Search

The concept of creating all-mechanical soft microrobotic systems has great potential to address outstanding challenges in biomedical applications, and introduce more sustainable and multifunctional products. To this end, magnetic fields and light have been extensively studied as potential energy sources. On the other hand, coupling the response of materials to pressure waves has been overlooked despite the abundant use of acoustics in nature and engineering solutions. Here, we show that programmed commands can be contained on 3D nanoprinted polymer systems with the introduction of selectively excited air bubbles and rationally designed compliant mechanisms. A repertoire of micromechanical systems is engineered using experimentally validated computational models that consider the effects of primary and secondary pressure fields on entrapped air bubbles and the surrounding fluid. Coupling the dynamics of bubble oscillators reveals rich acoustofluidic interactions that can be programmed in space and time. We prescribe kinematics by harnessing the forces generated through these interactions to deform structural elements, which can be remotely reconfigured on-demand with the incorporation of mechanical switches. These basic micromechanical systems will serve as the building blocks for the development of a novel class of untethered soft microrobots powered and controlled by acoustic signals., Comment: 6 Figures, 11 Supplementary Figures, 2 Supplementary Tables

Microbubbles excited by acoustic fields inside water oscillate, and generate acoustic radiation forces and drag-induced acoustic streaming. These forces can be harnessed in various biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and on-chip biomanipulation. The conventional approach for using microbubbles as actuators is to trap them inside microfabricated cavities. Anisotropic forces are applied by constraining the interfaces where the air interacts with water. The existing analytical models derived for spherical bubbles are incapable of predicting the dynamics of bubbles in such configurations. Here, a new model for bubbles entrapped inside arbitrarily shaped cavities with multiple circular openings is developed. The semi-analytical model captures a more realistic geometry through a solution to an optimization problem. We challenge the assumption that bubbles should be excited at their first resonance frequency to optimize their performance. The natural frequencies and the correlated normal vibration modes are calculated, which are subsequently used to compute the acoustic streaming patterns and the associated thrust by a finite element simulation. An experimental platform was built to measure the deflection of beams loaded by microfabricated bubble actuators, and visualize the generated streaming patterns. The results highlight the contribution of the computational model as a design tool for engineering applications., Comment: 34 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, 5 supplementary figures

The paper presents an improved mass balancing procedure for fast rotating machinery, while it is being rotated at speeds considerably slower than the "critical speeds", where dangerously high vibration amplitudes may arise. By utilizing tuned dual frequency parametric excitation along with optimized nonlinear feedback terms, the slow imbalance forces are projected onto a chosen mode of vibration. This allows to identify the imbalance projection on that specific mode, and to cancel these forces by adding or reducing mass. The scheme benefits from two kinds of parametric excitation yielding combination and principal parametric resonances. The former is used to project the imbalance forces onto a selected vibration mode, and the latter significantly amplifies the response. By tuning the parametric excitation and the nonlinear terms in an optimal manner, a pseudo-linear behavior is formed. This behavior enables to increase both amplification and sensitivity to the imbalance forces without having to compromise between the two., Comment: 14 pages, 11 Figures. Published in Proceedings of ISMA 2018 Including USD 2018 https://www.isma-isaac.be/publications/

A tunable, multi-degree-of-freedom, parametrically excited amplifier is introduced as an apparatus capable of shifting slow, weak signals to higher frequencies, by exploiting the amplifier natural resonances via controlled parametric excitation and nonlinear feedback. This device can find use as a signal amplifier and as a spectrum control device. A tuned dual-frequency signal is created to parametrically excite (pump) the system and produce the desired energy shift. The pump signal is applied by a controlled electromechanical actuator, and is modified in-situ according to the slow frequency signal and the desired response. A three DOF model is introduced, and the governing nonlinear EOM are derived and solved analytically via asymptotic methods and verified with numerical simulations. A parametric design of an experimental rig was carried out, and the importance of experimental calibration and system identification is emphasized. Some preliminary experimental results are provided with favorable agreement with the theory., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures. Published in the proceedings of ISMA 2016 including USD 2016 http://past.isma-isaac.be/isma2016/proceedings/abstracts/

The paper describes a novel parametric excitation scheme that acts as a tunable amplifier by controlling two pumping signals and two nonlinear feedback terms. By modulating the stiffness of a mechanical oscillator with a digital signal processor, low frequency inputs are projected onto a higher resonance frequency, thus exploiting the natural selective filtering of such structures. Described is an optimized dual-term nonlinear stiffness resonator that enhances the input signal level and the sensitivity to changes in both amplitude and phase, while limiting the obtained response to desired levels. This amplifier is geared to cases when the frequency of the input is known or measurable, like in rotating structures, while the amplitude and phase are too weak to be detected without amplification. It is shown that by tuning the cubic and quadratic feedback terms, the amplifier benefits from a nearly linear response behavior, while exploiting the benefits of nonlinear and pumping signal enhancements., Comment: 33 pages,14 Figures, Submitted to Nonlinear Dynamics - Springer (NODY)

Mechanical or electromechanical amplifiers can exploit the high-Q and low noise features of mechanical resonance, in particular when parametric excitation is employed. Multi-frequency parametric excitation introduces tunability and is able to project weak input signals on a selected resonance. The present paper addresses multi degree of freedom mechanical amplifiers or resonators whose analysis and features require treatment of the spatial as well as temporal behavior. In some cases, virtual electronic coupling can alter the given topology of the resonator to better amplify specific inputs. An analytical development is followed by a numerical and experimental sensitivity and performance verifications, illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of such topologies.

High-speed machinery is often designed to pass several $"$critical$"$ speeds, where vibration levels can be very high. To reduce vibrations, rotors usually undergo a mass balancing process, where the machine is rotated at its full speed range, during which the dynamic response near critical speeds can be measured. High sensitivity, which is required for a successful balancing process, is achieved near the critical speeds, where a single deflection mode shape becomes dominant, and is excited by the projection of the imbalance on it. The requirement to rotate the machine at high speeds is an obstacle in many cases, where it is impossible to perform measurements at high speeds, due to harsh conditions such as high temperatures and inaccessibility (e.g., jet engines). $\\$ This paper proposes a novel balancing method of flexible rotors, which does not require the machine to be rotated at high speeds. With this method, the rotor is spun at low speeds, while subjecting it to a set of externally controlled forces. The external forces comprise a set of tuned, response dependent, parametric excitations, and nonlinear stiffness terms. The parametric excitation can isolate any desired mode, while keeping the response directly linked to the imbalance. A software controlled nonlinear stiffness term limits the response, hence preventing the rotor to become unstable. These forces warrant sufficient sensitivity required to detect the projection of the imbalance on any desired mode without rotating the machine at high speeds. Analytical, numerical and experimental results are shown to validate and demonstrate the method., Comment: 35 pages, 20 figures, submitted to Journal of Sound and Vibrations