Research interests: 

Opportunities: 

a)    University College Dublin, Ireland. 
b)    University of Nottingham, UK. 
c)    ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
d)    University of Oulu, Finland. 
e)    University of Surrey, UK. 
f)    Columbia University, USA. 
g)    University of Massachusetts, USA. 
h)    University Laval, Canada. 
i)    Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. 
j)    Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. 

Research website: https://www.theoscarlab.com/

1. Real-time structural health monitoring (RT-SHM) of built infrastructure 

2. Real-time downtime detection of renewable energy devices

Complex systems are susceptible to many types of anomalies, faults, and abnormal behavior caused by a variety of off-nominal conditions that may ultimately result in major failures or catastrophic events. Early and accurate detection of these anomalies using system inputs and outputs collected from sensors and smart devices has become a challenging problem and an active area of research in many application domains. This is succeeded using critical instrumentation that is characterized by increased flexibility, modularity, and ease of use, and may consequently be exploited beyond completion of the project on further critical infrastructure components, including bridges, buildings, dams, etc. A thoroughly instrumented case study of a Wind Turbine will serve as a benchmark. Future advances in this field will include smart data harnessing, interpretation, and management for optimal life cycle assessment. Students with a background in wind turbine monitoring with a record of published research, experience in handling big data, and modelling wake-induced effects are strongly encouraged to apply. 

3. Single sensor-based real-time infrastructure monitoring framework 

Four key aspects of real-time condition monitoring and maintenance have been developed using the exclusive Recursive singular spectrum analysis (RSSA): (a) Filtering, (b) Enhancification, (c) Fault detection, and (d) Modal identification. As single-sensor econometrics has been long sought as a viable option for cases involving instrumentation redundancies, non-optimal sensor placement, and cost considerations, RSSA provides replication, scalability, and transferability for real-time fault detection studies. With the output vibration signals streaming in real-time, the Hankel covariance matrix is formed which filters out the noise subspace in the grouping stage. Online enhancification becomes particularly useful when the signal statistics are masked by time-varying non-stationary excitation. With applications extending to real-time passive control and aligned to current infrastructure monitoring demands worldwide, RSSA demonstrates the potential to establish as a benchmark algorithm for online condition monitoring. 

A)    Bhowmik, B., Panda, S., Hazra, B., & Pakrashi, V. (2022). Feedback-driven error-corrected single-sensor analytics for real-time condition monitoring. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 214, 106898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2021.106898 
B)   Bhowmik, B., Krishnan, M., Hazra, B., & Pakrashi, V. (2019). Real-time unified single-and multi-channel structural damage detection using recursive singular spectrum analysis. Structural Health Monitoring, 18(2), 563-589. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1475921718760483 

4. Online bridge monitoring techniques – Challenges of scour, variable damping, and rehabilitation 

Scour in railway bridges is often an important problem, especially for old bridges. In this regard, the assessment of full-scale bridges to establish scour repair adequacy or efficiency is an important question. Typically, scour weakens the bridge structure by modifying its boundary conditions. Such changes, when significant enough, can lead to changes in modal properties and vibrations measurements with respect to the ideal baseline. On the other hand, a repair attempts to restore the release in boundary conditions. Consequently, a repair also changes the modal properties and the dynamic responses. This indicates that significant and consistent changes in bridges before and after repair can indicate the adequacy and efficiency of scour repair.

As a part of the group’s research on bridge monitoring, the group has worked in instrumenting various bridges across Ireland – ranging from pedestrian bridges to train load-carrying ones – which will be continued in various parts of India as well. The data obtained from the sensors allow us to better assess the condition of existing bridges, as well as their capacity to withstand extreme loads and weather conditions. Additionally, vibration-based scour detection procedures using piezoelectric energy harvesting devices (EHD) have been conducted that promise to serve as a future benchmark in the research to come. Using one EHD attached to the central bridge pier, both scour at the pier of installation and scour at another bridge pier can be detected from the EHD voltage generated during the bridge free-vibration stage, while the harvester is attached to a healthy pier. Frequency components corresponding to harmonic loading and electrical interference arising from experiments are removed using the filter bank property of singular spectrum analysis (SSA). These frequencies can then be monitored by using harvested voltage from the energy harvesting device and successfully utilized towards SHM of a model bridge affected by scour.

Real-time estimates of natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping of a structural system can be interpreted to its structural health. In this regard, real-time estimation of damping ratios for full-scale structures can be useful by itself or in conjunction with real-time estimates of natural frequencies.

The research group is looking for motivated candidates with experience in finite element modeling, MEMS sensors, instrumentation, and practical field studies for carrying out localized bridge inspections in various parts of the country. Additional experience in coding is desirable but not mandatory. Interested candidates should look at the following publications by this group for more details and suggested to come up with a feasible research plan. 

A)    Bhowmik, B., Hazra, B., O’Byrne, M., Ghosh, B., & Pakrashi, V. (2021). Damping estimation of a pedestrian footbridge–an enhanced frequency-domain automated approach. Journal of Vibroengineering, 23(1), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.21595/jve.2020.21577 
B)    Micu, E. A., Khan, M. A., Bhowmik, B., Florez, M. C., Obrien, E., Bowe, C., & Pakrashi, V. (2021, August). Scour Repair of Bridges Through Vibration Monitoring and Related Challenges. In International Conference of the European Association on Quality Control of Bridges and Structures (pp. 499-508). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91877-4_57 
C)    Bhowmik, B., Quqa, S., Sause, M.G.R., Pakrashi, V., Droubi, M.G. (2021). Data Reduction Strategies. In: Sause, M.G.R., Jasiūnienė, E. (eds) Structural Health Monitoring Damage Detection Systems for Aerospace. Springer Aerospace Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72192-3_9 
 

Google Scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4_EtmfQAAAAJ&hl=en

Book publication

Book chapter publications

Journal publications

Conference Presentations 

Current courses 
 

1. CE201 - Solid Mechanics (July-Nov, 2022, Undergraduate course)

Courses taught at University College Dublin, Ireland

1. MEEN10030 - Mechanics for Engineers (May-Sep, 2020, Undergraduate course)

2. MEEN41040 - Advanced Vibrations (May-Sep, 2019, Postgraduate course)

Courses taught at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

1. ME101 - Engineering Mechanics (Jan-May, 2017, Undergraduate course)

2. CE513 - Statistical Methods in Civil Engineering (July-Dec, 2017, Postgraduate course)

3. CE608 - Reliability-based Structural Design (Jan-May, 2018, Postgraduate course)