Mehdi Ahmadian - US grants

In this research project, chaos and bifurcation theory will be used to analyze the nonlinear lateral and yaw stability (commonly called `hunting`) of high-speed rail vehicles. A major challenge in designing rail vehicles in general, and high-speed passenger rail transportation in particular, is the velocity-dependent dynamics of the vehicle. As velocity increases, the vehicle becomes less stable, experiences violent oscillations, and eventually derails. In addition to safety concerns, hunting imposes significant operational costs to the railroads. Increased hunting contributes to more wheel and rail wear, causing millions of dollars of damage to the nation's rail system each year. Through using chaos and bifurcation theory, this research will investigate and provide a better understanding of the effects of dynamic nonlinearities on rail vehicle hunting. The nonlinearities that will be considered include elements such as the primary and secondary suspensions, the vehicle constraints, and the wheel/rail interface. This research will also examine design conditions that yield safer and more cost-effective operation of rail vehicles at high speeds. The techniques developed during this research will be applicable to the design of general nonlinear systems, including high-speed passenger and freight rail vehicles.

A STUbY -OP St-MA11 -ACTIVE MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL
DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING FLOOR VIBRATIONS

ABSTRACT

Excessive levels of floor vibrations due to human activities such as walkhg, jumping, and dancing have been the topic of several research studies. Unfortunately, there has only been a limited success in finding corrective measures to this problem.

This study- investigates the effectiveness of magneto-rheological (MR) devices such as MR dampers, and TVA's for reducing floor vibrations. Methodologies and guidelines will be developed for the design of these devices based on the dynamic characteristics of different floor systems. A floor test will be constructed at the Virginia Tech Structures and Materials Research Laboratory and a series of dynamic tests will be performed to provide experimental verifications of the analvtical results.

Several industries will cooperate and provide technical and financial assistance to the project principal investigators. This study will be performed by the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Architecture Departments of Virginia

An Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) planning meeting has been awarded to determine the feasibility of the Ohio State University with Virginia Polytechnic Institute of establishing a new I/UCRC for Smart Vehicle Concepts. The faculty members involved from the two universities have significant research programs in ground transportation and have been active in automotive systems and smart materials. The Center will focus on novel and emerging trends in vehicle design where smart structures, next-generation suspension or mounting devices, vastly improved actuators or valves, and intelligent sensors will be integrated to develop ground vehicles of the future.

0968912 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Saied Taheri
0968940 University of Akron; Celal Batur

The Center for Tire Research and Test Center (Tire TeC) will focus on building a base of research, engineering education, and technology transfer that will impact industrial practice and productivity through advanced materials and intelligent tire technologies. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT) and the University of Akron (UA) are collaborating to establish the proposed center, with VT as the lead institution.

The primary goals of this planning project are to initiate formal partnership with various industry partners and national laboratories that have an interest in tire technologies, and to discuss fundamental issues and topics for research. The proposed IUCRC will generate new scientific knowledge; develop novel smart-material-based tires, novel nanotechnology-based tire compounds, and intelligent tire technology; and advance their associated dynamic models and constitutive relationships by developing virtual and hardware-in-the-loop-based simulation environments. The various envisioned research thrusts will provide solutions to improve the industry's yield and contribute to its competitiveness.

If successful, the proposed Center has the potential to improve sustainability and profitability of US tire manufacturing industry by developing new technologies that will reduce energy consumption, pollution and increase driving safety. The Center will greatly enhance the infrastructure and lead to other opportunities to assist the tire manufacturers. The proposed center plans to provide students and faculty with a platform for conducting industry-relevant research, establish an effective mechanism for collaboration, and will help promote, catalyze, and accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies. Finally, Tire TeC will recruit participants from groups traditionally under-represented in Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and other scientific disciplines and will promote this center through its ongoing working relationships with colleagues at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Campus and the Middle Eastern and Northern Africa (VT-MENA) campuses.

/UCRC for Tire Research

1160977 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Saied Taheri

1160982 University of Akron; Celal Batur

The Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe) will focus on supporting a research program in tire materials, modeling, manufacturing, and testing combined with rubber material prototyping and testing, and parallel computing and dynamic simulation capabilities. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT) and the University of Akron (UA) are collaborating to establish the proposed center, with VT as the lead institution.

The primary goals of the proposed center are to initiate formal partnerships with various industry partners and national laboratories that have an interest in tire technologies, and to discuss fundamental issues and topics for research. The Center will fulfill the needs of the tire manufacturing companies by providing innovative solutions in all four research thrust areas of materials, modeling, manufacturing, and testing. The vehicle manufacturing companies are more interested in the application of tire in their products. The Center is built upon the knowledge and expertise of multi-disciplinary researchers in Mechanical, Polymer, and Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech (VT) and the University of Akron (UA). CenTiRe intends to provide the industry with highly trained undergraduate and graduate students who will contribute to this growing industry.

If successful, the proposed Center has the potential to improve sustainability and profitability of US tire manufacturing industry by developing new technologies that will reduce energy consumption, pollution and increase driving safety. The Center plans to graduate a new generation of specialists in tire engineering providing the industry with access to potential employees. The members and the organizational structure of the CenTiRe will promote precompetitive research that will allow the members to rapidly and cost-effectively bring new products to market. Finally, the Center will become a conduit for the professional training and education of not just graduate students from underrepresented and women engineering groups, but also representatives from industry through its outreach programs.

This REU Site program for Tire Engineering is a multidisciplinary research program for undergraduate students. This site will train 10 undergraduate students each year by providing them with research as well as hands-on training that will help them with their future education as well as career opportunities. The students are subjected to all aspects of tire engineering and are provided with individual challenging research projects that include conceptual, theoretical and numerical design and analysis, and hands-on components in state-of-the-art research laboratories. The individual research projects are integrated into an interdisciplinary, team-based environment where research results will be used to prove a hypothesis. Talented community college and university undergraduate students, particularly underrepresented and women, are recruited to conduct research in this field. Through this REU Site, a diverse program is created and students are motivated to continue their studies towards a bachelor degree (for the community college students) and a graduate degree (for the university students). This project is fully supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Engineering Education and Centers.