Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are applied to ensure the safety and stability of offshore platforms; however, linear dampers are effective for a single resonance frequency, providing vibration suppression only within a narrow frequency band. Therefore, this paper proposed a magnetic TMD with two pairs of permanent magnets on both sides of the structures, which can generate a nonlinearly repulsive force, making the magnetic TMD reliable and robust in damping the oscillations of structures with wide frequency range under seismic excitations. A comprehensively numerical and experimental study was processed to investigate the dynamic performances of the proposed magnetic TMD, by application of a 1 : 200‐scale prototype of the offshore platform. The results verified that the performance of the magnetic TMD can be significantly improved than that of the linear TMD, meanwhile maintaining high‐speed response characteristics. The experimental results indicated that the displacement, acceleration, and frequency responses of the offshore platform can be significantly reduced; furthermore, the evaluation indices showed that the magnetic TMD system is credible in reducing the overall vibration levels and maximum peak values.

The real‐time change of tire‐road friction coefficient is one of the important factors that influence vehicle safety performance. Besides, the vehicle wheels’ locking up has become an important issue. In order to solve these problems, this paper comes up with a novel slip control of electric vehicle (EV) based on tire‐road friction coefficient estimation. First and foremost, a novel method is proposed to estimate the tire‐road friction coefficient, and then the reference slip ratio is determined based on the estimation results. Finally, with the reference slip ratio, a slip control based on model predictive control (MPC) is designed to prevent the vehicle wheels from locking up. In this regard, the proposed controller guarantees the optimal braking torque on each wheel by individually controlling the slip ratio of each tire within the stable zone. Theoretical analyses and simulation show that the proposed controller is effective for better braking performance.

This work presents an analytical approach and accurate numerical results for the free vibration of symmetrically laminated, thick composite circular and elliptical plates. The shear deformation through the thickness is considered by employing the first-order shear deformation theory. The problem is solved by the Ritz method and the natural frequencies are calculated for three-layered, simply supported and clamped plates with stacking sequence [θ/−θ/θ]. Particularly, extensive results are presented by using various shear correction factors for a wide range of geometric parameters, and the effects of varying the factor upon the free vibration frequencies of the laminated circular and elliptical plates are discussed.

Hydraulic dampers for the vibration damping of industrial machinery and building structures are typically cylindrical. This study proposes a novel, axially free-folding hydraulic damper of the origami type to improve the structural characteristics of the conventional cylinder shape with restricted effective stroke in relation to the overall length. First, the basic design equation of the proposed origami hydraulic damper was derived by demonstrating that the fold line cylinders on the sidewalls will always meet the foldable condition of the origami hydraulic damper, that is, $\alpha =\pi /n$ and $\pi /2n\le \beta \le \pi /n$. Next, the fluid flow characteristics inside the origami hydraulic damper and in the flow path were analyzed; it was determined that the actual damping force exerted on the origami damper was proportional to the square of the velocity of motion. Equations of motion were developed considering the derived damping force equation, and a vibration analysis method using the Range–Kutta numerical analysis technique was established. A validation test system with an origami hydraulic damper in a mass-spring vibration system was developed, and vibration tests were performed with actual seismic waves to verify the damping characteristics and effectiveness of the origami hydraulic damper. Furthermore, the orifice hole diameter at the end of the origami structure as well as the type of internal fluid, were varied in the vibration tests. The effect of the main components of the origami hydraulic damper on the damping effect was analyzed, revealing that the orifice hole diameter had a more significant effect than the internal fluid.

Spherical shell structures are the most suitable shape for deep-sea pressure hulls because they have ideal mechanical properties for handling symmetrical pressure. However, the shape accuracy requirement for a hull in a spherical shell structure subjected to deep-sea pressure is extremely high. Even minor asymmetry can significantly degrade its mechanical properties. In this study, a new type of spherical deep-sea pressure hull structure and its integral hydro-bulge-forming (IHBF) method are proposed. First, 32 flat metal plate parts are prepared and welded along their straight sides to form a regular polygonally shaped box. Next, water pressure is applied inside the preformed box to create a spherical pressure vessel. We performed a forming experiment using a spherical pressure vessel with a design radius of 250 mm as a verification research object. The radius of the spherical pressure vessel obtained from the forming experiment is 249.32 mm, the error from the design radius is 0.27%, and the roundness of the spherical surface is 2.36 mm. We performed a crushing analysis using uniform external pressure to confirm the crushing and buckling characteristics of the formed spherical pressure vessel. The results show that the work-hardening increased the crushing and buckling load of the spherical pressure vessel, above that of the conventional spherical shell structure. Additionally, it is established that local defects and the size of the weld line significantly and slightly affected the crushing and buckling load of the spherical pressure hull, respectively.