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Title: Simple effective conservative treatment of uncertainty from sparse samples of random functions

Journal Article · · ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems. Part B. Mechanical Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039558· OSTI ID:1367209

This paper examines the variability of predicted responses when multiple stress-strain curves (reflecting variability from replicate material tests) are propagated through a finite element model of a ductile steel can being slowly crushed. Over 140 response quantities of interest (including displacements, stresses, strains, and calculated measures of material damage) are tracked in the simulations. Each response quantity’s behavior varies according to the particular stress-strain curves used for the materials in the model. We desire to estimate response variability when only a few stress-strain curve samples are available from material testing. Propagation of just a few samples will usually result in significantly underestimated response uncertainty relative to propagation of a much larger population that adequately samples the presiding random-function source. A simple classical statistical method, Tolerance Intervals, is tested for effectively treating sparse stress-strain curve data. The method is found to perform well on the highly nonlinear input-to-output response mappings and non-standard response distributions in the can-crush problem. The results and discussion in this paper support a proposition that the method will apply similarly well for other sparsely sampled random variable or function data, whether from experiments or models. Finally, the simple Tolerance Interval method is also demonstrated to be very economical.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1367209
Report Number(s):
SAND-2017-5177J; 653342
Journal Information:
ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems. Part B. Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 4, Issue 4; ISSN 2332-9017
Publisher:
American Society of Mechanical EngineersCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

The use of kernel densities and confidence intervals to cope with insufficient data in validation experiments journal May 2008
Comparison of Methods for Calculating B-Basis Crack Growth Life Using Limited Tests journal April 2016
Likelihood-based representation of epistemic uncertainty due to sparse point data and/or interval data journal July 2011
Systems of Frequency Curves Generated by Methods of Translation journal January 1949
On the quantification and efficient propagation of imprecise probabilities resulting from small datasets journal January 2018
Distribution type uncertainty due to sparse and imprecise data journal May 2013

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