Untethered Origami Worm Robot with Diverse Multi-Leg Attachments and Responsive Motions under Magnetic Actuation

Nowadays, origami folding in combination with actuation mechanisms can offer deployable structure design, yield compliance, and have several properties of soft material. An easy complex folding pattern can yield an array of functionalities in actuated hinges or active spring elements. This paper presents various cylinder origami robot designs that can be untethered magnetically actuated. The different designs are analyzed and compared to achieve the following three types of motion: Peristaltic, rolling, and turning in different environments, namely, board, sandpaper, and sand. The proposed origami robot is able translate 53 mm in peristaltic motion within 20 s and is able to roll one complete cycle in 1 s and can turn ≈ 180∘ in 1.5 s. The robot also demonstrated a peristaltic locomotion at a speed of ≈2.5 mm s−1, ≈1.9 mm s−1, and ≈1.3 mm s−1 in board, sandpaper, and sand respectively; rolling motion at a speed of 1 cycle s−1, ≈0.66 cycles s−1, and ≈0.33 cycles s−1 in board, sandpaper, and sand respectively; and turning motion of ≈180∘, ≈83∘, and ≈58∘ in board, sandpaper, and sand respectively. The evaluation of the robotic motion and actuation is discussed in detail in this paper.

Topology optimized thermoelectric generator: a parametric study

Typical thermoelectric generator legs are brittle which limits their application in vibratory and shear environments. Research is conducted to develop compliant thermoelectric generators (TEGs) capable of converting thermal loads to power, while also supporting shear and vibratory loads. Mathematical structural, thermal, and power conversion models are developed. Topology optimization is employed to tailor the TEG design yield maximal power production while sustaining the applied shear and vibratory loads. As a specific example, results are presented for optimized TEG legs with a void volume fraction of 0.2 that achieve compliance shear displacement of 0.0636 (from a range of 0.0504 to 0.6079). In order to achieve the necessary compliance to support the load, the power reduction is reduced by 20% relative to similarly sized void free TEG legs.

Failure Modes and Rules Related to the Yield-to-Tensile Strength Ratio in Steel Structures

Upper limits on the ratio of the yield strength to the tensile strength (σy/σu ratio) and lower limits on the fracture elongation εf are present in various offshore, maritime and civil engineering rules, standards and specifications for steel structures as a provision for the minimum material ductility and toughness which ensures sufficient structural ductility. In other instances, the design yield stress to be adopted in strength calculations is reduced from its nominal value if the σy/σu ratio exceeds a certain limit. Such requirements deter the use of high strength steels (nominal σy higher than 690 MPa), which inherently have a high σy/σu ratio. To guide subsequent efforts towards optimised and scientifically grounded σy/σu limits and wider application of high strength steels, this paper first presents an overview of the current provisions in engineering practice relating to the σy/σu ratio and structural ductility, and it then discusses the key underlying failure mechanisms to which these ductility requirements are relevant: tensile strain localization, yielding and localization precipitated by stress concentrations, localization of plastic bending hinges and ductile fracture. The reasoning behind the current provisions, the findings of previous research concerning the requirements, and the key potential areas for future research are highlighted.

Development of the External Pressure Charts for 2¼Cr-1Mo and Mod.9Cr-1Mo Steel at Elevated Temperature Design

For the required thickness estimation against buckling in the elevated temperature design, the external pressure chart for two kinds of ferritic steel, 2 1/4Cr-1Mo and Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel, was developed. On the basis of the guideline described in the ASME BPVC Section II, Part D, Mandatory Appendix 3 with mechanical and physical properties provided in the JSME fast reactor code, the external pressure charts for each material were constructed. The minimum stress-strain curve for evaluating the external pressure chart was applied the stress-strain equation with design yield strength, Sy, provided by the JSME fast reactor code. As a result, three external pressure charts with digital values were proposed for elevated temperature design. Moreover, the rationalization effect from the current alternative was evaluated by the sample problem. This proposal resolves two issues. One is alternative use of chart for lower strength material over the 150 °C. The other is the external pressure chart above 480°C for which ferritic steels are not available.

Compression and Cyclic Shear Behavior of Lime Mortar Brick Masonry

Most of the British regime engineered heritage brick masonry in northern India is either purely in lime mortar or in lime-surkhi (crushed brick aggregate) mortar. Lime mortar constituting majorly of historical brick masonry stock and influences substantially the dynamic characteristics was investigated. The heritage buildings are highly vulnerable against seismic actions especially in the highly active tectonic regions of Himalayan foothills. Material properties of Historic Unreinforced Brick Masonry (HUBM) in lime mortar are critical to be evaluated for assessment but it is difficult to test the in-situ constituents due to intervention constraints governed by civic bodies on such heritage structures and hence exhaustive testing has been carried out on contemporary lime masonry. Compression tests have revealed the design, yield, ultimate strength and feasible inelastic material properties suitable enough to characterize the cyclic behavior of historical brick masonry in India. Elastic modulus, shear modulus and Poisson ratio have been evaluated to be on the lower side as compared to contemporary mortars constituted masonry. Parameters such as damping, hysteresis behavior, energy dissipation and stiffness degradation characterizing the seismic behavior in elastic and inelastic range suggested the improved performance of brick masonry with increase in compressive strength of lime mortar.

On Problems of Mechanical Properties of Structural Steel in Load-Carrying Structure of Historical Building Construction

The paper is focused on the problems of the mechanical properties of steel used for load-carrying structures of civil engineering constructions, especially from the viewpoint of properties of old steels used in historical constructions in comparison with current steels. Chemical composition and physical-mechanical properties of historical steels can be important, for example, in the case of reconstructions, when for the static assessment and evaluation of existing constructions subjected to new (higher) loading actions, material properties of load-carrying structure must be known. In the case of constructions aged about 100 years, usually no project documentation and no information about used material and its properties exist. Then, the properties must be determined using material tests carried-out on the test specimens taken from the real existing structure. But here the sampling of test specimens is limited by the possibilities of existing structural system and by the dimension of particular members from which the specimens are taken, so that the test specimen dimensions and number are limited. Thus, the evaluation of material properties for obtaining representative design values can be more difficult and less reliable than in the case of the large test number. But the main problem is to determine the usable design values of material properties (design yield and ultimate strength) to utilize them for the reliable static re-design of existing structure under actual loading actions. Some problems indicated above have been shown on the example of the material analysis of steel load-carrying structure of slaughterhouse aged more than 100 years. This analysis has been performed recently within the framework of the construction exploration in connection with the intended revitalization of historical “industrial zone” in the city of Brno, Czech Republic.

Experimental Investigation on Cold-formed Steel Beams under Pure Bending

This paper presents the flexural behaviour of cold-formed double lipped channels beams under pure bending action. Two channel sections are bolted back-to-back to form an I-shape structural beam member. A series of six experiment tests were carried out on beam specimens DC200 and DC250, each with 200 mm depth and 250 mm depth respectively. The thickness of beam section is 2 mm and the design yield strength is 350 N/mm2. All beams failed at local buckling at top-flange due to lateral instability of the cold-formed steel structural members. The moment resistance for DC200 is 17.87 kNm and DC250 is 31.53 kNm. The experimental results are compared to theoretical resistance prediction based on British Standard and Eurocode. The comparison showed that the experimental moment capacity is lower than the theoretical bending moment resistance but higher than theoretical buckling moment resistance from Eurocode. This showed that a better agreement is achieved between experimental data and Eurocode buckling moment resistance for cold-formed steel beam under pure bending. Kertas kerja ini membentangkan sifat lenturan rasuk keluli tergelek sejuk di bawah tindakan lenturan tulen. Dua channel dihimpunkan berkembar dan diperketatkan dengan bolt untuk membentuk rasuk struktur bentuk-I. Satu siri ujian lenturan telah dijalankan ke atas spesimen rasuk DC200 dan DC250, dengan kedalaman 200 mm dan 250 mm masing-masing. Ketebalan keratan rasuk adalah 2 mm dan kekuatan reka bentuk adalah 350 N/mm2. Semua rasuk gagal pada momen kilasan sisi di bahagian atas bebibir akibat ketakstabilan sisi anggota keluli tergelek sejuk. Rintangan momen bagi DC200 adalah 17.87 kNm dan DC250 adalah 31.53 kNm. Keputusan eksperimen dibanding dengan ramalan teori yang berdasarkan British Standard dan Eurocodes. Perbandingan tersebut menunjukkan bahawa rintangan momen lenturan eksperimen adalah lebih rendah daripada ramalan teori momen lenturan tetapi lebih tinggi daripada ramalan teori momen rintangan kilasan sisi mengikut Eurocode. Ini menunjukkan bahawa persetujuan baik dicapai di antara keputusan eksperimen dengan ramalan teori Eurocode momen rintangan kilasan sisi bagi rasuk keluli tergelek sejuk.

Evaluation Research of Critical Condition Design of BT Mode

The critical condition evaluation of BT mode is adopted to balance rights and benefits between government and investor. This paper aims to describe and analyze repurchasing radix design, yield design, and repurchasing mode design. Apply the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation to set the evaluation model, which includes 8 valuables factors reflected in the evaluation, and do the preliminary empirical research of the model and get the primary weighing of the 8 factors through the empirical research. By calculating and analyzing, the model truly reflects the interest relation between the government and the investor. Using this model, theoretical foundation to BT mode decision-negotiation is offered.

Design, Yield and Process Capability Study of 8 kV 4H-SiC PIN Diodes

This paper presents a study of performance and scalability of 8kV SiC PIN diodes focusing on area-dependent yield and sensitivity to material properties variation. Successfully fabricated 18 and 36 mm2 SiC-PiN diodes exhibited avalanche breakdown above 8 kV and < 5V forward voltage drop at 100 A/cm2 current density. The fast switching operation of these diodes up to ~5 kHz frequency is evidenced by reverse recovery measurements with by double-pulse inductive switching tests. The devices exhibit 0.142 and 0.169 uC/cm2 stored charge at room temperature and 125oC, respectively, when turned-off from Jf = 100A/cm2 to Vr = 2.1 kV. The measured diode breakdown voltage exhibited location and size dependent yield, indicating the necessity of material quality improvements for production.