Topology optimization of 3D structures with design-dependent loads

Topology optimization of continuum structures with design-dependent loads has long been a challenge. In this paper, the topology optimization of 3D structures subjected to design-dependent loads is investigated. A boundary search scheme is proposed for 3D problems, by means of which the load surface can be identified effectively and efficiently, and the difficulties arising in other approaches can be overcome. The load surfaces are made up of the boundaries of finite elements and the loads can be directly applied to corresponding element nodes, which leads to great convenience in the application of this method. Finally, the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method is validated by several numerical examples.

Origami-Based Design for 4D Printing of 3D Support-Free Hollow Structures

The integration of additive manufacturing(AM)in design and engineering has prompted a wide spectrum of research efforts,involving topologically optimized solid/lattice structures,multimaterial structures,bioinspired organic structures,and multiscale structures,to name a few.However,except for obvious cases,very little attention has been given to the design and printing of more complex three-dimensional(3D)hollow structures or folded/creased structures.One of the main reasons is that such complex open or closed 3D cavities and regular/freeform folds generally lead to printing difficulties from support-structure-related issues.To address this barrier,this paper aims to investigate four-dimensional(4D)printing as well as origami-based design as an original research direction to design and build 3D support-free hollow structures.This work consists of describing the rough 3D hollow structures in terms of two-dimensional(2D)printed origami precursor layouts without any support structure.Such origami-based definitions are then embodied with folding functions that can be actuated and fulfilled by 3D printed smart materials.The desired 3D shape is then built once an external stimulus is applied to the active materials,therefore ensuring the transformation of the 2D origami layout to 3D structures.To demonstrate the relevance of the proposal,some illustrative cases are introduced.

Investigation on 3Dt wake flow structures of swimming bionic fish

A bionic experimental platform was designed for the purpose of investigating time accurate three-dimensional flow field, using digital particle image velocimetry （DSPIV）. The wake behind the flapping trail of a robotic fish model was studied at high spatial resolution. The study was performed in a water channel. A robot fish model was designed and built. The model was fixed onto a rigid support frame- work using a cable-supporting method, with twelve stretched wires. The entire tail of the model can perform prescribed motions in two degrees of freedom, mainly in carangiform mode, by driving its afterbody and lunate caudal fin respectively. The DSPIV system was set up to operate in a trans- lational manner, measuring velocity field in a series of parallel slices. Phase locked measurements were repeated for a number of runs, allowing reconstruction of phase average flow field. Vortex structures with phase history of the wake were obtained. The study reveals some new and complex three-dimensional flow structures in the wake of the fish, including ＂reverse hairpin vortex＂ and ＂reverse Karman S-H vortex rings＂, allowing insight into physics of this complex flow.

Representation of 3D Woven Structures by Parametric Method

A parametric method is developed to quantitatively represent the microstructure of 3D woven structures. Different binding patterns, such as angle interlock and orthogonal interlock with through-thickness or layer-to-layer bindings, are classified. A unit cell of 3D woven structure is defined with four constituent yarn systems represented by nine structural parameters. A mapping relationship between the 3D woven structure and corresponding representative parameters is thus established. The study indicates that four out of the nine parameters are necessary to represent a 3D woven structure with an angle interlock binding, and that five parameters are required to describe a 3D woven structure with an orthogonal interlock binding. Once the structural parameters are determined, the pattern of 3D woven structures can be unambiguously identified, and vice versa. In addition to the purpose of structure presentation, the method can be further used as a means for designing 3D woven structure to meet the performance requirements of 3D woven composites.

3D characterization and analysis of pore structure of packed ore particle beds based on computed tomography images

Methods and procedures of three-dimensional （3D） characterization of the pore structure features in the packed ore particle bed are focused. X-ray computed tomography was applied to deriving the cross-sectional images of specimens with single particle size of 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7, 7-8, 8-9, 9-10 ram. Based on the in-house developed 3D image analysis programs using Matlab, the volume porosity, pore size distribution and degree of connectivity were calculated and analyzed in detail. The results indicate that the volume porosity, the mean diameter of pores and the effective pore size （d50） increase with the increasing of particle size. Lognormal distribution or Gauss distribution is mostly suitable to model the pore size distribution. The degree of connectivity investigated on the basis of cluster-labeling algorithm also increases with increasing the particle size approximately.

The 3D magnetic structure beneath the continental margin of the northeastern South China Sea

Understanding the continental margin of the Northeastern South China Sea is critical to the study of deep structures, tectonic evolution, and dynamics of the region. One set of important data for this endeavor is the total-field magnetic data. Given the challenges associated with the magnetic data at low latitudes and with remanent magnetism in this area, we combine the equivalent-source technique and magnetic amplitude inversion to recover 3D subsurface magnetic structures. The inversion results show that this area is characterized by a north-south block division and east-west zonation. Magnetic regions strike in EW, NE and NW direction and are consistent with major tectonic trends in the region. The highly magnetic zone recovered from inversion in the continental margin differs visibly from that of the magnetically quiet zones to the south. The magnetic anomaly zone strikes in NE direction, covering an area of about 500 km × 60 km, and extending downward to a depth of 25 km or more. In combination with other geophysical data, we suggest that this strongly magnetic zone was produced by deep underplating of magma associated with plate subduction in Mesozoic period. The magnetically quiet zone in the south is an EW trending unit underlain by broad and gentle magnetic layers of lower crust. Its magnetic structure bears a clear resemblance to oceanic crust, assumed to be related to the presence of ancient oceanic crust there.

Using structure restoration maps to comprehensively identify potential faults and fractures in compressional structures

Faults and fractures of multiple scales are frequently induced and generated in compressional structural system. Comprehensive identification of these potential faults and fractures that cannot be distinguished directly from seismic profile of the complex structures is still an unanswered problem. Based on the compressional structural geometry and kinematics theories as well as the structural interpretation from seismic data, a set of techniques is established for the identification of potential faults and fractures in compressional structures. Firstly, three-dimensional(3D) patterns and characteristics of the faults directly interpreted from seismic profile were illustrated by 3D structural model. Then, the unfolding index maps, the principal structural curvature maps, and tectonic stress field maps were obtained from structural restoration. Moreover, potential faults and fractures in compressional structures were quantitatively identified relying on comprehensive analysis of these three maps. Successful identification of the potential faults and fractures in Mishrif limestone formation and in Asmari dolomite formation of Buzurgan anticline in Iraq demonstrates the applicability and reliability of these techniques.

Joint Inversion of the 3D P Wave Velocity Structure of the Crust and Upper Mantle under the Southeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau Using Regional Earthquake and Teleseismic Data

The special seismic tectonic environment and frequent seismicity in the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau show that this area is an ideal location to study the present tectonic movement and background of strong earthquakes in China's Mainland and to predict future strong earthquake risk zones. Studies of the structural environment and physical characteristics of the deep structure in this area are helpful to explore deep dynamic effects and deformation field characteristics, to strengthen our understanding of the roles of anisotropy and tectonic deformation and to study the deep tectonic background of the seismic origin of the block＇s interior. In this paper, the three-dimensional （3D） P-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle under the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is obtained via observational data from 224 permanent seismic stations in the regional digital seismic network of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces and from 356 mobile China seismic arrays in the southern section of the north-south seismic belt using a joint inversion method of the regional earthquake and teleseismic data. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of the P-wave velocity anomalies in the shallow upper crust is closely related to the surface geological structure, terrain and lithology. Baoxing and Kangding, with their basic volcanic rocks and volcanic clastic rocks, present obvious high-velocity anomalies. The Chengdu Basin shows low-velocity anomalies associated with the Quaternary sediments. The Xichang Mesozoic Basin and the Butuo Basin are characterised by low- velocity anomalies related to very thick sedimentary layers. The upper and middle crust beneath the Chuan-Dian and Songpan-Ganzi Blocks has apparent lateral heterogeneities, including low-velocity zones of different sizes. There is a large range of low-velocity layers in the Songpan-Ganzi Block and the sub-block northwest of Sichuan Province, showing that the middle and lower crust is relatively weak. The Sichuan Basin, which is located in the western margin of the Yangtze platform, shows high-velocity characteristics. The results also reveal that there are continuous low-velocity layer distributions in the middle and lower crust of the Daliangshan Block and that the distribution direction of the low-velocity anomaly is nearly SN, which is consistent with the trend of the Daliangshan fault. The existence of the low-velocity layer in the crust also provides a deep source for the deep dynamic deformation and seismic activity of the Daliangshan Block and its boundary faults. The results of the 3D P-wave velocity structure show that an anomalous distribution of high-density, strong-magnetic and high-wave velocity exists inside the crust in the Panxi region. This is likely related to late Paleozoic mantle plume activity that led to a large number of mafic and ultra-mafic intrusions into the crust. In the crustal doming process, the massive intrusion of mantle-derived material enhanced the mechanical strength of the crustal medium. The P-wave velocity structure also revealed that the upper mantle contains a low-velocity layer at a depth of 80-120 km in the Panxi region. The existence of deep faults in the Panxi region, which provide conditions for transporting mantle thermal material into the crust, is the deep tectonic background for the area＇s strong earthquake activity.

Framework system and research flow of uncertainty in 3D geological structure models

Uncertainty in 3D geological structure models has become a bottleneck that restricts the development and application of 3D geological modeling.In order to solve this problem during periods of accuracy assessment,error detection and dynamic correction in 3D geological structure models,we have reviewed the current situation and development trends in 3D geological modeling.The main context of uncertainty in 3D geological structure models is discussed.Major research issues and a general framework system of uncertainty in 3D geological structure models are proposed.We have described in detail the integration of development practices of 3D geological modeling systems,as well as the implementation process for uncertainty evaluation in 3D geological structure models.This study has laid the basis to build theoretical and methodological systems for accuracy assessment and error correction in 3D geological models and can assist in improving 3D modeling techniques under complex geological conditions.

3D hierarchically porous NiO/Graphene hybrid paper anode for long-life and high rate cycling flexible Li-ion batteries

With the rapid emergence of wearable devices, flexible lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) are much more needed than ever. Free-standing graphene-based composite paper electrodes with various active materials have appealed wide applications in flexible LIBs. However, due to the prone-to-restacking feature of graphene layers, a long cycle life at high current densities is rather difficult to be achieved. Herein, a unique threedimensional(3D) hierarchically porous NiO micro-flowers/graphene paper(fNiO/GP) electrode is successfully fabricated. The resulting fNiO/GP electrode shows superior long-term cycling stability at high rates(e.g., storage capacity of 359 mAh/g after 600 cycles at a high current density of 1 A/g). The facile 3D porous structure combines both the advantages of the graphene that is highly conductive and flexible to ensure rapid electrons/ions transfer and buffer the volume expansion of NiO during charge/discharge,and of the micro-sized NiO flowers that induces hierarchical between-layer pores ranging from nanomicro meters to promote the penetration of the electrolyte and prevent the re-stacking of graphene layers. Such structural design will inspire future manufacture of a wide range of active materials/graphene composite electrodes for high performance flexible LIBs.

Offlattice Model in the Prediction of Protein 3D Structure

3-dimension HPNX offiattice model is developed from the 2-dimension HP offiattice model. In the HP model, 20 types of amino acid monomers are divided into two classes, H （non-polar monomer） and P （polar monomer）. In the HPNX model, polar monomers are split into positively charged （P）, negatively charged （N） and neutral （X） monomers. A new evolutionary algorithm is applied to study long chains of the HPNX offiattice protein model. This method successfully predict the structures of several proteins in the 3-dimension space that are similar to the structures gotten by X-Ray Crystallography and NMR and published in the PDB（Protein Data Bank）.

Microstructures and properties of Cu/Ag(Invar) composites fabricated by powder metallurgy

The Ag(Invar)composite powder prepared by ball milling was used to fabricate the Cu/Ag(Invar)composites.Microstructures and properties of the composites were studied after sintering and thermo-mechanical treatment.The results indicatethat during ball milling,micro-forging weld and work-hardening fracture result in that the average particle size of the Ag(Invar)powder increases rapidly at first,and then decreases sharply,finally tends to be constant.Compared with the Cu/Invar ones,thesinterability of the composites is greatly improved,resulting in that the pores in them are smaller in amount and size.After thethermo-mechanical treatment,the Cu/Ag(Invar)composites are nearly fully dense with the optimum phase composition and elementdistribution.More importantly,Cu and the Invar alloy in the composites distribute continuously in a three-dimensional(3D)networkstructure.Cu/Invar interface diffusion is effectively inhibited by the Ag barrier layer,leading to a great improvement of themechanical and thermal properties of the Cu/Ag(Invar)composites.

3D Velocity Structure and Its Tectonic Implications in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea

3D structure of the crust and upper mantle in the studied area has been analyzed from surface wave tomography. The velocity distribution in the uppermost crust is symmetrical on two sides of the central line of the sea, and coincides with the structure of crystalline basement. The essential difference in tectonics between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea mainly lies in that the velocity structures of their lower crust and upper mantle are identical to those of South China and North China respectively. In the upper mantle there exists a high-velocity zone with a nearly EW strike from the Hangzhou Bay, China, to the Tokara Channel, Japan, along about the latitude of 30°N. It is found that between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea there are systematical differences in geomorphology, geology, seismicity, heat flow, quality factor and gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies, which is related to both left-lateral shear dislocation and right-lateral tear of the Benioff zone from the Hangzhou Bay to the Tokara Channel.It is inferred that the East China Sea was formed by Cenozoic back-arc extension. The boundary between the North China and South China crustal blocks stretches along the southern piedmont of Mts. Daba-Dabie-Hangzhou Bay-Tokara Channel, and the subduction zone at the Okinawa trench is the eastern boundary of the South China crustal block. The movements of the Pacific plate, Indian plate and upper mantle rather than the Philippine plate subduction have played a dominant role for the modern tectonic movements in East Asia.

Inducing photocarrier separation via 3D porous faveolate cross-linked carbon to enhance photothermal/pyroelectric property

The CdS/Bi_(2)S_(3) supported three-dimensional(3D)porous faveolate carbon structure(CdS/Bi_(2)S_(3)@C)composite photocatalyst was constructed.Bi_(2)S_(3) nanoparticles are regarded as photothermal agents and pyroelectric materials to absorb near infrared light(NIR)and convert it into heat.3D porous faveolate of carbon acts as incubator to reduce heat loss and optimize photothermal effects.There is a greater fluctuating temperature difference(ΔΤ)between photothermal effect of Bi_(2)S_(3) and cold photocatalytic system.This enhances the pyroelectric effect that Bi_(2)S_(3) undergoes spontaneous polarization and releases the surface charge.Therefore,the separation of electrons and holes in the CdS photocatalyst can be induced.The COMSOL simulation results show that,the higher pyroelectric potential producted by largerΔΤis more favorable to the photocatalytic process.The hydrogen evolution rate of CdS/Bi_(2)S_(3)@C photocatalyst can reach 5.88 mmol·g^(-1)·h^(-1) with excellent cycle stability.

A novel knowledge-based potential for RNA 3D structure evaluation

Ribonucleic acids(RNAs)play a vital role in biology,and knowledge of their three-dimensional(3D)structure is required to understand their biological functions.Recently structural prediction methods have been developed to address this issue,but a series of RNA 3D structures are generally predicted by most existing methods.Therefore,the evaluation of the predicted structures is generally indispensable.Although several methods have been proposed to assess RNA 3D structures,the existing methods are not precise enough.In this work,a new all-atom knowledge-based potential is developed for more accurately evaluating RNA 3D structures.The potential not only includes local and nonlocal interactions but also fully considers the specificity of each RNA by introducing a retraining mechanism.Based on extensive test sets generated from independent methods,the proposed potential correctly distinguished the native state and ranked near-native conformations to effectively select the best.Furthermore,the proposed potential precisely captured RNA structural features such as base-stacking and base-pairing.Comparisons with existing potential methods show that the proposed potential is very reliable and accurate in RNA 3D structure evaluation.

MULTIPARAMETER MEASUREMENT FOR RACEWAY GROOVE OF BEARING BASED ON 3D RECONSTRUCTION WITH DIGITAL STRUCTURED LIGHT

A fast 3D reconstruction method based on structured light to measure various parameters of the raceway groove is presented. Digital parallel grating stripes distributed with sine density are projected onto the raceway groove by a DLP projector, and distorting of stripes is happened on the raceway. Simultaneously, aided by three-step phase-shifting approach, three images covered by different stripes are obtained by a high-resolution CCD camera at the same location, thus a more accuracy local topography can be obtained. And then the bearing is rotated on a high precision computer controlled rotational stage. Three images are also obtained as the former step at next planned location triggered by the motor. After one cycle, all images information is combined through the mosaics. As a result, the 3D information of raceway groove can be gained. Not only geometric properties but also surface flaws can be extracted by software. A preliminary hardware system has been built, with which some geometric parameters have been extracted from reconstructed local topography.

Development of 3D bicontinuous metal-intermetallic composites through subsequent alloying process after liquid metal dealloying

This study presents a novel process for the fabrication of metal-intermetallic composites with a 3D bicontinuous structure, achieved through a combination of liquid metal dealloying(LMD) and subsequent alloying. Initially, porous Ti structures are produced using the LMD process, followed by immersion in a molten Mg-3Al(wt%) metal. Due to the higher thermodynamic miscibility of Al with Ti compared to Mg, the concentration of Al in the Ti matrix increases as the immersion time increases. This results in a sequential phase transition within the Ti matrix: α-Ti → Ti_(3)Al → Ti Al. The phase transition considerably affects the hardness and strength of the composite material,with the Mg-Ti_(3)Al-Ti Al composite exhibiting a maximum hardness nearly twice as high as that of the conventional Mg-Ti composite. This innovative process holds potential for the development of various bicontinuous metal-intermetallic composites.

34 GHz Bandpass Filter for Low-temperature Co-fired Ceramic System-in-Package Application

Modern electronic circuit requires compact,multifunctional technology in communication systems.However,it is very difficult due to the limitations in passive component miniaturization and the complication of fabrication process.The bandpass filter is one of the most important passive components in millimeter（mm）-wave communication system,attracting significant interest in three-dimension（3D） miniaturized design,which is few reported.In this paper,a bandpass filter structure using low-temperature co-fired ceramic（LTCC） technology,which is fully integrated in a system-in package（SIP） communication module,is presented for miniaturized and high reliable mm-wave application.The bandpass filter with 3D end-coupled microstrip resonators is implemented in order to achieve a high performance bandwidth characteristic.Specifically,all of the resonators are embedded into different ceramic layers to decrease the insertion loss and enhance the out-of-band rejection performance by optimizing the coupling coefficient and the coupling strength.A fence structure,which is formed by metal-filled via array with the gap less than quarter wavelength,is placed around the embedded bandpass filter to avoid electromagnetic（EM） interference problem in multilayer structure.This structural model is validated through actual LTCC process.The bandpass filter is successfully manufactured by modifying the co-fireablity characteristics,adjusting the sintering profile,releasing the interfacial stress,and reducing the shrinkage mismatch with different materials.Measured results show good performance and agree well with the high frequency EM full wave simulation.The influence of layer thickness and dielectric constant on the frequency response in fabricated process is analyzed,where thicker ceramic sheets let the filter response shift to higher frequency.Moreover,measured S-parameters denote the center frequency is also strongly influenced by the variation of ceramic material＇s dielectric constants.By analyzing the relationship between the characteristics of the ceramic tape and the center frequency of the filter,both theoretical and experimental data are accumulated for broadening application filed.With the coupling resonators embedded into the ceramic layers,the bandpass filter exhibits advantages of small size and high reliability compared to conventional planar filter structure,which makes the bandpass filter suitable for SIP communicational application.

Hydrogen Bonded 3D Molecular Self Assembly Constructed from [(Ni(nicotinamide)_2(thiocyanate)_2(H_2O)_2] Complex Showing Spin Canted Anti-ferromagnetic Character

A new three-dimensional nickel（Ⅱ） hydrogen-bonded molecular self assembly containing [（Ni（nicotinamide）2（thiocyanate）2（H2O）2] complex has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction,FTIR spectroscopy,thermal analysis and magnetic measurements.Structural analysis reveals that the complex crystallizes in triclinic space group P1（crystal data a = 7.5574,b = 8.2683,c = 9.0056 A,α = 73.010,β = 69.698,γ = 66.51） and exhibits a distorted octahedral coordination sphere.Most interesting point in its structure is the involvement of sulphur atom of thiocyanate moiety in the trifurcated hydrogen bonding to build up the hydrogen-bonded self assembly.The magnetic behavior as determined by squid magnetometer（2~300 K temp.range） reveals dominating antiferromagnetic interaction followed by spin canting behavior below 20 K.

Isolation and Identification of Staphylococcus chromogenes and 3 D Structural Analysis of the katA Gene

[Objective]Staphylococcus arthritis became an increasingly significant health problem in intensive chicken farming in China.[Method]In this study,a bacteria strain was isolated from the broiler chicken suffering from arthritis and named as the strain Gg1.[Result]It was then identified as Staphylococcus chromogenes by the biochemical tests and phylogenetic tree analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence.Furthermore,the catalase（katA）gene was amplified by PCR using the designed primers,and the expected fragment was 1 232 bp long encoding a protein of 410 amino acids that shares the conserved motifs including catalase,heme-binding ligand and active center motif.Six phosphorylation sites（Ser95,Thr96,Ser241,Ser242,Thr281,Ser338）,four conserved residues（Ser95,His216,Tyr281,Asp341）and two active sites（His56,Asn129）were demonstrated by multiple sequence alignment and homology comparisons.The homology modeling of 3D structure of katA protein was done by SWISSMODEL server based on the template retrieved from the catalase（PDB：2ISA_A）of Vibrio salmonicida.The katA protein represents a four-domain globular protein,the quality and reliability of the resulting protein structure was further verified by Ramachandran plot.[Conclusion]To our knowledge,this is the first report of S.chromogenes linked to arthritis in chicken and the bioinformatic characterization of its katA gene.