Geometry optimization and pressure analysis of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack

For proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), the distribution of reactant streams in the reactor is critical to their efficiency. This study aims to investigate the optimal design of the inlet/outlet flow channel in the fuel cell stack with different geometric dimensions of the tube and intermediate zones (IZ). The tube-to-IZ length ratio, the IZ width, and the tube diameter are adjusted to optimize the geometric dimensions for the highest pressure uniformity. Four different methods, including the Taguchi method, analysis of variance (ANOVA), neural network (NN), and multiple adaptive regression splines (MARS), are used in the analyses. The results indicate the tube diameter is the most impactive one among the three factors to improve the pressure uniformity. The analysis suggests that the optimal geometric design is the tube-to-IZ length ratio of 9, the IZ width of 14 mm, and the tube diameter of 9 mm with the pressure uniformity of 0.529. The relative errors of the predicted pressure uniformity values by NN and MARS under the optimal design are 1.62% and 3.89%, respectively. This reveals that NN and MARS can accurately predict the pressure uniformity, and are promising tools for the design of PEMFCs.     

Hierarchical B-splines on regular triangular partitions

Multivariate splines have a wide range of applications in function approximation, finite element analysis and geometric modeling. They have been extensively studied in the last several decades, and specially the theory on bivariate B-splines over regular triangular partition is well developed. However, the above mentioned splines do not have local refinement property – a property that is very important in adaptive function approximation and level of detailed representation of geometric models. In this paper, we introduce the concept of hierarchial bivariate splines over regular triangular partitions and construct basis functions of such spline space that satisfy some nice properties. We provide some examples of hierarchical splines over triangular partitions in surface fitting and in solving numerical PDEs, and the results turn out to be promising.     

基于NURBS算法的工业机器人轨迹规划研究

轨迹规划是工业机器人研究领域的重要内容之一。为解决使用直线与圆弧逼近不规则曲线方法带来较大误差的问题,提出使用NURBS拟合自由曲线,并使用S形速度曲线来控制机器人末端的运动速度和加速度,使各个插补点的位置、速度和加速度能够连续,将之反推到关节空间可以得到各个关节的角度、角速度和角加速度。最后以IRB2600工业机器人为仿真本体,通过MATLAB仿真证明:NURBS和S形速度曲线相结合的方法可以得到在关节空间连续、平稳的运行轨迹、速度曲线、加速度曲线,减弱了因各关节角度、角速度、角加速度突变带来的冲击影响,优化了机器人运行轨迹。     

Pipe failure rate prediction in water distribution networks using multivariate adaptive regression splines and random forest techniques

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of a comparison between multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and random forest (RF) techniques in pipe failure prediction in two water distribution networks. In this regard, pipe diameter, pipe length, pipe installation depth, pipe age and average hydraulic pressure are considered as input variables. Results show that the RF outperforms the MARS which is found as an accurate pipe failure rate predictor. The proposed models are further evaluated through dividing the data into three parts of lower, medium and higher pipe failure rate values. According to the equations produced by MARS technique, three variables of pipe diameter, pipe age and average hydraulic pressure are distinguished as the most effective variables in predicting pipe failure rate in the first case study. Four variables of pipe diameter, pipe length, pipe age and average hydraulic pressure are determined as the most effective variables in the second case study.     

利用曲线面变形提取产品形态体特征的方法研究

在变形设计理论的基础上,提出了将产品主体形态分解为子形态。研究了基于超椭圆方程和三次带参均匀B样条曲线构造技术提取影响产品艺术风格子形态横截面造型特征的方法,并结合曲面构造变形技术实现产品形态体特征的提取。以电动手工具为例研究了产品形态体特征提取与形态优化设计效果,得出超椭圆方程提取算法参数少,可较好地提取对称图形、非倒角图形的造型特征;基于三次带参均匀B样条曲线构造技术的算法参数较多,可较好地提取多种图形。     

An isogeometric analysis approach to gradient damage models

Continuum damage formulations are commonly used for the simulation of diffuse fracture processes. Implicit gradient damage models are employed to avoid the spurious mesh dependencies associated with local continuum damage models. The C⁰‐continuity of traditional finite elements has hindered the study of higher order gradient damage approximations. In this contribution we use isogeometric finite elements, which allow for the construction of higher order continuous basis functions on complex domains. We study the suitability of isogeometric finite elements for the discretization of higher order gradient damage approximations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isogeometric finite element data structures based on Bézier extraction of T‐splines

We develop finite element data structures for T‐splines based on Bézier extraction generalizing our previous work for NURBS. As in traditional finite element analysis, the extracted Bézier elements are defined in terms of a fixed set of polynomial basis functions, the so‐called Bernstein basis. The Bézier elements may be processed in the same way as in a standard finite element computer program, utilizing exactly the same data processing arrays. In fact, only the shape function subroutine needs to be modified while all other aspects of a finite element program remain the same. A byproduct of the extraction process is the element extraction operator. This operator localizes the topological and global smoothness information to the element level, and represents a canonical treatment of T‐junctions, referred to as ‘hanging nodes’ in finite element analysis and a fundamental feature of T‐splines. A detailed example is presented to illustrate the ideas. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A method of designing cam mechanisms by means of piecewise-circular curves

An algorithm is obtained that permits one to describe cam mechanisms with flat pushers by smooth piecewise curves constructed from arcs of circles. The algorithm is based on the approximation of periodic functions by Hermitian local trigonometrical splines. Translated from Kibernetika i Sistemnyi Analiz, No. 6, pp. 78–86, November–December, 1999.     

Global sensitivity analysis of the blade geometry variables on the wind turbine performance

The need for implementing efficient blade designs gains relevance as wind turbine developments require longer blades. The design of blade geometry, traditionally divided in 2D airfoils and spanwise distributions, is usually addressed as an optimization problem. A correct identification of the design variables is crucial to avoid unnecessary computational cost or insufficient exploration of the design space. This paper deals with the identification of the design variables that affect the wind turbine performance. First, the number of design variables for an accurate airfoil representation is resolved. A methodology, based on statistical hypothesis testing applied to the airfoil approximation errors, is presented to assess the accuracy of types of B‐splines. Second, the study is extended to chord and twist distributions besides airfoil geometry with the purpose of assessing the sensitive blade variables in the wind turbine performance. Global sensitivity analysis as multi‐variable linear regressions and variance‐based methods are used. Latin hypercube sampling is applied to generate efficient inputs. MATLAB‐based code is developed to obtain outputs: annual energy production, maximum blade tip deflection, overall sound power level and blade mass. As result of the study, a list of non‐affecting variables is deduced. These variables can be avoided in the optimization without loss of gain in the performance. The method is a powerful tool to analyse in a preliminary phase a design problem involving a high amount of variables and complex physical relations by means of combining different multi‐disciplinar calculation codes and performing statistical treatments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A robust hybrid method for nonrigid image registration

A nonrigid registration method is proposed to automatically align two images by registering two sets of sparse features extracted from the images. Motivated by the paradigm of Robust Point Matching (RPM) algorithms [1] and [2], which were originally proposed for shape registration, we develop Robust Hybrid Image Matching (RHIM) algorithm by alternatively optimizing feature correspondence and spatial transformation for image registration. Our RHIM algorithm is built to be robust to feature extraction errors. A novel dynamic outlier rejection approach is described for removing outliers and a local refinement technique is applied to correct non-exactly matched correspondences arising from image noise and deformations. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of our method.