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Functionally graded shape memory alloys (FG-SMA) have the properties of both functionally graded materials and shape memory alloys (SMA), so they have been widely used in aerospace, biomedical, and micro electro mechanical systems(MEMS). The influence of surface effects on the mechanical properties of microstructure is very significant when the scale reaches the nanometer scale. In order to study the effect of surface effects on the mechanical properties of FG-SMA, based on the bending theory and Gurtin-Murdoch surface elasticity theory, the phase transition mechanical model considering the effects of tensile and compressive asymmetry and temperature on FG-SMA nanobeams was developed considering the surface effects. The influence of functionally graded index, load, temperature, and tensile-compression asymmetry coefficient on the mechanical properties of FG-SMA nanobeams was analyzed. It is shown that bending moment and functionally graded index have significant effects on the cross-sectional response, while temperature and tensile asymmetry coefficient have fewer effects on them. Ignoring the influence of surface effect will underestimate the flexural resistance of FG-SMA nanobeams. When the bending moment reaches a certain range, the neutral axis deflection of FG-SMA nanobeams is not much affected by surface effects. The results of the study provide a basis for the design and application of FG-SMA nanobeams in the field of MEMS.

AbstractFunctionally graded shape memory alloy (FG-SMA) hold considerable promise for diverse applications in aerospace and micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) fields, owing to their elevated ceramic hardness and distinctive phase transition characteristics. To investigate the mechanical properties and phase transition behaviors of FG-SMA, an FG-SMA specimen was fabricated for the first time using the spark plasma sintering and ball-mill mixing method. Subsequently, microstructure, phase transformation, hardness, compression fracture and shape memory effect testing experiments were carried out. The results revealed a microstructure of the FG-SMA without noticeable pores in the alumina content range of 0.1% to 0.6%. Alumina particles were effectively integrated into the NiTi matrix, enhancing the FG-SMA’s compressive strength. Varied alumina gradients in the FG-SMA cross-section led to distinct phase transitions. The addition of alumina increased the hardness of the NiTi matrix, resulting in higher fracture stress and strain in the FG-SMA. The elastic recovery strain of FG-SMA augmented with increasing alumina content, although the recoverable strain associated with the shape memory effect gradually decreased. This study provides valuable insights for the preparation, optimization, and practical applications of FG-SMAs. At the same time, the research in this article can lay an experimental foundation for the application of FG-SMA in the field of aerospace and MEMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the challenges of limited passability and adaptability encountered by existing pipe robots in navigating through tee and four-way junction pipes, This article designs a pipe robot based on the principle of metamorphism. This robot is designed with a variable number of linkages, constituting the core of its system structure. Through this innovative approach, it achieves movement in diverse types of pipelines by altering its own structural configuration. Kinematic analysis is conducted using both the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) method and screw theory, providing expressions for the forward kinematics in terms of the robot's positional and attitudinal states, as well as geometric solutions for the inverse kinematics. Simulations conducted in MATLAB and ADAMS software demonstrate consistent postural changes of the robot, validating its design and capabilities. Prototype experiments in a 500 mm diameter pipeline further confirm the robot's structural design rationality and its ability to navigate through tee and four-way junction pipes by altering its posture. The results indicate that this pipe robot effectively navigates through straight, vertical tee, and horizontal four-way junction pipes, offering a viable solution for efficiently maneuvering through complex pipeline junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the flexible electronics field, flexible pressure sensors are widely used inwearable devices, medical monitoring and other fields. However, it is still a huge challenge to design a sensor with highsensitivity, low cost and a simple manufacturing process. In this work, we report a flexible strain sensor based on discarded mask straps (MS) with a unique three-dimensional (3D) twist-like network structure. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/carbon nanoparticles (CN)/MS composites were prepared by a simple dip-drying method and encapsulated using a medical Polyurethane (PU) film. It is founded that the fabricated MWCNTs/CN/MS/PU flexible strain sensor (MCMP-FSS) exhibits a high gauge factor (GF) of 13,928 and advanced performance with a large sensing range of 0%–72%. Moreover, good water-repellent harmony and various types of stimuli over 1000 cycles were obtained for the MCMP-FSS. Benefiting from the unique 3D twist-like network structure and the MWCNTs/CN synergistic conductive network, MCMP-FSS also has broad application prospects in the fields of human motion detection, encrypted communication, and natural human-robot interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing catalyst design requires meticulous control of nanocatalyst selectivity at the atomic level. Here, we synthesized two Pd1Ag14 nanoclusters: Pd1Ag14(PPh3)8(SPh(CF3)2)6 and Pd1Ag14(P(Ph-p-OMe)3)7(SPh)6, each with well-defined structures. Notably, in Pd1Ag14(P(Ph-p-OMe)3)7(SPh)6, the detachment of a phosphine ligand from the top silver atom facilitates the exposure of singular active sites. This exposure significantly enhances its selectivity for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO, achieving a Faraday efficiency of 83.3% at −1.3 V, markedly surpassing the 28.1% performance at −1.2 V of Pd1Ag14(PPh3)8(SPh(CF3)2)6. This work underscores the impact of atomic-level structural manipulation on enhancing nanocatalyst performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain good flight performance in the near-space morphing vehicle (NMV) cruise phase, this paper proposes an adaptive sliding mode backstepping control scheme based on a neural network, aiming at the reduction of elevator control efficiency and issues of uncertainties. Firstly, this paper analyzes the aerodynamic parameters of NMV in the states of winglet stretching and retracting during the cruise phase. Based on the above, the flight efficiency of NMV can be improved by retracting winglets in the level flight mode and stretching winglets in the altitude climbing mode. Secondly, an enhanced triple power reaching law (ETPRL) is proposed to ensure that the sliding mode control system can converge quickly and reduce chattering. Then, the sliding mode control based on ETPRL and backstepping control are combined to ensure the stability of the system, and adaptive control laws are developed to estimate and compensate for uncertainties. In addition, in face of the problem of reduced elevator control efficiency, the adaptive neural network is used to estimate and compensate for interference on the control channel to improve tracking accuracy and robustness of NMV. Finally, three sets of simulations verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the problems of robust switching control for near-space morphing vehicles (NMVs) with a large range of parameter uncertainty and external disturbance. For this purpose, a novel linear/nonlinear active disturbance rejection switching control method for the longitudinal dynamical model of NMVs based on the type-2 fuzzy logic system is proposed. Both linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) and nonlinear active disturbance rejection control (NLADRC) were designed for the velocity and altitude subsystems of NMVs. Then, the stability analysis of the cascade closed-loop and switching control systems were carried out. Furthermore, a switching control strategy based on the interval type-2 fuzzy logic system was developed, and the change rules of aerodynamic parameters with Mach number and angle of attack were examined. Finally, the experimental results validated the superior switching performance of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel sliding mode backstepping control scheme for the ascent phase of a near-space hypersonic vehicle (NSHV) base on a triple power reaching law (TPRL). A new model transformation is proposed for NSHV with uncertain parameters subject to uncertainties during ascent phase. To shorten the reaching time and reduce the chattering in sliding mode scheme, TPRL is proposed. Then, based on TPRL, a sliding mode backstepping control scheme is proposed, which is combined with new adaptive laws to further reduce the adverse impact of uncertainties. Simulation results demonstrate that TPRL is effective, and the proposed controller for the ascent phase of NSHV is robust with respect to uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of accurately mining the power consumption characteristic data of power users, this paper proposes a research on power user network data mining algorithms based on multi-information fusion. In the past, the mining methods based on neural networks and cure algorithms were affected by noise data, resulting in low mining accuracy. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a user-complex power consumption feature mining method based on the K-means clustering algorithm. In the K-means clustering algorithm, the principle of mining complex power consumption characteristics of users is studied, and the data are cleaned, integrated, and preprocessed by protocol transformation to avoid noise interference. The information entropy principle is used to cluster the matrix to regularize the feature points. According to the complex power consumption characteristics, the power consumption feature points are determined through the cluster, the distance between the clusters is calculated, the power consumption feature information gain is obtained, and the user complex power consumption feature mining is completed. The experimental results show that the mining accuracy of this method is up to 99%, providing users with better quality services. Conclusion. The automatic control performance of the system is good, and the acquisition results are accurate and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a backstepping-based adaptive sliding mode control scheme using a new double power reaching law for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle (AHV) with uncertainties. A novel double power reaching law is proposed to speed up the state stabilization. A backstepping control scheme is proposed for a class of high-order nonlinear system with uncertainties. Then, a novel sliding mode controller using the new double power reaching law is developed to maintain the high tracking performance of the AHV. In order to further attenuate the influence of uncertainties, new adaptive laws are employed. Lastly, simulation studies show that the novel double power reaching law can guarantee that the state of the system converges to zero equilibrium in fixed time, and the controller proposed can effectively reduce the influence of uncertainties on the AHV and achieve good tracking performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed at the flight control problem of a near-space vehicle (NSV) with uncertainties such as parameter perturbation and external disturbance, a novel dynamic surface control (DSC) method with high-order linear extended state observer (HLESO) compensation is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, a tracking differentiator (TD) based on an inverse hyperbolic sine function is firstly designed, and the convergence of TD is also analysed with the Lyapunov stability theory. Furthermore, the numerical simulations are detailed to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed TD compared with others. Then, a dynamic surface controller based on the traditional backstepping control technique is designed, where the TD is adopted to obtain the differential signal of the virtual control law, in order to solve the "differential expansion," and the HLESO is adopted to accurately estimate the "lumped disturbance" so as to realize the dynamic compensation of the controller and enhance the disturbance suppression ability of the system. The simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the uncertainty and external disturbance sensitivity of the near space vehicles (NSV), a novel sliding mode controller based on the high-order linear extended state observer (LESO) is designed in this paper. In the proposed sliding mode controller, the double power reaching law is adopted to enhance the state convergence rate, and the high-order LESO is designed to improve the antidisturbance ability. Moreover, the appropriate observer bandwidth and extended order are selected to further reduce or even eliminate the disturbance by analyzing their influences on the observer performance. Finally, the simulation demonstrations are given for the NSV control system with uncertain parameters and external disturbances. The theoretical analyses and simulation results consistently indicate that the proposed high-order LESO with carefully selected extended order and observer bandwidth has better performance than the traditional ones for the nonlinear NSV system with parametric uncertainty and external disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stick-slip type actuator based on the stick-slip driving principle has the characteristics of simple structure, high precision, large travel and no electromagnetic interference. However, the stick-slip driving principle leads to the existence of the displacement backward phenomenon when it is driving in a single direction, which reduces the output performance of the driver. In order to solve the above problem, a stick-slip separated piezoelectric actuator with separable stator and actuator is designed by combining the advantages of lever mechanism and triangle mechanism in this paper, and theoretical calculations and simulations on the flexible hinged amplification mechanism are carried out. The prototype of the stick-slip separable piezoelectric actuator is made, and the output characteristics and speed characteristics of the actuator are experimentally tested to determine the optimum voltage and frequency values for practical operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel donor–acceptor blends composed of black phosphorus (BP) as an electron donor and C60 as an electron acceptor have been prepared and successfully embedded into a non-optically active poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) matrix producing a BP:C60/PMMA film. In contrast to C60, BP and non-annealed BP:C60 blends, annealed BP:C60 blends show a significantly enhanced optical limiting response due to the thermal-induced intermolecular charge transfer effect between BP and C60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT pH- and temperature-responsive semi-interpenetrating nanocomposite hydrogels (NC hydrogels) were prepared with surface-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) as the crosslinker, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as the monomer, and chitosan (CS) as an additive. The effects of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate-modified GO sheets and CS content on various physical properties were investigated. Results show that PNIPAM/CS/GO hydrogels undergo a large volumetric change in response to temperature. Swelling ratios of PNIPAM/CS/GO hydrogels are much larger than those of the conventional organically crosslinked PNIPAM hydrogels. The deswelling test indicates that the deswelling rate was greatly enhanced by incorporating CS into the hydrogel network and using the surface-functionalized GO as the crosslinker. The pH-sensitivity of PNIPAM/CS/GO hydrogels is evident below their volume phase transition temperature. Moreover, the PNIPAM/CS/GO hydrogels have a much better mechanical property compared with traditional hydrogels even in a high water content of 90%. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41530. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]