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- Numerical and experimental analysis of a hybrid wind-wave offshore floating platform’s hullPublication . Hallak, Thiago S.; Gaspar, José F.; Kamarlouei, Mojtaba; Calvário, Miguel; Gonçalves Cavaco Mendes, Mário José; Thiebaut, Florent; Guedes Soares, CarlosThis paper presents a study regarding a novel hybrid concept for both wind and wave energy offshore. The concept resembles a semi-submersible wind platform with a larger number of columns. Wave Energy Devices such as point absorbers are to be displayed around the unit, capturing wave energy while heaving and also enhancing the stability of the platform. In this paper, a first numerical study of the platform’s hull, without Wave Energy Converters, is carried out. Experiments in wave basin regarding the same unit have been conducted and the results are presented and compared to the numerical ones. Both stability and seakeeping performances are assessed and compared.
- Fault detection approach based on fuzzy qualitative reasoning applied to the DAMADICS benchmark problemPublication . Calado, João Manuel Ferreira; Carreira, F. P. N. F.; Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Costa, J. M. G. Sá da; Bartys, M.A computer assisted fault detection methodology based on a fuzzy qualitative simulation algorithm is described. The adoption of fuzzy sets allows a more detailed description of physical variables, through an arbitrary, but finite, disaetisatioo of the quantity space. The fuzzy representation of qualitative values is more general than ordinary interval representation, since it can represent not only the information stated by a well defined real interval but also the knowledge embedded in the soft boundaries of the interval. Such a methodology was applied to a pneumatic servomotor actuated control valve that is the benchmark problem of the EC RTN DAMADlCS.
- Multi-agent platform and toolbox for fault tolerant networked control systemsPublication . Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Santos, Bruno M. S.; Costa, José Sá daIndustrial distributed networked control systems use different communication networks to exchange different critical levels of information. Real-time control, fault diagnosis (FDI) and Fault Tolerant Networked Control (FTNC) systems demand one of the more stringent data exchange in the communication networks of these networked control systems (NCS). When dealing with large-scale complex NCS, designing FTNC systems is a very difficult task due to the large number of sensors and actuators spatially distributed and network connected. To solve this issue, a FTNC platform and toolbox are presented in this paper using simple and verifiable principles coming mainly from a decentralized design based on causal modelling partitioning of the NCS and distributed computing using multi-agent systems paradigm, allowing the use of agents with well established FTC methodologies or new ones developed taking into account the NCS specificities. The multi-agent platform and toolbox for FTNC systems have been built in Matlab/Simulink environment, which is in our days the scientific benchmark for this kind of research. Although the tests have been performed with a simple case, the results are promising and this approach is expected to succeed with more complex processes.
- A gantry robot automatic positioning system using computational visionPublication . Beites, Nuno; Dias, Manuel; Gonçalves Cavaco Mendes, Mário José; Carreira, Fernando; Campos, F.; Calado, João Manuel FerreiraWith the new industrial revolution (industry 4.0) under way, there is a need to automate/digitalize even the simplest processes to keep companies competitive, efficient and secure. This work proposes an automatic and robotic positioning system with position control through the image of video cameras. The objective is to propose this type of automatic system to companies aiming to improve robotic systems operations that are often controlled manually and with associated risks. The developed system was tested in simulation (using Matlab) and in an experimental scale prototype.
- On the experimental study of a concentric wave energy array adapted to an offshore floating platformPublication . Kamarlouei, Mojtaba; Gaspar, José F.; Calvário, Miguel; Hallak, Thiago S.; Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Thiebaut, Florent; Guedes Soares, CarlosExperimental results of the dynamics of a small scale concentric wave energy converter array adapted to a floating offshore platform are presented. A small scale prototype is tested without and with twelve conical heaving point absorbers. The free decay and regular wave tests are carried out in an ocean basin to understand the hydrodynamic interactions between various elements of the floating offshore platform and wave energy converter array. Meanwhile, the heave motions of the buoys are observed in regular waves with and without dampers for the initial estimation of power take-off damping as a pitch control module. The results show the improvements in heave, pitch, and roll performance of the platform due to the interaction between the buoys and platform.
- Multi-agent platform for Fault Tolerant Control SystemsPublication . Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Santos, Bruno M. S.; Costa, José Sá daThis paper proposes a new multi-agent platform for Fault Tolerant Control (FTC) Systems. Several multi-agent platforms exist to deal with different problems but none of them to deal with control systems tolerant to faults using the Matlab/Simulink environment, which is in our days the scientific bench to this kind of research. When dealing with large-scale complex networked control systems (NCS),designing FTC systems is a very difficult task due to the large number of sensors and actuators spatially distributed and network connected. To solve this issue, the FTC platform presented in this paper uses simple and verifiable principles coming mainly from a decentralized design based on causal modelling partitioning of the NCS and distributed computing using multiagent systems paradigm, allowing the use of agents with well established FTC methodologies or new ones developed taking into account the NCS specificities.
- Fault isolation approach using a PROFIBUS network: a case studyPublication . Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Kowal, Marek; Calado, João Manuel Ferreira; Korbicz, Józef; Costa, J. M. G. Sá daThis paper presents the second stage, of a two-stage neuro-fuzzy system, used for fault isolation (FI) in dynamic processes and it`s built using a hierarchical structure of fuzzy neural networks. The current approach is tested under a hardware bench constructed with componentes commonly used in the industry and consists on a pilot plant under supervision, a supervision unit, a fault detection and isolation unit and a fault simulation unit. All the elements are connected to a PROFIBUS network, which acts as the communication system for exchanging information between the automation system and the distributed field devices.
- Design of distributed fault tolerant control systemsPublication . Costa, José Sá da; Mendes, Mário J. G. C.When dealing with large-scale complex networked control systems, designing FDI/FTC systems is a very difficult task due to the large number of sensors and actuators spatially distributed and networked connected. Despite the research effort on developing FTC systems for NCS most of these developments still being designed globally leading to centralized FTC solutions inadequate to NCS or, assume the communication network and the process itself as two different entities loosing the potentiality of the integrated design. The FDI/FTC design method presented in this paper is able to use simple and verifiable principles coming mainly from a decentralized design, based on causal modelling partitioning of the NCS and distributed computing using multi-agents systems, allowing the use of well established FDI/FTC methodologies, or new ones, developed taking into account the NCS specificities. The design methodology is made easy using a FTCNS-MAS toolbox introduced in this paper.
- Fault isolation based on HSFNN applied to DAMADICS benchmark problemPublication . Calado, João Manuel Ferreira; Louro, R.; Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Costa, J. M. G. Sá da; Kowal, M.The present paper is concemed with the application of a hierarchical structure of fuzzy newal networks (HSFNN) to fault isolation on a pneumatic servo-motor actuated valve that is the benchmark considered for all the DAMADICS (Development and Application of Methods for Actuator Diagnosis in IndusIrial Control Systems) project partners. The adoption of a hierarchical structure of fuzzy newal netwoIks for fault isolation pwposes aims the development of an architecture that can localise abrupt and incipient single and multiple faults correctly or at least with a minimum misclassification rate and be easily trained, ftom only single abrupt fault symptoms.
- Control of the archimedes wave swing using neural networksPublication . Beirão, Pedro; Mendes, Mário J. G. C.; Valério, Duarte; Costa, José Sá daThis paper addresses the control of the Archimedes Wave Swing, a fully-submerged Wave Energy Converter (WEC), of which a prototype has already been built and tested. Simulation results are presented in which Internal Model Control (IMC) is used, both with linear models and with non-linear neural network (NN) models. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time NN-based control is being applied to design a controller for a WEC. NNs are a mathematical tool suitable to model the behaviour of dynamic systems, both linear and non-linear (as in our case). Significant absorbed wave energy increases were found, both using linear models and NNs. Results were better when IMC with NNs was employed (with a nearly sixfold increase against a fivefold increase), except for the May—September period, when IMC with linear models performs better.