Study on dynamics responses and applications of non-uniform beam structure under crosswind

This article studies the dynamic responses of the nonuniform beam structure under the action of the crosswind and its applications on vibration control and utilization (energy harvesting based on the piezoelectric beam). First, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the nonuniform beam are solved by Adomian decomposition method and then the beam vibration deflections and piezoelectric charges are derived. Furthermore, from the theoretical model and solutions, the influences of different taper ratios and outer diameters on the deflections of nonuniform beam structures with the same mass are studied. The deflections of nonuniform same mass beam structures with positive and negative exponential profiles are also compared. It is demonstrated that the deflections of the beam decrease with the increase of taper ratios and increase with the increase of outer diameters. Under the wind velocity ranges of 10 m/s to 26 m/s, the deflection of the nonuniform beam with a negative exponent profile is less than the one with a positive exponent profile. Through this study, the optimal nonuniform beam structure with either small deflection or high piezoelectric charge output can be designed according to different wind velocities and demands.

Effect of Thrust on the Structural Vibrations of a Nonuniform Slender Rocket

The vibration characteristics of a nonuniform, flexible and free-flying slender rocket experiencing constant thrust is investigated. The rocket is idealized as a classic nonuniform beam with a constant one-dimensional follower force and with free-free boundary conditions. The equations of motion are derived by applying the extended Hamilton’s principle for non-conservative systems. Natural frequencies and associated mode shapes of the rocket are determined using the relatively efficient and accurate Adomian modified decomposition method (AMDM) with the solutions obtained by solving a set of algebraic equations with only three unknown parameters. The method can easily be extended to obtain approximate solutions to vibration problems for any type of nonuniform beam.

Design and Analysis of a Novel Piezo-Actuated XYθz Micropositioning Mechanism with Large Travel and Kinematic Decoupling

A novel hybrid-type XYθz micropositioning mechanism driven by piezoelectric actuators is proposed in this paper. With the purpose of realizing a large motion range and 3-DoF independent motion within a compact size, the mechanism is designed using a symmetric translational part and a rotational part that are linked serially. The translational part is based on a double-amplification mechanism incorporating a guidance mechanism for decoupling; the rotational part uses a nonuniform beam with an amplification mechanism to translate the linear output displacement of piezoelectric actuators into a large rotational angle around the Z axis. To precisely predict the output displacements and implement dimensional design, electromechanical models of the translational mechanism and rotational mechanism are established. According to the theoretical model, dimensional optimization is carried out to achieve large motion ranges within a compact size. A prototype of the proposed mechanism is fabricated according to the optimized results, and the performance of the mechanism is validated by experiment. The experimental results show that translational travel in X and Y directions of 204.2 μm and 212.8 μm, respectively, and travel of 8.7 mrad in the θz direction can be realized in a small size of 106 mm × 106 mm × 23 mm. And, the output coupling was evaluated to be below 3%, indicating an excellent decoupling performance.

Mass Sensitivity of Nonuniform Microcantilever Beams

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based cantilever beams have been widely used in various sensing applications. Previous studies have aimed at increasing the sensitivity of biosensors by reducing the size of cantilever beams to nanoscale. However, the influence of nonuniform cantilever beams on mass sensitivity has rarely been investigated. In this paper, we discuss the mass sensitivity with respect to linear and nonlinear response of nonuniform cantilever beam with linear and quartic variation in width. To do the analysis, we use the nonlinear Euler–Bernoulli beam equation with harmonic forcing. Subsequently, we derive the mode shape corresponding to linear, undamped, free vibration case for different types of beams with a tip mass at the end. After applying the boundary conditions, we obtain the resonance frequencies corresponding to various magnitudes of tip mass for different kinds of beams. To do the nonlinear analysis, we use the Galerkin approximation and the method of multiple scales (MMS). Analysis of linear response indicates that the nondimensional mass sensitivity increases considerably by changing the planar geometry of the beam as compared to uniform beam. At the same time, sensitivity further increases when the nonuniform beam is actuated in higher modes. Similarly, the frequency shift of peak amplitude of nonlinear response for a given nondimensional tip mass increases exponentially and decreases quadratically with tapering parameter, α, for diverging and converging nonuniform beam with quartic variation in width, respectively. For the converging beam, we also found an interesting monotonically decreasing and increasing behavior of mass sensitivity with tapering parameter α giving an extremum point at α=0.5. Overall analysis indicates a potential application of the nonuniform beams with quartic converging width for biomass sensor.

Performance assessment of a triple-frequency spaceborne cloud–precipitation radar concept using a global cloud-resolving model

Multi-frequency radars offer enhanced detection of clouds and precipitation compared to single-frequency systems, and are able to make more accurate retrievals when several frequencies are available simultaneously. An evaluation of a spaceborne three-frequency Ku-/Ka-/W-band radar system is presented in this study, based on modeling radar reflectivities from the results of a global cloud-resolving model with a 875 m grid spacing. To produce the reflectivities, a scattering model has been developed for each of the hydrometeor types produced by the model, as well as for melting snow. The effects of attenuation and multiple scattering on the radar signal are modeled using a radiative transfer model, while nonuniform beam filling is reproduced with spatial averaging. The combined effects of these are then quantified both globally and in six localized case studies. Two different orbital scenarios using the same radar are compared. Overall, based on the results, it is expected that the proposed radar would detect a high-quality signal in most clouds and precipitation. The main exceptions are the thinnest clouds that are below the detection threshold of the W-band channel, and at the opposite end of the scale, heavy convective rainfall where a combination of attenuation, multiple scattering and nonuniform beam filling commonly cause significant deterioration of the signal; thus, while the latter can be generally detected, the quality of the retrievals is likely to be degraded.

Performance assessment of a triple-frequency spaceborne cloud–precipitation radar concept using a global cloud-resolving model

Multi-frequency radars offer enhanced detection of clouds and precipitation compared to single-frequency systems, and are able to make more accurate retrievals when several frequencies are available simultaneously. An evaluation of a spaceborne three-frequency Ku/Ka/W-band radar system is presented in this study, based on modeling radar reflectivities from the results of a global cloud-resolving model with a 875 m grid spacing. To produce the reflectivities, a scattering model has been developed for each of the hydrometeor types produced by the model, as well as for melting snow. The effects of attenuation and multiple scattering on the radar signal are modeled using a radiative transfer model, while nonuniform beam filling is reproduced with spatial averaging. The combined effects of these are then quantified both globally and in five localized case studies. Two different orbital scenarios using the same radar are compared. Overall, based on the results, it is expected that the proposed radar would detect a high-quality signal in most clouds and precipitation. The main exceptions are the thinnest clouds that are below the detection threshold of the W-band channel, and at the opposite end of the scale, heavy convective rainfall where a combination of attenuation, multiple scattering and nonuniform beam filling commonly cause significant deterioration of the signal; thus, while the latter can be generally detected, the quality of the retrievals is likely to be degraded.

Evaluation of EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar Doppler Velocity Measurements in Particle Sedimentation Regimes

The joint European Space Agency–Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ESA–JAXA) Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission is scheduled for launch in 2016 and features the first atmospheric Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) with Doppler capability in space. Here, the uncertainty of the CPR Doppler velocity measurements in cirrus clouds and large-scale precipitation areas is discussed. These regimes are characterized by weak vertical motion and relatively horizontally homogeneous conditions and thus represent optimum conditions for acquiring high-quality CPR Doppler measurements. A large dataset of radar reflectivity observations from ground-based radars is used to examine the homogeneity of the cloud fields at the horizontal scales of interest. In addition, a CPR instrument model that uses as input ground-based radar observations and outputs simulations of CPR Doppler measurements is described. The simulator accurately accounts for the beam geometry, nonuniform beam-filling, and signal integration effects, and it is applied to representative cases of cirrus cloud and stratiform precipitation. The simulated CPR Doppler velocities are compared against those derived from the ground-based radars. The unfolding of the CPR Doppler velocity is achieved using simple conditional rules and a smoothness requirement for the CPR Doppler measurements. The application of nonuniform beam-filling Doppler velocity bias-correction algorithms is found necessary even under these optimum conditions to reduce the CPR Doppler biases. Finally, the analysis indicates that a minimum along-track integration of 5000 m is needed to reduce the uncertainty in the CPR Doppler measurements to below 0.5 m s−1 and thus enable the detection of the melting layer and the characterization of the rain- and ice-layer Doppler velocities.

Revealing the Winds under the Rain. Part I: Passive Microwave Rain Retrievals Using a New Observation-Based Parameterization of Subsatellite Rain Variability and Intensity—Algorithm Description

Scatterometer ocean surface winds have been providing very valuable information to researchers and operational weather forecasters for over 10 years. However, the scatterometer wind retrievals are compromised when rain is present. Merely flagging all rain-affected areas removes the most dynamic and interesting areas from the wind analysis. Fortunately, the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite II (ADEOS-II) mission carried a radiometer [the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR)] and a scatterometer, allowing for independent, collocated retrievals of rain. The authors developed an algorithm that uses AMSR observations to estimate the rain inside the scatterometer beam. This is the first in a series of papers that describe their approach to providing rain estimation and correction to scatterometer observations. This paper describes the retrieval algorithm and evaluates it using simulated data. Part II will present its validation when applied to AMSR observations. This passive microwave rain retrieval algorithm addresses the issues of nonuniform beam filling and hydrometeor uncertainty in a novel way by 1) using a large number of soundings to develop the retrieval database, thus accounting for the geographically varying atmospheric parameters; 2) addressing the spatial inhomogeneity of rain by developing multiple retrieval databases with different built-in inhomogeneity and rain intensity, along with a “rain indicator” to select the most appropriate database for each observed scene; 3) developing a new cloud-versus-rain partitioning that allows the use of a variety of drop size distribution assumptions to account for some of the natural variability diagnosed from the soundings; and 4) retrieving atmospheric and surface parameters just outside the rainy areas, thus providing information about the environment to help decrease the uncertainty of the rain estimates.