Showing papers in "Smart Materials and Structures in 2016"

Guided wave based structural health monitoring: A review

Abstract: The paper provides a state of the art review of guided wave based structural health monitoring (SHM). First, the fundamental concepts of guided wave propagation and its implementation for SHM is explained. Following sections present the different modeling schemes adopted, developments in the area of transducers for generation, and sensing of wave, signal processing and imaging technique, statistical and machine learning schemes for feature extraction. Next, a section is presented on the recent advancements in nonlinear guided wave for SHM. This is followed by section on Rayleigh and SH waves. Next is a section on real-life implementation of guided wave for industrial problems. The paper, though briefly talks about the early development for completeness,. is primarily focussed on the recent progress made in the last decade. The paper ends by discussing and highlighting the future directions and open areas of research in guided wave based SHM.

Magnetic actuated pH-responsive hydrogel-based soft micro-robot for targeted drug delivery

Abstract: For drug delivery in cancer therapy, various stimuli-responsive hydrogel-based micro-devices have been studied with great interest. Here, we present a new concept for a hybrid actuated soft microrobot targeted drug delivery. The proposed soft microrobot consists of a hydrogel bilayer structure of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA) and poly (ethylene glycol) acrylate (PEGDA) with iron (II, III) oxide particles (Fe3O4). The PHEMA layer as a pH-responsive gel is used for a trapping and unfolding motion of the soft microrobot in pH-varying solution, and the PEGDA-with-Fe3O4 layer is employed for the locomotion of the soft microrobot in the magnetic field. The bilayer soft microrobot was fabricated by a conventional photolithography procedure and its characteristics were analyzed and presented. To evaluate the trapping performance and the motility of the soft microrobot, test solutions with different pH values and an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system were used. First, the soft microrobot showed its full trapping motion at about pH 9.58 and its unfolding motion at about pH 2.6. Second, the soft microrobot showed a moving velocity of about 600 μm s−1 through the generated magnetic field of the EMA system. Finally, we fabricated the real anti-cancer drug microbeads (PCL-DTX) and executed the cytotoxicity test using the mammary carcinoma cells (4T1). The viability of the 4T1 cells treated with the proposed microrobot and the PCL-DTX microbeads decreased to 70.25 ± 1.52%. The result demonstrated that the soft microrobot can be moved to a target position by the EMA system and can release a small amount of beads by the pH variation and the robot exhibited no toxicity to the cells. In the future, we expect that the proposed soft microrobot can be applied to a new tumor-therapeutic tool that can move to a target tumor and release anti-tumor drugs.

Self-expanding/shrinking structures by 4D printing

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to create adaptive structures capable of self-expanding and self-shrinking by means of four-dimensional printing technology. An actuator unit is designed and fabricated directly by printing fibers of shape memory polymers (SMPs) in flexible beams with different arrangements. Experiments are conducted to determine thermo-mechanical material properties of the fabricated part revealing that the printing process introduced a strong anisotropy into the printed parts. The feasibility of the actuator unit with self-expanding and self-shrinking features is demonstrated experimentally. A phenomenological constitutive model together with analytical closed-form solutions are developed to replicate thermo-mechanical behaviors of SMPs. Governing equations of equilibrium are developed for printed structures based on the non-linear Green–Lagrange strain tensor and solved implementing a finite element method along with an iterative incremental Newton–Raphson scheme. The material-structural model is then applied to digitally design and print SMP adaptive lattices in planar and tubular shapes comprising a periodic arrangement of SMP actuator units that expand and then recover their original shape automatically. Numerical and experimental results reveal that the proposed planar lattice as meta-materials can be employed for plane actuators with self-expanding/shrinking features or as structural switches providing two different dynamic characteristics. It is also shown that the proposed tubular lattice with a self-expanding/shrinking mechanism can serve as tubular stents and grippers for bio-medical or piping applications.

4D sequential actuation: Combining ionoprinting and redox chemistry in hydrogels

Abstract: The programmable sequential actuation of two-dimensional hydrogel membranes into three-dimensional folded architectures has been achieved by combining ionoprinting and redox chemistry; this methodology permits the programmed evolution of complex architectures triggered through localized out-of-plane deformations. In our study we describe a soft actuator which utilizes ionoprinting of iron and vanadium, with the selective reduction of iron through a mild reducing agent, to achieve chemically controlled sequential folding. Through the optimization of solvent polarity and ionoprinting variables (voltage, duration and anode composition), we have shown how the actuation pathways, rate-of-movement and magnitude of angular rotation can be controlled for the design of a 4D sequential actuator.

Dynamics and coherence resonance of tri-stable energy harvesting system

Abstract: To improve the efficiency of energy harvesting, this paper presents a tri-stable energy harvesting device, which can realize inter-well oscillation at low-frequency base excitation and obtain a high harvesting efficiency by tri-stable coherence resonance. First, the model of a magnetic coupling tri-stable piezoelectric energy harvester is established and the corresponding equations are derived. The formula for the magnetic repulsion force between three magnets is given. Then, the dynamic responses of a system subject to harmonic excitation and Gaussian white noise excitation are explored by a numerical method and validated by experiments. Compared with a bi-stable energy harvester, the threshold for inter-well oscillation to occur can be moved forward to the low frequency, and the tri-stable device can create a dense high output voltage and power at the low intensity of stochastic excitation. Results show that for a definite deterministic or stochastic excitation, the system can be optimally designed such that it increases the frequency bandwidth and achieves a high energy harvesting efficiency at coherence resonance.

Electrical percolation threshold of cementitious composites possessing self-sensing functionality incorporating different carbon-based materials

Abstract: An experimental study was carried out to understand the electrical percolation thresholds of different carbon-based nano- and micro-scale materials in cementitious composites. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon black (CB) were selected as the nano-scale materials, while 6 and 12 mm long carbon fibers (CF6 and CF12) were used as the micro-scale carbon-based materials. After determining the percolation thresholds of different electrical conductive materials, mechanical properties and piezoresistive properties of specimens produced with the abovementioned conductive materials at percolation threshold were investigated under uniaxial compressive loading. Results demonstrate that regardless of initial curing age, the percolation thresholds of CNT, GNP, CB and CFs in ECC mortar specimens were around 0.55%, 2.00%, 2.00% and 1.00%, respectively. Including different carbon-based conductive materials did not harm compressive strength results; on the contrary, it improved overall values. All cementitious composites produced with carbon-based materials, with the exception of the control mixtures, exhibited piezoresistive behavior under compression, which is crucial for sensing capability. It is believed that incorporating the sensing attribute into cementitious composites will enhance benefits for sustainable civil infrastructures.

Fabrication methods and applications of microstructured gallium based liquid metal alloys

Abstract: This review contains a comparative study of reported fabrication techniques of gallium based liquid metal alloys embedded in elastomers such as polydimethylsiloxane or other rubbers as well as the primary challenges associated with their use. The eutectic gallium–indium binary alloy (EGaIn) and gallium–indium–tin ternary alloy (galinstan) are the most common non-toxic liquid metals in use today. Due to their deformability, non-toxicity and superior electrical conductivity, these alloys have become very popular among researchers for flexible and reconfigurable electronics applications. All the available manufacturing techniques have been grouped into four major classes. Among them, casting by needle injection is the most widely used technique as it is capable of producing features as small as 150 nm width by high-pressure infiltration. One particular fabrication challenge with gallium based liquid metals is that an oxide skin is rapidly formed on the entire exposed surface. This oxide skin increases wettability on many surfaces, which is excellent for keeping patterned metal in position, but is a drawback in applications like reconfigurable circuits, where the position of liquid metal needs to be altered and controlled accurately. The major challenges involved in many applications of liquid metal alloys have also been discussed thoroughly in this article.

Enhanced mathematical modeling of the displacement amplification ratio for piezoelectric compliant mechanisms

Abstract: Piezo-actuated, flexure hinge-based compliant mechanisms have been frequently used in precision engineering in the last few decades. There have been a considerable number of publications on modeling the displacement amplification behavior of rhombus-type and bridge-type compliant mechanisms. However, due to an unclear geometric approximation and mechanical assumption between these two flexures, it is very difficult to obtain an exact description of the kinematic performance using previous analytical models, especially when the designed angle of the compliant mechanisms is small. Therefore, enhanced theoretical models of the displacement amplification ratio for rhombus-type and bridge-type compliant mechanisms are proposed to improve the prediction accuracy based on the distinct force analysis between these two flexures. The energy conservation law and the elastic beam theory are employed for modeling with consideration of the translational and rotational stiffness. Theoretical and finite elemental results show that the prediction errors of the displacement amplification ratio will be enlarged if the bridge-type flexure is simplified as a rhombic structure to perform mechanical modeling. More importantly, the proposed models exhibit better performance than the previous models, which is further verified by experiments.

State of the art of control schemes for smart systems featuring magneto-rheological materials

Abstract: This review presents various control strategies for application systems utilizing smart magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) and magneto-rheological elastomers (MRE). It is well known that both MRF and MRE are actively studied and applied to many practical systems such as vehicle dampers. The mandatory requirements for successful applications of MRF and MRE include several factors: advanced material properties, optimal mechanisms, suitable modeling, and appropriate control schemes. Among these requirements, the use of an appropriate control scheme is a crucial factor since it is the final action stage of the application systems to achieve the desired output responses. There are numerous different control strategies which have been applied to many different application systems of MRF and MRE, summarized in this review. In the literature review, advantages and disadvantages of each control scheme are discussed so that potential researchers can develop more effective strategies to achieve higher control performance of many application systems utilizing magneto-rheological materials.

Resistive flex sensors: a survey

Abstract: Resistive flex sensors can be used to measure bending or flexing with relatively little effort and a relativelylow budget. Their lightness, compactness, robustness, measurement effectiveness and low power consumption make these sensors useful for manifold applications in diverse fields. Here, we provide a comprehensive survey of resistive flex sensors, taking into account their working principles, manufacturing aspects, electrical characteristics and equivalent models, useful front-end conditioning circuitry, and physic-bio-chemical aspects. Particular effort is devoted to reporting on and analyzing several applications of resistive flex sensors, related to the measurement of body position and motion, and to the implementation of artificial devices. In relation to the human body, we consider the utilization of resistive flex sensors for the measurement of physical activity and for the development of interaction/interface devices driven by human gestures. Concerning artificial devices, we deal with applications related to the automotive field, robots, orthosis and prosthesis, musical instruments and measuring tools. The presented literature is collected from different sources, including bibliographic databases, company press releases, patents, master’s theses and PhD theses.

Chiral three-dimensional lattices with tunable Poisson’s ratio

Abstract: Chiral three-dimensional cubic lattices are developed with rigid cubical nodules and analyzed via finite element analysis. The lattices exhibit geometry dependent Poisson's ratio that can be tuned to negative values. Poisson's ratio tends to zero as the cubes become further apart. The lattices exhibit stretch–twist coupling. Such coupling cannot occur in a classical elastic continuum but it can occur in a chiral Cosserat solid.

A simple auxetic tubular structure with tuneable mechanical properties

Abstract: Auxetic materials and structures are increasingly used in various fields because of their unusual properties. Auxetic tubular structures have been fabricated and studied due to their potential to be adopted as oesophageal stents where only tensile auxetic performance is required. However, studies on compressive mechanical properties of auxetic tubular structures are limited in the current literature. In this paper, we developed a simple tubular structure which exhibits auxetic behaviour in both compression and tension. This was achieved by extending a design concept recently proposed by the authors for generating 3D metallic auxetic metamaterials. Both compressive and tensile mechanical properties of the auxetic tubular structure were investigated. It was found that the methodology for generating 3D auxetic metamaterials could be effectively used to create auxetic tubular structures as well. By properly adjusting certain parameters, the mechanical properties of the designed auxetic tubular structure could be easily tuned.

On the use of crystalline admixtures in cement based construction materials: from porosity reducers to promoters of self healing

Abstract: The project detailed in this paper aims at a thorough characterization of the effects of crystalline admixtures, currently employed as porosity reducing admixtures, on the self-healing capacity of the cementitious composites, i.e. their capacity to completely or partially re-seal cracks and, in case, also exhibit recovery of mechanical properties. The problem has been investigated with reference to both a normal strength concrete (NSC) and a high performance fibre reinforced cementitious composite (HPFRCC). In the latter case, the influence of flow-induced fibre alignment has also been considered in the experimental investigation. With reference to either 3-point (for NSC) or 4-point (for HPFRCC) bending tests performed up to controlled crack opening and up to failure, respectively before and after exposure/conditioning recovery of stiffness and stress bearing capacity has been evaluated to assess the self-healing capacity. In a durability-based design framework, self-healing indices to quantify the recovery of mechanical properties will also be defined. In NSC, crystalline admixtures are able to promote up to 60% of crack sealing even under exposure to open air. In the case of HPFRCCs, which would already feature autogenous healing capacity because of their peculiar mix compositions, the synergy between the dispersed fibre reinforcement and the action of the crystalline admixture has resulted in a likely 'chemical pre-stressing' of the same reinforcement, from which the recovery of mechanical performance of the material has greatly benefited, up to levels even higher than the performance of the virgin un-cracked material.

3D printed components with ultrasonically arranged microscale structure

Abstract: This paper shows the first application of in situ manipulation of discontinuous fibrous structure mid-print, within a 3D printed polymeric composite architecture. Currently, rapid prototyping methods (fused filament fabrication, stereolithography) are gaining increasing popularity within the engineering commnity to build structural components. Unfortunately, the full potential of these components is limited by the mechanical properties of the materials used. The aim of this study is to create and demonstrate a novel method to instantaneously orient micro-scale glass fibres within a selectively cured photocurable resin system, using ultrasonic forces to align the fibres in the desired 3D architecture. To achieve this we have mounted a switchable, focused laser module on the carriage of a three-axis 3D printing stage, above an in-house ultrasonic alignment rig containing a mixture of photocurable resin and discontinuous 14 μm diameter glass fibre reinforcement(50 μm length). In our study, a suitable print speed of 20 mm s −1 was used, which is comparable to conventional additive layer techniques. We show the ability to construct in-plane orthogonally aligned sections printed side by side, where the precise orientation of the configurations is controlled by switching the ultrasonic standing wave profile mid-print. This approach permits the realisation of complex fibrous architectures within a 3D printed landscape. The versatile nature of the ultrasonic manipulation technique also permits a wide range of particle types (diameters, aspect ratios and functions) and architectures (in-plane, and out-plane) to be patterned, leading to the creation of a new generation of fibrous reinforced composites for 3D printing. S Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/sms/25/02LT01/mmedia

Soft and smart modular structures actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires as tentacles of soft robots

Abstract: This paper introduces the design and fabrication of a multi-layered smart modular structure (SMS) that has been inspired by the muscular organs and modularity in soft animals. The SMS is capable of planar reciprocal motion of bending in heating process and recovering in cooling process when SMA wires carry out phase transformation. An adaptive regulation heating strategy is applied to avoid overheating and achieve bending range control of the SMS based on the resistance feedback of the SMA wires which as actuator of the SMS. The SMS can modular assemble soft robots with multiple morphologies such as lateral robots, bilateral robots and actinomorphic robots. A five-armed actinomorphic soft robot is conducted to crawling in terrestrial ground (max speed: 140 mm s−1, 0.7 body s−1), swimming in underwater environment (max speed: 67 mm s−1, 2.5 height s−1) and griping fragile objects (max object weight: 0.91 kg, 15 times the weight of itself). Those demonstrate that the performance of the SMS is good enough to be modular units to establish soft robots which possess a high speed of response, good adaptability and a safe interaction with their environments.

On the complex and hyperbolic structures of the longitudinal wave equation in a magneto-electro-elastic circular rod

Abstract: In this study, we improve a new analytical method called the 'Modified exp expansion function method'. This method is based on the exp expansion function method. We obtain new analytical solutions expressed by hyperbolic, complex and complex hyperbolic function solutions to the nonlinear longitudinal wave equation in a magneto-electro-elastic circular rod. We plot two- and three-dimensional surfaces of analytical solutions by using Wolfram Mathematica 9.

A cm scale electret-based electrostatic wind turbine for low-speed energy harvesting applications

Abstract: This paper presents a small-scale airflow energy harvester built on an axial turbine architecture and exploiting an electret-based electrostatic converter When the airflow velocity is high enough, the windmill starts rotating and creates a periodic relative motion between a stator and a rotor which induces variations of capacitance These ones are directly converted into electricity thanks to the use of Teflon electrets charged at −1400 V which polarize the variable capacitors We focus our study on a 4-blade axial turbine with a diameter of D = 40 mm, a depth of W = 10 mm, for a total volume of 126 cm3 This windmill has been tested with various blade angles and different types of electrostatic converters and output powers up to 90 μW at 15 m s−1 (75 μW cm−3) and 18 mW at 10 m s−1 (111 μW cm−3) have been obtained so far The coefficient of power reaches C p = 58% and among the small-scale airflow energy harvesters previously reported, this one has the lowest cut-in speed (15 m s−1)

Sealing of cracks in cement using microencapsulated sodium silicate

Abstract: Cement-based materials possess an inherent autogenous self-healing capability allowing them to seal, and potentially heal, microcracks. This can be improved through the addition of microencapsulated healing agents for autonomic self-healing. The fundamental principle of this self-healing mechanism is that when cracks propagate in the cementitious matrix, they rupture the dispersed capsules and their content (cargo material) is released into the crack volume. Various healing agents have been explored in the literature for their efficacy to recover mechanical and durability properties in cementitious materials. In these materials, the healing agents are most commonly encapsulated in macrocontainers (e.g. glass tubes or capsules) and placed into the material. In this work, microencapsulated sodium silicate in both liquid and solid form was added to cement specimens. Sodium silicate reacts with the calcium hydroxide in hydrated cement paste to form calcium-silicate-hydrate gel that fills cracks. The effect of microcapsule addition on rheological and mechanical properties of cement is reported. It is observed that the microcapsule addition inhibits compressive strength development in cement and this is observed through a plateau in strength between 28 and 56 days. The improvement in crack-sealing for microcapsule-containing specimens is quantified through sorptivity measurements over a 28 day healing period. After just seven days, the addition of 4% microcapsules resulted in a reduction in sorptivity of up to 45% when compared to specimens without any microcapsule addition. A qualitative description of the reaction between the cargo material and the cementitious matrix is also provided using x-ray diffraction analysis.

Large size superelastic SMA bars: heat treatment strategy, mechanical property and seismic application

Abstract: This paper reports a comprehensive study on the mechanical performance of large size superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) bars, with the main focus given to their potential applications for seismic-resistant connections. A series of practical issues, including heat treatment, mechanical property assessment, and connection design/evaluation, were discussed aiming to benefit both material and civil engineering communities. The study commenced with a detailed discussion on the heat treatment strategy for SMA bars and the resulting mechanical properties including strength/stiffness, self-centring ability, energy dissipation, and fractural resistance. It was observed that the mechanical performance of the bars were quite sensitive to both annealing temperature and duration, and size effect was also evident, resulting in different appropriate heat treatment procedures for the bars with varying diameters. The optimally heat-treated SMA bars were machined to the bolt form and were then used for two types of practical self-centring connections, namely, connection with all SMA bars and that with combined angles and SMA bars. Through conducting full-scale tests, both connections were shown to have stable and controllable hysteretic responses till 5% loading drift. Up to 3% drift, the self-centring performance was satisfactory for both connection types, but beyond that the presence of the angles could lead to accumulated residual rotation. Importantly, for both connections, the deformation was accommodated by the SMA bolts or angles, whereas no plastic deformation was observed at any other structural members. This confirmed the feasibility of using such connections for highly resilient structures where minimal repair work is required after earthquakes.

An adaptive metamaterial beam with hybrid shunting circuits for extremely broadband control of flexural waves

Abstract: A great deal of research has been devoted to controlling the dynamic behaviors of phononic crystals and metamaterials by directly tuning the frequency regions and/or widths of their inherent band gaps. Here, we report a new class of adaptive metamaterial beams with hybrid shunting circuits to realize super broadband Lamb-wave band gaps at an extreme subwavelength scale. The proposed metamaterial is made of a homogeneous host beam on which tunable local resonators consisting of hybrid shunted piezoelectric stacks with proof masses are attached. The hybrid shunting circuits are composed of negative-capacitance and negative-inductance elements connected in series or in parallel in order to tune the desired frequency-dependent stiffness. It is shown theoretically and numerically that by properly modifying the shunting impedance, the adaptive mechanical mechanism within the tunable resonator can produce high-pass and low-pass wave filtering capabilities for the zeroth-order anti-symmetric Lamb-wave modes. These unique behaviors are due to the hybrid effects from the negative-capacitance and negative-inductance circuit elements. Such a system opens up important perspectives for the development of adaptive vibration or wave-attenuation devices for broadband frequency applications.

Design and characterisation of a piezoelectric knee-joint energy harvester with frequency up-conversion through magnetic plucking

Abstract: Piezoelectric energy harvesting from human motion is challenging because of the low energy conversion efficiency at a low-frequency excitation. Previous studies by the present authors showed that mechanical plucking of a piezoelectric bimorph cantilever was able to provide frequency up-conversion from a few hertz to the resonance frequency of the cantilever, and that a piezoelectric knee-joint energy harvester (KEH) based on this mechanism was able to generate sufficient energy to power a wireless sensor node. However, the direct contact between the bimorph and the plectra leads to reduced longevity and considerable noise. To address these limitations, this paper introduces a magnetic plucking mechanism to replace the mechanical plucking in the KEH, where primary magnets (PM) actuated by knee-joint motion excite the bimorphs through a secondary magnet (SM) fixed on the bimorphs tip and so achieve frequency up-conversion. The key parameters of the new KEH that affect the energy output of a plucked bimorph were investigated. It was found that the bimorph plucked by a repulsive magnetic force produced a higher energy output than an attractive force. The energy output peaked at 32 PMs and increased with a decreasing gap between PM and SM as well as an increasing rotation speed of the PMs. Based on these investigations, a KEH with high energy output was prototyped, which featured 8 piezoelectric bimorphs plucked by 32 PMs through repulsive magnetic forces. The gap between PM and SM was set to 1.5 mm with a consideration on both the energy output and longevity of the bimorphs. When actuated by knee-joint motion of 0.9 Hz, the KEH produced an average power output of 5.8 mW with a life time >7.3 h (about 3.8 × 105 plucking excitations).

Experimental investigations of building structure with a superelastic shape memory alloy friction damper subject to seismic loads

Abstract: With the goal to assess its effectiveness in structural vibration suppression under strong seismic excitations, this paper experimentally investigates shaking table tests of a new superelastic shape memory alloy friction damper (SSMAFD). The damper consists of pre-tensioned superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) wires and friction devices. The main function of SMA wires is to provide re-centering capacity, while the integrated friction devices provide the most energy dissipation. With the inherent damping property, the superelastic SMA wires also provide energy dissipation. In the shaking table tests, a scaled-down building structure were used as the subject for vibration control and several representative seismic signals as well as white noise motions were used as the inputs. Comparative studies of dynamic behaviors, i.e. story displacements, interstory drifts and story accelerations, of the structural model with and without SSMAFD under seismic loading were performed. The experimental results demonstrated that the SSMAFD was effective in suppressing the dynamic response of the building structure subjected to strong earthquakes by dissipating a large portion of the energy. In addition, with the re-centering capacity of the proposed damper, the structure was able to undergo strong earthquakes without remarkable residual drift under different seismic loads.

Static stability analysis of smart magneto-electro-elastic heterogeneous nanoplates embedded in an elastic medium based on a four-variable refined plate theory

Abstract: In this article, a nonlocal four-variable refined plate theory is developed to examine the buckling behavior of nanoplates made of magneto-electro-elastic functionally graded (MEE-FG) materials resting on Winkler–Pasternak foundation. Material properties of nanoplate change in spatial coordinate based on power-law distribution. The nonlocal governing equations are deduced by employing the Hamilton principle. For various boundary conditions, the analytical solutions of nonlocal MEE-FG plates for buckling problem will be obtained based on an exact solution approach. Finally, dependency of buckling response of MEE-FG nanoplate on elastic foundation parameters, magnetic potential, external electric voltage, various boundary conditions, small scale parameter, power-law index, plate side-to-thickness ratio and aspect ratio will be figure out. These results can be advantageous for the mechanical analysis and design of intelligent nanoscale structures constructed from magneto-electro-thermo-elastic functionally graded materials.

Energy-efficient miniature-scale heat pumping based on shape memory alloys

Abstract: Cooling and thermal management comprise a major part of global energy consumption. The by far most widespread cooling technology today is vapor compression, reaching rather high efficiencies, but promoting global warming due to the use of environmentally harmful refrigerants. For widespread emerging applications using microelectronics and micro-electro-mechanical systems, thermoelectrics is the most advanced technology, which however hardly reaches coefficients of performance (COP) above 2.0. Here, we introduce a new approach for energy-efficient heat pumping using the elastocaloric effect in shape memory alloys. This development is mainly targeted at applications on miniature scales, while larger scales are envisioned by massive parallelization. Base materials are cold-rolled textured Ti49.1Ni50.5Fe0.4 foils of 30 μm thickness showing an adiabatic temperature change of +20/−16 K upon superelastic loading/unloading. Different demonstrator layouts consisting of mechanically coupled bridge structures with large surface-to-volume ratios are developed allowing for control by a single actuator as well as work recovery. Heat transfer times are in the order of 1 s, being orders of magnitude faster than for bulk geometries. Thus, first demonstrators achieve values of specific heating and cooling power of 4.5 and 2.9 W g−1, respectively. A maximum temperature difference of 9.4 K between heat source and sink is reached within 2 min. Corresponding COP on the device level are 4.9 (heating) and 3.1 (cooling).

Closed loop control of dielectric elastomer actuators based on self-sensing displacement feedback

Abstract: This paper describes a sensorless control algorithm for a positioning system based on a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA). The voltage applied to the membrane and the resulting current can be measured during the actuation and used to estimate its displacement, i.e., to perform self-sensing. The estimated displacement can be then used as a feedback signal for a position control algorithm, which results in a compact device capable of operating in closed loop control without the need for additional electromechanical or optical transducers. In this work, a circular DEA preloaded with a bi-stable spring is used as a case of study to validate the proposed control architecture. A comparison of the closed loop performance achieved using an accurate laser displacement sensor for feedback is also provided to better assess the performance limitations of the overall sensorless scheme.

Damage localization in metallic plate structures using edge-reflected lamb waves

Abstract: This paper presents a model-based guided ultrasonic waves imaging algorithm, in which multiple ultrasonic echoes caused by reflections from the plate's boundaries are leveraged to enhance imaging performance. An analytical model is proposed to estimate the envelope of scattered waves. Correlation between the estimated and experimental data is used to generate images. The proposed method is validated through experimental tests on an aluminum plate instrumented with three low profile piezoelectric transducers. Different damage conditions are simulated including through-thickness holes. Results are compared with two other imaging localization methods, that is, delay and sum and minimum variance.

A Seat Suspension with a Rotary Magnetorheological Damper for Heavy Duty Vehicles

Abstract: This paper presents the development of an innovative seat suspension working with a rotary magnetorheological (MR) fluid damper. Compared with a conventional linear MR damper, the well-designed rotary MR damper possesses several advantages such as usage reduction of magnetorheological fluid, low sealing requirements and lower costs. This research starts with the introduction of the seat suspension structure and the damper design, followed by the property test of the seat suspension using an MTS machine. The field-dependent property, amplitude-dependent performance, and the frequency-dependent performance of the new seat suspension are measured and evaluated. This research puts emphasis on the evaluation of the vibration reduction capability of the rotary MR damper by using both simulation and experimental methods. Fuzzy logic is chosen to control the rotary MR damper in real time and two different input signals are considered as vibration excitations. The experimental results show that the rotary MR damper under fuzzy logic control is effective in reducing the vibrations.