Risk-informed decision-making in the presence of epistemic uncertainty

An important issue in risk analysis is the distinction between epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. In this paper, the use of distinct representation formats for aleatory and epistemic uncertainties is advocated, the latter being modelled by sets of possible values. Modern uncertainty theories based on convex sets of probabilities are known to be instrumental for hybrid representations where aleatory and epistemic components of uncertainty remain distinct. Simple uncertainty representation techniques based on fuzzy intervals and p-boxes are used in practice. This paper outlines a risk analysis methodology from elicitation of knowledge about parameters to decision. It proposes an elicitation methodology where the chosen representation format depends on the nature and the amount of available information. Uncertainty propagation methods then blend Monte Carlo simulation and interval analysis techniques. Nevertheless, results provided by these techniques, often in terms of probability intervals, may be too complex to interpret for a decision-maker and we, therefore, propose to compute a unique indicator of the likelihood of risk, called confidence index. It explicitly accounts for the decision-maker's attitude in the face of ambiguity. This step takes place at the end of the risk analysis process, when no further collection of evidence is possible that might reduce the ambiguity due to epistemic uncertainty. This last feature stands in contrast with the Bayesian methodology, where epistemic uncertainties on input parameters are modelled by single subjective probabilities at the beginning of the risk analysis process.     

Trajectory planning/re-planning for satellite systems in rendezvous mission in the presence of actuator faults based on attainable efforts analysis

The objective of fault-tolerant control (FTC) is to minimise the effect of faults on system performance (stability, trajectory tracking, etc.). However, the majority of the existing FTC methods continue to force the system to follow the pre-fault trajectories without considering the reduction in available control resources caused by actuator faults. Forcing the system to follow the same trajectories as before fault occurrence may result in actuator saturation and system's instability. Thus, pre-fault objectives should be redefined in function of the remaining resources to avoid potential saturation. The main contribution of this paper is a flatness-based trajectory planning/re-planning method that can be combined with any active FTC approach. The work considers the case of over-actuated systems where a new idea is proposed to evaluate the severity of faults occurred. In addition, the trajectory planning/re-planning approach is formulated as an optimisation problem based on the analysis of attainable efforts domain in fault-free and fault cases. The proposed approach is applied to two satellite systems in rendezvous mission.     

Advanced LMI based analysis and design for Acrobot walking

This article aims to further improve previously developed design for Acrobot walking based on partial exact feedback linearisation of order 3. Namely, such an exact system transformation leads to an almost linear system where error dynamics along trajectory to be tracked is a 4-dimensional linear time-varying system having three time-varying entries only, the remaining entries being either zero or one. In such a way, exponentially stable tracking can be obtained by quadratically stabilising a linear system with polytopic uncertainty. The current improvement is based on applying linear matrix inequalities (LMI) methods to solve this problem numerically. This careful analysis significantly improves previously known approaches. Numerical simulations of Acrobot walking based on the above-mentioned LMI design are demonstrated as well.     

Convex inner approximations of nonconvex semialgebraic sets applied to fixed-order controller design

We describe an elementary algorithm to build convex inner approximations of nonconvex sets. Both input and output sets are basic semialgebraic sets given as lists of defining multivariate polynomials. Even though no optimality guarantees can be given (e.g. in terms of volume maximisation for bounded sets), the algorithm is designed to preserve convex boundaries as much as possible, while removing regions with concave boundaries. In particular, the algorithm leaves invariant a given convex set. The algorithm is based on Gloptipoly 3, a public-domain Matlab package solving nonconvex polynomial optimisation problems with the help of convex semidefinite programming (optimisation over linear matrix inequalities, or LMIs). We illustrate how the algorithm can be used to design fixed-order controllers for linear systems, following a polynomial approach.     

Simple Views on Metal/Oxide Interfaces: Contributions of the Long-Range Interactions to the Adhesion Energy

The image and van der Waals contributions to the metal/oxide work of adhesion are compared through the extent to which they follow the known prevalent trends, i.e. the increase in work of adhesion (a) with narrowing oxide band gap and (b) with increasing conduction electron density of the metal. The van der Waals interaction is shown to follow both trends, while the image term is suggested to be significant only for dense metals in contact with very ionic oxides. The relative contribution of these long-range interactions to the overall metal/oxide work of adhesion is found to be maximized for systems involving metals with low electronic densities and oxides with wide band gaps. At variance, high metallic electronic densities and narrow oxide gaps likely favour short-range interactions arising from charge transfer.     

Fullerene-functionalized carbon nanotubes as improved optical limiting devices

We report the synthesis, characterization and optical limiting behavior of a nanohybrid built by grafting C₆₀-fullerenes on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The nonlinear optical limiting properties of the CNT-C₆₀ complex were investigated at wavelengths where C₆₀ does not absorb. We found that the nanohybrid had superior performances to those of CNTs and fullerenes, either taken individually or as a mixture. This enhanced optical limitation of the nanohybrid suggests not only cooperative but also synergistic effects between the two carbon forms. A mechanism involving higher excitonic states of the CNTs formed by Auger recombination of low energy excitons is proposed.     

Al0.3Ga0.7As-GaAs microwave resonant tunneling oscillator

We describe the design of a microwave oscillator using resonant tunneling diodes. The devices are fabricated from Al_0.3Ga_0.7As-GaAs double barrier hetero-structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Design criteria improving current drivability are established from a theoretical study of tunneling transmission probabilities. Very high peak current densities up to 3.10⁴ A/cm², favorable for high frequency operation as an oscillator, have been achieved experimentally. The devices exhibit stable oscillations at liquid nitrogen temperature and at room temperature when the tunnel diode oscillator is constructed with a stabilizing network.     

Vertically oriented nickel nanorod/carbon nanofiber core/shell structures synthesized by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, without a nickel-containing gaseous precursor, was used to synthesize continuous nickel (Ni) nanorods inside the hollow cavity of carbon nanofibers (CNFs), thus forming vertically aligned Ni/CNF core/shell structures. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic images indicate that the elongated Ni nanorods originate from the catalyst particles at the tips of the CNFs and that their formation is due to the effect of extrusion induced by the compressive force of the graphene layers during growth. Different from previous work, each vertically-aligned core/shell structure reported is totally isolated from its neighbors. Continuous Ni nanorods are found to separate into smaller ones with increasing growth time, which was ascribed to (i) the limited amount of Ni available in the tip of the CNF, (ii) the polycrystalline nature of the Ni nanorods and (iii) the combined effects of the compressive stresses on the side of the Ni nanorods and of the tensile stress along their axis.