Structural-Damage Detection by Distributed Piezoelectric Transducers and Tuned Electric Circuits

A novel technique for damage detection of structures is introduced and discussed. It is based on purely electric measurements of the state variables of an electric network coupled to the main structure through a distributed set of piezoelectric patches. The constitutive parameters of this auxiliary network are optimized to increase the sensitivity of global measurements- as the frequency, response functions relative to selected electric degrees of freedom-with respect to a given class of variations in the structural-mechanical properties. Because the proposed method is based on purely electric input and output measurements, it allows for accurate results in the identification and localization of damages. Use of the electric frequency-response function to identify the mechanical damage leads to nonconvex optimization problems; therefore the proposed sensitivity-enhanced identification procedure becomes computationally efficient if an a priori knowledge about the damage is available.Comment: 18 page

Optimal piezo-electro-mechanical coupling to control plate vibrations

A new way of coupling electrical and mechanical waves, using piezoelectric effect, is presented here. Since the energy exchange between two systems supporting wave propagation is maximum when their evolution is governed by similar equations, hence, an optimal electromechanical coupling is obtained by designing an electric network which is "analog" to the mechanical structure to be controlled. In this paper, we exploit this idea to enhance the coupling, between a Kirchhoff-Love plate and one possible synthesis of its circuital analog, as obtained by means of a set of piezoelectric actuators uniformly distributed upon the plate. It is shown how this approach allows for an optimal energy exchange between the mechanic and the electric forms independent of the modal evolution of the structure. Moreover, we show how an efficient electric dissipation of the mechanical energy can be obtained adding dissipative elements in the electric network.Comment: 9 page

Generalized Hooke's law for isotropic second gradient materials

In the spirit of Germain the most general objective stored elastic energy for a second gradient material is deduced using a literature result of Fortun\'e & Vall\'ee. Linear isotropic constitutive relations for stress and hyperstress in terms of strain and strain-gradient are then obtained proving that these materials are characterized by seven elastic moduli and generalizing previous studies by Toupin, Mindlin and Sokolowski. Using a suitable decomposition of the strain-gradient, it is found a necessary and sufficient condition, to be verified by the elastic moduli, assuring positive definiteness of the stored elastic energy. The problem of warping in linear torsion of a prismatic second gradient cylinder is formulated, thus obtaining a possible measurement procedure for one of the second gradient elastic moduli.Comment: 20 page

Wave motions in unbounded poroelastic solids infused with compressible fluids

Looking at rational solid-fluid mixture theories in the context of their biomechanical perspectives, this work aims at proposing a two-scale constitutive theory of a poroelastic solid infused with an inviscid compressible fluid. The propagation of steady-state harmonic plane waves in unbounded media is investigated in both cases of unconstrained solid-fluid mixtures and fluid-saturated poroelastic solids. Relevant effects on the resulting characteristic speed of longitudinal and transverse elastic waves, due to the constitutive parameters introduced, are finally highlighted and discussed.Comment: 29 page

On the well posedness of static boundary value problem within the linear dilatational strain gradient elasticity

In this paper, it is proven an existence and uniqueness theorem for weak solutions of the equilibrium problem for linear isotropic dilatational strain gradient elasticity. Considered elastic bodies have as deformation energy the classical one due to Lamé but augmented with an additive term that depends on the norm of the gradient of dilatation: only one extra second gradient elastic coefficient is introduced. The studied class of solids is therefore related to Korteweg or Cahn–Hilliard fluids. The postulated energy naturally induces the space in which the aforementioned well-posedness result can be formulated. In this energy space, the introduced norm does involve the linear combination of some specific higher-order derivatives only: it is, in fact, a particular example of anisotropic Sobolev space. It is also proven that aforementioned weak solutions belongs to the space H1(div, V) , i.e. the space of H1 functions whose divergence belongs to H1. The proposed mathematical frame is essential to conceptually base, on solid grounds, the numerical integration schemes required to investigate the properties of dilatational strain gradient elastic bodies. Their energy, as studied in the present paper, has manifold interests. Mathematically speaking, its singularity causes interesting mathematical difficulties whose overcoming leads to an increased understanding of the theory of second gradient continua. On the other hand, from the mechanical point of view, it gives an example of energy for a second gradient continuum which can sustain externally applied surface forces and double forces but cannot sustain externally applied surface couples. In this way, it is proven that couple stress continua, introduced by Toupin, represent only a particular case of the more general class of second gradient continua. Moreover, it is easily checked that for dilatational strain gradient continua, balance of force and balance of torques (or couples) are not enough to characterise equilibrium: to this aim, externally applied surface double forces must also be specified. As a consequence, the postulation scheme based on variational principles seems more suitable to study second gradient continua. It has to be remarked finally that dilatational strain gradient seems suitable to model the experimentally observed behaviour of some material used in 3D printing process

Intestinal lymphangiectasia in a 3-month-old girl: A case report of Hennekam syndrome caused by CCBE1 mutation

RATIONAL: Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) is a rare disease characterized by dilatation and rupture of intestinal lymphatic channels leading to protein-losing enteropathy. IL is classified as primary and secondary types. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 3-month-old girl born at term from vaginal delivery with an APGAR score of 10/10 and birth weight of 4.310 g (>97° percentile) was admitted to our hospital because of increasing abdominal tenderness and diarrhea. At first examination, she presented an abdominal circumference of 60 cm, edema of the lower extremities and vulva, and facial dysmorphisms (hypertelorism, flat nasal bridge, flat mid-face). DIAGNOSIS: Once admitted, ultrasonography showed a large amount of ascites, while blood laboratory investigations revealed severe hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia and hypogammaglobulinemia. Lymphoscintigraphy with 99m-Tc-nanocolloid demonstrated abnormal leakage of the tracer in the abdomen as evidence of IL. To detect a possible secondary, exams were performed and demonstrated positive antibody titres for CMV-IgM and IgG in blood and CMV-DNA positivity in blood, urine, saliva, maternal milk, and gastric and duodenal biopsies. Genetic investigations identified the genomic variant c.472C>T of the CCBE1 gene, coding for a protein variant (p.Arg158Cys), in homozygosity. INTERVENTIONS: Total parenteral nutrition was started and continued for a total of 18 days, then gradually bridged by enteral nutrition with a special formula. In addition, antiviral therapy for CMV infection was added first with intravenous ganciclovir for 14 days, resulting in the disappearance of blood viral load after 7 days of therapy and then with valganciclovir per os for another 30 days. OUTCOMES: The clinical course of the child gradually improved. A few days after starting treatments, lower extremities and vulvar edema disappeared, and abdominal circumference gradually decreased to a stable value of 38 cm, without any ultrasonographic signs of ascites left. Moreover, serum albumin and IgG rose to normal values after 3 months (4.3 g/dL and 501 mg/dL, respectively). LESSONS: This case suggests that in presence of IL both primary and secondary causes should be evaluated. On the other hand, genetic diagnosis is crucial not only for diagnosis but also for prognosis in HS. Life expectancy and quality could deeply vary among different gene mutations and protein variants of the same gene. Further studies and case reports are needed to better understand the clinical meaning of these genetic results and the role of CMV as trigger of IL

A continual model of a damaged medium used for analyzing fatigue life of polycrystalline structural alloys under thermal–mechanical loading

The main physical laws of thermal–plastic deformation and fatigue damage accumulation processes in polycrystalline structural alloys under various regimes of cyclic thermal–mechanical loading are considered. Within the framework of mechanics of damaged media, a mathematical model is developed that describes thermal–plastic deformation and fatigue damage accumulation processes under low-cycle loading. The model consists of three interrelated parts: relations defining plastic behavior of the material, accounting for its dependence on the failure process; evolutionary equations describing damage accumulation kinetics; a strength criterion of the damaged material. The plasticity model based on the notion of yield surface and the principle of orthogonality of the plastic strain vector to the yield surface is used as defining relations. This version of defining equations of plasticity describes the main effects of the deformation process under monotone cyclic, proportional and nonproportional loading regimes. The version of kinetic equations of damage accumulation is based on introducing a scalar parameter of damage degree and energy principles, and account for the main effects of nucleation, growth and merging of microdefects under arbitrary regimes of low-cycle loading. The strength criterion of the damaged material is based on reaching a critical value of the damage degree. The results of numerically modeling cyclic thermal–plastic deformation and fatigue damage accumulation in heat-resistant alloys (Nimonic 80A, Haynes 188) under combined thermal–mechanical loading are presented. Special attention is paid to the issues of modeling the processes of cyclic thermal–plastic deformation and fatigue damage accumulation for complex deformation processes accompanied by the rotation of the main stress and strain tensor areas. It is shown that the present damaged medium model accurately enough for engineering purposes describes the processes of cyclic isothermal and nonisothermal deformation and fatigue damage accumulation under combined thermal–mechanical loading and makes it possible to evaluate low-cycle fatigue life of heat-resistant alloys under arbitrary deformation trajectories