Open Access
Optimal strain-gauge placement for mechanical load estimation in circular cross-section shafts
(Elsevier, 2021) Iriarte Goñi, Xabier; Aginaga García, Jokin; Gainza González, Gorka; Ros Ganuza, Javier; Bacaicoa Díaz, Julen; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
The customary electrical circuit configuration for estimating mechanical loads with strain gauges uses Wheatstone full- or half-bridges. For each mechanical load to be estimated, a dedicated bridge with two or four gauges has to be mounted, placing the strain gauges in specific configurations along the measured part. In this paper the strain of individual gauges is measured by means of quarter-bridges and all the mechanical loads exerted on a shaft are estimated jointly as different linear combinations of the strains of the gauges. The location of the gauges on the shaft are determined optimally and the influence of apparent strain related to temperature variations is avoided. Results show several configurations of reduced sets of gauges capable of optimally estimating the six components of the mechanical loads exerted on a circular cross-section shaft. The validation of the approach in a dedicated rig has shown the complexity of its experimental implementation.
Open Access
AI training for application to industrial robotics: trajectory generation for neural network tuning
(Springer, 2023) Merino Olagüe, Mikel; Ibarrola Chamizo, Javier; Aginaga García, Jokin; Hualde Otamendi, Mikel; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In the present work robot trajectories are generated and kinematically simulated. Different data (joint coordinates, end effector position and orientation, images, etc.) are obtained in order to train a neural network suited for applications in robotics. The neural network has the goal of automatically generating trajectories based on a set of images and coordinates. For this purpose, trajectories are designed in two separate sections which are conveniently connected using Bezier curves, ensuring continuity up to accelerations. In addition, among the possible trajectories that can be carried out due to the different configurations of the robot, the most suitable ones have been selected avoiding collisions and singularities. The designed algorithm can be used in multiple applications by adapting its different parameters.
Open Access
Robotic application for abrasive belt machining of complex aircraft metal parts
(Publicaciones DYNA, 2024) Torres Izu, Ramón; Mata Cantón, Sara; Aginaga García, Jokin; Barrenetxea Azpeitia, David; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
Surface finishing applications are still cumbersome manual tasks, therefore, robotization of the process is of great interest as it allows for automation and increased versatility. However, finishing processes are difficult to automate, mainly because of the variation in material removal. In particular, the variables involved undergo changes that modify the material removal rate. This paper proposes a methodology for modeling material removal automatically based on experimental data. The procedure consists of monitoring the material removed from the parts under study that are in an automated precision measuring system during the finishing process. Based on the experimental models, a control algorithm for continuous material removal is presented. It guarantees a homogeneous surface finish by varying the robot feed rate. Finally, the results of several experimental material removal models under different process conditions and the validation of the proposed control algorithm are presented. The results show that the proposed method achieves a substantial improvement in the homogeneity of the finish.
Open Access
Design, manufacturing, validation of a multi-orientation tilt test bench for testing vehicles rollover and tests of ATV-Quad for agricultural applications
(MDPI, 2021) Bacaicoa Díaz, Julen; Ballesteros Egüés, Tomás; Arana Navarro, Ignacio; Aginaga García, Jokin; Latorre Biel, Juan Ignacio; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
A rollover test bench has been designed, manufactured, and validated for analyzing the all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-Quad overturn of diverse vehicles in different configurations, such as installing a rollover protection system (ROPS), considering drivers of different physical constitutions, the appropriate use of safety belts, or having a full or empty fuel tank. The main purpose of this research is to determine the tilt angle of the vehicle that triggers the ATV-Quad overturn. The scope of the design and development of the newly conceived bench include the mechanical structure, the electronics and the control. It can simulate static and dynamic rollover in different directions. As a main conclusion, it can be stated that the performance of the test bench was successful, since it allowed for the development of several ATV models, equipped with different dummies, in a variety of configurations. In particular, it was possible to assess the effectivity of the AD-ROPS system (automatically deployed ROPS), regarding the protection of the driver of the vehicle. Moreover, multiple tests, performed with diverse ATV-Quads in the developed bench and in different configurations, have been reported and their results discussed.
Open Access
Comprehensive analysis of rotor edgewise whirling mode interaction with rotor speed harmonics
(IOP Publishing, 2024) Torres Elizondo, Antonio; Gil Soto, Javier; Plaza Puértolas, Aitor; Aginaga García, Jokin; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
This paper presents a model that investigates the interaction between rotor edgewise whirling modes and rotor speed harmonics in wind turbines. The model is based on kinematic and dynamic principles, with a focus on the multi-blade coordinate transformation, which is critical for simulating the behaviour of the rotor whirling modes in wind turbines. The research has two objectives: to investigate the interaction between the rotor edgewise whirling modes and the rotor speed harmonics, and to provide clearer graphs that explain the complex nature of this non-intuitive rotor dynamics. The paper concludes by highlighting the practical implications of the research findings, in particular the effectiveness of visualisation techniques in identifying and explaining unexpected interactions.
Embargo
Modal Complexity Factors as indexes for modal parameter identification in operational modal analysis of coupled dynamic systems
(Elsevier, 2025-03-31) Ibarrola Chamizo, Javier; Agirre Olabide, Iker; Merino Olagüe, Mikel; Aginaga García, Jokin; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Vibration analysis seeks to extract the modal parameters of a mechanical system by means of experimental measurements. Natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes are identified from the measurements data from experimental or operational modal analysis. Modal shapes can show real or complex values. The degree of complexity of a modal shape can be measured by the Modal Complexity Factors (MCF). Among others, modal complexity can be due to non-uniformly distributed damping. In complex mechanical systems like a robot, complex modes are expected due to its active and non distributed damping. In turn, in a metallic workpiece real modes are expected. In the robotic machining of thin workpieces, both the robot and the workpiece constitute a coupled dynamic system, operating within the same frequency range. This work proposes the use of MCFs as indexes to determine if each mode corresponds to the workpiece or the robot. Experimental results of an operational modal analysis show a lower mode complexity for the workpiece modes and a higher complexity for the robot frequencies. MCFs show a good performance in separating modes of such coupled systems due to the different damping nature of the robot and the workpiece.
Open Access
Determination of the symbolic base inertial parameters of planar mechanisms
(Elsevier, 2017) Iriarte Goñi, Xabier; Ros Ganuza, Javier; Mata, Vicente; Aginaga García, Jokin; Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de Materiales; Mekanika, Energetika eta Materialen Ingeniaritza
The inertial information of a planar mechanical system is characterised using 4 inertial parameters per solid. Due to the kinematic constraints, this parametrisation turns out be redundant. In order to reduce the computational cost of the model and make it possible to estimate its inertial parameters, the model is usually written in terms of a minimum set of inertial parameters called base inertial parameters. These parameters completely determine the dynamics of motion (kinetics) of a mechanism and, since their contributions are independent to each other, their actual values can be estimated experimentally. The base inertial parameters expressions can be written as a linear combination of the inertial parameters and determining their symbolic expressions provides a deeper insight into their physical meaning. This paper presents a new algorithm to determine the symbolic expressions of the base inertial parameters of planar mechanisms. The approach is based on a very well known numerical method to obtain the base inertial parameters and on the fact that these parameters belong to a class of functions that lets us search for symbolic expressions matching with them. Since the symbolic expressions are a function of the geometric constants of the system, the presented algorithm constitutes a very valuable tool in design optimisation and it is also very interesting in dynamic parameter estimation, model reduction and other fields.
Open Access
A unified analytical disk cam profile generation methodology using the Instantaneous Center of Rotation for educational purpose
(Elsevier, 2024) Iriarte Goñi, Xabier; Bacaicoa Díaz, Julen; Plaza Puértolas, Aitor; Aginaga García, Jokin; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Cam design is a fundamental part of the Mechanism and Machine Theory (MMT) and is included in the vast majority of MMT books. Cam profile design is usually determined with graphical and analytical methods. Graphical methods are didactically very successful to introduce the theory of cam profile generation in a simple way. In turn, analytical methods allow computer implementations of cam profile generation in order to reproduce it accurately. Most modern MMT books describe analytical methods using geometric equations and envelope theory. However, the analytical profile definition depends on the specific type of follower and there is a lack of a general formulation. This work presents a unified and general analytical formulation for the disk cam profile determination. Based on the Instantaneous Center of Rotation and the kinematic inversion, the formulation provides analytical expressions of the cam profile and is applicable to any type of follower. Thus, the unified formulation can be used in forthcoming books on this discipline.
Open Access
Inertia transfer concept based general method for the determination of the base inertial parameters
(Springer, 2015) Ros Ganuza, Javier; Plaza Puértolas, Aitor; Iriarte Goñi, Xabier; Aginaga García, Jokin; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
This paper presents a new algorithm to obtain the symbolic expressions of any of the possible base inertial parameter sets of a multibody system. Based on the ¿inertia transfer concept¿, a procedure is proposed to write a system of equations from which the base parameters are obtained. This leads to an automatizable and general method to obtain these parameters symbolically. The method can also be used to determine base inertial parameters numerically, and it can be even more straightforward to implement and use than the standard numerical methods. An example is presented to illustrate in detail the application of the algorithm, and to compare its results with those of a standard numerical procedure. The symbolic base inertial parameters can be of interest in symbolic simplification of the dynamic equations for real-time applications, design optimization, dynamic parameter identification, model reduction, and in other fields.
Open Access
Impact of strain gauge misalignment and model parameters on load estimation in wind turbines
(Elsevier, 2026-01-15) Bacaicoa Díaz, Julen; Iriarte Goñi, Xabier; Aginaga García, Jokin; Plaza Puértolas, Aitor; Ingeniería; Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Accurate load estimation in wind turbines is important for understanding the structural behaviour and optimising performance. Loads are commonly measured using strain gauges, but the process is strongly based on accurate placement and alignment. This work explores the influence of geometric, material, misplacement, and misalignment parameters on the performance of different strain gauge configurations for obtaining load estimates. An analytical model for a single gauge is presented which establishes the relationship between exerted loads and measured strain. Using second-order approximations, the sensitivities of the estimated loads are calculated in terms of the uncertainty of the model parameters. The model allows to calculate how the secondary loads affect the estimation of those of interest, which is particularly useful in wind turbines where all three forces and three moments occur simultaneously. When estimating a single load, analytic results show that sensitivities to geometric and material parameters remain consistent regardless of secondary loads, while sensitivities to gauge bonding parameters reveal a cross-talk effect. As these sensitivity results depend on the model parameters and the instantaneous values of the secondary loads (which vary with time) the sensitivities will strongly depend on the application cases. In this paper a horizontal-axis wind turbine is simulated, calculating the loads at the Low Speed Shaft and the Tower Base. The sensitivity results for these subsystems using Montecarlo simulations show that while some loads can be precisely estimated, other loads will be very poorly estimated even when the gauges are bonded with tiny misalignment errors.