scholarly journals Dynamic Structural and Contact Modeling for a Silicon Hexapod Microrobot

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhong Qu ◽  
Jongsoo Choi ◽  
Kenn R. Oldham

This paper examines the dynamics of a type of silicon-based millimeter-scale hexapod, focusing on interaction between structural dynamics and ground contact forces. These microrobots, having a 5 mm × 2 mm footprint, are formed from silicon with integrated thin-film lead–zirconate–titanate (PZT) and high-aspect-ratio parylene-C polymer microactuation elements. The in-chip dynamics of the microrobots are measured when actuated with tethered electrical signal to characterize the resonant behavior of different parts of the robot and its piezoelectric actuation. Out-of-chip robot motion is then stimulated by external vibration after the robot has been detached from its silicon tethers, which removes access to external power but permits sustained translation over a surface. A dynamic model for robot and ground interaction is presented to explain robot locomotion in the vibrating field using the in-chip measurements of actuator dynamics and additional dynamic properties obtained from finite element analysis (FEA) and other design information. The model accounts for the microscale interaction between the robot and ground, for multiple resonances of the robot leg, and for rigid robot body motion of the robot chassis in five degrees-of-freedom. For each mode, the motions in vertical and lateral direction are coupled. Simulation of this dynamic model with the first three resonant modes (one predominantly lateral and two predominantly vertical) of each leg shows a good match with experimental results for the motion of the robot on a vibrating surface, and allows exploration of influence of small-scale forces such as adhesion on robot locomotion. Further predictions for future autonomous microrobot performance based on the dynamic phenomena observed are discussed.

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhong Qu ◽  
Clark B. Teeple ◽  
Kenn R. Oldham

A dynamic model is developed for small-scale robots with multiple high-frequency actuated compliant elastic legs and a rigid body. The motion of the small-scale robots results from dual-direction motion of piezoelectric actuators attached to the legs, with impact dynamics increasing robot locomotion complexity. A dynamic model is developed to describe the small-scale robot motion in the presence of variable properties of the underlying terrain. The dynamic model is derived from beam theory with appropriate boundary and loading conditions and considers each robot leg as a continuous structure moving in two directions. Robot body motion is modeled in up to five degrees-of-freedom (DOF) using a rigid body approximation for the central robot chassis. Individual modes of the resulting multimode robot are treated as second-order linear systems. The dynamic model is tested with two different centimeter-scale robot prototypes having an analogous actuation scheme to millimeter-scale microrobots. In accounting for the interaction between the robot and ground, a dynamic model using the first two modes of each leg shows good agreement with experimental results for the centimeter-scale prototypes, in terms of both magnitude and the trends in robot locomotion with respect to actuation conditions.


Author(s):  
Jinhong Qu ◽  
Kenn R. Oldham

A multiple-mode dynamic model is developed for a piezoelectrically-actuated micro-robot with multiple legs. The motion of the micro robot results from dual direction motion of piezoelectric actuators in the legs, while the complexity of micro robot locomotion is increased by impact dynamics. The dynamic model is developed to describe and predict the micro robot motion, in the presence of asymmetrical behavior due to non-ideal fabrication and variable properties of the underlying terrain. The dynamic model considers each robot leg as a continuous structure moving in two directions derived from beam theory with specific boundary condition. Robot body motion is modeled in six degrees of freedom using a rigid body approximation. Individual modes of the resulting multimode robot are treated as second order linear systems. The dynamic model is tested with a meso-scale robot prototype having a similar actuation scheme as micro-robots. In accounting for the interaction between robot and ground, the dynamic model with first two modes of each leg shows good match with experimental results for the mesoscale prototype, in terms of both magnitude and the trends of robot locomotion with respect to actuation conditions.


Author(s):  
Ivo Boniolo ◽  
Giulio Panzani ◽  
Sergio M. Savaresi ◽  
Alessandro Scamozzi ◽  
Luca Testa

In this work it is proposed an analysis of the foremost inertial measurements to take into account for the estimate of the lean angle in two-wheeled vehicles. As it is well-known, the roll angle is a crucial variable in the dynamic of a two-wheeled vehicle, since it greatly affects the behaviour of the tire-road contact forces, especially in the lateral direction. Hence, the capability of providing a real time and reliable measure of such quantity allows to evaluate the dynamic properties of the vehicle and its tires and represents the enabling technology for the design of advanced ABS systems and stability control systems. The aim of the analysis proposed in this work is to identify which are the inertial measurements (accelerations and angular rates) that are strongly related to the lean angle and that can be used to estimate it in a urban path. Ideally, the measured lateral acceleration and the vertical angular velocity are the only crucial variables to estimate the tilt angle of a motorcycle, but in a real condition characterized by the presence of slopes, banks and variable speed, also the longitudinal measurement axis becomes relevant.


2018 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 04040
Author(s):  
Zaven Ter-Martirosyan ◽  
Ivan Luzin

The article presents the results of a comprehensive research of the dynamic impacts on a modified base. The modified base was obtained as a result of compensatory injection at the experimental site for the accident recovery at the hydraulic engineering structure. The complex study of the dynamic impacts includes special laboratory tests to determine the soil parameters, the finite element analysis of the experimental site, taking into account the dynamic properties, the selection of the necessary equipment for field experiments based on the numerical solution results, a full-scale experiment with the measurement of the foundation sediments of the experimental site.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Włodzimierz Kęska ◽  
Jacek Marcinkiewicz ◽  
Łukasz Gierz ◽  
Żaneta Staszak ◽  
Jarosław Selech ◽  
...  

The continuous development of computer technology has made it applicable in many scientific fields, including research into a wide range of processes in agricultural machines. It allows the simulation of very complex physical phenomena, including grain motion. A recently discovered discrete element method (DEM) is used for this purpose. It involves direct integration of equations of grain system motion under the action of various forces, the most important of which are contact forces. The method’s accuracy depends mainly on precisely developed mathematical models of contacts. The creation of such models requires empirical validation, an experiment that investigates the course of contact forces at the moment of the impact of the grains. To achieve this, specialised test stations equipped with force and speed sensors were developed. The correct selection of testing equipment and interpretation of results play a decisive role in this type of research. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the force sensor dynamic properties’ influence on the measurement accuracy of the course of the plant grain impact forces against a stiff surface. The issue was examined using the computer simulation method. A proprietary computer software with the main calculation module and data input procedures, which presents results in a graphic form, was used for calculations. From the simulation, graphs of the contact force and force signal from the sensor were obtained. This helped to clearly indicate the essence of the correct selection of parameters used in the tests of sensors, which should be characterised by high resonance frequency.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 622
Author(s):  
Yasser Elhenawy ◽  
Yasser Fouad ◽  
Haykel Marouani ◽  
Mohamed Bassyouni

This study aims to evaluate the effect of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the performance of glass fiber (GF)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) for wind turbine blades. Support for theoretical blade movement of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), simulation, and analysis were performed with the Ansys computer package to gain insight into the durability of polypropylene-chopped E-glass for application in turbine blades under aerodynamic, gravitational, and centrifugal loads. Typically, polymer nanocomposites are used for small-scale wind turbine systems, such as for residential applications. Mechanical and physical properties of material composites including tensile and melt flow indices were determined. Surface morphology of polypropylene-chopped E-glass fiber and functionalized MWCNTs nanocomposites showed good distribution of dispersed phase. The effect of fiber loading on the mechanical properties of the PP nanocomposites was investigated in order to obtain the optimum composite composition and processing conditions for manufacturing wind turbine blades. The results show that adding MWCNTs to glass fiber-reinforced PP composites has a substantial influence on deflection reduction and adding them to chopped-polypropylene E-glass has a significant effect on reducing the bias estimated by finite element analysis.


Author(s):  
Lei Yu ◽  
Zhihua Zhao ◽  
Gexue Ren

In this paper, a multibody dynamic model is established to simulate the dynamics and control of moving web with its guiding system, where the term moving web is used to describe thin materials, which are manufactured and processed in a continuous, flexible strip form. In contrast with available researches based on Eulerian description and beam assumption, webs are described by Lagrangian formulation with the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) plate element, which is based on Kirchhoff’s assumptions that material normals to the original reference surface remain straight and normal to the deformed reference surface, and the nonlinear elasticity theory that accounts for large displacement, large rotation, and large deformation. The rollers and guiding mechanism are modeled as rigid bodies. The distributed frictional contact forces between rollers and web are considered by Hertz contact model and are evaluated by Gauss quadrature. The proportional integral (PI) control law for web guiding is also embedded in the multibody model. A series of simulations on a typical web-guide system is carried out using the multibody dynamics approach for web guiding system presented in this study. System dynamical information, for example, lateral displacement, stress distribution, and driving moment for web guiding, are obtained from simulations. Parameter sensitivity analysis illustrates the effect of influence variables and effectiveness of the PI control law for lateral movement control of web that are verified under different gains. The present Lagrangian formulation of web element, i.e., ANCF element, is not only capable of describing the large movement and deformation but also easily adapted to capture the distributed contact forces between web and rollers. The dynamical behavior of the moving web can be accurately described by a small number of ANCF thin plate elements. Simulations carried out in this paper show that the present approach is an effective method to assess the design of web guiding system with easily available desktop computers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 672-674 ◽  
pp. 1550-1553
Author(s):  
Zhen Guo Shang ◽  
Zhong Chao Ma ◽  
Zhen Sheng Sun

A procedure for obtaining the load distribution in a four point contact wind turbine yaw bearing considering the effect of the structure’s elasticity is presented. The inhomogeneous stiffness of the supporting structures creates a variation in the results obtained with a rigid model. A finite element model substituting the rolling elements with nonlinear compression springs has been built to evaluate the effect of the supporting structure elasticity on the contact forces between the rolling elements and the raceways.


Author(s):  
N. Shimizu ◽  
H. Nasuno ◽  
T. Yazaki ◽  
K. Sunakoda

This paper describes a methodology of design and analysis of viscoelastic seismic dampers by means of the time domain finite element analysis. The viscoelastic constitutive relation of material incorporating with the fractional calculus has been derived and the finite element formulation based on the constitutive relation has been developed to analyze the dynamic property of seismic damper. A time domain computer program was developed by using the formulation. Dynamic properties of hysteresis loop, damping capacity, equivalent viscous damping coefficient, and equivalent spring constant are calculated and compared with the experimental results. Remarkable correlation between the FE analysis and the experiment is gained, and consequently the design procedure with the help of the FE analysis has been established.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
M. Waegner ◽  
A. Finn ◽  
G. Suchaneck ◽  
G. Gerlach ◽  
L. M. Eng

We describe the fabrication of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanodisc arrays isolated by a polymer layer and contacted with a top electrode. PZT thin films were deposited by multitarget sputtering onto a platinum/titanium bottom electrode and structured by means of nanosphere lithography. To guarantee short-circuit-free deposition of a top electrode, the space between the nanostructures was filled by a polymer. Two approaches for the filling are demonstrated: (a) imprinting and (b) skim coating. Single nanodiscs embedded in a flexible polymer matrix have two major advantages. First, taking into account the flexibility of the matrix, they can vibrate in lateral direction and, second, due to shrinking to the nanoscale, predominant directions of the polarization form, such as vortex- or bubble-like domain patterns. Piezoresponse force microscopy was performed on patterned and nonpatterned samples with and without a top electrode to check the local piezoresponse. Comparison of the different samples revealed an increase in lateral piezoactivity for patterned samples with Ni/Cr electrode while the out-of-plane piezoresponse remained constant. Gold electrodes limit the piezoresponse in both measured directions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document