random dynamic loads, the irregularities of the pavement surface is simulated with the power spectrum density function, and the random load is calculated according to a vehicle vibration equation of vehicle model. The mechanical responses of three different cases are compared by using a transient dynamic analysis method, i. e., under random dynamic load, constant moving load and dead load respectively. The results indicate that the mid-span of two adjacent transversal diaphragms is the worst load position. The maximum vertical displacement and the maximum transversal tensile stress of the pavement are 1.33 times and 1.39 times as much as those when only considering the impact coefficients. This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the mixture design and structural design of pavement, but also puts forward higher demand on the construction and maintenance for steel deck pavement.

Dynamic analysis and experimental study of vibro-acoustic system with uncertainties at middle frequencies

To take into account the influence of uncetainties on the dynamic response of the vibro-acousitc structure, a hybrid modeling technique combining the finite element method（FE）and the statistic energy analysis（SEA） is proposed to analyze vibro-acoustics responses with uncertainties at middle frequencies. The mid-frequency dynamic response of the framework-plate structure with uncertainties is studied based on the hybrid FE-SEA method and the Monte Carlo（MC）simulation is performed so as to provide a benchmark comparison with the hybrid method. The energy response of the framework-plate structure matches well with the MC simulation results, which validates the effectiveness of the hybrid FE-SEA method considering both the complexity of the vibro-acoustic structure and the uncertainties in mid-frequency vibro-acousitc analysis. Based on the hybrid method, a vibroacoustic model of a construction machinery cab with random properties is established, and the excitations of the model are measured by experiments. The responses of the sound pressure level of the cab and the vibration power spectrum density of the front windscreen are calculated and compared with those of the experiment. At middle frequencies, the results have a good consistency with the tests and the prediction error is less than 3. 5dB.

Hydraulic calculation and dynamic analysis of columnar reversing gate

According to the hydraulic calculation principles of the orifice outflow, the discharge capacity of the columnar reversing gate under the partial opening condition was calculated and checked. Using ANSYS, a large finite element analysis software, the discharge process was simulated. The distribution rule of the velocities in the gate chamber and downstream channel was obtained. An FEM model of the columnar reversing gate was built, and the natural vibration properties of the gate were analyzed. Based on the Westergaard added mass method, the added mass caused by the fluid-structure coupling motion was taken into account, and the effects of the coupling interaction were discussed. The results show that the size of the small gates meets the demand for discharge capacity, the current in the gate chamber is quite turbulent, the trunnion and arms are obviously impacted by flow, and the effects of water on vibration characteristics are remarkable. The study provides a reference for the design and calculation of gates of the same type.

Simplified Full Dynamic Analysis of a Railway Tunnel in Ethiopia

This paper presents an effective means of analyzing the safety of a tunnel under dynamic loading in areas with seismic records. A particular case of the railway tunnel in the earthquake-prone regions of the escarpment seismic zone of Ethiopia was the specific focus area of the research. Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) and deaggregation have been conducted to determine the design earthquake required as an input for the dynamic analysis. The PSHA performed by considering the operating design earthquake with conservative assumptions of the local geological features resulted in a peak ground acceleration of 0.36. Two pairs of design earthquake have been obtained from the deaggregation process, which were used to filter acceleration time histories for the selected design earthquake from the ground motion database of Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. Finally, full dynamic analyses of the tunnel have been performed by applying the scaled acceleration time histories corresponding to the structure in the specific site. It was demonstrated how to prove the stability of the tunnel located in difficult ground conditions by performing plane strain analyses with the possible minimum computational efforts.

Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Plate and Shell Construction

The response of random plate and shell construction is analyzed with the stochastic finite element method (SFEM). Random material properties and geometric dimensions of construction are involved in this paper. A simplified isoparametric local average model is used to describe the random field. Numerical results of the examples indicate that the approach presented herein is an economical and efficient solution for such an analysis compared with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS).

FEM modeling for 3D dynamic analysis of deep-ocean mining pipeline and its experimental verification

3D dynamic analysis models of 1000 m deep-ocean mining pipeline, including steel lift pipe, pump, buffer and flexible hose, were established by finite element method (FEM). The coupling effect of steel lift pipe and flexible hose, and main external loads of pipeline were considered in the models, such as gravity, buoyancy, hydrodynamic forces, internal and external fluid pressures, concentrated suspension buoyancy on the flexible hose, torsional moment and axial force induced by pump working. Some relevant FEM models and solution techniques were developed, according to various 3D transient behaviors of integrated deep-ocean mining pipeline, including towing motions of track-keeping operation and launch process of pipeline. Meanwhile, an experimental verification system in towing water tank that had similar characteristics of designed mining pipeline was developed to verify the accuracy of the FEM models and dynamic simulation. The experiment results show that the experimental records and simulation results of stress of pipe are coincided. Based on the further simulations of 1 000 m deep-ocean mining pipeline, the simulation results show that, to form configuration of a saddle shape, the total concentrated suspension buoyancy of flexible hose should be 95%?105% of the gravity of flexible hose in water, the first suspension point occupies 1/3 of the total buoyancy, and the second suspension point occupies 2/3 of the total buoyancy. When towing velocity of mining system is less than 0.5 m/s, the towing track of buffer is coincided with the setting route of ship on the whole and the configuration of flexible hose is also kept well.

Dynamic analysis and nonlinear identification of space deployable structure

The dynamic equivalent continuum modeling method of the mast which is based on energy equivalency principle was investigated. And three kinds of mast dynamic model were established, which were equivalent continuum model, finite element model and simulation model, respectively. The mast frequencies and mode shapes were calculated by these models and compared with each other. The error between the equivalent continuum model and the finite element model is less than 5% when the mast length is longer. Dynamic responses of the mast with different lengths are tested, the mode frequencies and mode shapes are compared with finite element model. The mode shapes match well with each other, while the frequencies tested by experiments are lower than the results of the finite element model, which reflects the joints lower the mast stiffness. The nonlinear dynamic characteristics are presented in the dynamic responses of the mast under different excitation force levels. The joint nonlinearities in the deployable mast are identified as nonlinear hysteresis contributed by the coulomb friction which soften the mast stiffness and lower the mast frequencies.

Dynamic Analysis of Overhead Transmission Lines under Turbulent Wind Loading

Transmission tower-line systems are designed using static loads specified in various codes. This paper compares the dynamic response of a test transmission line with the response due to static loads given by Eurocode. Finite element design software SAP2000 was used to model the towers and lines. Non-linear dynamic analysis including the large displacement effects was carried out. Macroscopic aspects of wind coherence along element length and integration time step were investigated. An approach is presented to compare the probabilistic dynamic response due to 7 different stochastically simulated wind fields with the response according to EN-50341. The developed model will be used to study the response recorded on a test line due to the actual wind speed time history recorded. It was found that static load from EN overestimated the strength of conductor cables. The response of coupled system considering towers and cables was found to be different from response of only cables with fixed supports.

SEMI-ANALYTICAL AND SEMI-NUMERICAL METHOD FOR DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF FOUNDATION

A semi-analytical and semi-numerical method is proposed for the dynamic analysis of foundations. The Lamb＇s solution and the approximate formulae were used to establish the relation of the contact force and deflection between the foundation and soil. Therefore, the foundation can be separated from soil and analyzed by FEM as for the static cases. The plate can be treated as that the known forces are acting on the upper surface, and the contact pressure from soil can be represented as the deflection. So that only the plate needs to be divided into elements in the analysis. By this method, a series of vibration problems, including various shapes and rigidities of foundations, different excitation frequencies, were analyzed. Furthermore, it can be used for the embedded foundation. The numerical examples show that this method has simplicity, highly accurate and versatile. It is an effective method for the dynamic analysis of foundations.

Dynamic analysis of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible couplings

The dynamics of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is explored. Firstly, a spatial beam element model for finite element analysis is established. Then, the differential equation of motion of beam element is derived based on finite element method. The kinematic constraints of parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links are obtained by analyzing the motive parameters of moving platform and the relationships of movements of kinematic chains, and the overall kinetic equation of the parallel mechanism with rigid and flexible links is derived by assembling the differential equations of motion of components. On the basis of abovementioned analyses, the dynamic mechanical analysis of the spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is conducted. After obtaining the method for force analysis and expressions for the calculation of dynamic stress of flexible components, the dynamic analysis and simulation of spatial parallel manipulator with rigid and flexible links is performed. The result shows that because of the elastic deformation of flexible components in the parallel mechanism with rigid and flexible links, the force on each component in the mechanism fluctuates sharply, and the change of normal stress at the root of drive components is also remarkable. This study provides references for further studies on the dynamic characteristics of parallel mechanisms with rigid and flexible links and for the optimization of the design of the mechanism.

Dynamic Analysis of Submarine Pipelines on an Elastic / Viscoelastic Foundation

This paper presents a new finite element method for solving static and dynamic problems in laying operation of pipelines. The effect of the viscoelastic soil behavior is considered by using the Pasternak foundation model. Some examples are also presented.

Seismic Deformation and Seismic Resistance Analysis of Shapai Roller Compacted Concrete Arch Dam Based on Field Monitoring and Dynamic Finite Element Method

Shapai Roller Compacted Concrete(RCC) Arch Dam is the highest RCC arch dam of the 20th century in the world with a maximum height of 132m,and it is the only concrete arch dam near the epicentre of Wenchuan earthquake on May 12th,2008.The seismic damage to the dam and the resistance of the dam has drawn great attention.This paper analyzed the response and resistance of the dam to the seismic wave using numerical simulations with comparison to the monitored data.The field investigation after the earthquake and analysis of insitu data record showed that there was only little variation in the opening size at the dam and foundation interface,transverse joints and inducing joints before and after the earthquake.The overall stability of the dam abutment resistance body was quite good except a little relaxation was observed.The results of the dynamic finite element method(FEM) showed that the sizes of the openings obtained from the numerical modeling are comparable with the monitored values,and the change of the opening size is in millimeter range.This study revealed that Shapai arch dam exhibited high seismic resistance and overload capacity in the Wenchuan earthquake event.The comparison of the monitored and simulated results showed that the numerical method applied in this paper well simulated the seismic response of the dam.The method could be useful in the future application on the safety evaluation of RCC dams.