• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.391-401
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• 2020

The present article reports the feasibility of the electrical energy generation from ambient low-frequency vibration using a piezoelectric material mounted on a bimorph cantilever beam actuator. A corresponding higher-order analytical model is developed using MATLAB in conjunction with finite element method under low-frequency with both damped and undamped conditions. An alternate model is also developed to check the material and dimensional viability of both piezoelectric materials (mainly focussed to PVDF and PZT) and the base material. Also, Genetic Algorithm is implemented to find the optimum dimensions which can produce the higher values of voltage at low-frequency frequencies (≤ 100 Hz). The delamination constraints are employed to avoid inter-laminar stresses and to increase the fracture toughness. The delamination has been done using a Teflon sheet sandwiched in between base plates and the piezo material is stuck to the base plate using adhesives. The analytical model is tested for both homogenous and isotropic material characteristics of the base material and extended to investigate the effect of the different geometrical parameters (base plate dimensions, piezo layer dimensions and placement, delamination thickness and placement, excitation frequency) on the model responses of the bimorph cantilever beam. It has been observed that when the base material characteristics are homogenous, the efficiency of the model remains higher when compared to the condition when it is of isotropic material. The necessary convergence behaviour of the current numerical model has been established and checked for the accuracy by comparing with available published results. Finally, using the results obtained from the model, a prototype is fabricated for the experimental validation via a suitable circuit considering Glass fibre and Aluminium as the bimorph material.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.599-611
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• 2022

Tendon reinforced cemented soil is applied extensively in foundation stabilisation and improvement, especially in areas with soft clay. To solve the deterioration problem led by steel corrosion, the glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tendon is introduced to substitute the traditional steel tendon. The interface bond strength between the cemented soil matrix and GFRP tendon demonstrates the outstanding mechanical property of this composite. However, the lack of research between the influence factors and bond strength hinders the application. To evaluate these factors, back propagation neural network (BPNN) is applied to predict the relationship between them and bond strength. Since adjusting BPNN parameters is time-consuming and laborious, the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm is proposed. This study evaluated the influence of water content, cement content, curing time, and slip distance on the bond performance of GFRP tendon-reinforced cemented soils (GTRCS). The results showed that the ultimate and residual bond strengths were both in positive proportion to cement content and negative to water content. The sample cured for 28 days with 30% water content and 50% cement content had the largest ultimate strength (3879.40 kPa). The PSO-BPNN model was tuned with 3 neurons in the input layer, 10 in the hidden layer, and 1 in the output layer. It showed outstanding performance on a large database comprising 405 testing results. Its higher correlation coefficient (0.908) and lower root-mean-square error (239.11 kPa) were obtained compared to multiple linear regression (MLR) and logistic regression (LR). In addition, a sensitivity analysis was applied to acquire the ranking of the input variables. The results illustrated that the cement content performed the strongest influence on bond strength, followed by the water content and slip displacement.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.114-120
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the push-out bond strength and dentinal tubule penetration of root canal sealers used with coated core materials and conventional gutta-percha. Materials and Methods: A total of 72 single-rooted human mandibular incisors were instrumented with NiTi rotary files with irrigation of 2.5% NaOCl. The smear layer was removed with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Specimens were assigned into four groups according to the obturation system: Group 1, EndoRez (Ultradent Product Inc.); Group 2, Activ GP (Brasseler); Group 3, SmartSeal (DFRP Ltd. Villa Farm); Group 4, AH 26 (Dentsply de Trey)/gutta-percha (GP). For push-out bond strength measurement, two horizontal slices were obtained from each specimen (n = 20). To compare dentinal tubule penetration, remaining 32 roots assigned to 4 groups as above were obturated with 0.1% Rhodamine B labeled sealers. One horizontal slice was obtained from the middle third of each specimen (n = 8) and scanned under confocal laser scanning electron microscope. Tubule penetration area, depth, and percentage were measured. Kruskall-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis. Results: EndoRez showed significantly lower push-out bond strength than the others (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found amongst the groups in terms of percentage of sealer penetration. SmartSeal showed the least penetration than the others (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The bond strength and sealer penetration of resin-and glass ionomer-based sealers used with coated core was not superior to resin-based sealer used with conventional GP. Dentinal tubule penetration has limited effect on bond strength. The use of conventional GP with sealer seems to be sufficient in terms of push-out bond strength.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.593-606
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• 2015

This paper presents a novel concept of healing some of the damages in wind turbine blades (WTBs) such as cracks and delamination. This is achieved through an inherent functioning autonomous repairing system. Such wind turbine blades have the benefit of reduced maintenance cost and increased operational period. Previous techniques of developing autonomous healing systems uses hollow glass fibres (HGFs) to deliver repairing fluids to damaged sites. HGFs have been reported with some limitations like, failure to fracture, which undermines their further usage. The self-healing technique described in this paper represents an advancement in the engineering of the delivery mechanism of a self-healing system. It is analogous to the HGF system but without the HGFs, which are replaced by multiple hollow channels created within the composite, inherently in the FRP matrix at fabrication. An in-house fabricated NACA 4412 WTB incorporating this array of network hollow channels was damaged in flexure and then autonomously repaired using the vascular channels. The blade was re-tested under flexure to ascertain the efficiency of the recovered mechanical properties.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.148-152
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• 2017

The feel of writing is important to customers when they buy smart devices with stylus such as smartphones and tablet computers. With an aim to reproduce the tactile sensibility of writing instruments when people write on the glass display using a stylus, this study focuses on the frequency characteristics of writing instruments that can describe the vibrations of writing instruments sliding over counter surfaces. In addition, this study includes the effect of various factors influencing the friction of writing instruments such as lubricant, nib material, and contact type. We perform sliding experiments with six types of writing instruments and a sheet of paper to understand the relation between the friction conditions of the nib and the frequency characteristics. As this research focuses on the tactile perception of human skin when people use a writing instrument, the analysis of frequency characteristics is performed in the perceptible frequency range of mechanoreceptors in the human skin. As a result, three types of frequency characteristics are identified. Low frequency peaks are observed for a metal nib with ink; high frequency peaks are observed for a nib without ink; and, middle frequency peaks with a wide range of distribution occurs for fabric nibs with ink. Therefore, to implement the proper feel of writing, at least three types of vibrations have to be made.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.13-25
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• 2018

Pedro $G{\acute{o}}mez$ Bosque footbridge is a slender and lightweight structure that creates a pedestrian link over the Pisuerga River, Valladolid, Spain. This footbridge is a singular stress ribbon structure with one span of 85 m consisting on a steel plate and precast concrete slabs laying on it. Rubber pavement and a railing made of stainless steel and glass complete the footbridge. Because of its lively dynamics, prone to oscillate, a simple and affordable structural health monitoring system was installed in order to continuously evaluate its structural serviceability and to estimate its modal parameters. Once certain problems (conditioning and 3D orientation of the triaxial accelerometers) are overcome, the monitoring system is validated by comparison with a general purpose laboratory portable analyzer. Representative data is presented, including acceleration magnitudes and modal estimates. The evolution of these parameters has been analysed over one-year time.

• 한국철도학회논문집
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.104-109
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• 2009

광섬유 센서 중 대표적인 FBG센서를 철도 구조물에 실제 적용하기 위해서는, 센서 자체의 기계적 강도에 대한 내구성이 확증되어야 하고, 철도 구조물의 파손 시까지 FBG 센서가 측정치를 측정할 수 있도록 충분한 변형률 한도를 가져야만 한다. 본 논문에서는 FBG센서의 기계적 강도에 영향을 미치는 변수들에 대한 연구를 수행하였다. 기계적 인장 강도 시험을 위한 시험 셋업을 구성하였고, 광섬유의 광민감성을 증진하기 위해 사용된 수소함침법과 코팅층을 제거하기 위한 피복 제거기법을 사용한 FBG 센서의 인장 강도 변화를 시험 및 통계 처리를 이용하여 측정하였고, 강도저하가 거의 없음을 보여 주었다.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.130-137
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• 2016

Non-destructive testing methods for composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber-reinforced and glass fiber-reinforced plastic) have been widely used to detect damage in the overall industry. This study detects defects using optical infrared thermography. The transient heat transport in a solid body is characterized by two dynamic quantities, namely, thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity. The first quantity describes the speed with thermal energy diffuses through a material, whereas the second one represents a type of thermal inertia. The defect detection rate is increased by utilizing a lock-in method and performing a comparison of the defect detection rates. The comparison is conducted by dividing the irradiation method into reflection and transmission methods and the irradiation time into 50 mHz and 100 mHz. The experimental results show that detecting defects at 50 mHz is easy using the transmission method. This result implies that low-frequency thermal waves penetrate a material deeper than the high-frequency waves.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.389-394
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• 2014

In this paper, we report a new manufacturing method for friction reduction using micro-AAJ (abrasive air-jet) machining. AAJ machining employs compressed air to accelerate a jet of high-speed particles to mechanically machine features, including micro-channels and micro-holes, into glass, metal, or polymer substrates for use in microfluidics, MEMS (micro electromechanical systems). And we introduce the micro-AAJ machining system, which consists of a micro-AAJ nozzle and a five-axis positioning system. Various micro-AAJ nozzles can be used, depending on the required surface structure, and three-dimensional machining is possible. We machined samples under six different conditions and describe machining results obtained while using it. We also measured the coefficient of friction of micro-textured surfaces. We report the coefficient of friction of micro-textured surfaces patterned using micro-AAJ machining for engine piston ring.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.57-66
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• 2017

Nanocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotube fibers exhibit greater stiffness, strength and damping properties in comparison to conventional composites reinforced with carbon/glass fibers. Consequently, most of the nanocomposite research is focused in understanding the dynamic characteristics, which are highly useful in applications such as vibration control and energy harvesting. It has been observed that those nanocomposites show better stiffness when the geometry of nanotubes is straight as compared to curvilinear although nanotube agglomeration may exist. In this work the damping behavior of the nanocomposite is characterized in terms of loss factor under the presence of nanotube agglomerations. A micro stick-slip damping model is used to compute the damping properties of the nanocomposites with multiwall carbon nanotubes. The present formulation considers the slippage between the interface of the matrix and the nanotubes as well as the slippage between the interlayers in the nanotubes. The nanotube agglomerations model is also presented. Results are computed based on the loss factor expressed in terms of strain amplitude and nanotube agglomerations. The results show that although-among the various factors such as the material properties (moduli of nanotubes and polymer matrix) and the geometric properties (number of nanotubes, volume fraction of nanotubes, and critical interfacial shear stresses), the agglomeration of nanotubes significantly influences the damping properties of the nanocomposites. Therefore the full potential of nanocomposites to be used for damping applications needs to be analyzed under the influence of nanotube agglomerations.