Acknowledgements
The work presented in the report was started since 2010 when I was taking the Ph.D.
study at RWTH Aachen University (Germany). After finishing my Ph.D. degree,
I worked as an Associate Professor in Northwestern Polytechnical University
(P.R. China) and later in Shanghai University (P.R. China).
The work was under the financial support from China Scholarship Council
during 2010–2014. Then it was supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grand Nos. 11972020, 11602193).
First, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Schmidt,
the former Vice Director of the Institute of General Mechanics, RWTH Aachen
University. He supervised my Ph.D. research during 2010–2014 and collaborated
with my research work till today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Weichert, the former Head of the Institute of General
Mechanics. He supported me greatly on the research during my Ph.D. study. I want
to express my appreciation to Prof. Dr. Xiansheng Qin, the former Head of the
Department of Industrial Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, for
his encouragement and support for my work not only during my Ph.D. study but also
during my academic career in the university. I would also like to thank Prof. Yingjie
Yu, the Dean of School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai
University, for her great support on my research in the field of smart structures.
Second, I would like to appreciate my students, who assisted my research in the
field of smart structures, M.Sc. Faysal Andary, M.Sc. Haonan Li, M.Sc. Heyuan
Wang, M.Sc. Yaxi Li, M.Sc. Shuyang Zhang, M.Sc. Yingshan Gao, M.Sc. Yafei
Zhao, M.Sc. Ting Xue among many others.
Finally, I wish to thank my family for their unlimited support and encouragement on my work. I would also wish to thank all my friends who helped and
encouraged me in China and abroad.
Shanghai, China
Shun-Qi Zhang
vii
The work presented in the report was started since 2010 when I was taking the Ph.D.
study at RWTH Aachen University (Germany). After finishing my Ph.D. degree,
I worked as an Associate Professor in Northwestern Polytechnical University
(P.R. China) and later in Shanghai University (P.R. China).
The work was under the financial support from China Scholarship Council
during 2010–2014. Then it was supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grand Nos. 11972020, 11602193).
First, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Schmidt,
the former Vice Director of the Institute of General Mechanics, RWTH Aachen
University. He supervised my Ph.D. research during 2010–2014 and collaborated
with my research work till today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Weichert, the former Head of the Institute of General
Mechanics. He supported me greatly on the research during my Ph.D. study. I want
to express my appreciation to Prof. Dr. Xiansheng Qin, the former Head of the
Department of Industrial Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, for
his encouragement and support for my work not only during my Ph.D. study but also
during my academic career in the university. I would also like to thank Prof. Yingjie
Yu, the Dean of School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai
University, for her great support on my research in the field of smart structures.
Second, I would like to appreciate my students, who assisted my research in the
field of smart structures, M.Sc. Faysal Andary, M.Sc. Haonan Li, M.Sc. Heyuan
Wang, M.Sc. Yaxi Li, M.Sc. Shuyang Zhang, M.Sc. Yingshan Gao, M.Sc. Yafei
Zhao, M.Sc. Ting Xue among many others.
Finally, I wish to thank my family for their unlimited support and encouragement on my work. I would also wish to thank all my friends who helped and
encouraged me in China and abroad.
Shanghai, China
Shun-Qi Zhang
vii