Wave Attenuation in Additively Manufactured Polymer Acoustic Black Hole Structures Considering the Viscoelastic Effect.

The acoustic black hole (ABH) is a feature commonly found in thin-walled structures that is characterized by a diminishing thickness and damping layer with an efficient wave energy dissipation effect, which has been extensively studied. The additive manufacture of polymer ABH structures has shown promise as a low-cost method to manufacture ABHs with complex geometries, exhibiting even more effective dissipation. However, the commonly used elastic model with viscous damping for both the damping layer and polymer ignores the viscoelastic changes that occur due to variations in frequency. To address this, we used Prony exponential series expansion to describe the viscoelastic behavior of the material, where the modulus is represented by a summation of decaying exponential functions. The parameters of the Prony model were obtained through experimental dynamic mechanical analysis and applied to finite element models to simulate wave attenuation characteristics in polymer ABH structures. The numerical results were validated by experiments, where the out-of-plane displacement response under a tone burst excitation was measured by a scanning laser doppler vibrometer system. The experimental results illustrated good consistency with the simulations, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Prony series model in predicting wave attenuation in polymer ABH structures. Finally, the effect of loading frequency on wave attenuation was studied. The findings of this study have implications for the design of ABH structures with improved wave attenuation characteristics.

FEM Simulation-Based Adversarial Domain Adaptation for Fatigue Crack Detection Using Lamb Wave.

Lamb wave-based damage detection technology shows great potential for structural integrity assessment. However, conventional damage features based damage detection methods and data-driven intelligent damage detection methods highly rely on expert knowledge and sufficient labeled data for training, for which collecting is usually expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, this paper proposes an automated fatigue crack detection method using Lamb wave based on finite element method (FEM) and adversarial domain adaptation. FEM-simulation was used to obtain simulated response signals under various conditions to solve the problem of the insufficient labeled data in practice. Due to the distribution discrepancy between simulated signals and experimental signals, the detection performance of classifier just trained with simulated signals will drop sharply on the experimental signals. Then, Domain-adversarial neural network (DANN) with maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) was used to achieve discriminative and domain-invariant feature extraction between simulation source domain and experiment target domain, and the unlabeled experimental signals samples will be accurately classified. The proposed method is validated by fatigue tests on center-hole metal specimens. The results show that the proposed method presents superior detection ability compared to other methods and can be used as an effective tool for cross-domain damage detection.

Laser-Generated Guided Waves for Damage Detection in Metal-Lined Composite-Overwrapped Pressure Vessels.

This paper characterizes laser-generated guided waves in a metal-lined composite-overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) to assess typical damage, including interfacial debonding and low-velocity impact damage. First, an eigenfrequency approach that avoids additional coding is utilized to theoretically analyze the dispersion characteristics of a COPV. The theoretical results show that interfacial debonding significantly alters dispersion curves, and the wavenumber of the L(0, 1) mode is sensitive to impact damage. Experimental verifications were conducted based on the full wavefield acquired using a scanning laser-ultrasonic system with a repetition rate of 1 kHz. By comparing the experimental dispersion curves with the theoretical ones, it was found that the metal-composite interface was not bonded. In addition, a local wavenumber estimation method was established to detect the impact damage by obtaining the spatial distribution of the wavenumber of the L(0, 1) mode.

Improvement mechanism of energy conversion efficiency in ultrasonic motor with flexible rotor.

Flexible rotors are widely used in traveling wave rotary ultrasonic motors (TRUMs) because of their higher energy conversion efficiency; however, there have been few reports on how flexible rotors improve the energy conversion efficiency of ultrasonic motors. In this study, we investigate the improvement mechanism of energy conversion efficiency in TRUMs with flexible rotors. A 3D finite element (FE) model with full coupling among a piezoelectric coupled stator, rotor, friction layer, and the rigid-elastic contact interface of the stator and friction layer is established. To analyze the mechanism by which the efficiency of the TRUM is improved, the contact interface and rotor vibration information are extracted. Taking TRUM-60 as an example, the transient solution method and modal analysis method are used to solve the model. It is found that when the stator mode is B09, the flexible rotor mode is B19. The energy conversion efficiency of the TRUM is obtained from the ratio of output power to the electrical input power of the model solution. The results are validated using 3D vibration measurements and energy conversion efficiency experiments. The simulation result shows that the motor with flexible rotor improves the energy conversion efficiency compared with the motor with rigid rotor, which can be attributed to two reasons: first, the axial amplitude ratio of the flexible rotor to the stator is reduced; second, the flexible rotor reduces the radial friction. This study reveals the influence of flexible rotor on the output efficiency and can thus provide guidance for rotor design.

Influence of interference among parallel absorbers on acoustic characteristics of an absorbing panel.

This paper proposes a modified theory for synthesizing the acoustic impedance of an absorbing panel by considering the interference among parallel absorbers. The absorbing panel comprises periodically distributed absorbers with different acoustic characteristics, and the periodic distribution allows the impedance of the panel to be characterized by that of a unit cell. However, at frequencies between the resonances of the absorbers in the unit cell, the unit-cell impedance given by traditional theory deviates significantly from that given by a finite-element model. Inspecting the flow field near the surface of the unit cell reveals that the out-of-phase flow plays an important role in the interaction among the parallel absorbers and induces the deviation. A modified theory is proposed by multiplying the original resultant impedance by a factor that considers the interaction. The modified theory is verified by numerical results for several typical absorbing panels with different patterns of unit cells and different geometrical parameters of absorbers, and experimental validation is also carried out. As further evidence for the correctness and universality of the modified theoretical model, a comparison is presented with the mutual-radiation-impedance theoretical model based on a Helmholtz resonator array panel. The results of validation on different absorbing panels and the comparison with the mutual-radiation-impedance method show that the modified theoretical model is better at predicting the absorption coefficient than is the traditional theory.

PVDF-Based Composition-Gradient Multilayered Nanocomposites for Flexible High-Performance Piezoelectric Nanogenerators.

Recently, flexible energy generators with good performance have trigged enormous interest because of their great potential application in developing full flexible self-powered electronics. Herein, we reported a flexible high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) based on composition-gradient multilayered poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanocomposites wherein a novel three-dimensional (3D) carbon-based nanoparticle was employed as the nanofiller. Making use of this novel 3D nanofiller and composition-gradient concept, one can efficiently promote the interfacial coupling effect and induce internal strain inside the PVDF matrix, contributing to dramatically improved piezoelectricity and consequently output performance for PNG. With the excellent output ability, the PNG also demonstrated to be capable of operating in both d33 and d31 modes and possesses high stability as well as durability, confirming its applicability as green power source for full flexible electronic systems.

Wavenumber domain analyses of vibro-acoustic decoupling and noise attenuation in a plate-cavity system enclosed by an acoustic black hole plate.

The acoustic black hole (ABH) effect is realized in thin plate structures with a decreasing thickness according to a power-law function, and offers potential applications for structure vibration damping enhancement and free-field noise radiation suppression. In this paper, a wavenumber domain method (WNDM) is proposed for the analysis of vibro-acoustic coupling and internal noise reduction mechanism of a pentahedral cavity enclosed by a flexible plate with a two-dimensional ABH indentation, subject to a point force excitation. The system response of the ABH plate-cavity is computed by a validated finite element model. The relationship between the space-averaged sound energy inside the cavity and the spectra of the structural displacement and the acoustic mode of the cavity is established. This allows revealing a dual physical mechanism behind the observed noise reduction: amplitude reduction and mismatching between the wavenumber spectra of the plate displacement and the acoustic field, which results in a weakened vibro-acoustic coupling. An additional configuration with an ABH embedded in an irregular pentagonal wall of the cavity is examined. Despite the increasing complexity in the geometry of the coupling interface and its coupling with the cavity, numerical analyses confirm the generality of the observed physical phenomena and the applicability of the proposed WNDM to more complex system configurations.

Crystalline Structure, Defect Chemistry and Room Temperature Colossal Permittivity of Nd-doped Barium Titanate.

Dielectric materials with high permittivity are strongly demanded for various technological applications. While polarization inherently exists in ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3), its high permittivity can only be achieved by chemical and/or structural modification. Here, we report the room-temperature colossal permittivity (~760,000) obtained in xNd: BaTiO3 (x = 0.5 mol%) ceramics derived from the counterpart nanoparticles followed by conventional pressureless sintering process. Through the systematic analysis of chemical composition, crystalline structure and defect chemistry, the substitution mechanism involving the occupation of Nd3+ in Ba2+ -site associated with the generation of Ba vacancies and oxygen vacancies for charge compensation has been firstly demonstrated. The present study serves as a precedent and fundamental step toward further improvement of the permittivity of BaTiO3-based ceramics.

A metastable cubic phase of sodium niobate nanoparticles stabilized by chemically bonded solvent molecules.

Structural modification, especially the stabilization of metastable phases at room temperature, has emerged as an effective strategy to understand their stabilization mechanism and improve their functional properties. In this work, a facile solvothermal approach is developed to synthesize metastable sodium niobate (NaNbO3) crystals with the cubic symmetry. XRD, Raman and TEM results all confirmed the selective synthesis of cubic and orthorhombic NaNbO3via adjustment of the reaction medium. The fact that traditional hydrothermal synthesis often yields orthorhombic NaNbO3 inspires us to elucidate the formation mechanism of cubic NaNbO3 with respect to the solvent effect. With the increasing post-calcination temperature, the as-synthesized cubic NaNbO3 gradually transforms into the orthorhombic structure, which is understood to be a recrystallization behavior, as evidenced by the XRD and TEM results. The organic molecules retained in the NaNbO3 nanocrystals, as suggested by UV-vis, FT-IR and TGA-MS results, have contributed to the stabilization of the metastable structure, demonstrated by the different temperature-induced phase transition behaviors in air and argon atmospheres, where the phase transition from cubic to orthorhombic would take place at a relatively higher temperature in argon. This work provides an alternative approach to synthesize cubic NaNbO3 nanocrystals, and the understanding of the stabilization mechanism could pave a new pathway for fabricating metastable materials.

Solvothermal Synthesis and Formation Mechanism of Potassium Sodium Niobate Mesocrystals Under Low Alkaline Conditions.

Pure-phase (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) powders with orthorhombic symmetry were successfully synthesized by solvothermal method using isopropanol as solvent, without the addition of water. The as-prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry to show the variation of phase, morphology, size distribution and chemical composition under different synthetic conditions, such as fill factors (FF) of the solvothermal system and alkalinity of the starting solution. Compared with the traditional hydrothermal method and the so-called solvothermal method (water aided in fact), small grains with well crystallinity were obtained using 100% isopropanol as reaction medium. The results indicate that both fill factor and alkalinity have significant effects on the phase structure and size distribution of the as-obtained KNN powders. Pure orthorhombic perovskite-structured KNN powders with a grain size of 100 nm were synthesized at the following condition: reaction time, 16 h; reaction temperature, 240 °C; fill factor, 70%; and alkalinity, 1 M. Small grains (~100 nm) tend to form mesocrystals (~10 µm) with tetrakaidecahedron structures, and the possible formation mechanism was proposed. The solvothermal method without the addition of water is a promising alternative to synthesize pure and refined powders under mild reaction conditions.

Achieving high performance electric field induced strain: a rational design of hyperbranched aromatic polyamide functionalized graphene-polyurethane dielectric elastomer composites.

Dielectric elastomers have great potentials as flexible actuators in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) due to their large deformation, light weight, mechanical compliancy, and low cost. The low dielectric constant of these elastomers requires a rather high voltage electric field, which has greatly limited their applications. In this work, a diaphragm-type flexible microactuator comprising a hyperbranched aromatic polyamide functionalized graphene (HAPFG) filler embedded into the polyurethane (PU) dielectric elastomer matrix is described. The rational designed HAPFG sheets exhibits uniform dispersion in PU matrix and strong adhesion with the matrix by hydrogen-bond coupling. Consequently, the HAPFG-PU composites possess high dielectric performance and low loss modulus. The effect of hyperbranched aromatic polyamide functionalized graphene on high voltage electric field induced strain was experimentally investigated using the Fotonic sensor. The high electric field response of the composite was discussed by applying different kinds of alternating-current field. In addition, a comparison of the breakdown strength between the HAPFG-PU composite and the pure PU was carried out.

Damage evaluation based on a wave energy flow map using multiple PZT sensors.

A new wave energy flow (WEF) map concept was proposed in this work. Based on it, an improved technique incorporating the laser scanning method and Betti's reciprocal theorem was developed to evaluate the shape and size of damage as well as to realize visualization of wave propagation. In this technique, a simple signal processing algorithm was proposed to construct the WEF map when waves propagate through an inspection region, and multiple lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensors were employed to improve inspection reliability. Various damages in aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminated plates were experimentally and numerically evaluated to validate this technique. The results show that it can effectively evaluate the shape and size of damage from wave field variations around the damage in the WEF map.

Synthesis and characterization of K(Ta(x)Nb(1_x))O3 particles by high temperature mixing method under hydrothermal and solvothermal conditions.

KTa(x)Nb(1_x)O3 (KTN) particles with an orthorhombic perovskite structure were synthesized via a high temperature mixing method (HTMM) under hydrothermal and solvothermal conditions. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microcopy (HRTEM). The influences of alkaline concentration and Ta doping amounts on the phase structure and morphology of the obtained powders were investigated. The results showed that KTN powders could be solvothermally prepared when the KOH concentration is as low as 0.5 M. In comparison with the hydrothermal process, supercritical isopropanol plays an important role in synthesizing KTN particles under milder conditions. The KTa(0.4)Nb(0.6)O3 particles solvothermally synthesized in isopropanol are made of well crystallized and single crystalline particles with a size of about 100-200 nm. Room temperature PL studies excited at different wavelengths reveal five emission bands centered at about 421 nm, 446 nm, 468 nm, 488 nm, and 498 nm, respectively. The supercritical process proposed here provides a new potential route for synthesizing other perovskite-type materials.

Linear electro-optic properties of orthorhombic PZN-8%PT single crystal.

The optical transmittance spectra of relaxor ferroelectric 0.92Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-0.08PbTiO(3) (PZN-8%PT) single crystals poled along different directions have been systematically studied at room temperature. After being poled along the [011] direction, the transmittance of induced orthorhombic PZN-8%PT single crystal is more than 50% from 0.5 to 5.7 µm, which is much higher than that poled along the [001] and [111] directions. The refractive indices and linear electro-optic properties of the orthorhombic PZN-8%PT single crystal were characterized at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. Large electro-optic responses were observed, (γ33) = 220 pm/V, (γ13) = 62 pm/V, and (γ23) = 23 pm/V. Thus, orthorhombic PZN-8%PT single crystal is a promising material for high-performance electro-optic devices.

Full tensorial elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties characterization of [011]-poled PZN-9%PT single crystal.

Transverse piezoelectric property of 0.91Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-0.09PbTiO(3) (PZN-9%PT) single crystal poled along [011] direction under different fields have been investigated, the poling field giving the best property was between 350 and 650 V/mm at room temperature. Full tensorial elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of PZN-9%PT single crystal poled along the [011] direction under 500 V/mm have been determined by resonance and ultrasonic methods. It was found that the electromechanical coupling coefficients k(32) and k(33) can reach 0.90 and 0.89 and the piezoelectric coefficients d(32) and d(15) are -1705 and 2012 pC/N, respectively. This complete set of physical properties can provide convenience for piezoelectric device fabrication and domain engineering studies.

A modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii model for modeling asymmetric hysteresis of piezoelectric actuators.

Piezoelectric actuators can offer high resolution of displacement and this makes them suitable for precise driving tasks. However, most piezoelectric actuators are made of piezoceramics which have a major drawback related to their natural hysteresis nonlinearity. To compensate the hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuators, many hysteresis models have been proposed such as the Preisach model, the classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii model, and so on. This paper provides a new approach to model the asymmetric hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuators. Unlike the classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii model, the proposed model is based on a combination of two asymmetric operators which can independently simulate the ascending branch and descending branch of hysteresis. Moreover, the proposed model can be calculated using the recursive least-squares method and this makes the model easy and convenient to be calculated. The validity of the proposed model is demonstrated by comparing its simulation results with experimental measurements. The results show that the proposed model is capable of modeling asymmetric hysteresis of piezoelectric actuators with very high accuracy.

Self-sensing force control of a piezoelectric actuator.

This paper describes an approach to controlling the force generated by a piezoelectric actuator (PEA) accurately without using any force sensor. A model PEA is proposed that includes a new asymmetric hysteresis operator and that takes the external force into account. A detection model is deduced that allows computation in real time of the PEA elongation and generated force starting from the measurement of the driving voltage and current. This detection model is used to replace a force sensor for closed-loop force control of a PEA. Experiments are carried out using 2 PEAs in an experimental setup. The first actuator is the controlled actuator, and the second one is used as a dynamic controllable mechanical load. It is shown that a good control performance can be obtained whatever the mechanical loading conditions.