Search results for " Computer-Aided design"

A Computational Study on Temperature Variations in MRgFUS Treatments Using PRF Thermometry Techniques and Optical Probes

2021

Structural and metabolic imaging are fundamental for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up in oncology. Beyond the well-established diagnostic imaging applications, ultrasounds are currently emerging in the clinical practice as a noninvasive technology for therapy. Indeed, the sound waves can be used to increase the temperature inside the target solid tumors, leading to apoptosis or necrosis of neoplastic tissues. The Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) technology represents a valid application of this ultrasound property, mainly used in oncology and neurology. In this paper

Optimal design of elastic plastic frames accounting for seismic protection devices

2013

The optimal design of elastic perfectly plastic steel frames with or without suitable protection devices and subjected to static as well as seismic loadings is studied. Two minimum volume problem formulations are proposed, on the grounds of the so-called statical approach, accounting for three different resistance limits: the purely elastic limit, the (elastic) shakedown limit and the instantaneous collapse limit. The adopted load combinations are characterized by the presence of fixed loads, of quasi-static perfect cyclic loads and dynamic (seismic) loads. The linear elastic effects of the dynamic actions are studied by utilizing a modal technique. The proposed treatment is referred to the…

Optimization of structures with unrestricted dynamic shakedown constraints

2015

The unrestricted dynamic shakedown theory is here utilized with the aim to formulate different optimal design problems for structures mainly subjected to seismic loads. In particular, reference is made to plane frame structures constituted by elastic perfectly plastic material subjected to load combinations characterized by the presence of simultaneous fixed and seismic actions. The design problems, formulated on the ground of a statical approach, are devoted to structures with and without seismic protection devices, with special emphasis to seismic isolators. For the proposed design problem formulations different constraints are utilized; actually, for structures without protection devices…

Computational methods for optimal shakedown design of FE structures

1998

The paper concerns the optimal shakedown design of structures discretized by elastic perfectly plastic finite elements. The design problem is formulated in four alternative versions, i.e. as the search for the minimum volume design whose shakedown limit load multiplier is assigned or as the search for the maximum shakedown limit load multiplier design whose volume is assigned; both problems are approached on the grounds of the shakedown lower bound and upper bound theorems. Correspondingly four computational methods, one for each original problem, are presented. These methods consist in solving iteratively new problems which are simpler than the original ones, but expressed in such a way th…

Optimal shakedown design of beam structures

1994

The optimal design of plane beam structures made of elastic perfectly plastic material is studied according to the shakedown criterion. The design problem is formulated by means of a statical approach on the grounds of the shakedown lower bound theorem, and by means of a kinematical approach on the grounds of the shakedown upper bound theorem. In both cases two different types of design problems are formulated: one searches for the minimum volume design whose shakedown limit load is assigned; the other searches for the design of the assigned volume whose shakedown limit load is maximum. The optimality conditions of the four problems above are found by the use of a variational approach; such…

A distributed genetic algorithm for restoration of vertical line scratches

2008

This paper reports a distributed algorithm for the restoration of still frames corrupted by vertical line scratches. The restoration is here approached as an optimisation problem, and is solved using an ad-hoc Genetic Algorithm. The distributed algorithm is designed following a pipeline logical structure. The front end is a network of standard workstations with heterogeneous operating systems. The quality of image is appreciable and the computational time is quite low with respect the sequential version.

A solution process for simulation-based multiobjective design optimization with an application in the paper industry

2014

In this paper, we address some computational challenges arising in complex simulation-based design optimization problems. High computational cost, black-box formulation and stochasticity are some of the challenges related to optimization of design problems involving the simulation of complex mathematical models. Solving becomes even more challenging in case of multiple conflicting objectives that must be optimized simultaneously. In such cases, application of multiobjective optimization methods is necessary in order to gain an understanding of which design offers the best possible trade-off. We apply a three-stage solution process to meet the challenges mentioned above. As our case study, w…

Filtered circular fingerprints improve either prediction or runtime performance while retaining interpretability

2016

Harmonic solution of semiconductor transport equations for microwave and millimetre-wave device modelling

2004

The transport equations for charges in a semiconductor have been solved for a periodic voltage excitation by means of a harmonic approach, for modelling of microwave and millimetre-wave active devices. The solution is based on the expansion of the unknown physical quantities in Fourier series in the time domain, and on the discretisation in the space domain. A Waveform-Balance technique in the time domain is used to solve the resulting non-linear equations system. In this way the time step is determined only by Nyquist's sampling requirements at the operating frequency, irrespective of the relaxation times of the semiconductor. This approach allows for a longer time step, and therefore a sh…

Mean-Field Game Modeling the Bandwagon Effect with Activation Costs

2015

This paper provides a mean-field game theoretic model of the bandwagon effect in social networks. This effect can be observed whenever individuals tend to align their own opinions to a mainstream opinion. The contribution is threefold. First, we describe the opinion propagation as a mean-field game with local interactions. Second, we establish mean-field equilibrium strategies in the case where the mainstream opinion is constant. Such strategies are shown to have a threshold structure. Third, we extend the use of threshold strategies to the case of time-varying mainstream opinion and study the evolution of the macroscopic system.