Development of gripping devices based on electroadhesive forces

In a context of technological innovation, the aim of this thesis is to develop a technology that has gained interest in both scientific and industrial realms. This technology serves as a viable alternative to outdated and energy-consuming industrial systems. Electro-adhesive devices (EADs) leverage electrostatic forces for grasping objects or adhering to surfaces. The advantage of employing electrostatics lies in its adaptability to various materials without compromising the structure or chemistry of the object or surface. These benefits have led the industry to explore this technology as a replacement for costly vacuum systems and suction cups currently used for handling most products. Furthermore, the broad applicability of this technology extends to extreme environments, such as space with ultra-high vacuum conditions. Unfortunately, research in this area has yet to yield practical results for industrially effective gripper prototyping. This is primarily due to the inherent complexity of electro-adhesive technology, which operates on basic capacitive principles that does not find satisfying physical descriptions. This thesis aims to address these challenges through a series of studies, starting with the manufacturing process and testing of an EAD that has become the standard in our laboratory. It then delves into material and electrode geometry studies to enhance system performance, ultimately presenting potential industrial applications of the technology. All the presented results are encouraging, as they have yielded shear force values three times higher than those previously reported in the literature. The various applications have demonstrated the significant effectiveness of EADs as brakes or, more broadly, in exerting shear forces. This opens up the possibility of utilizing cutting-edge technologies to push the boundaries of technology to the fullest.

Transition in homogeneously heated inclined plane parallel shear flows

The transition of internally heated inclined plane parallel shear flows is examined numerically for the case of finite values of the Prandtl number Pr. We show that as the strength of the homogeneously distributed heat source is increased the basic flow loses stability to two-dimensional perturbations of the transverse roll type in a Hopf bifurcation for the vertical orientation of the fluid layer, whereas perturbations of the longitudinal roll type are most dangerous for a wide range of the value of the angle of inclination. In the case of the horizontal inclination transverse roll and longitudinal roll perturbations share the responsibility for the prime instability. Following the linear stability analysis for the general inclination of the fluid layer our attention is focused on a numerical study of the finite amplitude secondary travelling-wave solutions (TW) that develop from the perturbations of the transverse roll type for the vertical inclination of the fluid layer. The stability of the secondary TW against three-dimensional perturbations is also examined and our study shows that for Pr=0.71 the secondary instability sets in as a quasi-periodic mode, while for Pr=7 it is phase-locked to the secondary TW. The present study complements and extends the recent study by Nagata and Generalis (2002) in the case of vertical inclination for Pr=0.

Interface shear strength of geosynthetics: Evaluation and analysis of inclined plane tests

The inclined plane test (IPT) is commonly performed to measure the interface shear strength between different materials as those used in cover systems of landfills. The test, when interpreted according to European test Standards provides the static interface friction angle, usually assumed for 50 mm displacement and denoted as phi(stat)(50). However, if interpreted considering the several phases of the sliding process, the test is capable of yielding more realistic information about the interface shear strength such as differentiating interfaces which exhibit the same value of phi(stat)(50) but different behavior for displacement less than 50 mm. In this paper, the IPT is used to evaluate the interface shear strength of some materials usually present in cover liner systems of landfill. The results of the tests were analyzed for both, the static and the dynamic phases of the sliding and were interpreted based on the static initial friction angle, phi(0), and the limit friction angle, phi(lim). It is shown that depending on the sliding behavior of the interfaces, phi(stat)(50), which is usually adopted as the designing parameter in stability analysis, can be larger than phi(0) and phi(lim). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intraplate earthquake swarm in Belo Jardim, NE Brazil: reactivation of a major Neoproterozoic shear zone (Pernambuco Lineament)

Intraplate earthquakes in stable continental areas have been explained basically by reactivation of pre-existing zones of weakness, stress concentration, or both. Zones of weakness are usually identified as sites of the last major orogeny, provinces of recent alkaline intrusions, or stretched crust in ancient rifts. However, it is difficult to identify specific zones of weakness and intraplate fault zones are not always easily correlated with known geological features. Although Northeastern Brazil is one of the most seismically active areas in the country (magnitudes 5 roughly every 5 yr), with hypocentral depths shallower than similar to 10 km and seismic zones as long as 30-40 km, no clear relationship with the known surface geology can be usually established with confidence, and a clear identification of zones of weakness has not yet been possible. Here we present the first clear case of seismic activity occurring as reactivation of an old structure in Brazil: the Pernambuco Lineament, a major Neoproterozoic shear zone. The 2004 earthquake swarm of Belo Jardim (magnitudes up to 3.1) and the recurrent activities in the nearby towns of Sao Caetano and Caruaru (magnitudes up to 4.0 and 3.8), show that the Pernambuco Lineament is a weak zone. A local seismic network showed that the Belo Jardim swarm of 2004 November occurred by normal faulting on a North dipping, E-W oriented fault plane in close agreement with the E-W trending structures within the Pernambuco Lineament. The Belo Jardim activity was concentrated in a 1.5 km (E-W) by 2 km (downdip) fault area, and average depth of 4.5 km. The nearby Caruaru activity occurs as both strike-slip and normal faulting, also consistent with local structures of the Pernambuco Lineament. The focal mechanisms of Belo Jardim, Caruaru and S. Caetano, indicate E-W compressional and N-S extensional principal stresses. The NS extension of this stress field is larger than that predicted by numerical models such as those of Coblentz & Richardson and we propose that additional factors such as flexural stresses from the nearby Sergipe-Alagoas marginal basin could also affect the current stress field in the Pernambuco Lineament.

Deformation and geochronology of syntectonic granitoids emplaced in the Major Gercino Shear Zone, southeastern South America

The Major Gercino Shear Zone is one of the NE-SW lineaments that separate the Neoproterozoic Dom Feliciano Belt, of Brazil and Uruguay, into two different domains: a northwestern supracrustal domain from a southeastern granitoid domain. The shear zone, striking NE, is composed of protomylonites to ultramylonites with mainly dextral kinematic indicators. In Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, the shear zone is composed of two mylonite belts. The mylonites have mineral orientations produced under greenschist fades conditions at a high strain rate. Strong flattening and coaxial deformation indicate the transpressive character, while the role of pure shear is emphasized by the orientation of the mylonite belts in relation to the inferred stress field component. The quartz microstructures point out that different dynamic recrystallization regimes and crystal plasticity were the dominant mechanisms of deformation during the mylonitization process. Additionally, the fabrics suggest that the glide systems are activated for deformation conditions compatible with the metamorphism in the middle greenschist facies. Elongated granitoid intrusions belonging to two petrographically, geochemically and isotopically distinct rock associations occur between the two mylonite belts. The structures observed in the granites result from a deformation range from magmatic to solid-state conditions points to a continuum of magma straining during and just after its crystallization. Conventional U-Pb analysis of multi-crystal zircon fractions yielded essentially identical ages of 609 +/- 16 Ma and 614 +/- 2 Ma for the two granitic associations, and constrain the transpressive phase of the shear zone. K-Ar ages of biotites between 585 and 560 Ma record the slow cooling and uplift of the intrusions. Some K-Ar ages of micas in regional mylonites are similar, suggesting that thermo-tectonic activity was intense up to this time, probably related to the agglutination of the granite belt to the supracrustal belt NW of the MGSZ. (C) 2009 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shear band evolution in Zr/Hf-based bulk metallic glasses under static and dynamic indentations

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit superior mechanical properties as compared with other conventional materials and have been proposed for numerous engineering and technological applications. Zr/Hf-based BMGs or tungsten reinforced BMG composites are considered as a potential replacement for depleted uranium armor-piercing projectiles because of their ability to form localized shear bands during impact, which has been known to be the dominant plastic deformation mechanism in BMGs. However, in conventional tensile, compressive and bending tests, limited ductility has been observed because of fracture initiation immediately following the shear band formation. To fully investigate shear band characteristics, indentation tests that can confine the deformation in a limited region have been pursued. In this thesis, a detailed investigation of thermal stability and mechanical deformation behavior of Zr/Hf-based BMGs is conducted. First, systematic studies had been implemented to understand the influence of relative compositions of Zr and Hf on thermal stability and mechanical property evolution. Second, shear band evolution under indentations were investigated experimentally and theoretically. Three kinds of indentation studies were conducted on BMGs in the current study. (a) Nano-indentation to determine the mechanical properties as a function of Hf/Zr content. (b) Static Vickers indentation on bonded split specimens to investigate the shear band evolution characteristics beneath the indention. (c) Dynamic Vickers indentation on bonded split specimens to investigate the influence of strain rate. It was found in the present work that gradually replacing Zr by Hf remarkably increases the density and improves the mechanical properties. However, a slight decrease in glass forming ability with increasing Hf content has also been identified through thermodynamic analysis although all the materials in the current study were still found to be amorphous. Many indentation studies have revealed only a few shear bands surrounding the indent on the top surface of the specimen. This small number of shear bands cannot account for the large plastic deformation beneath the indentations. Therefore, a bonded interface technique has been used to observe the slip-steps due to shear band evolution. Vickers indentations were performed along the interface of the bonded split specimen at increasing loads. At small indentation loads, the plastic deformation was primarily accommodated by semi-circular primary shear bands surrounding the indentation. At higher loads, secondary and tertiary shear bands were formed inside this plastic zone. A modified expanding cavity model was then used to predict the plastic zone size characterized by the shear bands and to identify the stress components responsible for the evolution of the various types of shear bands. The applicability of various hardness—yield-strength ( H −σγ ) relationships currently available in the literature for bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) is also investigated. Experimental data generated on ZrHf-based BMGs in the current study and those available elsewhere on other BMG compositions were used to validate the models. A modified expanding-cavity model, employed in earlier work, was extended to propose a new H −σγ relationship. Unlike previous models, the proposed model takes into account not only the indenter geometry and the material properties, but also the pressure sensitivity index of the BMGs. The influence of various model parameters is systematically analyzed. It is shown that there is a good correlation between the model predictions and the experimental data for a wide range of BMG compositions. Under dynamic Vickers indentation, a decrease in indentation hardness at high loading rate was observed compared to static indentation hardness. It was observed that at equivalent loads, dynamic indentations produced more severe deformation features on the loading surface than static indentations. Different from static indentation, two sets of widely spaced semi-circular shear bands with two different curvatures were observed. The observed shear band pattern and the strain rate softening in indentation hardness were rationalized based on the variations in the normal stress on the slip plane, the strain rate of shear and the temperature rise associated with the indentation deformation. Finally, a coupled thermo-mechanical model is proposed that utilizes a momentum diffusion mechanism for the growth and evolution of the final spacing of shear bands. The influence of strain rate, confinement pressure and critical shear displacement on the shear band spacing, temperature rise within the shear band, and the associated variation in flow stress have been captured and analyzed. Consistent with the known pressure sensitive behavior of BMGs, the current model clearly captures the influence of the normal stress in the formation of shear bands. The normal stress not only reduces the time to reach critical shear displacement but also causes a significant temperature rise during the shear band formation. Based on this observation, the variation of shear band spacing in a typical dynamic indentation test has been rationalized. The temperature rise within a shear band can be in excess of 2000K at high strain rate and high confinement pressure conditions. The associated drop in viscosity and flow stress may explain the observed decrease in fracture strength and indentation hardness. The above investigations provide valuable insight into the deformation behavior of BMGs under static and dynamic loading conditions. The shear band patterns observed in the above indentation studies can be helpful to understand and model the deformation features under complex loading scenarios such as the interaction of a penetrator with armor. Future work encompasses (1) extending and modifying the coupled thermo-mechanical model to account for the temperature rise in quasistatic deformation; and (2) expanding this model to account for the microstructural variation-crystallization and free volume migration associated with the deformation.

Seismic anisotropy in the Morcles nappe shear zone: Implications for seismic imaging of crustal scale shear zones

Microstructures and textures of calcite mylonites from the Morcles nappe large-scale shear zone in southwestern Switzerland develop principally as a function of 1) extrinsic physical parameters including temperature, stress, strain, strain rate and 2) intrinsic parameters, such as mineral composition. We collected rock samples at a single location from this shear zone, on which laboratory ultrasonic velocities, texture and microstructures were investigated and quantified. The samples had different concentration of secondary mineral phases (< 5 up to 40 vol.%). Measured seismic P wave anisotropy ranges from 6.5% for polyphase mylonites (~ 40 vol.%) to 18.4% in mylonites with < 5 vol.% secondary phases. Texture strength of calcite is the main factor governing the seismic P wave anisotropy. Measured S wave splitting is generally highest in the foliation plane, but its origin is more difficult to explain solely by calcite texture. Additional texture measurements were made on calcite mylonites with low concentration of secondary phases (≤ 10 vol.%) along the metamorphic gradient of the shear zone (15 km distance). A systematic increase in texture strength is observed moving from the frontal part of the shear zone (anchimetamorphism; 280 °C) to the higher temperature, basal part (greenschist facies; 350–400 °C). Calculated P wave velocities become increasingly anisotropic towards the high-strain part of the nappe, from an average of 5.8% in the frontal part to 13.2% in the root of the basal part. Secondary phases raise an additional complexity, and may act either to increase or decrease seismic anisotropy of shear zone mylonites. In light of our findings we reinterpret the origin of some seismically reflective layers in the Grône–Zweisimmen line in southwestern Switzerland (PNR20 Swiss National Research Program). We hypothesize that reflections originate in part from the lateral variation in textural and microstructural arrangement of calcite mylonites in shear zones.

On the lateral excitation of shear modes in AlN layered resonators

In this paper we describe the fabrication and frequency characterization of different structures intended for the lateral excitation of shear modes in AlN c-axis-oriented films, which are at the same time designed to minimize the excitation of longitudinal modes. Laterally excited resonators were built on partially metallic (SiO2, W) and insulating (SiOC, Si3N4) acoustic mirrors built on silicon substrates, and on insulating mirrors (SiO2, TaOx) built on insulating glass plates. TiOx seed layers were used to stimulate the growth of highly c-axis oriented AlN films, which was confirmed by XRD and SAW measurements. Coplanar Mo electrodes of different geometries were defined on top of the AlN films to excite the shear modes. All the structures analyzed displayed a clear longitudinal mode, corresponding to an acoustic velocity of 11000 m/s, but a null or extremely weak shear response corresponding to a sound velocity of around 6350 m/s. The simulation of the frequency response based on Mason's model confirms that the shear resonance is extremely weak. The observed longitudinal modes are attributed either to the field applied between the electrodes and a conductive plane (metallic layer or Si substrate) or to the electric field parallel to the c-axis in the edges of the electrodes or in tilted grains. The low excitation of shear modes is attributed to the very low values of electric field strength parallel to the surface.

Dynamic and steady: shear rheological properties of xanthan and guar gums dispersed in yellow passion fruit pulp (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa)

Yellow passion fruit pulp is unstable, presenting phase separation that can be avoided by the addition of hydrocolloids. For this purpose, xanthan and guar gum [0.3, 0.7 and 1.0% (w/w)] were added to yellow passion fruit pulp and the changes in the dynamic and steady - shear rheological behavior evaluated. Xanthan dispersions showed a more pronounced pseudoplasticity and the presence of yield stress, which was not observed in the guar gum dispersions. Cross model fitting to flow curves showed that the xanthan suspensions also had higher zero shear viscosity than the guar suspensions, and, for both gums, an increase in temperature led to lower values for this parameter. The gums showed different behavior as a function of temperature in the range of 5 - 35ºC. The activation energy of the apparent viscosity was dependent on the shear rate and gum concentration for guar, whereas for xanthan these values only varied with the concentration. The mechanical spectra were well described by the generalized Maxwell model and the xanthan dispersions showed a more elastic character than the guar dispersions, with higher values for the relaxation time. Xanthan was characterized as a weak gel, while guar presented a concentrated solution behavior. The simultaneous evaluation of temperature and concentration showed a stronger influence of the polysaccharide concentration on the apparent viscosity and the G' and G" moduli than the variation in temperature.

Shear Stress Induces Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Production in Human Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells

It has been demonstrated that human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) enhance vascular density in ischemic tissues, suggesting that they can differentiate into vascular cells or release angiogenic factors that may stimulate neoangiogenesis. Moreover, there is evidence that shear stress (SS) may activate proliferation and differentiation of embryonic and endothelial precursor stem cells into endothelial cells (ECs). In this work, we investigated the effect of laminar SS in promoting differentiation of hASCs into ECs. SS (10 dyn/cm(2) up to 96 h), produced by a cone plate system, failed to induce EC markers (CD31, vWF, Flk-1) on hASC assayed by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. In contrast, there was a cumulative production of nitric oxide (determined by Griess Reaction) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; by ELISA) up to 96 h of SS stimulation ( NO(2)(-) in nmol/10(4) cells: static: 0.20 +/- 0.03; SS: 1.78 +/- 0.38, n = 6; VEGF in pg/10(4) cells: static: 191.31 +/- v35.29; SS: 372.80 +/- 46.74, n = 6, P < 0.05). Interestingly, the VEGF production was abrogated by 5 mM N(G)-L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treatment (VEGF in pg/10(4) cells: SS: 378.80 +/- 46.74, n = 6; SS + L-NAME: 205.84 +/- 91.66, n = 4, P < 0.05). The results indicate that even though SS failed to induce EC surface markers in hASC under the tested conditions, it stimulated NO-dependent VEGF production.

Escape patterns of chaotic magnetic field lines in a tokamak with reversed magnetic shear and an ergodic limiter

The existence of a reversed magnetic shear in tokamaks improves the plasma confinement through the formation of internal transport barriers that reduce radial particle and heat transport. However, the transport poloidal profile is much influenced by the presence of chaotic magnetic field lines at the plasma edge caused by external perturbations. Contrary to many expectations, it has been observed that such a chaotic region does not uniformize heat and particle deposition on the inner tokamak wall. The deposition is characterized instead by structured patterns called magnetic footprints, here investigated for a nonmonotonic analytical plasma equilibrium perturbed by an ergodic limiter. The magnetic footprints appear due to the underlying mathematical skeleton of chaotic magnetic field lines determined by the manifold tangles. For the investigated edge safety factor ranges, these effects on the wall are associated with the field line stickiness and escape channels due to internal island chains near the flux surfaces. Comparisons between magnetic footprints and escape basins from different equilibrium and ergodic limiter characteristic parameters show that highly concentrated magnetic footprints can be avoided by properly choosing these parameters. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

High-p(T) pi(0) production with respect to the reaction plane in Au plus Au collisions at s(NN)=200 GeV

Measurements of the azimuthal anisotropy of high-p(T) neutral pion (pi(0)) production in Au+Au collisions at s(NN)=200 GeV by the PHENIX experiment are presented. The data included in this article were collected during the 2004 Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider running period and represent approximately an order of magnitude increase in the number of analyzed events relative to previously published results. Azimuthal angle distributions of pi(0) mesons detected in the PHENIX electromagnetic calorimeters are measured relative to the reaction plane determined event-by-event using the forward and backward beam-beam counters. Amplitudes of the second Fourier component (v(2)) of the angular distributions are presented as a function of pi(0) transverse momentum (p(T)) for different bins in collision centrality. Measured reaction plane dependent pi(0) yields are used to determine the azimuthal dependence of the pi(0) suppression as a function of p(T), R(AA)(Delta phi,p(T)). A jet-quenching motivated geometric analysis is presented that attempts to simultaneously describe the centrality dependence and reaction plane angle dependence of the pi(0) suppression in terms of the path lengths of hypothetical parent partons in the medium. This set of results allows for a detailed examination of the influence of geometry in the collision region and of the interplay between collective flow and jet-quenching effects along the azimuthal axis.

Gravitational quasinormal modes of AdS black branes in d spacetime dimensions

The AdS/CFT duality has established a mapping between quantities in the bulk AdS black-hole physics and observables in a boundary finite-temperature field theory. Such a relationship appears to be valid for an arbitrary number of spacetime dimensions, extrapolating the original formulations of Maldacena`s correspondence. In the same sense properties like the hydrodynamic behavior of AdS black-hole fluctuations have been proved to be universal. We investigate in this work the complete quasinormal spectra of gravitational perturbations of d-dimensional plane-symmetric AdS black holes (black branes). Holographically the frequencies of the quasinormal modes correspond to the poles of two-point correlation functions of the field-theory stress-energy tensor. The important issue of the correct boundary condition to be imposed on the gauge-invariant perturbation fields at the AdS boundary is studied and elucidated in a fully d-dimensional context. We obtain the dispersion relations of the first few modes in the low-, intermediate- and high-wavenumber regimes. The sound-wave (shear-mode) behavior of scalar (vector)-type low- frequency quasinormal mode is analytically and numerically confirmed. These results are found employing both a power series method and a direct numerical integration scheme.

Joint forces and torques when walking in shallow water

This study reports for the first time an estimation of the internal net joint forces and torques on adults` lower limbs and pelvis when walking in shallow water, taking into account the drag forces generated by the movement of their bodies in the water and the equivalent data when they walk on land. A force plate and a video camera were used to perform a two-dimensional gait analysis at the sagittal plane of 10 healthy young adults walking at comfortable speeds on land and in water at a chest-high level. We estimated the drag force on each body segment and the joint forces and torques at the ankle, knee, and hip of the right side of their bodies using inverse dynamics. The observed subjects` apparent weight in water was about 35% of their weight on land and they were about 2.7 times slower when walking in water. When the subjects walked in water compared with walking on land, there were no differences in the angular displacements but there was a significant reduction in the joint torques which was related to the water`s depth. The greatest reduction was observed for the ankle and then the knee and no reduction was observed for the hip. All joint powers were significantly reduced in water. The compressive and shear joint forces were on average about three times lower during walking in water than on land. These quantitative results substantiate the use of water as a safe environment for practicing low-impact exercises, particularly walking. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bed shear stress measurements in dam break and swash flows

A novel shear plate was used to make direct bed shear stress measurements in laboratory dam break and swash flows on smooth, fixed, impermeable beds. The pressure gradient due to the slope of the fluid free-surface across the plate was measured using pressure transducers. Surface elevation was measured at five locations using acoustic displacement sensors. Flow velocity was measured using an Acoustic-Doppler Velocimeter and calculated using the ANUGA inundation model. The measured bed shear stress at the dam break fluid tip for an initially dry, horizontal bed was close to twice that estimated using steady flow theory. The temporal variation of swash bed shear stress showed a large peak in landward directed stress at the uprush tip, followed by a rapid decay throughout the uprush flow interior. The peak seaward directed stress during the backwash phase was less than half that measured in the uprush. Close to the still water line, in the region of bore collapse and at the time of initial uprush, favourable pressure gradients were measured. In the lower swash region predominately weak adverse pressure gradients were measured.