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- All Subjects: Mechanical Engineering
- Creators: Berman, Spring
- Creators: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program
Description
This thesis lays down a foundation for more advanced work on bipeds by carefully examining cart-inverted pendulum systems (CIPS, often used to approximate each leg of a biped) and associated closed loop performance tradeoffs. A CIPS is characterized by an instability (associated with the tendency of the pendulum to fall) and a right half plane (RHP, non-minimum phase) zero (associated with the cart displacement x). For such a system, the zero is typically close to (and smaller) than the instability. As such, a classical PK control structure would result in very poor sensitivity properties.It is therefore common to use a hierarchical inner-outer loop structure. As such, this thesis examines how such a structure can be used to improve sensitivity properties beyond a classic PK structure and systematically tradeoff sensitivity properties at the plant input/output. While the instability requires a minimum bandwidth at the plant input, the RHP zero imposes a maximum bandwidth on the cart displacement x.
Three CIPs are examined – one with a long, short and an intermediately sized pendulum. We show that while the short pendulum system is the most unstable and requires the largest bandwidth at the plant input for stabilization (hardest to control), it also has the largest RHP zero. Consequently, it will permit the largest cart displacement x-bandwidth, and hence, one can argue that the short pendulum system is easiest to control. Similarly, the long pendulum system is the least unstable and requires smallest bandwidth at the plant input for stabilization (easiest to control). However, because this system also possesses the smallest RHP zero it will permit the smallest cart displacement x-bandwidth, and hence, one can argue that the long pendulum system is the hardest to control. Analogous “intermediate conclusions” can be drawn for the system with the “intermediately sized” pendulum. A set of simple academic examples (growing in plant and controller complexity) are introduced to illustrate basic tradeoffs and guide the presentation of the trade studies.
ContributorsSarkar, Soham (Author) / Rodriguez, Armando (Thesis advisor) / Berman, Spring (Thesis advisor) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
An understanding of aerodynamics is crucial for automobile performance and efficiency. There are many types of “add-on” aerodynamic devices for cars including wings, splitters, and vortex generators. While these have been studied extensively, rear spoilers have not, and their effects are not as widely known. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel study was performed to study the effects of spoilers on vehicle aerodynamics and performance. Vehicle aerodynamics is geometry dependent, meaning what applies to one car may or may not apply on another. So, the Scion FRS was chosen as the test vehicle because it is has the “classic” sports car configuration with a long hood, short rear, and 2+2 passenger cabin while also being widely sold with a plethora of aftermarket aerodynamic modifications available. Due to computing and licensing restrictions, only a 2D CFD simulation was performed in ANSYS Fluent 19.1. A surface model of the centerline of the car was created in SolidWorks and imported into ANSYS, where the domain was created. A mesh convergence study was run to determine the optimum mesh size, and Realizable k-epsilon was the chosen physics model. The wind tunnel lacked equipment to record quantifiable data, so the wind tunnel was utilized for flow visualization on a 1/24 scale car model to compare with the CFD.
0° spoilers reduced the wake area behind the car, decreasing pressure drag but also decreasing underbody flow, causing a reduction in drag and downforce. Angled spoilers increased the wake area behind the car, increasing pressure drag but also increasing underbody flow, causing an increase in drag and downforce. Longer spoilers increased these effects compared to shorter spoilers, and short spoilers at different angles did not create significantly different effects. 0° spoilers would be best suited for cases that prioritize fuel economy or straight-line acceleration and speed due to the drag reduction, while angled spoilers would be best suited for cars requiring downforce. The angle and length of spoiler would depend on the downforce needed, which is dependent on the track.
0° spoilers reduced the wake area behind the car, decreasing pressure drag but also decreasing underbody flow, causing a reduction in drag and downforce. Angled spoilers increased the wake area behind the car, increasing pressure drag but also increasing underbody flow, causing an increase in drag and downforce. Longer spoilers increased these effects compared to shorter spoilers, and short spoilers at different angles did not create significantly different effects. 0° spoilers would be best suited for cases that prioritize fuel economy or straight-line acceleration and speed due to the drag reduction, while angled spoilers would be best suited for cars requiring downforce. The angle and length of spoiler would depend on the downforce needed, which is dependent on the track.
ContributorsNie, Alexander (Author) / Wells, Valana (Thesis director) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This paper investigates Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT) and the influence of treatment temperature and initial sample surface finish on the corrosion resistance of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy. Ambient SMAT was performed on AA7075 samples polished to 80-grit initial surface roughness. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were used to characterize the corrosion behavior of samples before and after SMAT. Electrochemical tests indicated an improved corrosion resistance after application of SMAT process. The observed improvements in corrosion properties are potentially due to microstructural changes in the material surface induced by SMAT which encouraged the formation of a passive oxide layer. Further testing and research are required to understand the corrosion related effects of cryogenic SMAT and initial-surface finish as the COVID-19 pandemic inhibited experimentation plans.
ContributorsDeorio, Jordan Anthony (Author) / Solanki, Kiran (Thesis director) / Rajagopalan, Jagannathan (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The ASU Compact X-ray Free Electron Laser (CXFEL) is a first of its kind instrument that will illuminate the processes of life and allow scientists to create more effective treatments for disease. The dimensions of the linear accelerator (LINAC) cavities must remain stable during operation, for a change in the geometry alters the standing wave microwave energy resonance within the cavities and leads to reflected rather than coupled and useful microwave energy to electric field coupling. This disturbs the electron bunch acceleration dynamics critical to the ultimate generation of x-ray pulses. Cooling water must be supplied to the electron generating RF-GUN, and linear accelerator (LINAC) structures at unique flowrate and temperature setpoints that are specific to the operating mode of the CXFEL. Design specifications for the water supply to the RF-GUN and three LINACs and were made for the nominal operating mode, which adds a 3 kW heat load to the water. To maintain steady cavity dimensions, water must be supplied to each device under test at 30.0 ºC ± 0.06 ºC. The flowrate of water must be 3.5 GPM to the RF-GUN and 2.5 GPM to each of the three LINACs with ± 0.01 GPM flowrate resolution. The primary function of the Dedicated-Precision Thermal Trim Unit (D-PTTU) is to control the flowrate and temperature of water supply to each device under test. A simplified model of the system was developed to select valves that would meet our design specifications for flowrate and temperature control. After using this model for valve selection, a detailed system model was created to simulate relevant coupled-domain physics of the integrated system. The detailed system model was used to determine the critical sensitivities of the system and will be used to optimize the performance of the system in the future. Before the detailed system model can be verified and tuned with experiments, the sensors were calibrated in an ice-bath to ensure the sensors measure accurate and precise values. During initial testing, the D-PTTU was able to achieve ± 0.02 ºC temperature resolution, which exceeds the design specification by a factor of three.
ContributorsGardeck, Alex John (Author) / Holl, Mark (Thesis director) / Smith, Dean (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This thesis project examines the stability margin for different rotor configurations for a quadcopter and compares them against each other to determine the most stable flight configuration possible. The first configuration develops a “standard” for quadcopters with each motor in a corner of a cube at a 60-degree angle from the Y-Axis. The remaining tests increase the angle five degrees per configuration, allowing the motors to get incrementally closer to each other until no longer viable. Five different tests are outlined below depicting the microscopic changes in the pitch and roll of the device. The on-board controller in the quad-copter tracks both the acceleration and gyroscopic movements of the device to obtain the stability margin of each test. Computational analysis is then used to calculate and compare the values found to determine the most stable configuration.
ContributorsCorino, Tyler Michael (Author) / Kuo, Chen-Yuan (Thesis director) / Lynch, John (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Arizona has been rapidly expanding in both population and construction over the last 20 years, and with the hot summer climate, many homeowners experience a significant increase in their utility bills. The cost to reduce these energy bills with home renovations can become expensive. This has become increasingly apparent over the last few years with the impact that covid had on the global supply chain. Prices of materials and labor have never been higher, and with this, the price of energy continues to increase. Therefore, it is important to explore methods to make homes more energy-efficient without the price tag. In addition to benefitting the homeowner by decreasing the cost of their monthly utility bills, making homes more energy efficient will aid in the overall goal of reducing carbon emissions.
ContributorsFiller, Peyton (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis director) / Parrish, Kristen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
As the explorations beyond the Earth's boundaries continue to evolve, researchers and engineers strive to develop versatile technologies capable of adapting to unknown space conditions. For instance, the utilization of Screw-Propelled Vehicles (SPVs) and robotics that utilize helical screws propulsion to transverse planetary bodies is a growing area of interest. An example of such technology is the Extant Exobiology Life Surveyor (EELS), a snake-like robot currently developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to explore the surface of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. However, the utilization of such a mechanism requires a deep and thorough understanding of screw mobility in uncertain conditions. The main approach to exploring screw dynamics and optimal design involves the utilization of Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations to assess interactions and behavior of screws when interacting with granular terrains. In this investigation, the Simplified Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (SJKR) model is implemented into the utilized simulation environment to account for cohesion effects similar to what is experienced on celestial bodies like Enceladus. The model is verified and validated through experimental and theoretical testing. Subsequently, the performance characteristics of screws are explored under varying parameters, such as thread depth, number of screw starts, and the material’s cohesion level. The study has examined significant relationships between the parameters under investigation and their influence on the screw performance.
ContributorsAbdelrahim, Mohammad (Author) / Marvi, Hamid (Thesis advisor) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Walking and mobility are essential aspects of our daily lives, enabling us to engage in various activities. Gait disorders and impaired mobility are widespread challenges faced by older adults and people with neurological injuries, as these conditions can significantly impact their quality of life, leading to a loss of independence and an increased risk of mortality. In response to these challenges, rehabilitation, and assistive robotics have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional gait therapy, offering potential solutions that are less labor-intensive and costly. Despite numerous advances in wearable lower-limb robotics, their current applicability remains confined to laboratory settings. To expand their utility to broader gait impairments and daily living conditions, there is a pressing need for more intelligent robot controllers. In this dissertation, these challenges are tackled from two perspectives: First, to improve the robot's understanding of human motion and intentions which is crucial for assistive robot control, a robust human locomotion estimation technique is presented, focusing on measuring trunk motion. Employing an invariant extended Kalman filtering method that takes sensor misplacement into account, improved convergence properties over the existing methods for different locomotion modes are shown. Secondly, to enhance safe and effective robot-aided gait training, this dissertation proposes to directly learn from physical therapists' demonstrations of manual gait assistance in post-stroke rehabilitation.
Lower-limb kinematics of patients and assistive force applied by therapists to the patient's leg are measured using a wearable sensing system which includes a custom-made force sensing array. The collected data is then used to characterize a therapist's strategies. Preliminary analysis indicates that knee extension and weight-shifting play pivotal roles in shaping a therapist's assistance strategies, which are then incorporated into a virtual impedance model that effectively captures high-level therapist behaviors throughout a complete training session. Furthermore, to introduce safety constraints in the design of such controllers, a safety-critical learning framework is explored through theoretical analysis and simulations. A safety filter incorporating an online iterative learning component is introduced to bring robust safety guarantees for gait robotic assistance and training, addressing challenges such as stochasticity and the absence of a known prior dynamic model.
ContributorsRezayat Sorkhabadi, Seyed Mostafa (Author) / Zhang, Wenlong (Thesis advisor) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Lee, Hyunglae (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamid (Committee member) / Sugar, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Tire blowout often occurs during driving, which can suddenly disturb vehicle motions and seriously threaten road safety. Currently, there is still a lack of effective methods to mitigate tire blowout risks in everyday traffic, even for automated vehicles. To fundamentally study and systematically resolve the tire blowout issue for automated vehicles, a collaborative project between General Motors (GM) and Arizona State University (ASU) has been conducted since 2018. In this dissertation, three main contributions of this project will be presented. First, to explore vehicle dynamics with tire blowout impacts and establish an effective simulation platform for close-loop control performance evaluation, high-fidelity tire blowout models are thoroughly developed by explicitly considering important vehicle parameters and variables. Second, since human cooperation is required to control Level 2/3 partially automated vehicles (PAVs), novel shared steering control schemes are specifically proposed for tire blowout to ensure safe vehicle stabilization via cooperative driving. Third, for Level 4/5 highly automated vehicles (HAVs) without human control, the development of control-oriented vehicle models, controllability study, and automatic control designs are performed based on impulsive differential systems (IDS) theories.
Co-simulations Matlab/Simulink® and CarSim® are conducted to validate performances of all models and control designs proposed in this dissertation. Moreover, a scaled test vehicle at ASU and a full-size test vehicle at GM are well instrumented for data collection and control implementation. Various tire blowout experiments for different scenarios are conducted for more rigorous validations. Consequently, the proposed high-fidelity tire blowout models can correctly and more accurately describe vehicle motions upon tire blowout. The developed shared steering control schemes for PAVs and automatic control designs for HAVs can effectively stabilize a vehicle to maintain path following performance in the driving lane after tire blowout.
In addition to new research findings and developments in this dissertation, a pending patent for tire blowout detection is also generated in the tire blowout project. The obtained research results have attracted interest from automotive manufacturers and could have a significant impact on driving safety enhancement for automated vehicles upon tire blowout.
ContributorsLi, Ao (Author) / Chen, Yan (Thesis advisor) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Kannan, Arunachala Mada (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Lin, Wen-Chiao (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
When solving analysis, estimation, and control problems for Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) via computational methods, one must resolve three main challenges: (a) the lack of a universal parametric representation of PDEs; (b) handling unbounded differential operators that appear as parameters; and (c), enforcing auxiliary constraints such as Boundary conditions and continuity conditions. To address these challenges, an alternative representation of PDEs called the `Partial Integral Equation' (PIE) representation is proposed in this work. Primarily, the PIE representation alleviates the problem of the lack of a universal parametrization of PDEs since PIEs have, at most, $12$ Partial Integral (PI) operators as parameters. Naturally, this also resolves the challenges in handling unbounded operators because PI operators are bounded linear operators. Furthermore, for admissible PDEs, the PIE representation is unique and has no auxiliary constraints --- resolving the last of the $3$ main challenges. The PIE representation for a PDE is obtained by finding a unique unitary map from the states of the PIE to the states of the PDE. This map shows a PDE and its associated PIE have equivalent system properties, including well-posedness, internal stability, and I/O behavior. Furthermore, this unique map also allows us to construct a well-defined dual representation that can be used to solve optimal control problems for a PDE. Using the equivalent PIE representation of a PDE, mathematical and computational tools are developed to solve standard problems in Control theory for PDEs. In particular, problems such as a test for internal stability, Input-to-Output (I/O) $L_2$-gain, $\hinf$-optimal state observer design, and $\hinf$-optimal full state-feedback controller design are solved using convex-optimization and Lyapunov methods for linear PDEs in one spatial dimension. Once the PIE associated with a PDE is obtained, Lyapunov functions (or storage functions) are parametrized by positive PI operators to obtain a solvable convex formulation of the above-stated control problems. Lastly, the methods proposed here are applied to various PDE systems to demonstrate the application.
ContributorsShivakumar, Sachin (Author) / Peet, Matthew (Thesis advisor) / Nedich, Angelia (Committee member) / Marvi, Hamidreza (Committee member) / Platte, Rodrigo (Committee member) / Berman, Spring (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024