Shape Memory Polymer Composite Booms with Applications in Reel-Type Solar Arrays

Solar arrays are the primary energy source for spacecraft.Although traditional rigid solar arrays improve power supply,the quality increases proportionally.Hence,it is difficult to satisfy the requirements of high-power and low-cost space applications.In this study,a shape-memory polymer composite(SMPC)boom was designed,fabricated,and characterized for flexible reel-type solar arrays.The SMPC boom was fabricated from a smart material,a shape-memory polymer composite,whose mechanical properties were tested.Additionally,a mathematical model of the bending stiffness of the SMPC boom was developed,and the bending and buckling behaviors of the boom were further analyzed using the ABAQUS software.An SMPC boom was fabricated to demonstrate its shape memory characteristics,and the driving force of the booms with varying geometric parameters was investigated.We also designed and manufactured a reel-type solar array based on an SMPC boom and verified its self-deployment capability.The results indicated that the SMPC boom can be used as a deployable unit to roll out flexible solar arrays.

Ultrasound Imaging of Pipeline Crack Based on Composite Transducer Array

Cracks, especially small cracks are di cult to be detected in oil and gas transportation pipelines buried underground or covered with layers of material by using the traditional ultrasonic inspection techniques. Therefore, a new com?posite ultrasonic transducer array with three acoustic beam incidence modes is developed. The space model of the array is also established to obtain the defect reflection point location. And the crack ultrasound image is thus formed through a series of small cubical elements expanded around the point locations by using the projection of binariza?tion values extracted from the received ultrasonic echo signals. Laboratory experiments are performed on a pipeline sample with di erent types of cracks to verify the e ectiveness and performance of the proposed technique. From the image, the presence of small cracks can be clearly observed, in addition to the sizes and orientations of the cracks. The proposed technique can not only inspect common flaws, but also detect cracks with various orientations, which is helpful for defect evaluation in pipeline testing.

Wear Studies on Metal Matrix Composites: a Taguchi Approach

An attempt has been made to study the influence of wear parameters like applied load, sliding speed, sliding distance and percentage of reinforcement on the dry sliding wear of the metal matrix composites. A plan of experiments, based on techniques of Taguchi, was performed to acquire data in controlled way. An orthogonal array and the analysis of variance were employed to investigate the influence of process parameters on the wear of composites. The objective is to establish a correlation between dry sliding wear of composites and wear parameters. These correlations were obtained by multiple regressions. Finally, confirmation tests were conducted to verify the experimental results foreseen from the mentioned correlations.

Composite metamaterial enabled excellent performance of microstrip antenna array

This paper reports that the split ring resonators and complementary split ring resonators are compounded to construct a novel compact composite metamaterial. The composite metamaterial exhibits a unique property of blocking electromagnetic wave propagating in two directions near the resonant frequency. An example of two-element microstrip antenna array demonstrates that the developed metamaterial enables array performance that is an improvement in comparison with the traditional one, including mutual coupling suppression of 9.07 dB, remarkable side lobe suppression and gain improvement of 2.14 dB. The mechanism of performance enhancement is analysed based on the electric field and Poynting vector distributions in array. The present work not only is a meaningful exploration of new type composite metamaterial design, but also opens up possibilities for extensive metamaterial applications to antenna engineer.

Design and Analysis of Microstrip Antenna Arrays in Composite Laminated Substrates

In high performance aerospace systems where weight and aerodynamics are of major concern, fiber reinforced composite laminates can be tailored to achieve desirable mechanical properties and accommodate low-profile microstrip antenna. This work aims at the analysis of microstrip antenna array embedded in composite laminated substrates. The size of a single antenna is first calculated by spectral domain analysis to model the effects of the substrate’s electromagnetic property and the orientation of the laminate layers. The antenna array as well as the feed network, composed of microstrip transmission lines, quarter wave-length impedance transformers, and T-junction power dividers, is then tuned to accommodate the effects of the coupling between the antenna elements and the feed network loss. The performance of the 1 × 2, 1 × 4, and 1 × 8 linear array and 2 × 2 and 2 × 4 planar array are shown to have better directivity when embedded in composite laminated substrate compared with those when attached on isotropic substrate. Both 1 × 2 and 1 × 4 arrays at 2.4 GHz are validated experimentally to achieve better coverage.

Optimization of Friction and Wear Behaviour in Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi Technique

Al-7075 alloy-base matrix, reinforced with mixtures of silicon carbide (SiC) and boron carbide (B4C) particles, know as hybrid composites have been fabricated by stir casting technique (liquid metallurgy route) and optimized at different parameters like sliding speed, applied load, sliding time, and percentage of reinforcement by Taguchi method. The specimens were examined by Rockwell hardness test machine, Pin on Disc, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Optical Microscope. A plan of experiment generated through Taguchi’s technique is used to conduct experiments based on L27 orthogonal array. The developed ANOVA and the regression equations were used to find the optimum wear as well as co-efficient of friction under the influence of sliding speed, applied load, sliding time and percentage of reinforcement. The dry sliding wear resistance was analyzed on the basis of “smaller the best”. Finally, confirmation tests were carried out to verify the experimental results.

High-Gain Array Antenna Based on Composite Right/Left-Handed Transmission Line

In this paper a metamaterial-inspired antenna with high gain and good directivity is designed. Based on the concept of composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL), the proposed antenna is realized based on three leakage wave unit cell and a left handed circular ring slot incorporated on the surface. The maximum achievable gain at the resonant frequency of 5.6GHz is 6.933 dBi, and the return loss at 5.6 GHz can be –20 db. This proposed design has a simple structure and a compact dimension of 35 mm*40 mm*1 mm, which is suitable for particular wireless communication application such as WiFi and WLAN.

Preparation &Characterization of Al-5083 Alloy Composites

This paper reports the dry sliding wear behavior & Brinell hardness test of AA 5083 aluminium reinforced with SiC particles fabricated by stir casting technique. Different volume fraction of SiC particles (3, 5 and 7 wt%) were used for synthesis. The wear test has been conducted on pin-on-disc testing machine to examine the wear behaviour of the aluminium alloy and its composites. An attempt has been made to study the influence of wear parameters like applied load, sliding speed, sliding distance and percentage of reinforcement on the dry sliding wear of metal matrix composites (MMCs). A plan of experiments, based on the techniques of Taguchi, was performed to acquire data in controlled way. An orthogonal array of L9 (34) and signal to noise ratios as smaller the better was selected. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to investigate the influence of wear parameter on pin of aluminium MMCs. The correlation was obtained by multiple general regressions model. Finally, conformation tests were done to make a comparison between the experimental results foreseen from the mentioned correlation.

Flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic effect in trapezoid-shaped NaNbO_(3)nanotube array composites

In this work,we successfully prepared vertically aligned NaNbO_(3)nanotube(NN-NT)with trapezoidal shapes,in which the orthorhombic and monoclinic phases coexisted.According to the structure analysis,the NN-NT/epoxy composite film had excellent flexoelectric properties due to the lattice distortion caused by defects and irregular shape.The flexoelectric effect is the greatest in the vertical direction in the flexible NN-NT/epoxy composite film,and the flexoelectric coefficient()is 2.77×10^(−8)C·m^(−1),which is approximately 5-fold higher than that of the pure epoxy film.The photovoltaic current of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film increased from 39.9 to 71.8 nA·cm^(−2)in the direction of spontaneous polarization when the sample was bent upward due to the flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic(FPV)effect.The flexoelectric effect of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film could modulate the photovoltaic response by increasing it by 80%or reducing it to 65%of the original value.This work provides a new idea for further exploration in efficient and lossless ferroelectric memory devices.

Tribological Behaviour of Aluminium/Alumina/Graphite Hybrid Metal Matrix Composite Using Taguchi’s Techniques

Tribological behaviour of aluminium alloy (Al-Si10Mg) reinforced with alumina (9%) and graphite (3%) fabricated by stir casting process was investigated. The wear and frictional properties of the hybrid metal matrix composites was studied by performing dry sliding wear test using a pin-on-disc wear tester. Experiments were conducted based on the plan of experiments generated through Taguchi’s technique. A L27 Orthogonal array was selected for analysis of the data. Investigation to find the influence of applied load, sliding speed and sliding distance on wear rate, as well as the coefficient of friction during wearing process was carried out using ANOVA and regression equations for each response were developed. Objective of the model was chosen as ‘smaller the better’ characteristics to analyse the dry sliding wear resistance. Results show that sliding distance has the highest influence followed by load and sliding speed. Finally, confirmation tests were carried out to verify the experimental results and Scanning Electron Microscopic studies were done on the wear surfaces.

Fiber Grating-Based Strain Sensor Array for Health Monitoring of Pipelines

Pipelines are one of the most important modern energy transportation methods,used especially for the transportation of certain dangerous energy media materials such as crude oil,natural gas,and chemical raw materials.New requirements have been put forward for the health monitoring and early security warning of pipelines because of the large-scale and complicated development trend of the pipe network system.To achieve an accurate assessment of the health conditions of pipeline infrastructure,obtaining as many precise operating parameters as possible,particularly at some critical parts of the pipeline,is necessary.Therefore,a novel type of fiber grating strain sensor array is proposed herein to monitor the pipeline hoop strain.The sensor utilizes fiber grating characteristics such as light weight,corrosion resistance,remote transmission,and strong environmental adaptability.The fiber containing the grating measurement points is implanted into the composite material to complete the sensitization encapsulation and protection of the bare fiber grating.The design of the sensor array fulfills the requirements for monitoring pipeline mass data,making it easy to form a pipeline health monitoring sensor network.The sensor sensitivity is researched by using a combination of theoretical and experimental analysis.A sensitivity test,as well as linearity and stability tests,are performed on the sensor.The experimental results show that the average sensitivity of the sensor is 14.86 pm/με,and the error from the theoretical calculation analysis value is 8.75%.Due to its high reliability,good linear response and long-term stability,and the ability to reflect the exact strain change of the outer wall of the pipeline,the designed sensor can support longterm online pipeline monitoring.The fiber grating sensor array network has successfully realized the monitoring of the pipeline’s internal operation by using external strain changes.In addition to the performance benefits,there are other merits associated with the applicability of the sensor namely simple structure,compact size,manufacturing ease,and exterior installation ease.

World’s first spaceflight on-orbit demonstration of a flexible solar array system based on shape memory polymer composites

With a 10%reversible compressive strain in more than 10 deformation cycles,the shape memory polymer composites(SMPCs)could be used for deployable structure and releasing mechanism.In this paper,without traditional electro-explosive devices or motors/controllers,the deployable SMPC flexible solar array system(SMPC-FSAS)is studied,developed,ground-based tested,and finally on-orbit validated.The epoxy-based SMPC is used for the rolling-out variable-stiffness beams as a structural frame as well as an actuator for the flexible blanket solar array.The releasing mechanism is primarily made of the cyanate-based SMPC,which has a high locking stiffness to withstand 50 g gravitational acceleration and a large unlocking displacement of 10 mm.The systematical mechanical and thermal qualification tests of the SMPC-FSAS flight hardware were performed,including sinusoidal sweeping vibration,shocking,acceleration,thermal equilibrium,thermal vacuum cycling,and thermal cycling test.The locking function of the SMPC releasing mechanisms was in normal when launching aboard the SJ20 Geostationary Satellite on 27 Dec.,2019.The SMPC-FSAS flight hardware successfully unlocked and deployed on 5 Jan.,2020 on geostationary orbit.The triggering signal of limit switches returned to ground at the 139 s upon heating,which indicated the successful unlocking function of SMPC releasing mechanisms.A pair of epoxy-based SMPC rolled variable-stiffness tubes,which clapped the flexible blanket solar array,slowly deployed and finally approached an approximate 100%shape recovery ratio within 60 s upon heating.The study and on-orbit successful validation of the SMPC-FSAS flight hardware could accelerate the related study and associated productions to be used for the next-generation releasing mechanisms as well as space deployable structures,such as new releasing mechanisms with low-shocking,testability and reusability,and ultra-large space deployable solar arrays.

High-resolution and large-size stretchable electrodes based on patterned silver nanowires composites

Electrodes based on composites of silver nanowires(AgNWs)and elastic polymers have been widely studied and applied in various stretchable electronic devices.However,due to the high aspect ratio of nanowires,the patterning of AgNW-based composite electrodes remains a huge challenge,especially for high-resolution complex circuit wiring on large-size elastic substrates.In this paper,we propose a method for preparing large-size stretchable circuit boards with high-resolution electrodes by the combination of screen printing and vacuum filtration of AgNWs/polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)composite.The as-prepared stretchable electrodes have smooth edges with patterning resolution up to-50 μm.The conductivity of the composite electrode can be precisely controlled by varying deposition densities of AgNWs and have reached to 1.07 x 10^(4) S/cm when the deposition density was 2.0 mg/cm^(2).In addition,the uniformity of conductivity and the resistance-strain characteristics of composite electrodes were systematically evaluated with different AgNWs deposition densities.The composite electrodes have been successfully employed to construct a large-size programmable display system and an 18-channel surface electromyography(EMG)recording,showing great potentials for some strain-insensitive stretchable circuits in wearable and health-related electronic applications.

Supramolecular Bonding Competition Enabled Nanostructure Evolution and Mechanical Reinforcement

In this work,competition between different supramolecular interactions is investigated based on a fibrous crystal composed of hydrogen-bonded cyanuric acid(CA)and amidinothiourea(ADT).Melamine(M)is found to prevail over ADT and bond to CA due to its stronger triple H-bonding affiliation,forming hollow microtubes assembled by oriented CAM crystalline arrays,as guided by the directionality of peripheral hydrogen bonds.Furthermore,competitive interaction between hydrogen bonding and ionic/covalent bonding is demonstrated by mixing Ag+ions with the CA-ADT fibers,where sulfur atoms are abstracted from ADT molecules to produce Ag_(2)S ligaments.The in situ-formed Ag_(2)S serves as a binding glue to generate CA-ADT/Ag_(2)S composites with significantly enhanced mechanical strength compared to the pristine CA-ADT fiber pellet.

Improved Wavelet-based Spatial Filter of Damage Imaging Method on Composite Structures

Piezoelectric sensor array-based spatial filter technology is a new promising method presented in research area of structural health monitoring （SHM） in the recent years. To apply this method to composite structures and give the actual position of damage, this paper proposes a spatial filter-based damage imaging method improved by complex Shannon wavelet transform. The basic principle of spatial filter is analyzed first. Then, this paper proposes a method of using complex Shannon wavelet transform to construct analytic signals of time domain signals of PZT sensors array. The analytic signals are synthesized depending on the principle of the spatial filter to give a damage imaging in the form of angle-time. A method of converting the damage imaging to the form of angle-distance is discussed. Finally, an aircraft composite oil tank is adopted to validate the damage imaging method. The validating results show that this method can recognize angle and distance of damage successfully.