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Master thesis proposals

1. MODELLING OF WIND-TUNNEL* MEASUREMENTS USING MACHINE LEARNING

* THE TOPIC CAN BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE VEHICLE TESTING (WITH SIEMENS) OR ANY OTHER TOPIC OF OUR RESEARCH INTEREST

What you will learn:

  • Hands-on experience with wind-tunnel testing procedures
  • Preparing, executing and analyzing vibration measurements
  • Development of signal processing algorithms
  • Design of excitation signals
  • Signal processing of nonlinear systems
  • Hands-on experience with the state-of-the-art machine learning techniques (deep neural networks)

Description

The aim of the work is to get hands-on experience with wind-tunnel testing procedures, processing and analyzing measurements using modern system identification and machine learning techniques as a part of an ongoing research project.
System identification is used to derive so called data-driven models from some measured input-output relation, in mechanical applications often in the form of time or frequency data. In the frame dynamics systems, the identified data-driven models are applied to better understand the system in question but also in various applications as for example finite element (FE) model updating/validation, control applications, and to model components which are hard-to-model with conventional CAE simulation tools.
We are investigating the capabilities of both classical system identification and modern machine learning (time regression neural networks) to derive accurate data-driven models. Your task is to develop machine learning models and compare the results with the classical system identification results (provided by our research group).
The topic directly fits of the FLOW research group (https://flow.research.vub.be/) data-driven modeling project, therefore you are expected to collaborate with our colleagues.
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the experimental study and describe the recommended testing techniques/procedures.

Required skills

  • basics of system theory, signal processing and programing (e.g. Python/Matlab)

2. DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROL ENGINEERING DEMO SETUPS

What you will learn:

  • Design of embedded systems (hardware and software)
  • Preparing, executing and analyzing measurements
  • Preparing educational materials
  • Design of excitation signals
  • Hands-on experience of control engineering strategies

Description

The aim of the work is to design experiments and develop procedures for our academic class "Regeltechniek".
In the framework of this project, demonstration setups shall be designed in order to support the lectures.
An inspiration project can be found here:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Ball-Balancing-PID-System/
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the study and describe the procedures in detail.

Required skills

  • handyman skills, basics of system theory, signal processing and control engineering.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF A SCIENTIFIC WEATHER STATION

What you will learn:

  • Design of embedded systems (hardware and software)
  • Design of communication protocol

Description

The aim of the work is to design a complex, modular scientific weather station in a cost-efficient way. The measurement sensors are given. The meteorological measurements are executed simultaneously at various height. The challenge here is to synchronize the measurements, guarantee the continuity of the measurement process for at least one year without interruption given the limited power accessibility. The measurements shall be shared wirelessly and placed into a database.
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the testing techniques/procedures, implementation and description of the hardware and software system.

Required skills

  • handyman skills, signal processing and programing

4. DEVELOPMENT OF A DEMO SETUP FOR IMPACT TESTING

In collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV (Leuven).

What you will learn:

  • Design of industrial experiments with a high-end impact testing hammer
  • (Material) design of small size composite structures/panels
  • Preparing, executing and analyzing vibration measurements (e.g.: vehicle, aircraft, etc.)
  • Development of signal processing algorithms
  • Hands-on experience of Siemens measurement and test products

Description

The aim of the work is to design experiments and develop procedures for a high-end automatic impact hammer testing in a close collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV as a part of an ongoing project.
In the framework of this project, demonstration setups shall be designed with the help of composite panels and/or on given structures. The demo setups will be excited by an automatic hammer with integrated force transducer combined with response measurements: either with a scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) and/or accelerometers.
The developed setups and techniques shall qualify the applied excitation (impact) and tell the user (tester) if the quality of the measurement is acceptable or not (i.e. the impact was persistent: strong and rich enough).
The metrics used to describe the quality of an experiment shall be based on thoroughly tested and verified algorithm/theory, and shall be implemented in Matlab (or in any other programing languages).
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the experimental study and describe the recommended testing techniques/procedures.

Required skills

  • handyman skills - composite material design, basics of system theory, signal processing and programing (e.g. Matlab).

5. DEVELOPMENT OF A DEMO SETUP FOR NONLINEAR STRUCTURES

In collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV (Leuven).

What you will learn:

  • Preparing, executing and analyzing industrial measurements with multiple inputs (e.g.: vehicle, aircraft, etc.)
  • Design of a small size (mechanical, civil or electromechanical) structure with multiple input
  • Design of industrial excitation signals
  • Signal processing of nonlinear systems
  • Hands-on experience of Siemens measurement and test products

Description

The aim of the work is to design a cost-effective, small size MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) vibrating structure (or electrical circuit) for demonstrating the nonlinear behavior of the underlying system. The thesis can be written in a close collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV as a part of an ongoing research project.
The nature of the underlying test system is free to choose: it can be a mechanical, a civil , an electromechanical structure (or electrical circuit). The system should have multiple inputs (between 2 and 10) and several outputs.
Such a system can be, for instance, a scaled car or airplane prototype (or its part) where, for instance, the wheels and/or the wings are excited by shakers, and the resonance of the structure is measured with the help of accelerometers.
In this work a demo setup has to be developed in order to illustrate the Best Linear Approximation (BLA) measurement of MIMO nonlinear systems. The BLA procedure basically consist of two steps supported by existing toolboxes:
1. the design of experiment (MIMO excitation signals), and
2. the analysis of the measured data (the BLA Frequency Response Function (FRF), noise and nonlinearity levels are estimated instead of the classical H1 FRF and coherence function estimates).
The self-built demo setup shall clearly demonstrate the effects of excitation signal choice on the underlying MIMO (non)linear system.
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the experimental study and describe the recommended testing techniques/procedures.

Required skills

  • handyman skills, basics of system theory, signal processing.

6. DEVELOPMENT OF A DEMO SETUP FOR TIME-VARYING OPERATIONAL MODAL ANALYSIS

In collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV (Leuven).

What you will learn:

  • Design of small size vibrating (mechanical or civil) structures
  • Hands-on experience with wind-tunnel testing procedures
  • Preparing, executing and analyzing (time-varying) operational modal analysis measurements
  • Signal processing of LTV systems
  • Hands-on experience of Siemens measurement and test products

Description

The aim of the work is to design a cost-effective, small size structure for demonstrating the time-varying behavior of the demo setup in the OMA framework. The master thesis can be written in a close collaboration with Siemens Industry Software NV as a part of an ongoing Siemens project.
The Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) framework is a special identification technique for estimating the modal properties (e.g. resonance frequencies, damping, mode shapes) of structures based on vibration data collected when the structures are under real operating conditions without having access to the excitation signals (think of, for instance, a wind-tunnel testing example).
A good example of a time-varying (TV) structure can be, for instance, an airplane. The TV behavior originates from the decreasing weight due to the fuel consumption, varying attitude and from different surface configurations during take-off, cruise and landing. Moreover, the resonance frequency and damping of most vibrating parts (for instance the wings) of a plane vary as a function of the flight speed and height.
In this example, the test system can be, for instance, a scaled airplane prototype, or one of its component. The underlying system can be tested in a wind-tunnel, where, for instance, the wing configuration and/or the wind speed are/is varying over time.
The to-be-built system and the setup are free to choose. The self-built demo setup shall clearly demonstrate the time-varying behavior of the underlying system.
The master thesis shall conclude the results of the experimental study and describe the recommended testing techniques/procedures.

Required skills

  • handyman skills, basics of system theory, signal processing.