Workspace analysis of positioning discontinuities due to clearances in parallel manipulators

Clearances at joints produce a loss of accuracy when positioning a mechanism. The end-effector pose error due to clearances depends on the mechanism configuration, the magnitude of the clearance itself and applied external wrenches. Sudden changes which occur in the actual posture of the mechanism owing to a change of contact mode at joints can be detected in the neighbourhood of some configuration. These sudden changes lead to positioning discontinuities on certain trajectories, or on the workspace. In this paper, a methodology for analysing the location of the discontinuities by means of a dynamic or kinetostatic analysis is presented. The advantages of choosing either the dynamic or the kinetostatic approach are analysed, making use of the 5R planar mechanism.     

岩石边坡工程块体系统稳定性预测、监测与控制

根据工程地质的岩体结构控制观点及“突破”观点，岩石边坡工程的稳定性往往由其中的块体分布及其稳定状态所控制，因此，及时确定与实时控制这些块体系统的稳定性就十分重要。为此，以某大型岩石高边坡为例，在分析该高边坡的工程地质条件，尤其是结构面分布特征基础上，首先，采用块体理论分析了该复杂岩石边坡工程块体系统的分布规律，找出了控制该大型边坡稳定性的关键块体的位置、规模及开挖后的稳定性系数，并据此指导优化岩石边坡稳定性的监测布置与加固控制；其次，根据监测信息对块体系统加固前后的受力及稳定性动态进行了分析。     

Interaction of a characteristic shock with a weak discontinuity in a relaxing gas

The evolution of a characteristic shock in a relaxing gas is investigated and its interaction with a weak discontinuity is studied. A particular solution to the governing system, which exhibits space–time dependence, is used to study the evolutionary behaviour of the characteristic shock; the properties of incident, reflected and transmitted waves, influenced by the relaxation mechanism, together with the geometry of the fluid flow and the background state at the rear of the shock, are studied.     

Systems,Components and Technological Discontinuities: The Case of the Semiconductor Industry

This paper uses the semiconductor industry to describe a model of technological change that sheds light on the mechanism by which many technological discontinuities occur. The model combines two arguments: (1) incremental improvements in a system's components impact on the performance and design of systems; and (2) these incremental improvements in components can lead to discontinuities in system design through their impact on the design tradeoffs that are inherent in all systems. Components are defined loosely as any subsystem in a nested hierarchy of subsystems where the most important component in the semiconductor industry is semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Improvements in this equipment and the processes they are used in have changed (and continue to change) the tradeoffs that firms make in their choices of semiconductor materials, transistor designs and system designs, and thus led to a number of technological discontinuities. The model is described using the discontinuities that are the most widely emphasized in histories of the semiconductor industry.     

Comparison of methods for estimating fracture size and intensity applied to Aiguille Marbrée (Mont Blanc)

This article presents a multidisciplinary research devoted to correlate estimation of the rock mass characteristics with parameters and features obtained by the use of digital photography. The data obtained from remote slope analysis are then undertaken to a statistical analysis of discrete data samples comparing different survey areas in terms of shape and dimension of the sampling window. The method is developed by an application to the North rock face of the Aiguilles Marbrées (Mont Blanc). This slope was chosen as case of study since it represents an important high mountain location from the environmental and touristic point of view, where the severe working condition led to the application of innovative methodology. This site is monitored by a local authority (Fondazione Montagna Sicura) devoted to the territory safe control since a rock fall of considerable size occurred in September 2007. After a photogrammetric survey, an orthophotograph has been created; circular windows have been materialized on the orthophotograph to perform area sampling. Statistical analysis of the obtained data enables us to calculate parameters and estimators for rock mass classification.     

Exakte U‐Werte von Stahlbeton‐Sandwichelementen

Zur genauen Ermittlung der Wärmeverluste über die Hüllfläche eines Gebäudes unter stationären Randbedingungen ist — neben anderen Kennwerten — die möglichst exakte Bestimmung der Wärmedurchgangskoeffizienten (U‐Werte) der Fassadenflächen notwendig. Für Fassaden aus Stahlbeton‐Sandwichelementen ist der U‐Wert dabei aus den homogenen Einzelschichten in Verbindung mit den zusätzlichen Wärmeverlusten infolge der systembedingt vorhandenen Anker‐ und Fugensysteme zu bestimmen. üblicherweise werden dazu vereinfacht Pauschalzuschläge angenommen, die zwar das Berechnungsverfahren deutlich vereinfachen, jedoch zu verfälschten Ergebnissen und in der Regel darüber hinaus auch zu ökonomisch ungünstigen Ergebnisse führen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird im Folgenden ein praxistaugliches Berechnungsverfahren vorgestellt, das die genaue Erfassung der Wärmeverluste aus Anker‐ und Fugensystemen sowohl für individuelle Elementkonfigurationen als auch für beliebig gestaltete Fassaden ermöglicht und damit zu exakten U‐Werten führt. Precise U‐values of precast concrete sandwich panels. For the exact determination of the heat losses over the building envelope with static boundary conditions it is necessary to determine — besides other parameters — the thermal transmittance (U‐value) of the exterior walls as accurate as possible. The U‐value of precast concrete sandwich panels is quantified on the one hand out of the homogeneous layering of the three sandwich components and on the other hand out of the additional thermal losses of different anchor and joint systems. Usually simplified additions are assumed, which obviously simplify the computation method but generally lead to economically unfavorable results. With this in mind, a practice‐suited computation method is presented which enables the exact examination of additional heat losses for anchor and joint systems for individual element configurations as well as the whole facade system and therefore leads to accurate U‐values.     

Stability and robustness issues in numerical modeling of material failure with the strong discontinuity approach

Robustness and stability of the Continuum Strong Discontinuity Approach (CSDA) to material failure are addressed. After identification of lack of symmetry of the finite element formulation and material softening in the constitutive model as possible causes of loss of robustness, two remedies are proposed: (1) the use of an specific symmetric version of the elementary enriched (E-FEM) finite element with embedded discontinuities and (2) a new implicit-explicit integration of the internal variable, in the constitutive model, which renders the tangent constitutive algorithmic operator positive definite and constant. The combination of both developments leads to finite element formulations with constant, in the time step, and non-singular tangent structural stiffness, allowing dramatic improvements in terms of robustness and computational costs. After assessing the convergence and stability properties of the new strategies, three-dimensional numerical simulations of failure problems illustrate the performance of the proposed procedures.     

Numerical integration over arbitrary polygonal domains based on Schwarz–Christoffel conformal mapping

This paper presents a new numerical integration technique on arbitrary polygonal domains. The polygonal domain is mapped conformally to the unit disk using Schwarz–Christoffel mapping and a midpoint quadrature rule defined on this unit disk is used. This method eliminates the need for a two‐level isoparametric mapping usually required. Moreover, the positivity of the Jacobian is guaranteed. Numerical results presented for a few benchmark problems in the context of polygonal finite elements show that the proposed method yields accurate results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Slope discontinuities in the finite element absolute nodal coordinate formulation: gradient deficient elements

In this paper, the treatment of the slope discontinuities in the finite element absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is discussed. The paper explains the fundamental problems associated with developing a constant transformation that accounts for the slope discontinuities in the case of gradient deficient ANCF finite elements. A procedure that allows for the treatment of slope discontinuities in the case of gradient deficient finite elements which do not employ full parameterization is proposed for the special case of commutative rotations. The use of the proposed procedure leads to a constant orthogonal element transformation that describes the element initial configuration. As a consequence, one obtains in the case of large deformation and commutative rotations, a constant mass matrix for the structures. In order to achieve this goal, the concept of the intermediate finite element coordinate system is invoked. The intermediate finite element coordinate system used in this investigation serves to define the element reference configuration, follows the rotation of the structure, and maintains a fixed orientation relative to the structure coordinate system. Since planar rotations are always commutative, the procedure proposed in this investigation is applicable to all planar gradient deficient ANCF finite elements.