6,632 research outputs found
Space Frames with Multiple Stable Configurations
This paper is concerned with beamlike spaceframes that include a large number of bistable elements, and exploit the bistability of the elements to obtain structures with multiple stable configurations. By increasing the number of bistable elements, structures with a large number of different configurations can be designed. A particular attraction of this approach is that it produces structures able to maintain their shape without any power being supplied. The first part of this paper focuses on the design and realization of a low-cost snap-through strut, whose two different lengths provide the required bistable feature. A parametric study of the length-change of the strut in relation to the peak force that needs to be applied by the driving actuators is carried out. Bistable struts based on this concept have been made by injection molding nylon. Next, beamlike structures based on different architectures are considered. It is shown that different structural architectures produce structures with workspaces of different size and resolution, when made from an identical number of bistable struts. One particular architecture, with 30 bistable struts and hence over 1 billion different configurations, has been demonstrated
A bistable structural element
This article presents a novel bistable structural element that has high stiffness in stable configurations, but requires only a small amount of energy to be switched from one configuration to the other. The element is based on a planar linkage of four bars connected by revolute joints,
braced by tape-spring diagonals. A description of the concept is presented, along with a detailed theoretical analysis of its mechanical behaviour. Experimental measurements obtained from a prototype structure are found to be in very good agreement with the predictions from this
analytical model
In-space Shape Measurement of Large Planar Structures
A measurement and integration scheme is proposed to estimate the shape of a large planar structure in space. Lightweight sun sensors distributed on the structure measure the local angles relative to the sun. A reconstruction technique is introduced to estimate the shape of the satellite through a decomposition on a function basis. The estimated shape is determined by the coefficients associated with the basis functions which are calculated from the measurements. A trade-study to analyze the influence of different reconstruction schemes and the position of the sensors is presented. An optimization scheme minimizes the RMS error between the estimated and true shape. An experiment was conducted to show the feasibility and performance of the proposed system at the lab scale. Finally, a simulation of the accuracy of the presented solution on a 60 m space solar power module is performed. The expected error is 0.7 mm RMS using sensors every 30 cm
In-space Shape Measurement of Large Planar Structures
A measurement and integration scheme is proposed to estimate the shape of a large planar structure in space. Lightweight sun sensors distributed on the structure measure the local angles relative to the sun. A reconstruction technique is introduced to estimate the shape of the satellite through a decomposition on a function basis. The estimated shape is determined by the coefficients associated with the basis functions which are calculated from the measurements. A trade-study to analyze the influence of different reconstruction schemes and the position of the sensors is presented. An optimization scheme minimizes the RMS error between the estimated and true shape. An experiment was conducted to show the feasibility and performance of the proposed system at the lab scale. Finally, a simulation of the accuracy of the presented solution on a 60 m space solar power module is performed. The expected error is 0.7 mm RMS using sensors every 30 cm
Colloidal CuFeS2 Nanocrystals: Intermediate Fe d-Band Leads to High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency
We describe the colloidal hot-injection synthesis of phase-pure nanocrystals
(NCs) of a highly abundant mineral, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). Absorption bands
centered at around 480 and 950 nm, spanning almost the entire visible and near
infrared regions, encompass their optical extinction characteristics. These
peaks are ascribable to electronic transitions from the valence band (VB) to
the empty intermediate band (IB), located in the fundamental gap and mainly
composed of Fe 3d orbitals. Laser-irradiation (at 808 nm) of an aqueous
suspension of CuFeS2 NCs exhibited significant heating, with a photothermal
conversion efficiency of 49%. Such efficient heating is ascribable to the
carrier relaxation within the broad IB band (owing to the indirect VB-IB gap),
as corroborated by transient absorption measurements. The intense absorption
and high photothermal transduction efficiency (PTE) of these NCs in the
so-called biological window (650-900 nm) makes them suitable for photothermal
therapy as demonstrated by tumor cell annihilation upon laser irradiation. The
otherwise harmless nature of these NCs in dark conditions was confirmed by in
vitro toxicity tests on two different cell lines. The presence of the deep Fe
levels constituting the IB is the origin of such enhanced PTE, which can be
used to design other high performing NC photothermal agents.Comment: 12 pages, Chemistry of Materials, 31-May-201
Magnetic Model Self-Identification for PM Synchronous Machine Drives
The Magnetic Model Self-Identification of PM Synchronous machines is proposed and experimentally validated. Provided that the shaft is free to turn, the commissioning procedure consists of spinning the machine to positive and negative speed values by way of an appropriate pattern of dq current reference values. The flux linkage versus current curves of the machine are constructed during the test via the standard measurements available on any industrial drive: phase currents, dc-link voltage and shaft position. Respect to the literature, the proposed method does not require a specific test rig nor off-line mathematical manipulation
Highly effective and isotropic pinning in epitaxial Fe(Se,Te) thin films grown on CaF2 substrates
We report on the isotropic pinning obtained in epitaxial Fe(Se,Te) thin films
grown on CaF2 (001) substrate. High critical current density values larger than
1 MA/cm2 in self field in liquid helium are reached together with a very weak
dependence on the magnetic field and a complete isotropy. Analysis through
Transmission Electron Microscopy evidences the presence of defects looking like
lattice disorder at a very small scale, between 5 and 20 nm, which are thought
to be responsible for such isotropic behavior in contrast to what observed on
SrTiO3, where defects parallel to the c-axis enhance pinning in that directio
Time-efficient geometrically non-linear finite element simulations of thin shell deployable structures
Isogeometric analysis of thin shells can provide higher continuity and exact geometric description. It is shown in the existing literature that isogeometric analysis converges with fewer degrees of freedom than C⁰-continuous finite elements that use Langrange polynomial shape functions, but the speed of the solutions has not been previously assessed. In this research, the geometrically nonlinear bending of a thin shell deployable structure, a tape spring is studied, using both NURBS-based and C⁰-continuous finite elements. The complex deformation of a tape spring makes it a perfect case study to compare the computational efficiency of the mentioned techniques. The simulations are carried out in the commercial software ABAQUS and LS-DYNA, and it is found that isogeometric analysis is at least three times slower than the C⁰-continuous finite element methods
Pairing symmetry of superconducting graphene
The possibility of intrinsic superconductivity in alkali-coated graphene
monolayers has been recently suggested theoretically. Here, we derive the
possible pairing symmetries of a carbon honeycomb lattice and discuss their
phase diagram. We also evaluate the superconducting local density of states
(LDOS) around an isolated impurity. This is directly related to scanning
tunneling microscopy experiments, and may evidence the occurrence of
unconventional superconductivity in graphene.Comment: Eur. Phys. J. B, to appea
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