Feedback Control of a Nonlinear Electrostatic Force Transducer

We document a feedback controller design for a nonlinear electrostatic transducer that exhibits a strong unloaded resonance. Challenging features of this type of transducer include the presence of multiple fixed points (some of which are unstable), nonlinear force-to-deflection transfer, effective spring-constant softening due to electrostatic loading and associated resonance frequency shift. Furthermore, due to the utilization of lowpass filters in the electronic readout circuitry, a significant amount of transport delay is introduced in the feedback loop. To stabilize this electro-mechanical system, we employ an active disturbance-rejecting controller with nonlinear force mapping and delay synchronization. As demonstrated by numerical simulations, the combination of these three control techniques stabilizes the system over a wide range of electrode deflections. The proposed controller shows good setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection, and improved settling time, compared to the sensor alone.

A New Methodology for Measuring Tsunami Resilience Using Theory of Springs

Resilience is a deeply rooted word in theory of elasticity, which is firstly introduced to English by Thomas Young in 1807 in his treatise “A course of lectures on natural philosophy and the mechanical arts”. However, recently it is frequently used in ecology, economics, social sciences, and as everyone knows in the disaster literature. The purpose of this article is to investigate the mechanical background of word resilience, discuss lessons we could learn from the theory of elasticity for evaluating tsunami resilience, and finally, to propose a new mathematical model based on theory of springs. The mathematical model is in compliance with a pragmatic conceptual framework for evaluating resilience. The effective resilience of a given area can be calculated by aggregation of three components namely, onsite capacity, instantaneous survivability, and recovery potential of the area. The authors suggest that the magnitude of each component depends on socioeconomic, infrastructural and geographical factors of the area considered. Here, we show that aggregation of the individual components can be done in compliance with the theory of springs by analogizing effective tsunami resilience to effective spring constant. The mathematical model will be useful for evaluating the resilience of townships to hydrological disasters and also planning resilient townships, specifically to tsunami.

Effect of Mass Added to a Force Transducer on the Dynamic-Force Correction Method

Dynamic-error caused by the mass attached to the sensing part of a force transducer is experimentally investigated using the Levitation Mass Method (LMM), in which the dynamic-force applied to the force transducer is measured based on the definition of force, i.e. the product of mass and acceleration. It is experimentally proved that the change in the dynamic correction coefficient (DCC) is proportional to the additional mass as expected by the theory. The effective mass and the effective spring constant of the transducer with the additional mass are estimated from the experimental result. It is experimentally proved that the DCC for the transducer with the additional mass can be calculated using the estimated properties, i.e. the effective mass and the effective spring constant, and the dynamic-error can be corrected with the calculated DCC.

Mechanics and buckling of biopolymeric shells and cell nuclei

We study a Brownian dynamics simulation model of a biopolymeric shell deformed by axial forces exerted at opposing poles. The model exhibits two distinct linear force-extension regimes, with the response to small tensions governed by linear elasticity and the response to large tensions governed by an effective spring constant that scales with radius as R−0.25. When extended beyond the initial linear elastic regime, the shell undergoes a hysteretic, temperature-dependent buckling transition. We experimentally observe this buckling transition by stretching and imaging the lamina of isolated cell nuclei. Furthermore, the interior contents of the shell can alter mechanical response and buckling, which we show by simulating a model for the nucleus that quantitatively agrees with our micromanipulation experiments stretching individual nuclei.

Energetic and Dynamic Effects of Operating Fluid on Fluidic Artificial Muscle Actuators

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are a relatively common type of lightweight, fluid power actuation. Some disadvantages of PAMs include the compressibility of the working fluid and low damping. These characteristics result in low efficiencies, poor dynamic response, as well as undesired oscillations of the actuators. This paper presents utilizing hydraulic liquid as the working fluid instead of compressed air. Hydraulic operation resulted in almost triple the efficiency of pneumatic operation. The artificial muscles are experimentally characterized both quasi-statically and dynamically. The quasi-static experiments include the tension-strain relationship as a function of pressure, and an actuator net work efficiency analysis. The dynamic tests consist of a free vibration experiment to determine the change in effective spring constant and damping terms. These experiments are conducted for both PAMs and HAMs (hydraulic artificial muscles), and the results are presented herein.

Modelling thrombosis using dissipative particle dynamics method

Aim . Arterial occlusion is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. The main mechanism causing vessel occlusion is thrombus formation, which may be initiated by the activation of platelets. The focus of this study is on the mechanical aspects of platelet-mediated thrombosis which includes the motion, collision, adhesion and aggregation of activated platelets in the blood. A review of the existing continuum-based models is given. A mechanical model of platelet accumulation onto the vessel wall is developed using the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method in which the blood (i.e. colloidal-composed medium) is treated as a group of mesoscale particles interacting through conservative, dissipative, attractive and random forces. Methods . Colloidal fluid components (plasma and platelets) are discretized by mesoscopic (micrometre-size) particles that move according to Newton's law. The size of each mesoscopic particle is small enough to allow tracking of each constituent of the colloidal fluid, but significantly larger than the size of atoms such that, in contrast to the molecular dynamics approach, detailed atomic level analysis is not required. Results . To test this model, we simulated the deposition of platelets onto the wall of an expanded tube and compared our computed results with the experimental data of Karino et al . ( Miscrovasc. Res. 17 , 238–269, 1977). By matching our simulations to the experimental results, the platelet aggregation/adhesion binding force (characterized by an effective spring constant) was determined and found to be within a physiologically reasonable range. Conclusion . Our results suggest that the DPD method offers a promising new approach to the modelling of platelet-mediated thrombosis. The DPD model includes interaction forces between platelets both when they are in the resting state (non-activated) and when they are activated, and therefore it can be extended to the analysis of kinetics of binding and other phenomena relevant to thrombosis.

Design of a 20,000 Pound Variable Stiffness Actuator for Structural Vibration Attenuation

This paper describes the design of a novel actuator capable of protecting a full scale structure from severe load conditions. The design includes a cylinder filled with pressurized nitrogen and uses commercially available components. We demonstrate that the actuator behaves like a spring with an adjustable unstretched length, and that the effective spring stiffness can be changed easily by changing the initial cylinder pressure. In order to test the actuator on a full scale structure, an effective spring constant of approximately 10,000 pounds/inch was required over a two inch stroke. Because of the spring-like behavior, rather than damper-like behavior, the actuator does not transmit high forces to a vibrating structure like linear viscous dampers do when velocities are high. We analyze features of critical importance to the design of the actuator such as the cylinder dimensions, operating pressure, and valve selection. We then investigate the performance using a novel experimental apparatus that mimics the dynamics of a single story building, but has 1/400 the weight.