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The aim of this paper is to develop and validate a model and a numerical code describing the laser matter interaction and also laser ablation. The laser wavelength is 193 nm and the pulse duration is several nanoseconds.

The developed model is based on strong theoretical background (cf. references). The electronic nonequilibrium aspect is always taken into account. The electronic nonequilibrium is one of the key aspect the UV laser matter interaction and must be treated carefully and that is not always the case. The numerical code was developed using efficient and versatile numerical methods. The model and simulations are always compared to experiments in order to validate them and also to find their limitations.

This work has greatly improved the code accuracy. The key role of the electronic nonequilibrium is also demonstrated. From experimental comparisons it is obvious that photo‐ablation should be taken into account for the lower fluences, but to do so, a completely new approach must be developed.

This work describes the whole laser ablation process with the electronic nonequilibrium effects properly modeled. The numerical results has always been confronted to experiments, in most of the cases the agreement was very good. When it was not the case, explanations have been sought along with ways to improve the approach.

The purpose of this paper is to develop the numerical simulated methodology for sloshing motion of fluid inside a two dimension rectangular tank, and parametric studies were performed for three parameters – excitation frequency, excitation amplitude, and liquid depth.

A numerically simulated methodology by using the cell‐centered pressure‐based SIMPLE scheme and level set method for the sloshing motion of fluid in a rectangular tank has been developed. The convection term in the Navier‐Stokes equations and the equations used in the level set method were treated by the second‐order upwind scheme. The temporal derivative terms were solved by the three‐level second order scheme. The diffusion term in the Navier‐Stokes equations alone was solved by the central‐difference scheme. All algebraic equations were solved by the point Gauss‐Seidel method. A fully implicit scheme to treat the level set distancing equation, written as the advection equation, was developed. In addition, the level set distancing equation was solved by the iterative procedure to determine the variation of free surface.

For given excitation amplitude together with a liquid depth, the free surface displacement increases when the excitation frequency is less than the resonance frequency of tank. However, the free surface displacement decreases when the excitation is greater than the resonant frequency of the tank. It is noted that the maximum free surface displacement is generated under the circumstance for which the excitation frequency approaches the resonant frequency. The excitation amplitude and the excitation frequency have a substantial effect on the impact pressure on the wall of the tank being investigated.

The sloshing motion of fluid in a rectangular tank has been studied by researchers and scholars using many numerical methods; however, literature employing the level set method to study the sloshing motion of fluid is limited. In this study, the cell‐centered pressure‐based SIMPLE scheme and level set method can be employed to predict the sloshing motion. The numerical methodology can help the engineer to predict sloshing motion of fluid.

In reinforced concrete (RC) structures, an evidence of damage is the presence of cracking. In order to evaluate the effect of damage on cracking pattern and natural frequency in RC slabs, two of such structures with different dimensions and reinforcement ratios were tested, in which cracks were induced through application of static load, followed by modal tests using impact excitation. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

The gradient of the fundamental natural frequency along the decay, the crack opening rate and also a global damage index based on changes of the fundamental natural frequency were evaluated.

The behaviour of the aforementioned gradient was distinct for both slabs, increasing monotonically with the cracking level for the slab with lowest reinforcement ratio, and increasing until 33 per cent of the collapse load and then decreasing afterwards for the slab with the highest ratio. Changes of the gradient were consistent with changes of the crack opening rate. Both results of gradient changes and cracking pattern brought evidence that the balance between open (old) and breathing (new) cracks differed between the slabs, and may be responsible for such differences.

Damage assessment in RC structures using vibration tests is mostly concentrated on beams. In this work, an advance is made by investigating slabs. The lack of a unique pattern of changes of the gradient implies that its absolute value is not generally suitable for the association with the damage level. However, the impact tests can be effectively used to detect early damage on slabs using this proposed parameter.

Continuous on-line monitoring of structural integrity are in priority in many engineering fields such as aerospace, automotive, civilian structures, and industrial applications. Of all these possible applications, the aerospace industry has one of the highest payoffs. Possible damage can lead to catastrophic failures and costly inspections. On the other hand, processing a signal consists of important feature from sensors measurements to reach the considered target. Typically, the sensors translate a physical phenomenon from one or many sources in temporal variations or in spatial variations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate damages, in terms of suddenly screw removal or in a small cut, detection in vibrating (clamped-free) aluminum beam structures using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method along with the Hilbert-Huang transformation (HHT). The perspective is to identify very small defects in real aircraft structures.

The proposed method deals with a new time-frequency signal processing analysis tool, for damages detection in a vibrating plate. An experimental test ring is used in order to excite a clamped-free aluminum plate. Two types of excitations are used. The first one is a harmonic excitation and the second one is a random excitation provided by an impact hammer. A hole and its filled by a screw with mass of 0.2 g, and a small cut is created, simulating a cut creation, are produced afterword, and the HHT is used in order to arise the developed oscillations, and to reveal hidden reflections in the data and to provide a high-resolution energy-time frequency spectrum.

The major finding was the clear amplitude increment either for screw removal or for cut creation, using the EMD process with the HHT, giving the possibility to detect them.

The use of the HHT to detect, using an experimental procedure, two different defects: a suddenly screw removal and a cut creation, in a clamped-free beam, excited by non-stationary and non-linear signals.

The purpose of this paper is to show how controlled exposure of electromagnetic fields toward bearing steel vulnerates the microstructure. The ability of Barkhausen Noise signal processing is used for detecting phenomena such as dislocation and subgrain formation processes as the beginning of later failures.

A Barkhausen noise signal measurement equipment is used for detecting subsurface distress of 100Cr6 as a function of the applied electromagnetic and mechanical stress. Barkhausen noise signal is mathematically processed by use of fractal dimension analysis.

The paper cleary reveals significant impact of electromagnetic field in junction with mechanical loading. Electromagnetic impact depends on the magnitude of the field.

Research limitations are given by the fact that in real field applications, e.g. wind power plants, bearings are exposed by multiple influences and the methodology is not applicable to those conditions.

The methodology can be applied to real field applications in condition monitoring systems. Up to now, no reasonable on‐line measurement is in use determining sub surface fatigue phenomena. The paper hence, reveals the possibility to raise condition monitoring into a new perspective.

The use of Barkhausen noise signal processing, as presented here, is original with respect to real field applications, such as wind power plants with a high demand in condition monitoring, especially off‐shore plants.

When phase windings of brushless DC motor are switched, additional voltage drops across inductances of main circuit appear. These drops lead to, among other effects, increase of torque‐speed curve slope. The discussed research has been aimed at working out a simple and precise method of identifying torque‐speed characteristic of PM BLDC motor. The elaborated method takes into account the influence of windings switching and motor inductances on motor torque‐speed characteristic. In order to assess the results, extensive test simulations of models implemented in Matlab/Simulink software have been run. Results of analysis and test simulations have been compared with lab test results of two real PM BLDC motors.

Analytical calculations take into consideration phenomena occurring during windings switch‐overs and impact of inductance on emerging voltage and rotational speed drops. It has been pointed out that on account of main circuit inductance, the average value of source current is less than average value of equivalent current generating electromagnetic torque. For analysis sake it has been assumed when windings are being switched‐over the current is kept constant; the motor parameters have also been assumed to be constant.

A novel and accurate method of determining torque‐speed characteristics of PM BLDC motor has been worked out. This method has been investigated with the help of motor computer models implemented in Matlab/Simulink software and the obtained results have been subsequently compared with results of laboratory tests of two commercially available PM BLDC motors.

The object of the research was brushless DC motor with permanent magnet excitation. The impact of windings switch‐overs on torque‐speed curves of the motor has been analysed. Analytical method which makes it possible to determine torque‐speed curve of this motor very easily has been elaborated. Computer model of PM BLDC motor for Matlab/Simulink software has also been worked out. Extensive simulations helping to verify the proposed method have been run. Results of analysis and simulation tests have been verified by means of laboratory tests of two commercially available PM BLDC motors.

PM BLDC motors are used more and more widely. The new method of determining PM BLDC motors torque‐speed curves will facilitate analysis and design of drive systems utilizing these motors and will also speed up calculations.

The presented method of determining torque‐speed curves of PM BLDC motor is novel and much more precise than methods commonly used nowadays. Recognized methods usually neglect impact of inductance on motor properties.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the damage alarming indexes for ancient wood structures and study the damage sensitivity and noise robustness of these indexes under random excitation.

Xi’an Bell Tower is taken as a case in this paper to simulate the damage of ancient wood structures through finite element (FE) simulation and determine the satisfactory damage alarming indexes with wavelet packet energy spectrum.

The results of this paper show that: 1) the damage alarming indexes can effectively identify the damage of ancient wood structures, each index with a different damage sensitivity; 2) the energy ratio deviation is greater than the energy ratio variance and is close to the maximum variation of energy ratio; 3) the energy ratio deviation has a better alarming effect than the energy ratio variance during the initial period of the damage. With the accumulation of the damage, the energy ratio variance outperforms the energy ratio deviation; 4) the sensitivity of the energy ratio deviation and variance varies from positions, changing from the highest to lowest at the mortise-and-tenon joints, the beam mid-span and the plinth; 5) if signal to noise ratio (SNR) is 40db or larger, the indexes can accurately identify the damage of ancient wood structures. As SNR increases, the indexes will have an increasingly higher sensitivity and certain ability to resist noise.

The FE model is simpiy, it does not completely reflect Xi’an Bell Tower.

It will provide a theoretical basis for the damage alarming of Xi’an Bell Tower.

It makes structural health monitoring through structural vibration response under ambient excitation a new research field in damage detection as well as a positive way of ancient architecture protection.

This paper studies the damage alarming effect on ancient wood structures from different wavelet functions and wavelet packet decomposition levels. To study the effect under white noise environment, this paper adds Gaussian white noise with a SNR of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 db to the acceleration response signal of intact structure and damaged structure.

Board games such as Monopoly and Scrabble enjoy a great deal of popularity among players of all ages. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of board games that impact significantly on players' appreciation.

A review of the literature and a qualitative study with players and board game professionals resulted in the identification of seven explanatory factors. A survey was conducted among 169 adult players selected using an area sampling method.

The survey results revealed that the most important factor in explaining players' appreciation of a board game was the extent to which the game was able to make them fantasize and live uncommon experiences. The second factor in importance was the entertainment that is associated with playing a game. Some unexpected differences were found between male and female players. Whereas the surprise elements of a game had a positive impact on men's appreciation, they were not significant among women. In turn, the rhythm of the game had a positive effect on women's appreciation whereas it did not impact on men's appreciation.

Players' perceptions were limited to board games with which they were familiar.

The results of this research offer some insights for the design and marketing of new board games. They indicate that the success of a new board game depends on the game's capacity to make players live a unique play experience and interact with other players. They also suggest that marketing communication should be adapted to the segments of male and female board game players.

This research brings useful knowledge about the factors that make consumers enjoy a board game.

To compute the Navier‐Stokes equations of a non‐equilibrium weakly ionized air flow. This can help to have a better description of the flow‐field and the wall heat transfer in hypersonic conditions.

The numerical approach is based on a multi block finite volume method and using a Riemann's solver based on a MUSCL‐TVD algorithm. In the flux splitting procedure the modified speed of sound, due to the electronic mode, is implemented.

A good description of the shock standoff distance, of the wall heat fluxes and of the peak of electron density number in the shock layer.

The radiative effects are not included in this paper. For the very high Mach numbers, this can modify the shock layer parameters.

The knowledge of the wall heat transfer in the re‐entry body problems.

The building of a robust numerical code in order to well describe hypersonic air flow in high Mach numbers.

The purpose of this paper is to present a method of modeling the variable reluctance stepper motor using the time‐stepping finite element technique. The proposed model is used to obtain the optimal control law for the input circuit solving the linear‐quadratic problem.

A strongly coupled field‐circuit model of the stepper motor is presented. Also, the method of the optimal control that minimizes the power loss in the motor windings is proposed.

The proposed optimal control method can be applied to the electrical machines connected to the electronic converters. Calculated control signals may be used to obtain the optimal waveforms of the input voltages at each phase of the analyzed machine.

The paper examines the application of the presented control method to minimize the power loss in the stator windings of the four‐phased variable reluctance stepper motor.