• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제91권2호
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• pp.211-225
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• 2024

Soft bending actuators have gained significant interest in robotic applications due to their compliance and lightweight nature. Their compliance allows for safer and more natural interactions with humans or other objects, reducing the risk of injury or damage. However, the nonlinear behaviour of soft actuators presents challenges in accurately predicting their bending motion and force exertion. In this research, a new comprehensive study has been conducted by employing a developed 3D finite element model (FEM) to investigate the effect of geometrical and material parameters on the bending behaviour of a soft pneumatic actuator reinforced with Kevlar fibres. A series of experiments are designed to validate the FE model, and the FE model investigates the improvement of actuator performance. The material used for fabricating the actuator is RTV-2 silicone rubber. In this study, the Cauchy stress was expanded for hyperelastic models and the best model to express the stress-strain behaviour based on ASTM D412 Type C tensile test for this material has been obtained. The results show that the greatest bending angle was achieved for the semi-elliptical actuator made of RTV2 material with a pitch of 1.5 mm and second layer thickness of 1 mm. In comparison, the maximum response force was obtained for the semi-elliptical actuator made of RTV2 material with a pitch of 6 mm and a second layer thickness of 2 mm. Additionally, this research opens up new possibilities for development of safer and more efficient robotic systems that can interact seamlessly with humans and their environment.

• 세라미스트
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.427-432
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• 2018

In this study, the aspherical lens for optical communications produced not with an one-step pneumatic type of external pressurization system (existed GMP process) but a constant weight of self-loaded mold put up to upper core. So the lens is molding with self-loaded weight molding and it calls Weight Molding process. In self-loaded molding process, we measured changes of center thickness molding lenses with each variable molding temperatures and time to find the effect of center of lens thickness to search key factors. As experimental results, the center thickness reach to targeted lenses step time value was changed drastically and it depends by molding temperature. If the molding temperature gets higher, the targeted lens that is reaching to the center thickness step time value was decreased. To find the effect of life improvement on mold core by imposing the self-loaded molding process we molded with GMP(Glass molding press) method and self-loaded molding method for 9,000 times and measured the lenses shape accuracy and surface roughness to evaluate the core life. As a result the self-loaded molding method core has 2,000 times longer that GMP (Glass molding press) method. If we adopt self-loaded molding method of the optical aspherical lens molding in the future, we expect that it would reduce the expense of changing the molds by molding core life improvements.

• 한국산업융합학회 논문집
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.61-68
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• 2014

Constructing structures is the basic process requiring establishment of grounds. However, cracks due to sinking and distorting ground influence directly on the safety of structural health. Vibrating wire sensor measures the crack of structure by detecting the differences of wire tensions in analogue manner. In the previous production process, the tension is adjusted manually measuring the frequency of vibrating wire. Therefore, the accuracy of a sensor was depends on the skill level of labor. In this study, the automatic tension control and fixing devise is developed to enhance both accuracy and productivity. To evaluate the performance of the vibrating wire sensor, the nonlinearity of sensor is measured. The automatic tension control and fixing devise enhances the nonlinearity of the sensor from 0.398 to 0.056%. Therefore, the accuracy of the newly proposed method is successful.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.15-19
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• 2017

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is applied as structural material. CFRP is excellent in plane strength / stiffness and don't haves rust. Lightweight, rigid and robust at the same time as transportation material. Aluminum alloy and reinforcement material The application is increasing rapidly. In this study, the prototype of a semi - Monocoque structure frame, Longeron, Stringer, Skin of the aircraft, restraining the rigidity Clips of the aircraft was designated as the target product and the experiment was conducted. ln the experiment, (1) For CFRTP 3 points, data on heating, transfer, and cooling were measured using Thermo Couple, and optimum temperature required for flexible state was obtained. Heating was performed at a temperature 15% higher than the provided temperature. (2) By using a pneumatic press during molding, by dividing LH, center and RH according to the cooling time, thickness parameter of the target product due to the load is measured, and thickness control and time-deviations were analyzed and cross sections were observed with a low magnification microscope.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.319-334
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• 2018

In this study, the failure mode and energy absorption capabilities of a composite shock absorber device, during an emergency landing are evaluated. The prototype has been installed and tested in laboratory simulating an emergency landing test condition. The crash absorber presents an innovative configuration able to reduce the loads transmitted to a helicopter fuselage during an emergency landing. It consists of a composite tailored tube installed on the landing gear strut. During an emergency landing this crash absorber system should be able to absorb energy through a pre-designed deformation. This solution, compared to an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber, avoids sealing checks, very high values of the shock absorber pressure, and results to be lighter, easy in maintenance, inspect and use. The activities reported in this paper have become an attractive research field both from the scientific viewpoint and the prospect of industrial applications, because they offer benefits in terms of energy absorbing, weight savings, increasing the safety levels, and finally reducing the costs in a global sense.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.109-123
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• 2021

This research endeavor intends to use the implicit finite element method to investigate the structural response of steel shear walls with partial plate-column connection. To this end, comprehensive verification studies are initially performed by comparing the numerical predictions with several reported experimental results in order to demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the implicit analysis method. Comparison is made between the hysteresis curves, failure modes, and base shear capacities predicted numerically using ABAQUS software and obtained/observed experimentally. Following the validation of the finite element analysis approach, the effects of partial plate-column connection on the strength and stiffness performances of steel shear wall systems with different web-plate slenderness and aspect ratios under monotonic loading are investigated through a parametric study. While removal of the connection between the web-plate and columns can be beneficial by decreasing the overall system demand on the vertical boundary members, based on the results and findings of this study such detachment can lower the stiffness and strength capacities of steel shear walls by about 25%, on average.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.271-280
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• 2021

The present work deals with an investigation on longitudinal wave propagation in nanobeams made of graphene sheets, for the first time. The nanobeam is modelled via a higher-order shear deformation theory accounts for both higher-order and thickness stretching terms. The general nonlocal strain gradient theory including nonlocality and strain gradient characteristics of size-dependency in order is used to examine the small-scale effects. This model has three-small scale coefficients in which two of them are for nonlocality and one of them applied for gradient effects. Hamilton supposition is applied to obtain the governing motion equation which is solved using a harmonic solution procedure. It is indicated that the longitudinal wave characteristics of the nanobeams are significantly influenced by the nonlocal parameters and strain gradient parameter. It is shown that higher nonlocal parameter is more efficient than lower nonlocal parameter to change longitudinal phase velocities, while the strain gradient parameter is the determining factor for their efficiency on the results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제45권6호
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• pp.775-796
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• 2022

In this study, a new type of energy absorbers with a functionally graded thickness is investigated, these type of absorbers absorb energy through expanding-folding processes. The expanding-folding absorbers are composed of two sections: a thin-walled aluminum matrix and a thin-walled steel mandrel. Previous studies have shown higher efficiency of the mentioned absorbers compared to the conventional ones. In this study, the effect of thickness which has been functionally-graded on the aluminum matrix (in which expansion occurs) was investigated. To this end, initial functions were considered for the matrix thickness, which was ascending/descending along the axis. The study was done experimentally and numerically. Comparing the experimental data with the numerical results showed high consistency between the numerical and experimental results. In the final section of this study, the best energy absorber functionally graded thickness was introduced by optimization using a third-order genetic algorithm. The optimization results showed that by choosing a minimum thickness of 1.6 mm and the exponential coefficient of 3.25, the most optimal condition can be obtained for descending thickness absorbers.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.201-220
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• 2022

Lateral vibrations of footbridges may induce synchronization between pedestrians and structure itself, resulting in amplification of such vibrations, a phenomenon identified by lock-in. However, investigations about accelerations and frequencies of the structural movement that are related to the occurrence of synchronization are still incipient. The aim of this paper is to investigate conditions that could lead to avoidance of synchronization among pedestrians themselves and footbridge, expressed in terms of peak acceleration. The focus is on the low acceleration range, employed in some guidelines as a criterion to avoid synchronization. An experimental campaign was carried out, employing a prototype footbridge that was set into oscillatory motion through a pneumatic exciter controlled by a fuzzy system, with controlled frequency and amplitude. Test subjects were then asked to cross the oscillating structure, and accelerations were simultaneously recorded at the structure and at the subject's waist. Pattern and phase differences between these signals were analysed. The results showed that test subjects tended to keep their walking patterns without synchronization induced by the vibration of the structure, for structural peak acceleration values up to 0.18 m/s², when frequencies of oscillation were around 0.8 to 0.9 Hz. On the other hand, for frequencies of oscillation below 0.7 Hz, structural peak accelerations up to 0.30 m/s² did not induce synchronization.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.153-171
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• 2009

In this paper, the analytical fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) is presented using model-based and signal-based methodology with wavelet analysis on signals obtained from sensors and sensor networks. In the model-based FDD, we present the modeling of contact interface found in soft materials, including the biomedical contacts. Fingerprint analysis and signal-based FDD are also presented with an experimental framework consisting of a mechanical pneumatic system typically found in manufacturing automation. This diagnosis system focuses on the signal-based approach which employs multi-resolution wavelet decomposition of various sensor signals such as pressure, flow rate, etc., to determine leak configuration. Pattern recognition technique and analytical vectorized maps are developed to diagnose an unknown leakage based on the established FDD information using the affine mapping. Experimental studies and analysis are presented to illustrate the FDD methodology. Both model-based and wavelet-based FDD applied in contact interface and manufacturing automation have implication towards better quality of life by applying theory and practice to understand how effective diagnosis can be made using intelligent FDD. As an illustration, a model-based contact surface technology an benefit the diabetes with the detection of abnormal contact patterns that may result in ulceration if not detected and treated in time, thus, improving the quality of life of the patients. Ultimately, effective diagnosis using FDD with wavelet analysis, whether it is employed in biomedical applications or manufacturing automation, can have impacts on improving our quality of life.