Serge Ondoua

Ontology-based Information Model for the Exchange of Uncertainty in Load Carrying Structures

Knowledge about future process properties is crucial for the development of safe and economic products with load carrying structures. Real processes are influenced by uncertainty what causes scattering and deviation from assumed values. As a consequence, products are often oversized or even product failures can occur. To control uncertainty, extensive knowledge about future processes is necessary in the development process. This paper shows an approach for the representation of uncertainty in production-and usage-processes, according to scattering properties and their cause and effect relations. This approach is used as a common platform for storing, locating, comparing and reuse of knowledge about uncertain properties and their relations. The core of the proposed approach is an ontology-based information model with the ability to represent different levels of trusted information in relation to process parameters and cause and effect relations.

Approach to Evaluate Uncertainty in Passive and Active Vibration Reduction

Uncertainty is an important design constraint when configuring a dynamic mechanical system that is subject to passive or active vibration reduction. Uncertainty can be divided into the categories unknown, estimated and stochastic uncertainty depending on the amount of information, e.g. of the principal mechanical parameter’s deviation in inertia, energy dissipation, compliance and today more and more with active energy feeding to enhance damping. In this paper, these uncertainty categories as well as solutions for uncertainty control in the early design phase will be described and evaluated analytically in a simple but consistent and transparent way on the basis of a mathematical dynamic linear model. The model is a one degree of freedom mass-damper-spring system representing a suspension leg supporting a vehicle’s chassis that is subject to passive and active damping. The amplitude and phase responses in frequency domain are shown analytically in case studies for different assumptions of the effective uncertainty. Amongst others, sample tests are conducted by Monte Carlo Simulations when stochastic uncertainty is considered. The uncertainty examinations on vibration reduction for the selected dynamical model show promising results indicating the predominance of active damping vs. passive damping statistically.

Active stabilization of a slender beam-column under static axial loading and estimated uncertainty in actuator properties

Buckling of load-carrying beam-columns is a severe failure scenario in light-weight structures. The authors present an approach to actively stabilize a slender beam-column under static axial load to prevent it from buckling in its first buckling mode. For that, controlled active counteracting forces are applied by two piezoelectric stack actuators near the column’s fixed base, achieving a 40% higher axial critical load and leaving most of the column’s surface free from actuation devices. However, uncertain actuator properties due to tolerances in characteristic maximum free stroke and blocking force capability have an influence on the active stabilization. This uncertainty and its effect on active buckling control is investigated by numerical simulation, based on experimental tests to determine the actual maximum free stroke and blocking force for several piezoelectric stack actuators. The simulation shows that the success of active buckling control depends on the actuator’s variation in its maximum free stroke and blocking force capability.

Evaluation and Control of Uncertainty in Using an Active Column System

Uncertainty in usage of load-carrying systems mainly results from not fully knownloads and strength. This article discusses basic approaches to control uncertainty in usage ofload-carrying systems by passive and active means. An active low damped column system critical to buckling is presented in which a slender column can be stabilised actively by piezo stackactuators at one of its ends only. Uncertainty may be controlled in the active column systemby temporarily enhancing the bearable axial load theoretically up to three times compared to the passive column system in case of critical loading. However, in the implementation of theseapproaches, system-speci c uncertainty may also occur. In numerical examinations it is shown, that small deviations in measured axial loading may increase the active force signi cantly to achieve stabilisation. The increase of applied active force might affect lifetime of the piezo stackactuators and thus the stabilising capability of the active column system.