| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/C512154/1 |
| Title: |
Linux Cluster for Structural Dynamics Research |
| Principal Investigator: |
Mottershead, Professor J |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
School of Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Liverpool |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
18 January 2005 |
Ends: |
17 January 2008 |
Value (£): |
53,187
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Eng. Dynamics & Tribology |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Aerospace, Defence and Marine |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The equipment requested will be used to support the research of the Structural Dynamics group including, finite element model updating, structural modification, vibration absorption, friction, brake squeal, mechanical joints and other areas. Current projects involve several large scale systems such as a whole Lynx helicopter (research funded by QinetiQ), a helicopter tail cone with Westland Helicopters, Rolls-Royce aero-engine casings, the MACE structure from AWE-Aldermaston and a Ford Focus body shell.The equipment is especially important to new research aimed at the solving the particular problem of updating large industrial structures. The issue of scale is a very important one for the understanding of many complicated large-scale systems. Techniques which work well for small and medium sized systems become very difficult to apply when the structure itself is complicated and when the finite FE model is large. It is now quite common for industrial models to contain over a million degrees of freedom. The FE model of the car body shell contains over 1.3 million degrees of freedom and the structure itself is composed of many different parts connected mainly by spot welds. In such structures good agreement between FE predictions and tests data can usually be found in the range of first few'global' modes. Beyond that range conventional correlation methods may not be capable of providing any reliable information about the quality of the model. New methods for correlating model predictions with test data are needed. Other areas demanding attention include the issues of variability in nominally identical test structures and uncertainty in finite element models, and the possible application of symbolic codes (especially Grobner bases) to overcome the assumption of closeness of the model when using the sensitivity method.Recent research leading to new FRF estimators for rotational receptances has enabled the dynamic effects of structural modifications, such as the addition of a beam, to be predicted using vibration measurements from the original (unmodified) structure and a finite element model of the modification. Groebner bases have been used successfully to assign natural frequencies and antiresonances. This work is presently being applied to a helicopter tailcone. The work so far has so far been limited to passive modifications but in principle can also be used to assess the effect of appyling active control and developments are planned in this direction. Further research will be carried out into nonlinear structural modifications and how to design them to obtain desired dynamic behaviour.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.liv.ac.uk |