Sharif Digital Repository

This paper introduces a new passive control device for protecting structures against earthquakes. The device consists of two welded pipes which have two smaller pipes inside them and the spaces between the pipes are filled with metals such as lead or zinc. The device is loaded in shear and takes advantage of plastification of the outer pipes, the inner pipes and the infilled metals, and the friction between metals as energy absorption mechanisms. Quasi-static cyclic tests are performed on six specimens all showing stable hystereses and high damping. A finite element model is developed and calibrated against test results. The model is used to find the optimum sizes of pipes needed for a... 

A new structure is suggested for simultaneous microwave chirped pulse generation and array antenna beam steering. It is based on using a multi-channel fiber Bragg grating in a photonic microwave delay-line filter. The paper presents a feasibility study of the idea, discussing the main performance parameters of both signal generation and beam steering functions. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of wavelength tuning, resolution and accuracy. The study shows that custom off-the-shelf components could be used to implement an all optical system capable of generating chirped pulses while steering the radiation pattern of a small sized antenna array. The advantages of the structure for... 

This paper presents a kinetic data structure (KDS) for maintenance of the Euclidean minimum spanning tree (EMST) on a set of moving points in 2-dimensional space. For a set of n points moving in the plane we build a KDS of size O(n) in O(nlogn) preprocessing time by which the EMST is maintained efficiently during the motion. This is done by applying the required changes to the combinatorial structure of the EMST which is changed in discrete timestamps. We assume that the motion of the points, i.e. x and y coordinates of the points, are defined by algebraic functions of constant maximum degree. In terms of the KDS performance parameters, our KDS is responsive, local, and compact. The... 

In this paper, a practical method is developed for performance-based design of RC structures subjected to seismic excitations. More efficient design is obtained by redistributing material from strong to weak parts of a structure until a state of uniform deformation or damage prevails. By applying the design algorithm on 5, 10 and 15-storey RC frames, the efficiency of the proposed method is initially demonstrated for specific synthetic and real seismic excitations. The results indicate that, for similar structural weight, designed structures experience up to 30% less global damage compared with code-based design frames. The method is then developed to consider multiple performance objectives... 

This paper presents the first kinetic data structure (KDS) for maintenance of the Euclidean minimum spanning tree (EMST) on a set of n moving points in 2-dimensional space. We build a KDS of size O(n) in O(nlogn) preprocessing time by which their EMST is maintained efficiently during the motion. In terms of the KDS performance parameters, our KDS is responsive, local, and compact  

The flow over a supersonic inlet has been investigated experimentally and numerically at a free stream Mach number of 2 and a zero degree angle of attack. Wind tunnel tests were performed to obtain the performance parameters of the inlet and were used as a baseline and validation tools for the numerical code. A heat source was added to the flow field at a distance ahead of the inlet. The effect of heat source addition on the main performance parameters of the inlet is investigated numerically. Results show that the heat source considerably reduces drag coefficient; however, its effect on pressure recovery is not favorable. This unfavorable effect was then minimized by controlling heat source... 

The aerodynamic performance of a flexible membrane flapping wing has been investigated here. For this purpose, a flapping-wing system and an experimental set-up were designed to measure the unsteady aerodynamic forces of the flapping wing motion. A one-component force balance was set up to record the temporal variations of aerodynamic forces. The flapping wing was studied in a large low-speed wind tunnel. The lift and thrust of this mechanism were measured for different flapping frequencies, angles of attack and for various wind tunnel velocities. Results indicate that the thrust increases with the flapping frequency. An increase in the wind tunnel speed and flow angle of attack leads to... 

In aerospace applications structures weight is considered as a major performance parameter. One of the most effective manufacturing methods for weight reduction is superplastic forming. By this technique, not only the weight, but also the stress concentration, the cost, and the manufacturing time are noticeably reduced. Additionally, the components with complicated shapes could be formed in a single manufacturing step. Due to the wide demand for whiskers reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) in aerospace industries, many research works have been designed to extend the borders of superplastic forming to MMCs materials. In the present study, a 3-D symmetric micromechanical finite element... 

As balance is the foundation for all voluntary motor skills, considerable research has been conducted to evaluate postural control in patients with low back pain (LBP). Although reliability is a population-specific property, to the authors' knowledge, there has been no study to determine the test-retest reliability of the center of pressure (COP) measures in the general population of LBP patients. As many as 11 patients with a history of nonspecific LBP randomly completed postural measurements with three levels of difficulty (rigid surface-eyes open, rigid surface-eyes closed, and foam surface-eyes closed) in two sessions. The COP data were used to calculate standard deviation of amplitude,... 

The performance parameter uncertainties of turbomachines at different rotational speed were determined by experimental and analytical consideration. The instruments/sensors were located and installed according to the standards for evaluating the performance characteristics of turbine and compressor in a turbocharger laboratory in a wide range of rotational speeds. The comparison of turbine and compressor sensitivity shows that the sensitivity of compressor to 1% shift in the pressure is higher than that for the turbine. Results also show that the sensitivities of efficiency and power of turbine reduce as rotational speed increases. The total uncertainty of turbine and compressor are obtained... 

The demand for robust computation systems has led to the increment of the number of processing cores in current chips. As the number of processing cores increases, current electrical communication means can introduce serious challenges in system performance due to the restrictions in power consumption and communication bandwidth. Contemporary progresses in silicon nano-photonic technology have provided a suitable platform for constructing photonic communication links as an alternative for overcoming such problems. Topology is one of the most significant characteristics of photonic interconnection networks. In this paper, we have introduced a novel topology, aiming to reduce insertion loss in... 

The aim of this study is to improve the performance of two-tier macro/femtocell networks using a power control approach. In wireless networks, power control plays an important role in improving a number of performance parameters such as co-channel interference and outage probability reduction, throughput increasing, and power saving. This study explores the evolution of centralised power control algorithm based on femtocell base station (FBS) clustering and predicted signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of users. To reduce the computational complexity of centralised algorithm, dense deployed femtocells are considered in different clusters. In this case, femtocells inside one... 

Homogeneous charge compression ignition engines require a smart control system to regulate the input quantities of the engine in various operational conditions. Achieving an optimum combustion needs an appropriate system response for different engine loads and speeds according to the power acquired from the engine, as well as the amounts of emissions present in the exhaust. Therefore, performing a set of experimental tests together with numerical simulations in a wide range of conditions facilitates calibration of the input parameters of the engine. In this study, the effects of the thermodynamic parameters and the thermokinetic parameters on the engine output in the preliminary design stage... 

The preliminary design of building structures is normally based on the equivalent lateral forces provided in seismic design guidelines. The height-wise distribution of these loads is predominantly based on elastic vibration modes. However, as structures exceed their elastic limits in severe earthquakes, these design load patterns may not necessarily lead to efficient distribution of strength within the structures. To address this issue, several alternative load patterns have been proposed for the seismic design of non-linear structures. However, due to the simplifications involved in the development of these design load patterns, their adequacy needs to be assessed for different structural... 

Ground reaction force (GRF) characteristics of amputee walking are important for the analysis of clinical gait data, and also to update model reference adaptive impedance (MRAI) controllers. GRF estimation is a better alternative than direct GRF measurement because of the disadvantages of load cells, such as high cost, integration difficulties due to weight and physical dimensions, the possibility of overload, and measurement noise. This paper presents four robust MRAI observer/controller combinations for GRF estimation-based control of a prosthesis and a legged robot model in the presence of parametric uncertainties and unmodeled dynamics, in which the robot model is employed to mimic...