Self-Folding of Thick Polymer Sheets Using Gradients of Heat

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Davis ◽  
Bin Chen ◽  
Michael D. Dickey ◽  
Jan Genzer

Self-folding converts two-dimensional (2D) sheets into three-dimensional (3D) objects in a hands-free manner. This paper demonstrates a simple approach to self-fold commercially available, millimeter-thick thermoplastic polymer sheets. The process begins by first stretching poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), or polycarbonate (PC) sheets using an extensometer at elevated temperatures close to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of each sheet. Localizing the strain to a small strip creates a “hinge,” which folds in response to asymmetric heating of the sheet. Although there are a number of ways to supply heat, here a heat gun delivers heat to one side of the hinge to create the necessary temperature gradient through the polymer sheet. When the local temperature exceeds the Tg of the polymer, the strain in the hinged region relaxes. Because strain relaxation occurs gradually across the sheet thickness, the polymer sheet folds in the direction toward the heating source. A simple geometric model predicts the dihedral angle of the sheet based on the thickness of the sheet and width of the hinge. This paper reports for the first time that this approach to folding works for a variety of thermoplastics using sheets that are significantly thicker (∼10 times) than those reported previously.

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh Vuong Pham ◽  
Fre´de´ric Plourde ◽  
Son Doan Kim

Pure thermal plumes have been investigated by two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) techniques. While classical plume features have been checked out, time-dependent analysis allows one to clearly detect contraction and expulsion phases which are mainly driven by turbulent structure behavior. Balance of momentum equation demonstrates the link between stronger structures and expulsion-contraction motion mainly dominated by plume engulfment during contraction phases. A ratio of 3 between entrained mass flow rate during contraction and expulsion phases has been estimated. A new method, never previously applied to pure thermal plume, allows one to accurately characterize entrainment mechanism and for the first time, the latter renders it possible to estimate the entrainment coefficient all along the plume height, even close to the heating source. Moreover, entrainment coefficient is found to be 20% higher with direct method as opposed to the classical differential one widely used in the literature. Such a huge gap is found to be due to the fluctuating density and velocity part. Even through it markedly contributes to an enhanced entrainment mechanism, the role of fluctuation was generally overlooked in the previous works devoted to entrainment coefficient estimate.


RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (108) ◽  
pp. 89254-89261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Davis ◽  
Russell Mailen ◽  
Jan Genzer ◽  
Michael D. Dickey

Self-folding represents an attractive way to convert two-dimensional (2D) material sheets into three-dimensional (3D) objects in a hands-free manner. This paper describes a simple approach to self-fold pre-strained polystyrene (PS) sheets using microwaves.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Luo ◽  
Yuma Nakamura ◽  
Jinseon Park ◽  
Mina Yoon

AbstractRecent experiments identified Co3Sn2S2 as the first magnetic Weyl semimetal (MWSM). Using first-principles calculation with a global optimization approach, we explore the structural stabilities and topological electronic properties of cobalt (Co)-based shandite and alloys, Co3MM’X2 (M/M’ = Ge, Sn, Pb, X = S, Se, Te), and identify stable structures with different Weyl phases. Using a tight-binding model, for the first time, we reveal that the physical origin of the nodal lines of a Co-based shandite structure is the interlayer coupling between Co atoms in different Kagome layers, while the number of Weyl points and their types are mainly governed by the interaction between Co and the metal atoms, Sn, Ge, and Pb. The Co3SnPbS2 alloy exhibits two distinguished topological phases, depending on the relative positions of the Sn and Pb atoms: a three-dimensional quantum anomalous Hall metal, and a MWSM phase with anomalous Hall conductivity (~1290 Ω−1 cm−1) that is larger than that of Co2Sn2S2. Our work reveals the physical mechanism of the origination of Weyl fermions in Co-based shandite structures and proposes topological quantum states with high thermal stability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. L71-L75
Author(s):  
Cornelius Rampf ◽  
Oliver Hahn

ABSTRACT Perturbation theory is an indispensable tool for studying the cosmic large-scale structure, and establishing its limits is therefore of utmost importance. One crucial limitation of perturbation theory is shell-crossing, which is the instance when cold-dark-matter trajectories intersect for the first time. We investigate Lagrangian perturbation theory (LPT) at very high orders in the vicinity of the first shell-crossing for random initial data in a realistic three-dimensional Universe. For this, we have numerically implemented the all-order recursion relations for the matter trajectories, from which the convergence of the LPT series at shell-crossing is established. Convergence studies performed at large orders reveal the nature of the convergence-limiting singularities. These singularities are not the well-known density singularities at shell-crossing but occur at later times when LPT already ceased to provide physically meaningful results.


Nanoscale ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Liu ◽  
Ece Arslan Imran ◽  
Annick De Backer ◽  
Annelies de Wael ◽  
Ivan Lobato ◽  
...  

Au nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on CeO2 are extensively used as thermal catalysts since the morphology of the NPs is expected to be stable at elevated temperatures. Although it is well...


2021 ◽  
pp. 004051752199276
Author(s):  
Ki Wai Fong ◽  
Si Qing Li ◽  
Rong Liu

Inlay yarn and laid-in structures are important technical knitting elements that have been increasingly applied in the structural design of functional textiles in industrial, medical, and wearable electronics fields. However, there is no currently established geometric model to numerically analyze their spatial morphologies and structural properties. This study presents a new geometric model and numerical analysis approach to characterize spatial configurations of inlay yarn and ground yarn in a three-dimensional scenario for laid-in weft-knitted fabrics. Loop lengths of the inlay and ground yarn materials were calculated and analyzed under different contact and deformation conditions to estimate material consumption in this complex interlooping layout. Series of laid-in weft-knitted fabrics made of different combinations of ground and inlay yarns were fabricated with the 1 × 1 laid-in loop pattern and tested for the model validation. The comparisons between the experimental and calculated results indicated that the newly developed geometric model favorably agreed with the experimental measurements regarding the ground loop lengths and inlay loop lengths applied in the laid-in weft-knitted structures. The results indicated the applicability of the developed geometric model of laid-in weft-knitted fabrics with similar structural patterns in practical use. The output of this study provides a theoretical and practical reference for structural and physical properties analysis, material consumption prediction, even cost estimation of laid-in weft-knitted fabrics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1670
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Mimura ◽  
Shinpei Okawa ◽  
Hiroshi Kawaguchi ◽  
Yukari Tanikawa ◽  
Yoko Hoshi

Thyroid cancer is usually diagnosed by ultrasound imaging and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. However, diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC) is difficult because FTC lacks nuclear atypia and a consensus on histological interpretation. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) offers the potential to diagnose FTC because it can measure tumor hypoxia, while image reconstruction of the thyroid is still challenging mainly due to the complex anatomical features of the neck. In this study, we attempted to solve this issue by creating a finite element model of the human neck excluding the trachea (a void region). By reconstruction of the absorption coefficients at three wavelengths, 3D tissue oxygen saturation maps of the human thyroid are obtained for the first time by DOT.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1042
Author(s):  
Rafał Krupiński

The paper presents the opportunities to apply computer graphics in an object floodlighting design process and in an analysis of object illumination. The course of object floodlighting design has been defined based on a virtual three-dimensional geometric model. The problems related to carrying out the analysis of lighting, calculating the average illuminance, luminance levels and determining the illuminated object surface area are also described. These parameters are directly tied with the calculations of the Floodlighting Utilisation Factor, and therefore, with the energy efficiency of the design as well as the aspects of light pollution of the natural environment. The paper shows how high an impact of the geometric model of the object has on the accuracy of photometric calculations. Very often the model contains the components that should not be taken into account in the photometric calculations. The research on what influence the purity of the geometric mesh of the illuminated object has on the obtained results is presented. It shows that the errors can be significant, but it is possible to optimise the 3D object model appropriately in order to receive the precise results. For the example object presented in this paper, removing the planes that do not constitute its external surface has caused a two-fold increase in the average illuminance and average luminance. This is dangerous because a designer who wants to achieve a specific average luminance level in their design without optimizing the model will obtain the luminance values that will actually be much higher.


2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kim ◽  
R. Jorge ◽  
W. Dorland

A simplified analytical form of the on-axis magnetic well and Mercier's criterion for interchange instabilities for arbitrary three-dimensional magnetic field geometries is derived. For this purpose, a near-axis expansion based on a direct coordinate approach is used by expressing the toroidal magnetic flux in terms of powers of the radial distance to the magnetic axis. For the first time, the magnetic well and Mercier's criterion are then written as a one-dimensional integral with respect to the axis arclength. When compared with the original work of Mercier, the derivation here is presented using modern notation and in a more streamlined manner that highlights essential steps. Finally, these expressions are verified numerically using several quasisymmetric and non-quasisymmetric stellarator configurations including Wendelstein 7-X.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4284
Author(s):  
Lvtao Zhu ◽  
Mahfuz Bin Rahman ◽  
Zhenxing Wang

Three-dimensional integrated woven spacer sandwich composites have been widely used as industrial textiles for many applications due to their superior physical and mechanical properties. In this research, 3D integrated woven spacer sandwich composites of five different specifications were produced, and the mechanical properties and performance were investigated under different load conditions. XR-CT (X-ray computed tomography) images were employed to visualize the microstructural details and analyze the fracture morphologies of fractured specimens under different load conditions. In addition, the effects of warp and weft direction, face sheet thickness, and core pile height on the mechanical properties and performance of the composite materials were analyzed. This investigation can provide significant guidance to help determine the structure of composite materials and design new products according to the required mechanical properties.


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