Development of piezoelectric fans for flapping wing application

A piezoelectric fan (piezofan) which couples a piezoelectric unimorph to an attached flexible blade is able to produce a large deflection especially at resonance. The fundamental resonant frequencies (f_r) of the piezofan structures have been calculated by an analytical method and finite element modelling, and these were compared with experimental measurements. Good agreements have been obtained between them. The free tip deflection at quasi-static operation or/and the vibration amplitude at dynamic operation (A) of the piezofans have been experimentally measured. We introduce f_r × A as an optimization criterion for piezofans. Optimization according to this criterion has been carried out for some piezofan configurations, such as the length and the location of the piezo patch, as well as the thickness ratio between the elastic and piezoelectric layers among a few available variations. Results show this optimization approach to be promising when compared to previously defined piezofan performance parameters such as the energy transmission coefficient and electromechanical coupling coefficient.     

Salacia mulbarica leaf extract mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles for antibacterial and ct‐DNA damage via releasing of reactive oxygen species

In this examination, we researched the advantages of DNA fragmentation and metallic nanoparticles well‐appointed with biomolecules. A novel interpretation of DNA damage by Silver Nano‐Clusters (AgNCs) which were developed by the utilization of green synthesis method was demonstrated. The green synthesis of AgNCs was accomplished by utilizing the leaf extract of Salacia mulbarica (SM). The preparation of SM‐AgNCs was developed by estimating surface plasmon resonance peak around 449 nm by using a UV–Visible spectrophotometer. The effect of phytochemicals in SM leaf extract on the development of stable SM‐AgNCs was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The size of the fabricated SM‐AgNCs was estimated by dynamic light scattering and zeta‐sizer analysis and the morphology of the SM‐AgNCs was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The presence of clusters of Ag particles in the prepared SM‐AgNCs was recognized by energy dispersion X‐ray analysis. The results show that saponins, phytosterols, and phenolic compounds present in plant extract may play a great part in developing the SM‐AgNCs in their specialized particles. The succeeded SM‐AgNCs shows incredible anti‐bacterial action towards Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. In‐light of the antibacterial study, these SM‐AgNCs were analyzed with calf thymus‐DNA and found significant damage to the strand of thymus‐DNA.Inspec keywords: visible spectra, surface plasmon resonance, transmission electron microscopy, DNA, nanofabrication, particle size, X‐ray chemical analysis, ultraviolet spectra, molecular biophysics, nanomedicine, microorganisms, nanoparticles, silver, X‐ray diffraction, antibacterial activity, Fourier transform infrared spectra, biomedical materialsOther keywords: stable SM‐AgNCs, silver nanoparticles, ct‐DNA damage, metallic nanoparticles, silver nanoclusters, Salacia mulbarica leaf extract, reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation, surface plasmon resonance, UV‐Visible spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, Zeta‐sizer analysis, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, saponins, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, plant extract, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Ag     

Chitosan–poly(aminopropyl/phenylsilsesquioxane) hybrid nanocomposite membranes for antibacterial and drug delivery applications

We fabricated hybrid (CSSQ) membranes from chitosan and poly(aminopropyl/phenylsilsesquioxane) (PAPSQ) blends via a sol–gel reaction and solution casting followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The CSSQ membranes were then used for loading of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) as an anticancer drug as well as templates for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The physicochemical properties of the CSSQ membranes were examined using UV‐visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM results showed the controllable formation of AgNPs around PAPSQ. CSSQ–Ag nanocomposite membranes exhibited good antibacterial activity towards both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, while the CSSQ membranes worked as good carriers for controlled release of 5‐FU as model drug. The results suggest that both CSSQ and CSSQ–Ag nanocomposite membranes can be potentially applied for biomedical applications such as controlled release carriers as well as antibacterial wound dressing materials. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Application of Piezoelectric Actuator and Compliant Structures to Achieve Flapping Wing Motion for a MAV

Micro Aerial Vehicles(MAVs)are the smallest artificial aircraft.Most of the flapping wings MAVs are powered by electric motors of various capacities.We report in this paper the application of piezoelectric actuators as power system for a flapping wing MAV using a compliant displacement amplification mechanism.The actuator used for this application is a pre-stressed cut piece of TH-7R type Thunder actuator.A two-bar compliant mechanism with two flexures has been developed to convert the linear displacement into angular movement and amplification.The specimens were made from carbon fiber links and nylon flexures.We also proposed to use the product of frequency(F)and tip displacement(D),F*D as a criteria for the characterization of an amplifying mechanism.The best specimen according tO this criterion is obtained for a 5mm length flexure specimen made of three layers of nylon.The F*D value obtained for this specimen was 0.58 Hz.m.ANSYS finite element analysis results for different flexural thickness and Iengths were obtained and have been compared to the experimental results.The effect of both the thickness and length of the flexure on a particular arrangement has been discussed.     

Grain refinement of Al-3.5FeNb-1.5C master alloy on pure Al and Al-9.8Si-3.4Cu alloy

The refinement potential of Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C master alloy on pure aluminium and Al-9.8 Si-3.4 Cu alloy has been investigated. Different amounts of Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C master alloy were added to estimate the optimal addition level. It was found that the addition of Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C grain refiner can promote significantly the refinement of grains in the pure aluminium, particularly at 0.1 wt.%, with the mean primary aluminium α-grain size reducing to 187±3 μm from about 1-3 mm. Similarly, the microstructural study of the Al-9.8 Si-3.4 Cu alloy die casting at different weight percentages(viz. 0.0 wt.%, 0.1 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%) of Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C master alloy shows that the Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C master alloy as a grain refiner is also acceptable for Al-Si cast alloys when the silicon content is more than 4 wt.%. As a result of inoculation with Al-3.5 Fe Nb-1.5 C master alloy, the average grain size of α-Al is reduced to 22±3 μm from about 71±3 μm and grain refining efficiency is not characterized by any visible poisoning effect, which is the major limitation in the grain refinement of Al-Si cast alloys by applying Al-Ti-B ternary master alloys. Mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength and yield strength are significantly improved by 9.6% and 9.7%, respectively.     

Compositional and Strain Characterization of Ion-Beam-Synthesized Ge<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Si<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> Thin Films

A thin film of Ge-rich Ge _x Si_1−x on a (100) Si substrate was synthesized by ion implantation followed by thermal oxidation. Proper oxidation conditions were maintained to produce a film with Ge atomic content of more than 95%, confirmed by both high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and Raman spectroscopy. The strain state of the Ge-rich thin film is a function of its thickness, as determined by the implantation fluence. The use of Raman spectroscopy to monitor the composition and strain state of the Ge thin film formed is discussed.     

Optimizing the synthesis of Ag/γ-Al2O3 for selective reduction of NOx with C3H6: Experiments and modelling

Ag/γ-Al₂O₃ is an effective catalyst for the selective reduction of NOx (SCR) using propylene as a reducing agent. The catalyst performance is greatly influenced by the synthesis procedure. Various methods for synthesis of Ag/γ-Al₂O₃ are analyzed, and their performance is examined via packed bed reactor experiments in this work. An optimal one-pot synthesis method, single-step sol–gel (SSG) synthesis, is explored systematically. The SSG-synthesized catalyst shows better performance than those prepared via wet impregnation. The influence of synthesis conditions, specifically pH, on the textural and morphological properties of the SSG-synthesized Ag/γ-Al₂O₃, and therefore the activity for hydrocarbon-based SCR in a packed-bed reactor, are analyzed using experiments and simulations. The optimized catalyst demonstrates excellent performance (90% NOx conversion) for NOx reduction under nominal operating conditions with a wide activity temperature window (300–600°C). The catalyst shows good time-on-stream performance and is effective at higher inlet oxygen concentrations and space velocities. A global kinetic model, which uses synthesis-pH-dependent parameters, is proposed, and its ability to predict the activities of these catalysts is validated.