Determination of the Crack Propagation Direction in Mixed-Mode Missions due to Cyclic Loading

The evaluation of cyclic crack propagation due to missions with varying mixed-mode conditions is an important topic in industrial applications. This paper focuses on the determination of the resulting propagation direction. Two criteria are analyzed, the dominant step criterion and the averaged angle criterion, and compared with experimental data from tension-torsion tests with and without phase shift. The comparison shows that the dominant step criterion yields better results for small to moderate values of the phase shift. For a large phase shift of 90°, the experimental results are not very consistent, and therefore, no decisive conclusions can be drawn.

Three Rapid Methods for Averaging GPS Segments

Extracting road segments by averaging GPS trajectories is very challenging. Most existing averaging strategies suffer from high complexity, poor accuracy, or both. For example, finding the optimal mean for a set of sequences is known to be NP-hard, whereas using Medoid compromises the quality. In this paper, we introduce three extremely fast and practical methods to extract the road segment by averaging GPS trajectories. The methods first analyze three descriptors and then use either a simple linear model or a more complex curvy model depending on an angle criterion. The results provide equal or better accuracy than the best existing methods while being very fast, and are therefore suitable for real-time processing. The proposed method takes only 0.7% of the computing time of the best-tested baseline method, and the accuracy is also slightly better (62.2% vs. 61.7%).

Chance Single Sampling Plan for Variables

This paper considers the design of single sampling plan for variables when the experimental values are treated as observations on independently and identically distributed normal random variables with fuzzy mean value. The design makes use of Liu's (2008) model IV of Chance Theory. Sampling Plans determined by the sample sizes and acceptance numbers are constructed for situations involving imprecise parameter on using chance theory. The process of determining sample sizes and acceptance threshold values has been carried out on assuming the observed values have hybrid normal distribution. Optimal chance sampling plans for variables are also determined by using minimum angle criterion for different choices of fuzzy risks.