Theoretical and experimental characterization of wettability of various nanolens arrayed polymer surfaces replicated with nanodimpled aluminum mold insert

Various types of polymer surfaces with a nanolens array, which has an entrant shape with a low aspect ratio, were fabricated and the wettability of the fabricated surfaces was evaluated in both theoretical and experimental ways. The nanolens array was replicated on three different polymer surfaces of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) by means of replica molding and hot embossing with a nanodimpled aluminum mold that was manufactured by a chemical oxidation process. From the theoretical and experimental evaluations of the wettability it was found that the measured contact angles were very similar with the theoretically estimated ones and also the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the hydrophilic PMMA and hydrophobic PDMS, respectively, surfaces were reinforced by the nanolens array within the Wenzel wetting state.     

Active damping of rotating composite thin-walled beams using MFC actuators and PVDF sensors

The object of this research is to enhance the damping performance for vibration suppression of rotating composite thin-walled beams using MFC actuators and PVDF sensors. The formulation is based on single cell composite beam including a warping function, centrifugal force, Coriolis acceleration and piezoelectric effect. Adaptive capability of the beam is acquired through the use of a negative velocity feedback control algorithm. Numerical analysis is performed using finite element method and Newmark time integration method is used to calculate the time response of the model. It is observed that the feedback control gain has an effect on damping performance. The paper continues with an investigation into influences of parameters such as the rotating speed and the fiber orientation in host structures. Also, it is confirmed that effective damping performance is achievable through the suitable arrangement and distributed size of sensor and actuator pair using case study.     

Vibration suppression of cart-pendulum system by combining the input-shaping control and the position-input position-output feedback control

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - This study is concerned with the active vibration control of a cart-pendulum system. The input-shaping control alone is not sufficient to suppress...     

Thermoelastic attenuation of circular-cross-sectional micro/nanoring including single-phase-lag time

In this work, the thermoelastic dissipation (TED) for circular-cross-sectional micro/nanoring model is studied including the single-phase-lag (SPL) time based on the non-Fourier heat conduction model. The toroidal solid ring is simple to manufacture and thus the potential is high for future development. Also, the present model is more precise than the 1D or 2D beam or rectangular-cross-sectional ring because the governing equation is established by 3D coordinate system. Moreover, the SPL shows the delay time of heat-flux and is especially important in cryogenic or ultrafast-vibration environments. In this regard, characteristics of the TED is mainly analyzed according to the lagging time, geometrical shape, mode number and temperature, etc. Using the experimental data in literatures, the effectiveness of this work is verified to represent the investigations. The spectra of the TED with the phenomenon of multiple peaks are presented, and then the results can be grouped and compared with previous works. Moreover, the temperature distribution is graphically described to explain the SPL mechanism.

     

Computational Analysis of Oxide Ion Conduction in Orthorhombic Perovskite Structured La0.9A0.1InO2.95 (A = Ca,Sr and Ba)

Oxide ion conduction in orthorhombic perovskite structured oxides, La_0.9A_0.1InO_2.95 (A = Ca, Sr and Ba) is analyzed using molecular dynamics simulation. Factors influencing oxide ion conductivity of the compositions considered are analyzed using radial distribution function, bond energies between dopant and oxide ions, and the diffusion path. It is known that perovskite oxides with smaller ion size mismatch between host and dopant ions have higher electrical conductivities. However, exceptions exist, such as a La_0.9A_0.1InO_2.95 (A = Ca, Sr and Ba) system, where high electrical conductivities occur with large ion size mismatches. Based on this study, a dopant with smaller ion than host ion results in the formation of strong ionic bonds with oxide ions, suggesting that the A‐site dopant should be larger than the host ion for forming weaker O–A bonds. Consequently, the trade‐off between ion size mismatch and O–A bond needs to be considered for enhancing oxide ion conductivity of perovskite oxides.     

Development of an auto-welding system for CRD nozzle repair welds using a 3D laser vision sensor

A control rod device (CRD) nozzle attaches to the hemispherical surface of a reactor head with J-groove welding. Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) causes degradation in these welds, which requires that these defect areas be repaired. To perform this repair welding automatically on a complicated weld groove shape, an auto-welding system was developed incorporating a laser vision sensor that measures the 3-dimensional (3D) shape of the groove and a weld-path creation program that calculates the weld-path parameters. Welding trials with a J-groove workpiece were performed to establish a basis for developing this auto-welding system. Because the reactor head is placed on a lay down support, the outer-most region of the CRD nozzle has restricted access. Due to this tight space, several parameters of the design, such as size, weight and movement of the auto-welding system, had to be carefully considered. The cross section of the J-groove weld is basically an oval shape where the included angle of the J-groove ranges from 0 to 57 degrees. To measure the complex shape, we used double lasers coupled to a single charge coupled device (CCD) camera. We then developed a program to generate the weld-path parameters using the measured 3D shape as a basis. The program has the ability to determine the first and final welding positions and to calculate all weld-path parameters. An optimized image-processing algorithm was applied to resolve noise interference and diffused reflection of the joint surfaces. The auto-welding system is composed of a 4-axis manipulator, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) power supply, an optimized designed and manufactured GTAW torch and a 3D laser vision sensor. Through welding trials with 0 and 38-degree included-angle workpieces with both J-groove and U-groove weld, the performance of this auto-welding system was qualified for field application.     

Removal of PM2.5 entering through the ventilation duct in an automobile using a carbon fiber ionizer-assisted cabin air filter

This study evaluated the charging characteristics of a carbon fiber ionizer for PM2.5 and carried out particle capture laboratory tests after an ionizer was installed upstream of the media of an electret cabin air filter. When the ion concentration per particle (N_i) of the carbon fiber charger was 10⁶ ions/cm³, the average charge numbers for each particle were 1.54, 0.88, and 0.49 at 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 m/s of face velocity, respectively (the particle charging times, τ, were 167, 83, and 56 ms, respectively). For these face velocities, the PM2.5 removal efficiencies of the filter media were 69.3%, 65.2% and 62.2%, respectively, but increased to 80.4%, 71.2% and 65.5%, respectively, when the ionizer was turned on. The carbon fiber ionizer was then installed in front of an electret cabin filter in the air conditioning system of an automobile, after which field tests were performed at a roadside area. For the same N_iτ used in the lab-scale tests, the effects of the carbon fiber ionizer on increasing PM2.5 %Reduction were mild as 9.4%, 4.0%, and 2.8% when the flow rates were at the second, fourth, and sixth levels, respectively (the face velocities were 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 m/s, respectively). The PM2.5 %Reduction can be substantially increased by 20–21%, for a higher value of N_iτ (=1.0×10⁸ ions s/cm³), which is realized by increasing the power consumption of the carbon fiber ionizer.     

Surface Modification of Exfoliated Layered Gadolinium Hydroxide for the Development of Multimodal Contrast Agents for MRI and Fluorescence Imaging

A novel method for modifying the surface of magnetic‐resonance‐contrasting layered gadolinium hydroxide (LGdH) is developed providing them with water‐ and bio‐compatibility and acid‐resistance, all of which are essential for medical applications. A stable colloid of exfoliated layers is synthesized by exchanging interlayer anions of LGdH with oleate ions. The delaminated layers are successively coated with phospholipids with poly(ethylene glycol) tail groups, and their effectiveness as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is demonstrated. The adaptability of this surface modification approach for incorporating functional molecules and fabricating a fluorescent colloid of LGdH, which has the potential utility as a multimodal probe, is also demonstrated. This result provides a novel approach for expanding the applications of layered inorganic materials and developing a new class of MRI contrast agents.