Local Joint Flexibility Multibrace Tubular Joints

The local joint flexibility matrix of multibrace tubular joints (uniplanar and multiplanar joints) is defined. The formulation for computing the elements of local flexibility factor matrix of multibrace tubular joints by semi-analytic method is presented in this paper. The stiffening effect of unloaded braces and cross-flexibility between braces are discussed. Using the local flexibility of unibrace joints instead of that of multibrace joints in conventional structural analysis will lead the result to an unsafe side.

Structural modeling of proteins by integrating small-angle x-ray scattering data

Elucidating the structure of large biomolecules such as multi-domain proteins or protein complexes is challenging due to their high flexibility in solution. Recently, an ＂integrative structural biology＂ approach has been proposed, which aims to determine the protein structure and characterize protein flexibility by combining complementary high- and lowresolution experimental data using computer simulations. Small-angle x-ray scattering（SAXS） is an efficient technique that can yield low-resolution structural information, including protein size and shape. Here, we review computational methods that integrate SAXS with other experimental datasets for structural modeling. Finally, we provide a case study of determination of the structure of a protein complex formed between the tandem SH3 domains in c-Cb1-associated protein and the proline-rich loop in human vinculin.

Electromagnetic–thermal–structural coupling analysis of the ITER edge localized mode coil with flexible supports

In a fusion reactor, the edge localized mode（ELM） coil has a mitigating effect on the ELMs of the plasma. The coil is placed close to the plasma between the vacuum vessel and the blanket to reduce its design power and improve its mitigating ability. The coil works in a high-temperature,high-nuclear-heat and high-magnetic-field environment. Due to the existence of outer superconducting coils, the coil is subjected to an alternating electromagnetic force induced by its own alternating current and the outer magnetic field. The design goal for the ELM coil is to maintain its structural integrity in the multi-physical field. Taking as an example the middle ELM coil（with flexible supports） of ITER（the International Thermonuclear Fusion Reactor）, an electromagnetic–thermal–structural coupling analysis is carried out using ANSYS. The results show that the flexible supports help the three-layer casing meet the static and fatigue design requirements. The structural design of the middle ELM coil is reasonable and feasible. The work described in this paper provides the theoretical basis and method for ELM coil design.

A Shape-Memory Deployable Subsystem with a Large Folding Ratio in China’s Tianwen-1 Mars Exploration Mission

Once China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe arrived in a Mars orbit after a seven-month flight in the deep cold space environment,it would be urgently necessary to monitor its state and the surrounding environment.To address this issue,we developed a flexible deployable subsystem based on shape memory polymer composites(SMPC-FDS)with a large folding ratio,which incorporates a camera and two temperature telemetry points for monitoring the local state of the Mars orbiter and the deep space environment.Here,we report on the development,testing,and successful application of the SMPC-FDS.Before reaching its Mars remote-sensing orbit,the SMPC-FDS is designed to be in a folded state with high stiffness;after reaching orbit,it is in a deployed state with a large envelope.The transition from the folded state to the deployed state is achieved by electrically heating the shape memory polymer composites(SMPCs);during this process,the camera on the SMPC-FDS can capture the local state of the orbiter from multiple angles.Moreover,temperature telemetry points on the SMPC-FDS provide feedback on the environment temperature and the temperature change of the SMPCs during the energization process.By simulating a Mars on-orbit space environment,the engineering reliability of the SMPC-FDS was comprehensively verified in terms of the material properties,structural dynamic performance,and thermal vacuum deployment feasibility.Since the launch of Tianwen-1 on 23 July 2020,scientific data on the temperature environment around Tianwen-1 has been successfully acquired from the telemetry points on the SMPCFDS,and the local state of the orbiter has been photographed in orbit,showing the national flag of China fixed on the orbiter.

Design and Experiments of a Robotic Fish Imitating Cow-Nosed Ray

The cow-nosed ray is studied as natural sample of a flapping-foil robotic fish.Body structure, motion discipline, and dynamicfoil deformation of cow-nosed ray are analyzed.Based on the analysis results, a robotic fish imitating cow-nosed ray,named Robo-ray Ⅱ, mainly composed of soft body, flexible ribs and pneumatic artificial muscles, is developed.Structure andswimming morphology of the robotic prototype are as that of a normal cow-nosed ray in nature.Key propulsion parameters ofRobo-ray Ⅱ at normal conditions, including the St Number at linear swimming, thrust coefficient at towing are studied throughexperiments.The suitable driving parameters are confirmed considering the efficiency and swimming velocity.Swimmingvelocity of 0.16 m·s’and thrust coefficient of 0.56 in maximum are achieved in experiments.

Statistical Analysis of Ship Impact Forces on Light Wharf Structures

In the present study,the formula calculating ship impact forces on light wharf structures is presented when the elastic deformation of the hull and the pier structures as well as the nonlinear deformation of the fender are taken into account. The ship impact forces are statistically analyzed with the Monte-Carlo method according to the known probability distribution types of random variables.Based on the simulated results, the distribution of ship impact forces which is characterized by bimodal distribution can be expressed as the combining probability density function of beta distribution and normal distribution. The corresponding parameters of the probability density function can be estimated with the maximum likelihood method. The results show that ship impact forces on light wharf structures follow the distribution of type I extreme value.The mean coefficient and variation coefficient are 1.11 and 0.008 respectively during 50 years of design reference period.

Design methods of rhombic tensegrity structures

As a special type of novel flexible structures, tensegrity holds promise for many potential applications in such fields as materials science, biomechanics, civil and aerospace engineering. Rhombic systems are an important class of tensegrity structures, in which each bar constitutes the longest diagonal of a rhombus of four strings. In this paper, we address the design methods of rhombic structures based on the idea that many tensegrity structures can be constructed by assembling one-bar elementary cells. By analyzing the properties of rhombic cells, we first develop two novel schemes, namely, direct enumeration scheme and cell-substitution scheme. In addition, a facile and efficient method is presented to integrate several rhombic systems into a larger tensegrity structure. To illustrate the applications of these methods, some novel rhombic tensegrity structures are constructed.

Technology of structure damage monitoring based on multi-agent

The health monitoring for large-scale structures need to resolve a large number of difficulties,such as the data transmission and distributing information handling.To solve these problems,the technology of multi-agent is a good candidate to be used in the field of structural health monitoring.A structural health monitoring system architecture based on multi-agent technology is proposed.The measurement system for aircraft airfoil is designed with FBG,strain gage,and corresponding signal processing circuit.The experiment to determine the location of the concentrate loading on the structure is carried on with the system combined with technologies of pattern recognition and multi-agent.The results show that the system can locate the concentrate loading of the aircraft airfoil at the accuracy of 91.2%.

Deep insights into the advancements and applications of perovskite based photovoltaic cells

The organometal halide perovskite materials have a blend of surprising optoelectronic properties, for example high value of absorption coefficient and abrupt optical retention edge, lifetime, long charge carrier diffusion length and many more. Brought in conjunction with the capacity for manufacturing at low temperature, likewise from the solution, devices based on perovskite, particularly solar cells have been contemplated seriously with striking advancements in performance, in the course of recent years. The amalgamation of minimal effort, high efficiency and extra applications gives incredible potential to commercialization of these cells. The applications and performance of perovskite cells frequently relate with the structures of the device. Numerous creative structures of the devices were produced, targeting for vast scale manufacture, diminishing creation cost, upgrading the PCE and subsequently expanding the prospective for future applications. This paper outlines the various advanced structures of PSC, challenges confronted by these PSCs and their future perspectives. The commercial applications of PSC are additionally talked about in this paper.

Zero thermal expansion in metal-organic framework with imidazole dicarboxylate ligands

Exploring new abnormal thermal expansion materials is important to understand the nature of thermal expansion.Metal-organic framework(MOF)with unique structure flexibility is an ideal material to study the thermal expansion.This work adopts the high-resolution variable-temperature powder x-ray diffraction to investigate the structure and intrinsic thermal expansion in Sr-MOF([Sr(DMPhH_(2)IDC)_(2)]_n).It has the unique honeycomb structure with one-dimensional(1 D)channels along the c-axis direction,the a-b plane displays layer structure.The thermal expansion behavior has strong relationship with the structure,ZTE appears in the a-b plane and large PTE along the c-axis direction.The possible mechanism is that the a/b layers have enough space for the transverse thermal vibration of polydentate ligands,while along the c-axis direction is not.This work not only reports one interesting zero thermal expansion material,but also provides new understanding for thermal expansion mechanism from the perspective of the structural model.

EXPLORATION OF SUBSTITUTION OF REPEATED MODE SUBSPACES FOR CLOSELY SPACED MODE SUBSPACES

A new quantitative concept is introduced in this paper, which may be used to facilitate the measurement of the controllability of a subspace similar to subspace controllability degree. Then the concrete form of the subspace controllability degree of a flexible structure is derived, and the errors of subspace controllability degree and dynamical response caused by the substitution of a repeated mode subspace for a closely spaced mode subspace are discussed. All the results show that this substitution is rational under some conditions.

A dual-band flexible frequency selective surface with miniaturized elements and maximally flat (Butterworth) response

A dual-band flexible frequency selective surface （FSS） with miniaturized elements and maximally flat （Butterworth） response is presented in this paper. It is composed of three metallic layers, which are fabricated on thin flexible polyimide substrates and bonded together using thin bonding films. The overall thickness of the proposed structure is only about 0.3 mm, making it an attractive choice for conformal FSS applications. All the three layers can constitute a miniaturized- element FSS （MEFSS） and produce the first pass-band with miniaturization property, while the up and bottom layers can constitute a symmetric biplanar FSS and produce the second pass-band with maximally fiat （Butterworth） response. The two pass-bands are independent and there is a wide band spacing up to 30 GHz between them. The principles of operation, the simulated results by using the vector modal matching method, and the experimental values of the fabricated prototype are also presented and discussed.

Mechanical-Delay Dynamic Model of Magnetorheological Damper

In the dynamic characteristic experiment of magnetorheological( MR) damper, a strange feature which the improved Bouc-Wen model based on tanh function cannot accurately describe has been shown when MR damper is reversing or at a low speed. In order to describe this phenomenon,a new mechanicaldelay dynamic model based on the improved Bouc-Wen model has been proposed for MR damper. This new model comprehensively considers the coupling effect on the structural flexibility of MR damper and the MR effect of MR fluid. The identification results show that the new mechanical-delay dynamic model for MR damper has a good coherence with experiment whenever at low or high speed.

Hydrodynamic Characteristics of the Biplane-Type Otter Board with the Canvas Through Flume−Tank Experiment

Hydrodynamic characteristics of a biplane-type otter board,equipped with nylon canvas of 2 mm in thickness was investigated through flume-tank experiment in this study.A series of predesigned structures with different gap-chord ratios G/c(0.75,0.90,1.05),stagger anglesθ(30°,45°,60°),and proportions of flexible area relative to the whole wing areaƒr(0,55%,65%,75%),at an aspect ratio of 2.0 and a camber ratio of 15%,were experimentally carried out.The results showed the solution referring to the usage of flexible canvas replacing part of rigid structure for the biplane-type otter board was efficient for the trawling in the middle or shallow water area.The improvement of lift and stability for the biplane-type otter board was concluded,and drag of the structure was reduced by 1.9%atƒr=55%.In addition,the coefficient of variation of the lift and drag coefficient at different current velocities were 2.69%and 2.28%,respectively,which was smaller than those at relatively large proportion of the flexible area.Compared with the other tested structures,the frame-type flexible structure with the gap-chord ratio of 0.9 and a stagger angle of 45°and the proportion of the flexible area of 55%,performed best,and its drag was reduced by 5.72%and lift increased by 4.8%,compared with the rigid biplane-type otter board at the angles of attack from 18°to 28°.

Research on active vibration control on a piezoelectric intelligent flexible beam

The principles and methods of active vibration control on a flexible cantilever beam using piezoelectric patches as actuators is studied. Active control of the first two modes of the flexible can- tilever beam is implemented based on the independent modal control law. Experimental results show that the structural damping of the flexible cantilever beam is effectively improved and an excellent degree of vibration suppression is achieved with the active vibration control strategy.

Influence of soil to structure stiffness on the accuracy of the pushover method for underground structures

The pushover method for underground structures is a seismic analysis method featured by high calculation accuracy and a simple implementation process.The method has been widely used in seismic design and other related scientific research;however,the influence of different soil-structure flexibility ratios on the accuracy of this method is still not well understood.In this study,we select the cross-section structures beneath the Daikai subway station as the research object and establish 12 finite element analysis models with different soil-structure flexibility ratios using ABAQUS.All models are computed by the dynamic time-history method or the pushover method.Furthermore,the dynamic time-history solution result is taken as the standard solution,and the precision and application of the pushover analysis method are discussed based on the parameters of peak interlayer displacement and peak internal force of the middle column section.The results show that the soil-structure flexibility ratio has a significant influence on the calculation accuracy of the pushover method,and the calculation accuracy of this method is the most ideal when the soil-structure flexibility is equal to 1.The research results can provide significant references for the seismic design of underground structures or the improvement of simplified seismic analysis methods.

DECENTRALIZED ROBUST CONTROL FOR UNCERTAIN FLEXIBLE SPACE STATION

A decentralized variable-structure robust control technique for uncertain large-scale systems is proposed and using the proposed technique. a decentralized robust control system for uncertain flexible space station is designed. The designed robust control system can guarantee the stability and safe operation of space station in a wide range of system parameters variations and highly intensive external disturbances. In addition. because decentralized adaptation laws for the upper bounds of system uncertainties are introduced, the control technique is particularly applicable to the uncertain flexible space station with complex structure whose bounds of system uncertainties can not be determined or vary with time.

Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Flexible Plate with Partitioned Coupling Method

The development and rapid usage of numerical codes for fluid-structure interaction(FSI) problems are of great relevance to researchers in many engineering fields such as civil engineering and ocean engineering. This multidisciplinary field known as FSI has been expanded to engineering fields such as offshore structures, tall slender structures and other flexible structures applications. The motivation of this paper is to investigate the numerical model of two-way coupling FSI partitioned flexible plate structure under fluid flow. The adopted partitioned method and approach utilized the advantage of the existing numerical algorithms in solving the two-way coupling fluid and structural interactions. The flexible plate was subjected to a fluid flow which causes large deformation on the fluid domain from the oscillation of the flexible plate. Both fluid and flexible plate are subjected to the interaction of load transfer within two physics by using the strong and weak coupling methods of MFS and Load Transfer Physics Environment, respectively. The oscillation and deformation results have been validated which demonstrate the reliability of both strong and weak method in resolving the two-way coupling problem in contribution of knowledge to the feasibility field study of ocean engineering and civil engineering.

Bionic Design and Simulation Analysis of Energy⁃Efficient and Vibration⁃Damping Walking Mechanism

African ostrich can run for 30 min at a speed of 60 km/h in the desert,and its hindlimb has excellent energy saving and vibration damping performance.In order to realize the energy⁃efficient and vibration⁃damping design of the leg mechanism of the legged robot,the principle of engineering bionics was applied.According to the passive rebound characteristic of the intertarsal joint of the ostrich foot and the characteristic of variable output stiffness of the ostrich hindlimb,combined with the proportion and size of the structure of the ostrich hindlimb,the bionic rigid⁃flexible composite legged robot single⁃leg structure was designed.The locomotion of the bionic mechanical leg was simulated by means of ADAMS.Through the motion simulation analysis,the influence of the change of the inner spring stiffness coefficient within a certain range on the vertical acceleration of the body centroid and the motor power consumption was studied,and the optimal stiffness coefficient of the inner spring was obtained to be 200 N/mm,and it was further verified that the inner and outer spring mechanism could effectively reduce the energy consumption of the mechanical leg.Simulation results show that the inner and outer spring mechanism could effectively reduce the motor energy consumption by about 72.49%.

A Mn(Ⅱ) Coordination Polymer with the Flexible Tripodal Ligand 1,3,5-Tris-(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene

A new Mn（Ⅱ） coordination polymer {[Mn（timb）2（H2O）2]·（Cl）2·（H2O）2}n（1,timb = 1,3,5-tris-（imidazol-1-ylmethyl）benzene） has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis,IR,TG and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.The title compound crystallizes in the triclinic system,space group P1 with a=9.0774（13）,b=9.8720（15）,c=11.4898（16）A,α=93.378（3）,β= 95.471（3）,γ=101.101（3）°,V=1002.6（3）A^3,Mr=834.67,Dc=1.382 g/cm^3,μ（MoKα）=0.517mm^-1,F（000）=435,GOF=0.986,Z=1,the final R=0.0506 and wR=0.1139 for 3517 observed reflections I〉2σ（I）.It consists of one-dimensional double stranded chains formed through bridging bidentate timb ligands,and these chains are further connected to yield a 3D supramolecular framework by hydrogen bonding interactions and π…π stacking interactions.