Fabrication and characterization of PMN-PT single crystal cantilever array for cochlear-like acoustic sensor

We have successfully fabricated piezoelectric PMN-PT single crystal cantilever array. Each PMN-PT cantilever has a different length to achieve different resonance frequencies. The width and thickness of PMN-PT cantilever array are 200 μm and 10 μm, respectively. Resonance frequencies of PMN-PT cantilevers were measured with laser interferometer, and charge sensitivity was measured with charge-measuring device. PMN-PT cantilever array was installed in a noise-shield case. The array was then exposed to sound pressure frequency corresponding to resonance frequency to measure its sensitivity. The experimental results show that the PMN-PT cantilever array has high sensitivity to the sound pressure. This implies that the single crystal PMN-PT cantilever array is a potential candidate for a cochlear-like acoustic sensor.     

A performance study on a direct drive hydro turbine for wave energy converter

Clean and renewable energy technologies using ocean energy give us non-polluting alternatives to fossil-fueled power plants as a countermeasure against global warming and growing demand for electrical energy. Among the ocean energy resources, wave power takes a growing interest because of its enormous amount of potential energy in the world. Therefore, various types of wave power systems to capture the energy of ocean waves have been developed. However, a suitable turbine type is not yet normalized because of relatively low efficiency of the turbine systems. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of a newly developed direct drive hydro turbine (DDT), which will be built in a caisson for a wave power plant. Experiment and CFD analysis are conducted to clarify the turbine performance and internal flow characteristics. The results show that the DDT obtains fairly good turbine efficiency in cases with and without wave conditions. Most of the output power is generated at the runner passage of Stage 2. Relatively larger amount of the decreased tangential velocity at Stage 2 produces more angular momentum than that at Stage 1 and thus, the larger angular momentum at the Stage 2 makes a greater contribution to the generation of total output power in comparison with that at Stage 1. Large vortex existing in the upper-left region of the runner passage forms a large recirculation region in the runner passage, and the recirculating flow consumes the output power at Region 2.     

Lumped parameter modeling and analysis of hybrid magnet engine valve actuator

The hybrid magnet engine valve actuator (HMEVA) composed of two types of magnets (permanent magnet and electromagnet) and two balanced springs is a promising tool for implementing innovative engine management strategies for variable valve timing. Finite Element Method (FEM), a favored actuator design tool due to its high accuracy, was utilized to analyze the electromagnetic actuator, but it consumes a lot of time especially in computation iterations for optimization. Accordingly, the magnetic equivalent circuit analysis can be an alternative tool to FEM because of its computation iteration capability with fair accuracy. In this paper, an equivalent magnetic circuit model of an HMEVA is developed considering the reluctances, external magnetic forces and so on, and the simulation results are presented. In addition, the result of lumped parameter analysis (LA) is compared with those obtained from finite element analysis for verification.     

Three-dimensional model of spray forming by fringe element reconstruction method

A three-dimensional spray forming process model was developed to predict the general transient shape of deposited material. The distribution of the spatial droplet flow rate was modeled by an axisymmetrical Gaussian function, and the shadowing effect was utilized for accurate prediction of the deposited shape. In order to construct the three-dimensional meshes applicable to various numerical analyses, the fringe element reconstruction method was employed to calculate the shape of deposited material. In order to verify the developed method, the simulation results were compared with the available experimental data in the literature. Good agreement was obtained between the numerical and experimental results. Finally, the effect of the withdrawal velocity of the substrate was investigated.     

Suggestion of new methodology for evaluation of osseointegration between implant and bone based on μ-CT images

Osseointegration has been used as an index for prediction of long-term success of implant. Osseointegration has been routinely evaluated by measuring bone contact ratio on histology based on two-dimensional (2D) sections or images. However, these both methodologies have been less informative analysis of results and have several disadvantages. The aim of this study is to introduce new methodology for evaluation of a degree of osseointegration between bone and implant based on micro computed tomography (μ-CT) images. Specimen was scanned at a voxel resolution of 35 μ by μ-CT. Three-dimensional (3D) models of bone and implant were reconstructed respectively. Bone contact area (BCA) and bone contact area ratio (BCAR) were measured and calculated. Here, osseointegrated BCA between bone and implant surfaces was determined by computing areas of all bone regions existed within 35μ distance from implant surface. Osseointegration of flapless implant surgery was evaluated by new methodology, compared with that of flap implant surgery. BCA and BCAR in flapless implant surgery was significantly bigger than that in flap implant surgery (p<0.05), suggesting that flapless implant surgery was more effective than flap implant surgery consistent with previous studies. In the conclusion, new methodology for evaluation osseointegration between bone and implant based on μ-CT images was likely to be reliable, useful and more informative analysis of results.     

Effect of bipolar plate materials on the stress distribution and interfacial contact resistance in PEM fuel cell

In polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system, ideal structural integrity design takes into account the end-to-end load transfer mechanism. Hence, structural durability of cell is dependent of individual layers response to the external clamp loading. Since failure modes of each layer differ from another, multidisciplinary approach is needed to innovative designs. Bipolar plate (BPP) of PEFC is multi-functional layer that has a significant potential for research to avoid its structural failure as well as neighboring layers. To this end, present work investigates the effect of BPP materials on the stress transfer as well as distribution in cell layers based on theoretical investigation for clamping load. Gas-diffusion layer (GDL) / BPP interface has drawn considerable interest among researchers due to its susceptibility for damage failure and other related losses. Hence, investigating the interfacial behavior and relating this to the electrical contact resistance is the key feature in proposed investigation.     

Development of censored data-based robust design for pharmaceutical quality by design

Robust design techniques, which are based on the concept of building quality into products or processes, are increasingly popular in many manufacturing industries. In this paper, we propose a new robust design model in the context of pharmaceutical production research and development. Traditional robust design principles have often been applied to situations in which the quality characteristics of interest are typically time insensitive. In pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, time-oriented quality characteristics, such as the degradation of a drug, are often of interest. As a result, current robust design models for quality improvement which have been studied in the literature may not be effective in finding robust design solutions. To address such practical needs, this paper develops a robust design model using censored data, which is perhaps the first attempt in the robust design field. We then study estimation methods, such as the expectation–maximization algorithm and the maximum likelihood method, in the robust design context. Finally, comparative studies are discussed for model verification via a numerical example.     

An improved mesh simplification method using additional attributes with optimal positioning

The use of highly detailed models is continuously increasing in computer-aided design (CAD) design and computer graphics field as the technology of range scanners advances. Real-time rendering and manipulating applications are also increasing to support applications in various areas such as collaborative design and scientific visualization. Although graphics hardware technology has been improved rapidly, more attributes such as color, material property, texture coordinate, and curvature are added to CAD models, and it becomes a challenge to handle and render such heavy models. Consequently, the models with complex mesh need to be approximated to improve the efficiency of rendering and manipulation and to reduce computation time. A considerable amount of work has been done regarding geometry preservation, but relatively little research has been performed to preserve both geometry and additional attributes. We present a feature sensitive simplification method using curvature color as an additional attribute. We also use curvature color filtering and optimal positioning methods after edge collapse to preserve feature more sensitively. Our method is applied to several models, and the performance is demonstrated by comparing it with other methods.     

Optimal depth estimation using modified Kalman filter in the presence of non‐Gaussian jitter noise

The consideration of the noise that affects 3D shape recovery is becoming very important for accurate shape reconstruction. In Shape from Focus, when 2D image sequences are obtained, mechanical vibrations, referred as jitter noise, occur randomly along the z‐axis, in each step. To model the noise for real world scenarios, this article uses Lévy distribution for noise profile modeling. Next, focus curves acquired by one of focus measure operators are modeled as Gaussian function to consider the effects of the jitter noise. Finally, since conventional Kalman filter provides good output under Gaussian noise only, a modified Kalman filter, as proposed method, is used to remove the jitter noise. Experiments are carried out using synthetic and real objects to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Loosening mechanism of threaded fastener for complex structures

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - Threaded fasteners are widely used in mechanical structures primarily owing to their easy disassembly for maintenance and low cost. However, the...