Effects of mechanical vibration on filling and solidification behavior, microstructure and performance of Al/Mg bimetal by lost foam compound casting

Al/Mg bimetal was prepared by lost foam solid-liquid compound casting,and the effects of mechanical vibration on the filling and solidification behavior,microstructure and performance of the bimetal were investigated.Results show that the mechanical vibration has a remarkable influence on the filling and solidification processes.It is found that after mechanical vibration,the filling rate increases and the filling rate at different times is more uniform than that without vibration.In addition,the mechanical vibration also increases the wettability between liquid AZ91D and A356 inlays.The mechanical vibration reduces the horizontal and vertical temperature gradient of the casting and makes the temperature distribution of the whole casting more uniform.Compared to the Al/Mg bimetal without vibration,the shear strength is improved by 39.76%after the mechanical vibration is applied,due to the decrease of the inclusions and Al_(12)Mg_(17) dendrites,and the refinement and uniform distribution of the Mg_(2)Si particles in the interface of the Al/Mg bimetal.

The dynamic characteristics of harvesting energy from mechanical vibration via piezoelectric conversion

As an alternative power solution for low-power devices, harvesting energy from the ambient mechanical vibration has received increasing research interest in recent years. In this paper we study the transient dynamic characteristics of a piezoelectric energy harvesting system including a piezoelectric energy harvester, a bridge rectifier, and a storage capacitor. To accomplish this, this energy harvesting system is modeled, and the charging process of the storage capacitor is investigated by employing the in-phase assumption The results indicate that the charging voltage across the storage capacitor and the gathered power increase gradually as the charging process proceeds, whereas the charging rate slows down over time as the charging voltage approaches to the peak value of the piezoelectric voltage across the piezoelectric materials. In addition, due to the added electrical damping and the change of the system natural frequency when the charging process is initiated, a sudden drop in the vibration amplitude is observed, which in turn affects the charging rate. However, the vibration amplitude begins to increase as the charging process continues, which is caused by the decrease in the electrical damping （i.e., the decrease in the energy removed from the mechanical vibration）. This electromechanical coupling characteristic is also revealed by the variation of the vibration amplitude with the charging voltage.

Effects of mechanical vibration on the physical,metallurgical and mechanical properties of cast A308(LM21)aluminum alloy

This study investigated the microstructure,physical,and mechanical properties of die-cast A308 alloy subjected to mechanical vibration during solidification.Different frequencies(0,20,30,40,and 50 Hz)at constant amplitude(31μm)were employed using a power amplifier as the power input device.X-ray diffraction,optical microscopy,and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the morphological changes in the cast samples under stationary and vibratory conditions.Metallurgical features of the castings were evaluated using Image J software.The average values of metallurgical features,including primaryα-Al grain size,dendrite arm spacing,average area of eutectic silicon,aspect ratio,and percentage porosity,reduced by 34%,59%,56%,22%,and 62%,respectively,at 30 Hz frequency compared with stationary casting.Mechanical tests of the cast samples showed that the yield strength(YS),ultimate tensile strength(UTS),percentage elongation(%EL),and microhardness(HV)increased by 8%,13%,17%,and 16%,respectively,at 30 Hz frequency compared with stationary casting.The fractured surface of the tensile specimens exhibited mixed-mode fracture behavior because of brittle facets,cleavage facets,ductile tearing,and dimple morphologies.The presence of small dimples showed that plastic deformation occurred before fracture.

Generating Electricity from Mechanical Vibrations:Optimization of Linear a Generator

Energy preservation is one of the key components in developing eco-friendly machines.In industry,the majority of machines lose a considerable amount of energy through mechanical vibrations.However,the wasted energy through vibration can be utilized as a renewable energy source to compensate for the overall energy loss.The research work presented in this paper discusses the ability to design a linear power generator utilizing Nd Fe-B magnets,which can generate energy through mechanical vibrations.A pilot model was developed and simulated to understand the efficiency and limitation.The results showed that the model could reduce 14% rotor bulk with a marginal impact on the current generation.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91D magnesium alloy by expendable pattern shell casting with different mechanical vibration amplitudes and pouring temperatures

To refine the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties of AZ91 D alloy by expendable pattern shell casting(EPSC),the mechanical vibration method was applied in the solidification process of the alloy.The effects of amplitude and pouring temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91 D magnesium alloy were studied.The results indicated that the mechanical vibration remarkably improved the sizes,morphologies and distributions of the primaryα-Mg phase andβ-Mg17 Al12 phase,and the densification and tensile properties of the AZ91 D alloy.With an increase in amplitude,the microstructures were gradually refined,resulting in a continuous increase in mechanical properties of the AZ91 D alloy.While,with the increase of pouring temperature,the microstructures were continuously coarsened,leading to an obvious decrease of the mechanical properties.The tensile strength and yield strength of the AZ91 D alloy with a vibration amplitude of 1.0 mm and a pouring temperature of 730℃were 60%and 38%higher than those of the alloy without vibration,respectively.

Stochastic Finite Element Method for Mechanical Vibration Based on Conjugate Gradient(CG)

When material properties, geometry parameters and applied loads are assumed to be stochastic, the vibration equation of a system is transformed to static problem by using Newmark method. In order to improve the computational efficiency and to save storage, the Conjugate Gradient （CG） method is presented. The CG is an effective method for solving a large system of linear equations and belongs to the method of iteration with rapid convergence and high precision. An example is given and calculated results are compared to validate the proposed methods.

Analytical Modeling and Mechanism Analysis of Time-Varying Excitation for Surface Defects in Rolling Element Bearings

Surface defects,including dents,spalls,and cracks,for rolling element bearings are the most common faults in rotating machinery.The accurate model for the time-varying excitation is the basis for the vibration mechanism analysis and fault feature extraction.However,in conventional investigations,this issue is not well and fully addressed from the perspective of theoretical analysis and physical derivation.In this study,an improved analytical model for time-varying displacement excitations(TVDEs)caused by surface defects is theoretically formulated.First and foremost,the physical mechanism for the effect of defect sizes on the physical process of rolling element-defect interaction is revealed.According to the physical interaction mechanism between the rolling element and different types of defects,the relationship between time-varying displacement pulse and defect sizes is further analytically derived.With the obtained time-varying displacement pulse,the dynamic model for the deep groove bearings considering the internal excitation caused by the surface defect is established.The nonlinear vibration responses and fault features induced by surface defects are analyzed using the proposed TVDE model.The results suggest that the presence of surface defects may result in the occurrence of the dual-impulse phenomenon,which can serve as indexes for surface-defect fault diagnosis.

Vibration of a Two-Layer“Metal+PZT”Plate Contacting with Viscous Fluid

The present work investigates the mechanically forced vibration of the hydro-elasto-piezoelectric system consisting of a two-layer plate“elastic+PZT”,a compressible viscous fluid,and a rigid wall.It is assumed that the PZT(piezoelectric)layer of the plate is in contact with the fluid and time-harmonic linear forces act on the free surface of the elastic-metallic layer.This study is valuable because it considers for the first time the mechanical vibration of the metal+piezoelectric bilayer plate in contact with a fluid.It is also the first time that the influence of the volumetric concentration of the constituents on the vibration of the hydro-elasto-piezoelectric system is studied.Another value of the present work is the use of the exact equations and relations of elasto-electrodynamics for elastic and piezoelectric materials to describe the motion of the plate layers within the framework of the piecewise homogeneous body model and the use of the linearized Navier-Stokes equations to describe the flow of the compressible viscous fluid.The plane-strain state in the plate and the plane flow in the fluid take place.For the solution of the corresponding boundary-value problem,the Fourier transform is used with respect to the spatial coordinate on the axis along the laying direction of the plate.The analytical expressions of the Fourier transform of all the sought values of each component of the system are determined.The origins of the searched values are determined numerically,after which numerical results on the stress on the fluid and plate interface planes are presented and discussed.These results are obtained for the case where PZT-2 is chosen as the piezoelectric material,steel and aluminum as the elastic metal materials,and Glycerin as the fluid.Analysis of these results allows conclusions to be drawn about the character of the problem parameters on the frequency response of the interfacial stress.In particular,it was found that after a certain value of the vibration frequency,the presence of the metal layer in the two-layer plate led to an increase in the absolute values of the above interfacial stress.

Continuous preparation of strong and tough PVA nanocomposite fibers by mechanical stretching-assisted salting-out treatment

Polymer composite fibers with superior properties such as excellent combined strength and toughness and biocompatibility can be used in high-tech applications of braided protective devices and smart wearable,however the research of high-performance polymer composite fiber remains in the infant stage.Here we present a strategy to produce strong and tough anisotropic polymer nanocomposite fibers with orientedly aligned salt rods using mechanical stretching-assisted salting-out treatment.The prepared nanocomposite fibers have a tensile strength of up to 786±2.7 MPa and an elongation at break of 81%,and the anisotropic fibers exhibit good transmission of mechanical vibration in the longitudinal direction with high resolution.During the fabrication process,the salt builds up into oriented rods during the directional salting process,and the polymer is confined to the 150 nm domain between the rods after the solvent is completely evaporated,giving the nanocomposite fibers superior mechanical properties.The presented strategy can be applied to the continuous mass production of nanocomposite fibers and is also generalizable to other polymer nanocomposites,which could extend the applicability of nanocomposite fibers to conditions involving more demanding mechanical loading and mechanical vibration transmission.

Effect of ultrasonic and mechanical vibration treatments on evolution of Mn-rich phases and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys

Effects of ultrasonic vibration(UV)and mechanical vibration(MV)on the Mn-rich phase modification and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys were investigated.The results show that the UV and UV+MV treatments can significantly refine and fragmentize the microstructures.In addition,UV treatment can significantly passivate the primary Mn-rich Al15Mn3Si2 intermetallics.The formation mechanisms of refinement and passivation of the grains and non-dendrite particles were discussed.Compared with the gravity die-cast alloys,the UV and UV+MV treated alloys exhibit improved tensile and creep resistance at room and elevated temperatures.These results can be attributed to the refinement of theα(Al)grains and the secondary intermetallics,the increased proportion of refined heat-resistant precipitates,and the formation of nano-sized Si particles.The ultimate tensile strength of the UV treated alloys at 350°C exceeds that of commercial piston alloys.This indicates the high application potential of the developed piston alloys in density diesel engines.

Broadband energy harvesting via magnetic coupling between two movable magnets

Harvesting energy from ambient mechanical vibrations by the piezoelectric effect has been proposed for powering microelectromechanical systems and replacing batteries that have a finite life span. A conventional piezoelectric energy harvester （PEH） is usually designed as a linear resonator, and suffers from a narrow operating bandwidth. To achieve broadband energy harvesting, in this paper we introduce a concept and describe the realization of a novel nonlinear PEH. The proposed PEH consists of a primary piezoelectric cantilever beam coupled to an auxiliary piezoelectric cantilever beam through two movable magnets. For predicting the nonlinear response from the proposed PEH, lumped parameter models are established for the two beams. Both simulation and experiment reveal that for the primary beam, the introduction of magnetic coupling can expand the operating bandwidth as well as improve the output voltage. For the auxiliary beam, the magnitude of the output voltage is slightly reduced, but additional output is observed at off-resonance frequencies. Therefore, broadband energy harvesting can be obtained from both the primary beam and the auxiliary beam.

Viscoelastic models revisited:characteristics and interconversion formulas for generalized Kelvin-Voigt and Maxwell models

Generalized Kelvin-Voigt and Maxwell models using Prony series are some of the most well-known models to charac­terize the behavior of polymers.The simulation software for viscoelastic materials generally implement only some material models.Therefore,for the practice of the engineer,it is very useful to have formulas that establish the equivalence between different models.Although the existence of these relationships is a well-established fact,moving from one model to another involves a relatively long process.This article presents a development of the relationships between generalized Kelvin-Voigt and Maxwell models using the aforementioned series and their respective relaxation and creep coefficients for one and two summations.The relationship between the singular points(maximums,minimums and inflexion points)is also included.

Microstructure evolution and nucleation mechanism of Inconel 601H alloy welds by vibration-assisted GTAW

Nickel-based alloys exhibit excellent high-temperature stxengtfi and oxidation resistance; however, because of coarse grains and severe segregation in daeir welding joints, these alloys exhibit increased susceptibility to hot cracking. In this paper, to improve the hot-cracking resistance and mechaxtical properties ofinckel-based alloy welded joints, sodium daiosulfate was used to simulate crystallization, enabling the nucleation mechanism under mechaxtical vibration to be investigated. On the basis of the results, the grain refinement mechan- ism during the gas tungsten arc welding （GTAW） of Inconel 601H alloy under wxious vibration modes and parameters was investigated. Compared witfi the GTAW process, the low-frequency mechanical vibration processes resulted in substantial grain refinement effects in the welds; thus, a higher haxdness distxibution was also achieved under the vibration conditions. In addition, the 7＇ phase exhibited a dispersed distribution and segregation was improved in the welded joints witfi vibration assistance. The results demonstxated that the generation of free crystals caused by vibration in the nucleation stage was the main mechaxtism of grain refinement. Also, free equiaxed grains and a dispersed 7＇ phase were found to improve the grain-boundary strength and reduce the segregation, contributing to preventing the initiation of welding hot cracking in nickel-based alloys.

Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Vibratory Organs in the Leaf-cutting Ant （Atta cephalotes）

The ultrasonic scalpel has a number of excellent properties; however, its use in in vivo surgery is limited since the scalpel is not flexible enough. Changing the mechanism of ultrasonic vibration can allow the ultrasonic scalpel to bend. This paper reveals the mecha- nism of vibration generation of leaf-cutting ants, which is based on the microstructural and mechanical properties of special organs that produce the vibrations. Mierostructural characteristics of cross-sections of the vibratory organ of Atta cephalotes were observed using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the scraper perfectly matches the file plate dorsoventrally; however, the file teeth cannot catch the scraper. An exploration of the kinematics of the file-scraper device was subsequently carried out to reveal a face-to-face contact mode, facilitating a gentler engagement process. For the first time, the mechanism of vibration generation of leaf-cutting ants was inves- tigated using a laser micrometer and high-speed camera. Results reveal the file-scraper device significantly amplifies the input frequency by 125 times, and magnification depends mainly on the tooth spacing and speed of engagement. Finally, nanoindentation tests were performed on file and scraper samples. The results show that they have similar mechanical properties, which greatly reduces friction and wear. This paper may provide theoretical guidance for the develooment of bionic vibration generators.

MODAL PARAMETERS EXTRACTION WITH CROSS CORRELATION FUNCTION AND CROSS POWER SPECTRUM UNDER UNKNOWN EXCITATION

In most of real operational conditions only response data are measurable while the actual excitations are unknown, so modal parameter must be extracted only from responses. This paper gives a theoretical formulation for the cross-correlation functions and cross-power spectra between the outputs under the assumption of white-noise excitation. It widens the field of modal analysis under ambient excitation because many classical methods by impulse response functions or frequency response functions can be used easily for modal analysis under unknown excitation. The Polyreference Complex Exponential method and Eigensystem Realization Algorithm using cross-correlation functions in time domain and Orthogonal Polynomial method using cross-power spectra in frequency domain are applied to a steel frame to extract modal parameters under operational conditions. The modal properties of the steel frame from these three methods are compared with those from frequency response functions analysis. The results show that the modal analysis method using cross-correlation functions or cross-power spectra presented in this paper can extract modal parameters efficiently under unknown excitation.

Research on Coupling Transfer Characteristics of Vibration Energy of Free Piston Linear Generator

In order to clarify the mechanism and main influencing factors of the vibration energy coupling transmission with a dual-piston structure,a thermodynamic and dynamic coupling model of the free piston linear generator(FPLG)was established.The system energy conversion,vibration energy coupling transmission,and influencing factors were studied in detail.The coupling transmission paths and the secondary influence mechanism from in-cylinder combustion on vibration energy transmission were obtained.In addition,the influence of the movement characteristics of the dual-piston on the vibration energy transmission was studied,and the typical parameter variation law was obtained,which provides theoretical guidance for the subsequent vibration reduction design of the FPLG.

Dynamic Response of Fluid-Single Leg Gravity Platform-Soil Interaction System

An approximate method is presented to investigate the earthquake response of the fluid-single leg (shortened for S. L.) gravity platform-soil interaction system. By assuming a suitable form of the velocity potential of the radiation waves and by using the motion equation and the boundary conditions, the unknown coefficients can be obtained. Thereafter the function of frequency for the interaction system may also be obtained. In this paper, the difference of the system dynamic response between rigid foundation is analyzed and the influences of the various foundation geometric dimension and the various water-depth on the hydrodynamic loading and dynamic response of the system is illustrated.

Stochastic Response Analysis of Piled Offshore Platforms to Earthquake Load

In this paper, using the theory of stochastic analysis of the response to earthquake load, a stochastic analysis method of the response of piled platforms to earthquake load has been established. In the method, the strong ground motion is considered as three dimensional stationary white noise process and the pile-soil interaction and water-structure interaction are considered. The stochastic response of a typical platform to earthquake load has been computed with this method and the results compared with those obtained with the response spectrum analysis method. The comparison shows that the stochastic analysis method of the response of piled platforms to earthquake load is suitable for this kind of analysis.

Enhancing of nominal characteristic trajectory following control for motion systems

The goal of this paper is to enhance a practical nominal characteristic trajectory following(NCTF) controller that is specifically designed for two-mass point-to-point positioning systems. A nominal characteristics trajectory contained in the NCTF controller acts as movement/motion reference and a compensator is utilized to force the object to detect and follow the reference/desired trajectory. The object must follow and track closely and should be as fast as possible. The NCTF controller is designed with two different intelligent based compensator approaches which are fuzzy logic and extended minimal resource allocation network. The proposed controller which is NCTF are compared with the conventional proportional integral compensator. Then the results of simulation are discussed for the positioning performances. The inertia variations due to the effect of the design parameters are also assessed to see the robustness of controllers. The results show that the NCTF control method designed from an intelligent based compensator has a better positioning performance in terms of percentage of overshoot, settling time, and steady state error than the classical based compensator.