Lightweight Design and Verification of Gantry Machining Center Crossbeam Based on Structural Bionics

The lightweight and high efficiency of natural structures are the inexhaustible sources for engineering improvements. The goal of the study is to find innovative solutions for mechanical lightweight design through the application of structural bionic approaches. Giant waterlily leaf ribs and cactus stem are investigated for their optimal framework and superior performance. Their structural characteristics are extracted and used in the bio-inspired design of Lin MC6000 gantry machining center crossbeam. By mimicking analogous network structure, the bionic model is established, which has better load-carrying capacity than conventional distribution. Finite Element Method （FEM） is used for numerical simulation. Results show better specific stiffness of the bionic model, which is increased by 17.36%. Finally the scaled models are fabricated by precision casting for static and dynamic tests. The physical experiments are compared to numerical simulation. The results show that the maximum static deformation of the bionic model is reduced by about 16.22%, with 3.31% weight reduction. In addition, the first four natural frequencies are improved obviously. The structural bionic design is a valuable reference for updating conventional mechanical structures with better performance and less material consumption.

The Lightweight Design of Low RCS Pylon Based on Structural Bionics

A concept of Specific Structure Efficiency (SSE) was proposed that can be used in the lightweight effect evaluation ofstructures.The main procedures of bionic structure design were introduced systematically.The parameter relationship betweenhollow stem of plant and the minimum weight was deduced in detail.In order to improve SSE of pylons, the structural characteristicsof hollow stem were investigated and extracted.Bionic pylon was designed based on analogous biological structuralcharacteristics.Using finite element method based simulation, the displacements and stresses in the bionic pylon were comparedwith those of the conventional pylon.Results show that the SSE of bionic pylon is improved obviously.Static, dynamic andelectromagnetism tests were carried out on conventional and bionic pylons.The weight, stress, displacement and Radar CrossSection (RCS) of both pylons were measured.Experimental results illustrate that the SSE of bionic pylon is markedly improvedthat specific strength efficiency and specific stiffness efficiency of bionic pylon are increased by 52.9% and 43.6% respectively.The RCS of bionic pylon is reduced significantly.

Finite Element Simulation Analysis of a Novel 3D-FRSPA for Crawling Locomotion

A novel three-dimensional-fiber reinforced soft pneumatic actuator(3D-FRSPA)inspired by crab claw and human hand structure that can bend and deform independently in each segment is proposed.It has an omni-directional bending configuration,and the fibers twined symmetrically on both sides to improve the bending performance of FRSPA.In this paper,the static and kinematic analysis of 3D-FRSPA are carried out in detail.The effects of fiber,pneumatic chamber and segment length,and circular air chamber radius of 3D-FRSPA on the mechanical performance of the actuator are discussed,respectively.The soft mobile robot composed of 3D-FRSPA has the ability to crawl.Finally,the crawling processes of the soft mobile robot on different road conditions are studied,respectively,and the motion mechanism of the mobile actuator is shown.The numerical results show that the soft mobile robots have a good comprehensive performance,which verifies the correctness of the proposedmodel.This work shows that the proposed structures have great potential in complex road conditions,unknown space detection and other operations.

A bio-inspired spider-like structure isolator for low-frequency vibration

This paper proposes a quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)isolator composed of a curved beam(as spider foot)and a linear spring(as spider muscle)inspired by the precise capturing ability of spiders in vibrating environments.The curved beam is simplified as an inclined horizontal spring,and a static analysis is carried out to explore the effects of different structural parameters on the stiffness performance of the QZS isolator.The finite element simulation analysis verifies that the QZS isolator can significantly reduce the first-order natural frequency under the load in the QZS region.The harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to explore the effects of the excitation amplitude,damping ratio,and stiffness coefficient on the system’s amplitude-frequency response and transmissibility performance,and the accuracy of the analytical results is verified by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integral method(RK-4).The experimental data of the QZS isolator prototype are fitted to a ninth-degree polynomial,and the RK-4 can theoretically predict the experimental results.The experimental results show that the QZS isolator has a lower initial isolation frequency and a wider isolation frequency bandwidth than the equivalent linear isolator.The frequency sweep test of prototypes with different harmonic excitation amplitudes shows that the initial isolation frequency of the QZS isolator is 3 Hz,and it can isolate 90%of the excitation signal at 7 Hz.The proposed biomimetic spider-like QZS isolator has high application prospects and can provide a reference for optimizing low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency isolators.

Investigation on the Mechanical Properties and Shape Memory Effect of Landing Buffer Structure Based on NiTi Alloy Printing

With the deepening of human research on deep space exploration,our research on the soft landing methods of landers has gradually deepened.Adding a buffer and energy-absorbing structure to the leg structure of the lander has become an effective design solution.Based on the energy-absorbing structure of the leg of the interstellar lander,this paper studies the appearance characteristics of the predatory feet of the Odontodactylus scyllarus.The predatory feet of the Odontodactylus scyllarus can not only hit the prey highly when preying,but also can easily withstand the huge counter-impact force.The predatory feet structure of the Odontodactylus scyllarus,like a symmetrical cone,shows excellent rigidity and energy absorption capacity.Inspired by this discovery,we used SLM technology to design and manufacture two nickel-titanium samples,which respectively show high elasticity,shape memory,and get better energy absorption capacity.This research provides an effective way to design and manufacture high-mechanical energy-absorbing buffer structures using bionic 3D printing technology and nickel-titanium alloys.

Advances in 3D printing scaffolds for peripheral nerve and spinal cord injury repair

Because of the complex nerve anatomy and limited regeneration ability of natural tissue,the current treatment effect for long-distance peripheral nerve regeneration and spinal cord injury(SCI)repair is not satisfactory.As an alternative method,tissue engineering is a promising method to regenerate peripheral nerve and spinal cord,and can provide structures and functions similar to natural tissues through scaffold materials and seed cells.Recently,the rapid development of 3D printing technology enables researchers to create novel 3D constructs with sophisticated structures and diverse functions to achieve high bionics of structures and functions.In this review,we first outlined the anatomy of peripheral nerve and spinal cord,as well as the current treatment strategies for the peripheral nerve injury and SCI in clinical.After that,the design considerations of peripheral nerve and spinal cord tissue engineering were discussed,and various 3D printing technologies applicable to neural tissue engineering were elaborated,including inkjet,extrusion-based,stereolithography,projection-based,and emerging printing technologies.Finally,we focused on the application of 3D printing technology in peripheral nerve regeneration and spinal cord repair,as well as the challenges and prospects in this research field.

Crashworthiness Design and Multi-Objective Optimization for Bio-Inspired Hierarchical Thin-Walled Structures

Thin-walled structures have been used in many fields due to their superior mechanical properties.In this paper,two types of hierarchical multi-cell tubes,inspired by the self-similarity of Pinus sylvestris,are proposed to enhance structural energy absorption performance.The finite element models of the hierarchical structures are established to validate the crashworthiness performance under axial dynamic load.The theoreticalmodel of themean crushing force is also derived based on the simplified super folded element theory.The finite element results demonstrate that the energy absorption characteristics and deformation mode of the bionic hierarchical thin-walled tubes are further improved with the increase of hierarchical sub-structures.It can be also obtained that the energy absorption performance of corner self-similar tubes is better than edge self-similar tubes.Furthermore,multiobjective optimization of the hierarchical tubes is constructed by employing the response surface method and genetic algorithm,and the corresponding Pareto front diagram is obtained.This research provides a new idea for the crashworthiness design of thin-walled structures.

Bio-inspired Attachment Mechanism of Dynastes Hercules:Vertical Climbing for On-Orbit Assembly Legged Robots

With the increasing size of space facilities,on-orbit assembly requires robots to move on different heights of trusses.This paper proposes a bio-inspired attachment mechanism for robot feet to enable climbing on different heights of trusses.Inspired by the attachment and grasping abilities of Dynastes Hercules,we utilize its foot microstructures,such as microhooks and setae,to achieve efficient contact and firm grip with the surface.The morphology and arrangement of these structures can inspire the design of robot feet to improve their grasping and stability performance.We study the biological structure of Dynastes Hercules,design and optimize the bio-inspired structure,analyze the influence of various factors from theoretical and experimental perspectives,and verify the feasibility of the scheme through simulation.We propose an ideal climbing strategy that provides useful reference for robot applications in practice.Moreover,the influence laws of various factors in this paper can be applied to robot foot design to improve their operation ability and stability performance in the space environment.This bio-inspired mechanism can improve robot working range and efficiency,which is critical for on-orbit assemblyin space.

A large-area bionic skin for high-temperature energy harvesting applications

For the large amount of waste heat wasted in daily life and industrial production,we propose a new type of flexible thermoelectric generators(F-TEGs)which can be used as a large area bionic skin to achieve energy harvesting of thermal energy.With reference to biological structures such as pinecone,succulent,and feathers,we have designed and fabricated a biomimetic flexible TEG that can be applied in a wide temperature range which has the highest temperature energy harvesting capability currently.The laminated free structure of the bionic F-TEG dramatically increases the efficiency and density of energy harvesting.The F-TEGs(single TEG only 101.2 mg in weight),without an additional heat sink,demonstrates the highest output voltage density of 286.1 mV/cm^(2)and the maximum power density is 66.5 mW/m^(2) at a temperature difference of nearly 1000℃.The flexible characteristics of F-TEGs make it possible to collect the diffused thermal energy by flexible attachment to the outer walls of high-temperature pipes and vessels of different diameters and shapes.This work shows a new design and application concept for flexible thermal energy collectors,which fills the gap of flexible energy harvesting in high-temperature environment.

Study of Impact Resistance Based on Porcupine Quills Bionic Thin-walled Structure

Using an electron microscope to observe the microstructure of a porcupine quills cross-section and a bionic method,a new bionic structure was proposed.The performance of the structure in terms of energy absorption,maximum impact force withstood,and impact force efficiency was evaluated using Ansys finite element simulation software to simulate the structure's impact.To examine the impact of ribs on the structural performance of the bionic porcupine quills,a control structure was developed.According to the results of the finite element simulation,the presence of ribs in the Bionic porcupine quills structure can transfer stress uniformly to the overall structure and share stress for some of the rupture-prone regions.Ribs reduce stress concentration in specific areas and increase the impact force efficiency of the structure.The SEA and IFE values of bionic porcupine quills were 30.01 kJ/kg and 84.22%,respectively.The structure is then optimized for parameter design in order to find the optimal structure by response surface in order to improve the structure's SEA and decrease its MIF.In order to evaluate the precision of the response surface,the optimal structure predicted is validated using finite element simulation.

Cutting performance of surgical electrodes by constructing bionic microstriped structures

Surgical electrodes rely on thermal effect of high-frequency current and are a widely used medical tool for cutting and coagulating biological tissue.However,tissue adhesion on the electrode surface and thermal injury to adjacent tissue are serious problems in surgery that can affect cutting performance.A bionic microstriped structure mimicking a banana leaf was constructed on the electrode via nanosecond laser surface texturing,followed by silanization treatment,to enhance lyophobicity.The effect of initial,simple grid-textured,and bionic electrodes with different wettabilities on tissue adhesion and thermal injury were investigated using horizontal and vertical cutting modes.Results showed that the bionic electrode with high lyophobicity can effectively reduce tissue adhesion mass and thermal injury depth/area compared with the initial electrode.The formation mechanism of adhered tissue was discussed in terms of morphological features,and the potential mechanism for antiadhesion and heat dissipation of the bionic electrode was revealed.Furthermore,we evaluated the influence of groove depth on tissue adhesion and thermal injury and then verified the antiadhesion stability of the bionic electrode.This study demonstrates a promising approach for improving the cutting performance of surgical electrodes.

A Novel Approach for the Fabrication of Sharkskin Structured Bionic Surfaces with Hydrophobic Wettability:Laser Processing and Ordered Abrasive Belt Grinding

A new process for the fabrication of sharkskin bionic structures on metal surfaces is proposed.The sharkskin bionic surface was successfully machined on the surface of IN718 by laser sequencing of the abrasive belt surface,laser processing of the layered scale-like structure,and ribbed texture grinding.The flexible contact properties of belt grinding allow ribbed structures to be machined uniformly on a hierarchical,scale-like microstructure.Sharkskin bionic microstructures with radii greater than 75µm were prepared after parameter optimisation.The influence of processing parameters on the geometrical accuracy of the microstructure was investigated,the microstructure microform and elemental distribution were analyzed,and the relationship between the ribbed microstructure and chemical properties of the surface of the bionic sharkskin on wettability was revealed.The results indicate that reducing the laser power and increasing the laser scan rate can reduce the laser thermal effect and improve the microstructure processing accuracy.The laser ablation process is accompanied by a violent chemical reaction that introduces a large amount of oxygen and carbon elements and infiltrates them at a certain depth.The wettability of the surface undergoes a transition from hydrophilic(contact angle 69.72°)to hydrophobic(contact angle 131.56°)due to the adsorption of C-C/C-H and the reduction of C=O/O=C-O during the placement process.The ribbed microstructure changes the solid-liquid contact on the surface into a solid-liquid-gas contact,which has an enhanced effect on hydrophobicity.This study is a valuable guide to the processing of hydrophobic layered bionic microstructures.

Superstable potassium metal batteries with a controllable internal electric field

Stable potassium metal batteries(PMBs)are promising candidates for electrical energy storage due to their ability to reversibly store electrical energy at a low cost.However,dendritic growth and large volume changes hinder their practical application.Here,referring to the morphology and structure of a virus,a bionic virus-like-carbon microsphere(BVC)was designed as the anode host for a PMB.A BVC with a three-dimensional structure can not only control the electric field,which can suppress dendrite formation,but can also provide a larger space to accommodate the volume change during the cycle progress.The designed potassium(K)metal anode exhibits excellent cycle life and stability(during 1800 h of repeated plating/stripping of K at a current density of 0.1 mA cm−2,K-BVC can realize a very stable K metal anode with low voltage hysteresis).Stable cyclability and improved rate capability can be realized in a full cell using Prussian blue over 400 cycles.This research provides a new idea for the development of stable K metal anodes and may pave the way for the practical application of next-generation metal batteries.

A limb-inspired bionic quasi-zero stiffness vibration isolator

Vibration reduction has always been one of hot and important topics in mechanical engineering,especially for the special measurement instrument.In this paper,a novel limb-inspired bionic structure is proposed to generate negative stiffness and design a new quasi-zero stiffness isolator via torsion springs,distinguishing from the existing tension spring structures in the literature.The nonlinear mathematical model of the proposed structure is developed and the corresponding dynamic properties are further investigated by using the Harmonic Balance method and ADAMS verification.To evaluate the vibration isolation performance,typical three-springs quasi-zero stiffness(TS QZS)system is selected to compare with the proposed bionic structure.And the graphical processing unit(GPU)parallel technology is applied to perform necessary two-parameter analyses,providing more insights into the effects of parameters on the transmissibility.It is shown that the proposed structure can show advantages over the typical TS QZS system in a wider vibration isolation range for harmonic excitation case and shorter decay time for the impact excitation case.

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Bionic Serrated Structures on the Aerodynamic Noise of a Circular Cylinder

Flow control can effectively reduce the aerodynamic noise radiated from a circular cylinder. As one of the flow control methods, a bionic method, inspired by the serrations at the leading edge of owls＇ wing, was proposed in this paper. The effects of bionic serrated structures arranged on the upper and lower sides of a cylinder on the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of the cylinder were numerically investigated. At a free stream speed of 24.5 m.s-1, corresponding to Reynolds number of 1.58 × 10^4, the simulation results indicate that the bionic serrated structures can decrease the frequency of the vortex shedding and control the fluctuating aerodynamic force acting on the cylinder, thus reduce the aerodynamic noise. A qualitative view of the vorticity in the wake of the cylinder suggest that the serrated structures reduce aerodynamic sound by suppressing the unsteady motion of vortices.

3D fully-enclosed triboelectric nanogenerator with bionic fish-like structure for harvesting hydrokinetic energy

The hydrokinetic energy of river current,as one of the essential and widespread renewable energies,is difficult to be harvested in low flow velocity and shallow water areas.In this work,a three-dimensional(3D)fully-enclosed triboelectric nanogenerator(FETENG)with bionic fish-like structure for harvesting hydrokinetic energy is reported,which is comprised of the triboelectric powergeneration unit,bionic fish-like structure and connection unit.Through the bionic structure,the FE-TENG realizes zero head power generation in shallow water with low flow velocity.What’s more,the effect of external excitations and bionic structures on the electrical performance are systematically studied in this work.The FE-TENG can generate peak power density of 7 and 0.36 W/m^(3)respectively under the simulated swing state with frequency of 1.25 Hz and simulated river current with flow velocity of 0.81 m/s.In practical applications,due to the 3D fully-enclosed design,the FE-TENG immersed in water for 35 days demonstrates excellent immersion durability with undiminished electrical performance.Therefore,the work proposes an efficient method realizing zero head power generation,and provides a good candidate for long-term service in the river current.

仿生微/纳米疏水多孔膜负载亲水海绵用于高效太阳能蒸汽转化

利用光热材料吸收太阳能产生局域化的热效应实现太阳能蒸汽转化是一项环境友好型海水淡化和废水净化的技术.本文受自然界中叶片蒸腾作用的启发,设计了一种新型仿生叶片结构,以实现高效的太阳能蒸汽转化.这种新型仿生叶片结构由三个部分组成:(1)亲水性聚乙烯醇(PVA)海绵层(相当于叶子中的叶肉组织层),具有高孔隙率和低导热性;(2)聚吡咯(PPy)层(相当于叶子中的叶绿素层)负载于PVA海绵表面以吸收太阳能;(3)微/纳米尺度的多孔疏水表面层(相当于叶片中的气孔层).其中,亲水海绵的PVA聚合物网络提供了高效水传输通道的同时实现了内部水蒸发焓的降低;PPy层吸收太阳能并转化为内能加热气液蒸汽界面的水,实现热局部化,大大减小了热损耗;疏水性多孔表面层的边缘效应,为水蒸气提供了高效逃逸通道.基于仿生叶片结构的太阳能蒸汽转化装置在一倍太阳光强(1 kW m^(−2))下蒸发率高达3.09 kg m^(−2) h^(−1).在室外自然光照条件下成功地对盐水和海水进行了脱盐和净化,平均净水速率为1.4 L m^(−2) h^(−1).这种基于仿生叶片结构的太阳能蒸汽转化装置提供了一种极具潜力的高效水净化方法,有助于利用可持续能源缓解全球水危机.

Influence of PVD-duplex-treated, Bionic Surface Structures on the Wetting Behavior for Sheet-Bulk Metal Forming Tools

Bionic surface structures, inspired by the flora, were developed for Sheet-Bulk Metal Forming （SBMF） in order to locally control the friction condition by adjusting the wetting behavior. Five bionic structures were micromilled on ASP 2023 in annealed as well as hardened and tempered conditions. Subsequently, the structured surfaces were plasma-nitrided and coated with a CrA1N thin film. The influence of the treatment method on the structural geometry was investigated with the aid of a scanning electron microscope and 3D-profilometer. The wetting behaviors of water and deep drawing oil （Berufluid ST6007） on bionic surfaces were evaluated using contact angle measurements. The resulting micro-milled structures exhibit an almost identical shape as their bionic models. However, the roughness of the structured surfaces is influenced by the microstructure. The combination of plasma-nitriding and Physical Vapor Deposition （PVD） leads to an increase in roughness. All bionic struc- tures possess higher contact angles than that of the unstructured surfaces when wetted by water. This can be explained by the fact that the structural elevations block the spreading. When the bionic surfaces are wetted by deep drawing oil, the lubricant spreads in the structural cavities, leading to smaller contact angles. Furthermore, the anisotropy of the structure has an influence on the wetting behavior.

Magnetic Field-induced Enhancement of Phase Change Heat Transfer via Biomimetic Porous Structure for Solar-thermal Energy Storage

Multifunctional phase change composites are in great demand for all kinds of industrial technologies and applications,which have both superior latent heat capacity and excellent solar-thermal conversion capability.In this research,biomimetic phase change composites are made by inspired by natural systems,successfully getting the high thermal conductivity of carbon foam and magnetism of composites together,to establish a novel solar-thermal energy storage method.The morphology and the thermal characteristics of biomimetic phase change composites have been characterized.The results showed that the maximum storage efficiency of the biomimetic phase change materials increased by 56.3%compared to that of the based materials,and it can further be improved by the application of magnetic field.Meanwhile the heat transfer process of solarthermal conversion and energy storage in biomimetic porous structure under the external physical fields has been explained by simulation.Thus,the magnetic field-induced method applied in this research has better solar-thermal energy storage characteristics within a porous structure by dynamically controlling the magnetism,which has potential uses for various sustainable applications,including waste-heat recovery,energy conservation in building,and solar-thermal energy storage.

A novel snail-inspired bionic design of titanium with strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite coating for promoting osseointegration

As the population ages,more and more people are suffering from osteoarthritis(OA),resulting in an increasing requirement for joint implants.Surface modification to improve the topology and composition of the implants has been proved to be an effective way to improve the primary stability and long-term success rate of joint implants.In this work,a bionic micro/nano-structure accompanied with a strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite(SrHA)coating was fabricated on titanium(Ti)surface via electrochemical corrosion,ultrasonic treatment,and hydrothermal deposition methods.Thein vitro study demonstrated that the bionic structure and the bioactive apatite could synergistically increase the expressions of integrin-related gene(ITGα5β1)and osteoblastic genes(Col-I and OCN),and thus promote osteoblast growth.In addition,owing to the anti-bone resorption property of Sr^(2+),the coating could effectively inhibit osteoclast differentiation and proliferation.In a word,the prepared samples not only promoted osteogenesis but also inhibited osteoclastogenesis.The in vivo experiment via a rabbit model found that the bionic structured surface provided the pore for new bone ingrowth,which was beneficial to the mechanical interlocking between the implant and bone.Moreover,the bionic structure and bioactive SrHA coating had a synergistic effect on promoting bone formation,osseointegration,and bone-implant bonding strength.This study therefore presented a new strategy to fabricate bio-functionalized Ti-based implants for potential application in orthopedics field.