Four-dimensional(4D)printing represents a groundbreaking advancement in manufacturing,yet a persistent challenge is the limited number of stable configurations achievable through spontaneous shape reconstruction.Herei...Four-dimensional(4D)printing represents a groundbreaking advancement in manufacturing,yet a persistent challenge is the limited number of stable configurations achievable through spontaneous shape reconstruction.Herein,we present a novel 4D printing mechanism that utilizes self-adjustable gas pressure to facilitate a wide range of spontaneous and stable multi-shape transformations.The gas is precisely released at designated spatial locations through strategic temperature-controlled degradation of a solid material,which is printed and distributed as needed at the voxel level within a specially designed multi-material structure,consisting of a low degradation temperature material(LDTM),a high degradation temperature soft material(HDTSM),and a high degradation temperature hard material(HDTHM).Each shape configuration is determined and locked in by the maximum temperature experienced during its thermal history.Notably,this shape retains its form robustly,independently of subsequent temperature changes,until a higher temperature threshold is reached,at which point a new shape configuration is triggered.These shapes exhibit a remarkable temperature memory effect,permanently recording the peak temperature reached in their thermal history.Our study comprehensively investigates the underlying principles and key parameters that influence deformation.We present a series of examples demonstrating complex multi-shape transformations modulated by temperature,supported by finite element simulations.This advance in 4D printing has the potential to significantly enhance its functional capabilities,performance,and applicability,opening up new horizons in additive manufacturing and design.展开更多
The complex dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal process was studied using an electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) signal that represented the motion characteristics of gas-solid two-phase flow. The fl...The complex dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal process was studied using an electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) signal that represented the motion characteristics of gas-solid two-phase flow. The fluctuation characteristics of conveying process signals are inseparable from the flow pattern. The denoised ECT signal and noise signal were obtained by db2 wavelet analysis. It was found that all noise signals were white Gaussian noise. Based on the assumption of the equal probability distribution of pulverized coal concentration, this paper proved that the time series distribution of pulverized coal concentration in the pipeline should obey the normal distribution. Furthermore, through the analysis of the distribution characteristics of the power spectral density function of denoised ECT signals of four flow patterns, they were α-dimensional fractal Brownian motion(fBm) signals, and the parameter α was estimated by the detrended fluctuation analysis. Based on the fBm characteristics of denoised ECT signals and white Gaussian noise, this paper proposed a method for calculating the pulverized coal concentration in the dense-phase pneumatic conveying. In addition to the method of concentration estimation with the significance of engineering guidance, this research can help people to further understand essential characteristics of ECT signals in the dense-phase pneumatic conveying.展开更多
Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variab...Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variable stiffness,decoupled motion,and embedded sensing are highly desirable.Since continuum robots are usually composed of multiple joints assembled in series,their mechanical properties and performance will certainly rely on the connected joints.This paper proposes a motion-decoupled variable stiffness-decoupled pneumatic rigid-flexible hybrid joint(RFHJ),which is modular designed and integrated with a rigid hinge,a stiffness-tuning module,and soft actuators.The soft pneumatic muscle actuators are pre-stretched during assembly,ensuring the stable initial state of RFHJ.A novel musculature-mounting configuration is also presented,which enables RFHJs to achieve independent motions in two orthogonal planes.Furthermore,the variable stiffness module is embedded in the RFHJ’s structure to offer real-time and independent stiffness tunability across multiple scales in two perpendicular directions.The proposed RFHJ makes most of the advantages of soft continuum robots and conventional rigid serial robots by introducing a hybrid structure to provide both safe human-robot interaction(HRI),accurate control and reliable stiffness variation,presenting promising potentials for robotic systems,which have been theoretically proved and experimentally verified on the physical prototype.The experimental results also indicate that the developed RFHJ can work with variable stiffness ranging in[1.2,49.9]N·m/rad.A variable stiffness rigid-flexible hybrid continuum arm(RFHA)is designed with three RFHJs in series.Primary tests on the developed RFHA prototype demonstrate that it has the characteristics of decoupled driving,bidirectional stiffness tunability and self-stability.展开更多
Pneumatic artificial muscles(PAMs)can generate multimodal movements,e.g.,linear contraction/extension,spiral torsion,and bending motions.Among these motions,contraction and extension movements can be achieved using li...Pneumatic artificial muscles(PAMs)can generate multimodal movements,e.g.,linear contraction/extension,spiral torsion,and bending motions.Among these motions,contraction and extension movements can be achieved using linear PAMs(LPAMs)designed to mimic human skeletal muscle.LPAMs have considerable potential for wearable applications and can be integrated into soft wearable robotic systems.Due to their inherent compliance,excellent human-robot interaction,safety,and low cost,LPAMs are considered potential alternatives as actuator components in the construction of wearable robots.This review presents a comprehensive overview of the bio-inspired design of LPAMs and their wearable applications.The biomechanics of human skeletal muscle,including anatomy,morphology,and biomechanical characterization,is analyzed to provide design inspirations for LPAMs and determine the assistance requirements of LPAM-based wearable robots.Herein,LPAMs are classified into four categories based on their structural shapes,including cylindrical-shaped muscles,flat-shaped muscles,fold-shaped muscles,and muscles with other shapes.In addition,this review provides an overview of the diverse physical interfaces utilized in wearable robots and presents a comparative analysis of the actuation characteristics of LPAMs and the assistance performance of LPAM-based wearable robots.This analysis was conducted in consideration of several key metrics,including the contraction ratio,maximum force,specific force,response frequency,assistive torque/bodyweight,and net metabolic cost.Finally,this review summarizes the ongoing challenges and future research directions.展开更多
Background The middle ear pneumatic system(MEPS)supports pressure balance,essential for sound conduction.Its volume and surface area are key indicators of pneumatization and ventilation,yet their specific contribution...Background The middle ear pneumatic system(MEPS)supports pressure balance,essential for sound conduction.Its volume and surface area are key indicators of pneumatization and ventilation,yet their specific contributions to pressure regulation need further exploration.Objective To evaluate the accuracy and sensitivity of parameters characterizing the MEPS,including volume(V),surface area(S),and surface-area-to-volume ratio(S/V),in normal ears.Materials and Methods We collected CT images of the temporal bone from 63 normal ears for this study.The volume(V),surface area(S),and surface-area-to-volume ratio(S/V)of the MEPS were measured and calculated using three-dimensional reconstruction technology.Statistical methods were used to process the data and determine the 95%reference range for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in the normal ear.At the same time,we analyzed the impact of differences in gender and the left and right sides on the measurements.Results The 95%reference values for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in normal ears were 1057.10~18239.16 mm²,609.16~9854.11 mm^(3),and 1.39~2.52 mm^(-1) respectively.There were no significant differences in the measurements between genders and between the left and right sides.Conclusions and Significance This study has established the 95%reference values for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in normal ears,which were 1057.10-18239.16 mm²,609.16-9854.11 mm^(3),and 1.39-2.52 mm^(-1) respectively.We found that while there is a wide variation in the V values among normal ears,there is less variability in the S/V values.This structural characteristic suggests that changes in the S/V value may have a more significant impact on the balance of middle ear pressure,and it provides important reference data for the construction and functional reconstruction of three-dimensional models of the MEPS.These findings may aid in diagnosing middle ear disorders,such as otitis media with effusion,and guide interventions to restore pressure balance.展开更多
The pneumatic probe is widely used for contact measurements in turbomachinery flow field research.However,it inevitably interferes with the original flow field,leading to additional errors,particularly in wake flow fi...The pneumatic probe is widely used for contact measurements in turbomachinery flow field research.However,it inevitably interferes with the original flow field,leading to additional errors,particularly in wake flow fields or transonic regions with significant pressure gradients.This study employed Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes delete and high-fidelity numerical simulation to investigate the impact of an inserted pneumatic probe on the wake flow field of a transonic turbine blade and compared it to the baseline flow field.Results indicate that the probe causes the shock waves premature occurrence in the high subsonic wake region near the turbine blade trailing edge.These shock waves affect vortex shedding by thickening the boundary layer near the trailing edge and changing the shedding pattern from high-frequency-low-energy to low-frequencyhigh-energy.In addition,the extra flow loss is incurred,and the blade's heat transfer characteristic is changed.This research provides a reference for testing experiments in complex transonic flow fields,guiding experimental researchers to minimize instrument interference with the original flow field.展开更多
Because of significantly changed load and complex and variable driving road conditions of commercial vehicles,pneumatic suspension with lower natural frequencies is widely used in commercial vehicle suspension system....Because of significantly changed load and complex and variable driving road conditions of commercial vehicles,pneumatic suspension with lower natural frequencies is widely used in commercial vehicle suspension system.How ever,traditional pneumatic suspension system is hardly to respond the greatly changed load of commercial vehicles To address this issue,a new Gas-Interconnected Quasi-Zero Stiffness Pneumatic Suspension(GIQZSPS)is presented in this paper to improve the vibration isolation performance of commercial vehicle suspension systems under frequent load changes.This new structure adds negative stiffness air chambers on traditional pneumatic suspension to reduce the natural frequency of the suspension.It can adapt to different loads and road conditions by adjusting the solenoid valves between the negative stiffness air chambers.Firstly,a nonlinear mechanical model including the dimensionless stiffness characteristic and interconnected pipeline model is derived for GIQZSPS system.By the nonlinear mechanical model of GIQZSPS system,the force transmissibility rate is chosen as the evaluation index to analyze characteristics.Furthermore,a testing bench simulating 1/4 GIQZSPS system is designed,and the testing analysis of the model validation and isolating performance is carried out.The results show that compared to traditional pneumatic suspension,the GIQZSPS designed in the article has a lower natural frequency.And the system can achieve better vibration isolation performance under different load states by switching the solenoid valves between air chambers.展开更多
●AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pneumatic retinopexy(PR)in patients undergoing PR as primary treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD)and analyze the factors associated with success and failure in the stu...●AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pneumatic retinopexy(PR)in patients undergoing PR as primary treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD)and analyze the factors associated with success and failure in the studied population.●METHODS:A retrospective chart review was done of patients with RRD treated with PR as primary management method treated at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai between January 2017 and December 2021.Primary outcome measured success or failure of PR.Secondary outcome measured best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)after PR.A separate risk analysis was done to identify and stratify risks associated with success and failure of PR.●RESULTS:A total of 179 eyes from 179 patients were included for final analysis.The 83 patients(46.37%)achieved anatomical reattachment of the retina after primary PR with no need for additional surgery.The 96 patients(53.63%)had a failed primary PR and required a PPV and 6 of them required pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)with scleral buckle(SB).In total,19 cases(10.61%)were done as temporizing pneumatics,18(94.74%)underwent PPV,and 1(5.26%)did not require further intervention.The visual acuities at postoperative month 1(POM1)for patients who underwent primary PR successfully and for those that underwent PPV after,were 0.58(20/80)and 1.03(20/200)respectively.Patients who met Pneumatic Retinopexy Versus Vitrectomy for the Management of Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Outcomes Randomized Trial(PIVOT)criteria had a statistically significant decreased risk of primary PR failing(hazard ratio 0.29,P=0.00).Majority of missed or new breaks were found superotemporally.●CONCLUSION:PR is a good treatment option for treating RRDs in patients that meet PIVOT criteria and can be conducted as a temporizing measure.PIVOT criteria and fovea on status decrease the risk of PR failure.展开更多
The analysis of the characteristics of the cushion process of the pneumatic cushion cylinder is presented, and the nonlinear model of pneumatic cushion cylinders is built in the form of nonlinear differential equation...The analysis of the characteristics of the cushion process of the pneumatic cushion cylinder is presented, and the nonlinear model of pneumatic cushion cylinders is built in the form of nonlinear differential equations. Besides, through the simulation of the pressure in the cushion chamber, the characteristics of the pneumatic cushion cylinder are obtained, which helps to understand the performance of the pneumatic cushion cylinder and improve or design the better cushion structure.展开更多
This study was conducted to further classify threshed strips, so as to broaden the usable range of raw material and facilitate the effective utilization of to- bacco resource. During the threshing and redwing process,...This study was conducted to further classify threshed strips, so as to broaden the usable range of raw material and facilitate the effective utilization of to- bacco resource. During the threshing and redwing process, various process param- eters including the rotating speeds of threshing drums of threshing machioe, draught fans and fling drums were scientifically and rationally set according to the actual quality of the raw material. According to the characteristic that strips with close in- herent quality have basically the same specific gravity and leaf thickness, the strips from each discharge hole were accurately evaluated, and classified, followed by redrying and packaging. The results showed that the threshing and separating pro- cedure could improve the separating effect and precision according to tobacco qual- ity, so as to satisfy the separation and classification requirements for tobacco.展开更多
Vibrations or dither's are features of the PWM servo control system in their steady outputs. On the grounds of analyses and experiments of a PWM pneumatic servo control system, the paper puts forward four varietie...Vibrations or dither's are features of the PWM servo control system in their steady outputs. On the grounds of analyses and experiments of a PWM pneumatic servo control system, the paper puts forward four varieties of PWM modulation methods, and concludes on the relationship between dithers and the different methods, and then discusses the influence of friction to the dithers. Results from experiments regarding the dynamic and static responses on the given system support the theories presented.展开更多
Pneumatic muscles with similar characteristics to biological muscles have been widely used in robots, and thus are promising drivers for frog inspired robots. How- ever, the application and nonlinearity of the pneumat...Pneumatic muscles with similar characteristics to biological muscles have been widely used in robots, and thus are promising drivers for frog inspired robots. How- ever, the application and nonlinearity of the pneumatic system limit the advance. On the basis of the swimming mechanism of the frog, a frog-inspired robot based on pneumatic muscles is developed. To realize the indepen- dent tasks by the robot, a pneumatic system with internal chambers, micro air pump, and valves is implemented. The micro pump is used to maintain the pressure difference between the source and exhaust chambers. The pneumatic muscles are controlled by high-speed switch valves which can reduce the robot cost, volume, and mass. A dynamic model of the pneumatic system is established for the sim- ulation to estimate the system, including the chamber, muscle, and pneumatic circuit models. The robot design is verified by the robot swimming experiments and the dynamic model is verified through the experiments and simulations of the pneumatic system. The simulation results are compared to analyze the functions of the source pressure, internal volume of the muscle, and circuit flow rate which is proved the main factor that limits the response of muscle pressure. The proposed research provides the application of the pneumatic muscles in the frog inspired robot and the pneumatic model to study muscle controller.展开更多
Based on flexible pneumatic actuator(FPA),bending joint and side-sway joint,a new kind of pneumatic dexterous robot finger was developed.The finger is equipped with one five-component force sensor and four contactless...Based on flexible pneumatic actuator(FPA),bending joint and side-sway joint,a new kind of pneumatic dexterous robot finger was developed.The finger is equipped with one five-component force sensor and four contactless magnetic rotary encoders.Mechanical parts and FPAs are integrated,which reduces the overall size of the finger.Driven by FPA directly,the joint output torque is more accurate and the friction and vibration can be effectively reduced.An improved adaptive genetic algorithm(IAGA) was adopted to solve the inverse kinematics problem of the redundant finger.The statics of the finger was analyzed and the relation between fingertip force and joint torque was built.Finally,the finger force/position control principle was introduced.Tracking experiments of fingertip force/position were carried out.The experimental results show that the fingertip position tracking error is within ±1 mm and the fingertip force tracking error is within ±0.4 N.It is also concluded from the theoretical and experimental results that the finger can be controlled and it has a good application prospect.展开更多
A new kind of flexible pneumatic wall-climbing robot,named WALKMAN-I,was proposed. WALKMAN-I is basically composed of a flexible pneumatic actuator (FPA),a flexible pneumatic spherical joint and six suction cups. It h...A new kind of flexible pneumatic wall-climbing robot,named WALKMAN-I,was proposed. WALKMAN-I is basically composed of a flexible pneumatic actuator (FPA),a flexible pneumatic spherical joint and six suction cups. It has many characteristics of low-cost,lightweight,simple structure and good flexibility. Its operating principle was introduced. Then three basic locomotion modes,which are linear motion,curvilinear motion and crossing the orthogonal planes,were presented. The safety conditions of WALKMAN-I were discussed and built. Finally,the control system was designed and experiments were carried out. Experimental results show that WALKMAN-I is able to climb on the vertical wall surface along a straight line or a curved path,and has the ability of crossing orthogonal planes and obstacles. The maximum rotation angle reaches 90°,the maximum velocity reaches 5 mm/s,and the rotation angle and the moving velocity of WALKMAN-I can be easily controlled.展开更多
The high pressure pneumatic system has been applied to special industries. It may cause errors when we analyze high pressure pneumatics under ideal gas assumption. However, the real gas effect on the performances of h...The high pressure pneumatic system has been applied to special industries. It may cause errors when we analyze high pressure pneumatics under ideal gas assumption. However, the real gas effect on the performances of high pressure pneumatics is seldom investigated. In this paper, the real gas effects on air enthalpy and internal energy are estimated firstly to study the real gas effect on the energy conversion. Under ideal gas assumption, enthalpy and internal energy are solely related to air temperature. The estimation result indicates that the pressure enthalpy and pressure internal energy of real pneumatic air obviously decrease the values of enthalpy and internal energy for high pressure pneumatics, and the values of pressure enthalpy and pressure internal energy are close. Based on the relationship among pressure, enthalpy and internal energy, the real gas effects on charging and discharging processes of high pressure pneumatics are estimated, which indicates that the real gas effect accelerates the temperature and pressure decreasing rates during discharging process, and decelerates their increasing rates during charging process. According to the above analysis, and for the inconvenience in building the simulation model for real gas and the difficulty of measuring the detail thermal capacities of pneumatics, a method to compensate the real gas effect under ideal gas assumption is proposed by modulating the thermal capacity of the pneumatic container in simulation. The experiments of switching expansion reduction （SER） for high pressure pneumatics are used to verify this compensating method. SER includes the discharging process of supply tanks and the charging process of expansion tank. The simulated and experimental results of SER are highly consistent. The proposed compensation method provides a convenient way to obtain more realistic simulation results for high pressure pneumatics.展开更多
Unlike traditional manipulators with high rigidity and limited degrees of freedom,pneumatic manipulators have significant superiorities such as flexibility,lightweight and cleanliness,and therefore,have been one of th...Unlike traditional manipulators with high rigidity and limited degrees of freedom,pneumatic manipulators have significant superiorities such as flexibility,lightweight and cleanliness,and therefore,have been one of the most popular research directions in robotics.However,most existing pneumatic manipulators have disadvantages such as low rigidity and simple functionality.In order to make up for the shortcomings of existing pneumatic manipulators,this paper proposes a new pneumatic flexible manipulator inspired by the concept of origami,which realizes the combination and balance of flexibility and rigidity.Finite element analysis is conducted to study influences of the number of airbags,the angle of main beam,and the width of main beam on the performance of the flexible manipulator.The simulation results are utilized to optimize the structure of the flexible manipulator.A pneumatic control system is designed to realize the automatic control of the pneumatic flexible manipulator.At the same time,a prototype is 3D printed,the experimental platform for pneumatic deformation is built,and the verification experiments of the single-jaw manipulator and the three-jaw manipulator are completed.展开更多
Experiments of dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal using nitrogen are carded out in an experimental test facility with the conveying pressure up to 4. 0 MPa and the gas-solid ratio up to 450 kg/m^3. The...Experiments of dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal using nitrogen are carded out in an experimental test facility with the conveying pressure up to 4. 0 MPa and the gas-solid ratio up to 450 kg/m^3. The influences of different conveying differential pressures, coal moisture contents, gas volume flow rates and superficial velocities on the solid-gas ratios are investigated. Shannon entropy analysis of pressure fluctuation time series is developed to reveal the flow characteristics. Through investigation of the distribution of the Shannon entropy under different conditions, the flow stability and the evolutional tendency of the Shannon entropy in different regimes and regime transition processes are discovered, and the relationship between the Shannon entropy and the flow regimes is also established. The results indicate that the solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy rise with the increase in conveying differential pressure. The solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy reveal preferable regularity with gas volume flow rates. The Shannon entropy is different for different flow regimes, and can be used to identify the flow regimes. Both mass flow rate and the Shannon entropy decrease with the increase in moisture contents. The Shannon entropy analysis is a feasible approach for researching the characteristics of flow regimes, flow stability and flow regime transitions in dense-phase pneumatic conveying under high pressure.展开更多
A pneumatic parallel platform driven by an air cylinder and three circumambient pneumatic muscles was considered. Firstly, a mathematical model of the pneumatic servo system was developed for the MIMO nonlinear model-...A pneumatic parallel platform driven by an air cylinder and three circumambient pneumatic muscles was considered. Firstly, a mathematical model of the pneumatic servo system was developed for the MIMO nonlinear model-based controller designed. The pneumatic muscles were controlled by three proportional position valves, and the air cylinder was controlled by a proportional pressure valve. As the forward kinematics of this structure had no analytical solution, the control strategy should be designed in joint space. A cross-coupling integral adaptive robust controller(CCIARC) which combined cross-coupling control strategy and traditional adaptive robust control(ARC) theory was developed by back-stepping method to accomplish trajectory tracking control of the parallel platform. The cross-coupling part of the controller stabilized the length error in joint space as well as the synchronization error, and the adaptive robust control part attenuated the adverse effects of modelling error and disturbance. The force character of the pneumatic muscles was difficult to model precisely, so the on-line recursive least square estimation(RLSE) method was employed to modify the model compensation. The projector mapping method was used to condition the RLSE algorithm to bound the parameters estimated. An integral feedback part was added to the traditional robust function to reduce the negative influence of the slow time-varying characteristic of pneumatic muscles and enhance the ability of trajectory tracking. The stability of the controller designed was proved through Laypunov's theory. Various contrast controllers were designed to testify the newly designed components of the CCIARC. Extensive experiments were conducted to illustrate the performance of the controller.展开更多
We proposed a novel impact pneumatic cylinder with a reservoir connected to the inlet chamber so that the pneumatic cylinder can achieve a high speed. A reservoir with high-pressure air enabled the cylirider to achiev...We proposed a novel impact pneumatic cylinder with a reservoir connected to the inlet chamber so that the pneumatic cylinder can achieve a high speed. A reservoir with high-pressure air enabled the cylirider to achieve considerable＇acceleration when it began to Work. We established a mathematical model to simulate the behaviors of an impact pneumatic cylinder, focusing on the relationships of the maximum piston speed with the air supply pressure and the reservoir volume. The results show that the reservoir .can help significantly enhance the pneumatic system velocity. When the reservoir volume is less than double the cylinder volume, an increase in the reservoir volume is more effective in increasing the maximum piston velocity.展开更多
基金support from the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission(Grant No.JCYJ20200109115439775 and JCYJ20230807140459034)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(Grant No.2022A1515012645)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11872369).
文摘Four-dimensional(4D)printing represents a groundbreaking advancement in manufacturing,yet a persistent challenge is the limited number of stable configurations achievable through spontaneous shape reconstruction.Herein,we present a novel 4D printing mechanism that utilizes self-adjustable gas pressure to facilitate a wide range of spontaneous and stable multi-shape transformations.The gas is precisely released at designated spatial locations through strategic temperature-controlled degradation of a solid material,which is printed and distributed as needed at the voxel level within a specially designed multi-material structure,consisting of a low degradation temperature material(LDTM),a high degradation temperature soft material(HDTSM),and a high degradation temperature hard material(HDTHM).Each shape configuration is determined and locked in by the maximum temperature experienced during its thermal history.Notably,this shape retains its form robustly,independently of subsequent temperature changes,until a higher temperature threshold is reached,at which point a new shape configuration is triggered.These shapes exhibit a remarkable temperature memory effect,permanently recording the peak temperature reached in their thermal history.Our study comprehensively investigates the underlying principles and key parameters that influence deformation.We present a series of examples demonstrating complex multi-shape transformations modulated by temperature,supported by finite element simulations.This advance in 4D printing has the potential to significantly enhance its functional capabilities,performance,and applicability,opening up new horizons in additive manufacturing and design.
基金funding from Shanghai Sailing Program (22YF1417600)Guangxi Science and Technology Major Program (AA23062019)
文摘The complex dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal process was studied using an electrical capacitance tomography(ECT) signal that represented the motion characteristics of gas-solid two-phase flow. The fluctuation characteristics of conveying process signals are inseparable from the flow pattern. The denoised ECT signal and noise signal were obtained by db2 wavelet analysis. It was found that all noise signals were white Gaussian noise. Based on the assumption of the equal probability distribution of pulverized coal concentration, this paper proved that the time series distribution of pulverized coal concentration in the pipeline should obey the normal distribution. Furthermore, through the analysis of the distribution characteristics of the power spectral density function of denoised ECT signals of four flow patterns, they were α-dimensional fractal Brownian motion(fBm) signals, and the parameter α was estimated by the detrended fluctuation analysis. Based on the fBm characteristics of denoised ECT signals and white Gaussian noise, this paper proposed a method for calculating the pulverized coal concentration in the dense-phase pneumatic conveying. In addition to the method of concentration estimation with the significance of engineering guidance, this research can help people to further understand essential characteristics of ECT signals in the dense-phase pneumatic conveying.
基金Supported by Shenzhen Municipal Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U2013212)National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2020YFB1313001)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U23 A20328).
文摘Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variable stiffness,decoupled motion,and embedded sensing are highly desirable.Since continuum robots are usually composed of multiple joints assembled in series,their mechanical properties and performance will certainly rely on the connected joints.This paper proposes a motion-decoupled variable stiffness-decoupled pneumatic rigid-flexible hybrid joint(RFHJ),which is modular designed and integrated with a rigid hinge,a stiffness-tuning module,and soft actuators.The soft pneumatic muscle actuators are pre-stretched during assembly,ensuring the stable initial state of RFHJ.A novel musculature-mounting configuration is also presented,which enables RFHJs to achieve independent motions in two orthogonal planes.Furthermore,the variable stiffness module is embedded in the RFHJ’s structure to offer real-time and independent stiffness tunability across multiple scales in two perpendicular directions.The proposed RFHJ makes most of the advantages of soft continuum robots and conventional rigid serial robots by introducing a hybrid structure to provide both safe human-robot interaction(HRI),accurate control and reliable stiffness variation,presenting promising potentials for robotic systems,which have been theoretically proved and experimentally verified on the physical prototype.The experimental results also indicate that the developed RFHJ can work with variable stiffness ranging in[1.2,49.9]N·m/rad.A variable stiffness rigid-flexible hybrid continuum arm(RFHA)is designed with three RFHJs in series.Primary tests on the developed RFHA prototype demonstrate that it has the characteristics of decoupled driving,bidirectional stiffness tunability and self-stability.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52475067).
文摘Pneumatic artificial muscles(PAMs)can generate multimodal movements,e.g.,linear contraction/extension,spiral torsion,and bending motions.Among these motions,contraction and extension movements can be achieved using linear PAMs(LPAMs)designed to mimic human skeletal muscle.LPAMs have considerable potential for wearable applications and can be integrated into soft wearable robotic systems.Due to their inherent compliance,excellent human-robot interaction,safety,and low cost,LPAMs are considered potential alternatives as actuator components in the construction of wearable robots.This review presents a comprehensive overview of the bio-inspired design of LPAMs and their wearable applications.The biomechanics of human skeletal muscle,including anatomy,morphology,and biomechanical characterization,is analyzed to provide design inspirations for LPAMs and determine the assistance requirements of LPAM-based wearable robots.Herein,LPAMs are classified into four categories based on their structural shapes,including cylindrical-shaped muscles,flat-shaped muscles,fold-shaped muscles,and muscles with other shapes.In addition,this review provides an overview of the diverse physical interfaces utilized in wearable robots and presents a comparative analysis of the actuation characteristics of LPAMs and the assistance performance of LPAM-based wearable robots.This analysis was conducted in consideration of several key metrics,including the contraction ratio,maximum force,specific force,response frequency,assistive torque/bodyweight,and net metabolic cost.Finally,this review summarizes the ongoing challenges and future research directions.
基金supported by the[National Natural Science Foundation of China]under Grant[number 12172082][Catch up with and surpass technology projects]under Grant[number 2022LCJSGC24]。
文摘Background The middle ear pneumatic system(MEPS)supports pressure balance,essential for sound conduction.Its volume and surface area are key indicators of pneumatization and ventilation,yet their specific contributions to pressure regulation need further exploration.Objective To evaluate the accuracy and sensitivity of parameters characterizing the MEPS,including volume(V),surface area(S),and surface-area-to-volume ratio(S/V),in normal ears.Materials and Methods We collected CT images of the temporal bone from 63 normal ears for this study.The volume(V),surface area(S),and surface-area-to-volume ratio(S/V)of the MEPS were measured and calculated using three-dimensional reconstruction technology.Statistical methods were used to process the data and determine the 95%reference range for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in the normal ear.At the same time,we analyzed the impact of differences in gender and the left and right sides on the measurements.Results The 95%reference values for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in normal ears were 1057.10~18239.16 mm²,609.16~9854.11 mm^(3),and 1.39~2.52 mm^(-1) respectively.There were no significant differences in the measurements between genders and between the left and right sides.Conclusions and Significance This study has established the 95%reference values for the S,V,and S/V of the MEPS in normal ears,which were 1057.10-18239.16 mm²,609.16-9854.11 mm^(3),and 1.39-2.52 mm^(-1) respectively.We found that while there is a wide variation in the V values among normal ears,there is less variability in the S/V values.This structural characteristic suggests that changes in the S/V value may have a more significant impact on the balance of middle ear pressure,and it provides important reference data for the construction and functional reconstruction of three-dimensional models of the MEPS.These findings may aid in diagnosing middle ear disorders,such as otitis media with effusion,and guide interventions to restore pressure balance.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project(Grant Nos.2017-V-0016-0068,and J2019-V-0017-0112)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51776011).
文摘The pneumatic probe is widely used for contact measurements in turbomachinery flow field research.However,it inevitably interferes with the original flow field,leading to additional errors,particularly in wake flow fields or transonic regions with significant pressure gradients.This study employed Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes delete and high-fidelity numerical simulation to investigate the impact of an inserted pneumatic probe on the wake flow field of a transonic turbine blade and compared it to the baseline flow field.Results indicate that the probe causes the shock waves premature occurrence in the high subsonic wake region near the turbine blade trailing edge.These shock waves affect vortex shedding by thickening the boundary layer near the trailing edge and changing the shedding pattern from high-frequency-low-energy to low-frequencyhigh-energy.In addition,the extra flow loss is incurred,and the blade's heat transfer characteristic is changed.This research provides a reference for testing experiments in complex transonic flow fields,guiding experimental researchers to minimize instrument interference with the original flow field.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.51875256)Open Platform Fund of Human Institute of Technology (Grant No.KFA22009)。
文摘Because of significantly changed load and complex and variable driving road conditions of commercial vehicles,pneumatic suspension with lower natural frequencies is widely used in commercial vehicle suspension system.How ever,traditional pneumatic suspension system is hardly to respond the greatly changed load of commercial vehicles To address this issue,a new Gas-Interconnected Quasi-Zero Stiffness Pneumatic Suspension(GIQZSPS)is presented in this paper to improve the vibration isolation performance of commercial vehicle suspension systems under frequent load changes.This new structure adds negative stiffness air chambers on traditional pneumatic suspension to reduce the natural frequency of the suspension.It can adapt to different loads and road conditions by adjusting the solenoid valves between the negative stiffness air chambers.Firstly,a nonlinear mechanical model including the dimensionless stiffness characteristic and interconnected pipeline model is derived for GIQZSPS system.By the nonlinear mechanical model of GIQZSPS system,the force transmissibility rate is chosen as the evaluation index to analyze characteristics.Furthermore,a testing bench simulating 1/4 GIQZSPS system is designed,and the testing analysis of the model validation and isolating performance is carried out.The results show that compared to traditional pneumatic suspension,the GIQZSPS designed in the article has a lower natural frequency.And the system can achieve better vibration isolation performance under different load states by switching the solenoid valves between air chambers.
文摘●AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of pneumatic retinopexy(PR)in patients undergoing PR as primary treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD)and analyze the factors associated with success and failure in the studied population.●METHODS:A retrospective chart review was done of patients with RRD treated with PR as primary management method treated at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai between January 2017 and December 2021.Primary outcome measured success or failure of PR.Secondary outcome measured best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)after PR.A separate risk analysis was done to identify and stratify risks associated with success and failure of PR.●RESULTS:A total of 179 eyes from 179 patients were included for final analysis.The 83 patients(46.37%)achieved anatomical reattachment of the retina after primary PR with no need for additional surgery.The 96 patients(53.63%)had a failed primary PR and required a PPV and 6 of them required pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)with scleral buckle(SB).In total,19 cases(10.61%)were done as temporizing pneumatics,18(94.74%)underwent PPV,and 1(5.26%)did not require further intervention.The visual acuities at postoperative month 1(POM1)for patients who underwent primary PR successfully and for those that underwent PPV after,were 0.58(20/80)and 1.03(20/200)respectively.Patients who met Pneumatic Retinopexy Versus Vitrectomy for the Management of Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Outcomes Randomized Trial(PIVOT)criteria had a statistically significant decreased risk of primary PR failing(hazard ratio 0.29,P=0.00).Majority of missed or new breaks were found superotemporally.●CONCLUSION:PR is a good treatment option for treating RRDs in patients that meet PIVOT criteria and can be conducted as a temporizing measure.PIVOT criteria and fovea on status decrease the risk of PR failure.
文摘The analysis of the characteristics of the cushion process of the pneumatic cushion cylinder is presented, and the nonlinear model of pneumatic cushion cylinders is built in the form of nonlinear differential equations. Besides, through the simulation of the pressure in the cushion chamber, the characteristics of the pneumatic cushion cylinder are obtained, which helps to understand the performance of the pneumatic cushion cylinder and improve or design the better cushion structure.
文摘This study was conducted to further classify threshed strips, so as to broaden the usable range of raw material and facilitate the effective utilization of to- bacco resource. During the threshing and redwing process, various process param- eters including the rotating speeds of threshing drums of threshing machioe, draught fans and fling drums were scientifically and rationally set according to the actual quality of the raw material. According to the characteristic that strips with close in- herent quality have basically the same specific gravity and leaf thickness, the strips from each discharge hole were accurately evaluated, and classified, followed by redrying and packaging. The results showed that the threshing and separating pro- cedure could improve the separating effect and precision according to tobacco qual- ity, so as to satisfy the separation and classification requirements for tobacco.
文摘Vibrations or dither's are features of the PWM servo control system in their steady outputs. On the grounds of analyses and experiments of a PWM pneumatic servo control system, the paper puts forward four varieties of PWM modulation methods, and concludes on the relationship between dithers and the different methods, and then discusses the influence of friction to the dithers. Results from experiments regarding the dynamic and static responses on the given system support the theories presented.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51675124)
文摘Pneumatic muscles with similar characteristics to biological muscles have been widely used in robots, and thus are promising drivers for frog inspired robots. How- ever, the application and nonlinearity of the pneumatic system limit the advance. On the basis of the swimming mechanism of the frog, a frog-inspired robot based on pneumatic muscles is developed. To realize the indepen- dent tasks by the robot, a pneumatic system with internal chambers, micro air pump, and valves is implemented. The micro pump is used to maintain the pressure difference between the source and exhaust chambers. The pneumatic muscles are controlled by high-speed switch valves which can reduce the robot cost, volume, and mass. A dynamic model of the pneumatic system is established for the sim- ulation to estimate the system, including the chamber, muscle, and pneumatic circuit models. The robot design is verified by the robot swimming experiments and the dynamic model is verified through the experiments and simulations of the pneumatic system. The simulation results are compared to analyze the functions of the source pressure, internal volume of the muscle, and circuit flow rate which is proved the main factor that limits the response of muscle pressure. The proposed research provides the application of the pneumatic muscles in the frog inspired robot and the pneumatic model to study muscle controller.
基金Project(2009AA04Z209) supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of ChinaProject(R1090674) supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,ChinaProject(51075363) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Based on flexible pneumatic actuator(FPA),bending joint and side-sway joint,a new kind of pneumatic dexterous robot finger was developed.The finger is equipped with one five-component force sensor and four contactless magnetic rotary encoders.Mechanical parts and FPAs are integrated,which reduces the overall size of the finger.Driven by FPA directly,the joint output torque is more accurate and the friction and vibration can be effectively reduced.An improved adaptive genetic algorithm(IAGA) was adopted to solve the inverse kinematics problem of the redundant finger.The statics of the finger was analyzed and the relation between fingertip force and joint torque was built.Finally,the finger force/position control principle was introduced.Tracking experiments of fingertip force/position were carried out.The experimental results show that the fingertip position tracking error is within ±1 mm and the fingertip force tracking error is within ±0.4 N.It is also concluded from the theoretical and experimental results that the finger can be controlled and it has a good application prospect.
基金Project (50575206) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject (BX102716) supported by Xinmiao Program of Zhejiang Province, China
文摘A new kind of flexible pneumatic wall-climbing robot,named WALKMAN-I,was proposed. WALKMAN-I is basically composed of a flexible pneumatic actuator (FPA),a flexible pneumatic spherical joint and six suction cups. It has many characteristics of low-cost,lightweight,simple structure and good flexibility. Its operating principle was introduced. Then three basic locomotion modes,which are linear motion,curvilinear motion and crossing the orthogonal planes,were presented. The safety conditions of WALKMAN-I were discussed and built. Finally,the control system was designed and experiments were carried out. Experimental results show that WALKMAN-I is able to climb on the vertical wall surface along a straight line or a curved path,and has the ability of crossing orthogonal planes and obstacles. The maximum rotation angle reaches 90°,the maximum velocity reaches 5 mm/s,and the rotation angle and the moving velocity of WALKMAN-I can be easily controlled.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50575202)
文摘The high pressure pneumatic system has been applied to special industries. It may cause errors when we analyze high pressure pneumatics under ideal gas assumption. However, the real gas effect on the performances of high pressure pneumatics is seldom investigated. In this paper, the real gas effects on air enthalpy and internal energy are estimated firstly to study the real gas effect on the energy conversion. Under ideal gas assumption, enthalpy and internal energy are solely related to air temperature. The estimation result indicates that the pressure enthalpy and pressure internal energy of real pneumatic air obviously decrease the values of enthalpy and internal energy for high pressure pneumatics, and the values of pressure enthalpy and pressure internal energy are close. Based on the relationship among pressure, enthalpy and internal energy, the real gas effects on charging and discharging processes of high pressure pneumatics are estimated, which indicates that the real gas effect accelerates the temperature and pressure decreasing rates during discharging process, and decelerates their increasing rates during charging process. According to the above analysis, and for the inconvenience in building the simulation model for real gas and the difficulty of measuring the detail thermal capacities of pneumatics, a method to compensate the real gas effect under ideal gas assumption is proposed by modulating the thermal capacity of the pneumatic container in simulation. The experiments of switching expansion reduction （SER） for high pressure pneumatics are used to verify this compensating method. SER includes the discharging process of supply tanks and the charging process of expansion tank. The simulated and experimental results of SER are highly consistent. The proposed compensation method provides a convenient way to obtain more realistic simulation results for high pressure pneumatics.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(12002032).
文摘Unlike traditional manipulators with high rigidity and limited degrees of freedom,pneumatic manipulators have significant superiorities such as flexibility,lightweight and cleanliness,and therefore,have been one of the most popular research directions in robotics.However,most existing pneumatic manipulators have disadvantages such as low rigidity and simple functionality.In order to make up for the shortcomings of existing pneumatic manipulators,this paper proposes a new pneumatic flexible manipulator inspired by the concept of origami,which realizes the combination and balance of flexibility and rigidity.Finite element analysis is conducted to study influences of the number of airbags,the angle of main beam,and the width of main beam on the performance of the flexible manipulator.The simulation results are utilized to optimize the structure of the flexible manipulator.A pneumatic control system is designed to realize the automatic control of the pneumatic flexible manipulator.At the same time,a prototype is 3D printed,the experimental platform for pneumatic deformation is built,and the verification experiments of the single-jaw manipulator and the three-jaw manipulator are completed.
基金The National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program) (No2004CB217702-01)the Foundation of ExcellentPhDThesis of Southeast University
文摘Experiments of dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal using nitrogen are carded out in an experimental test facility with the conveying pressure up to 4. 0 MPa and the gas-solid ratio up to 450 kg/m^3. The influences of different conveying differential pressures, coal moisture contents, gas volume flow rates and superficial velocities on the solid-gas ratios are investigated. Shannon entropy analysis of pressure fluctuation time series is developed to reveal the flow characteristics. Through investigation of the distribution of the Shannon entropy under different conditions, the flow stability and the evolutional tendency of the Shannon entropy in different regimes and regime transition processes are discovered, and the relationship between the Shannon entropy and the flow regimes is also established. The results indicate that the solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy rise with the increase in conveying differential pressure. The solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy reveal preferable regularity with gas volume flow rates. The Shannon entropy is different for different flow regimes, and can be used to identify the flow regimes. Both mass flow rate and the Shannon entropy decrease with the increase in moisture contents. The Shannon entropy analysis is a feasible approach for researching the characteristics of flow regimes, flow stability and flow regime transitions in dense-phase pneumatic conveying under high pressure.
基金Project(51375430)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘A pneumatic parallel platform driven by an air cylinder and three circumambient pneumatic muscles was considered. Firstly, a mathematical model of the pneumatic servo system was developed for the MIMO nonlinear model-based controller designed. The pneumatic muscles were controlled by three proportional position valves, and the air cylinder was controlled by a proportional pressure valve. As the forward kinematics of this structure had no analytical solution, the control strategy should be designed in joint space. A cross-coupling integral adaptive robust controller(CCIARC) which combined cross-coupling control strategy and traditional adaptive robust control(ARC) theory was developed by back-stepping method to accomplish trajectory tracking control of the parallel platform. The cross-coupling part of the controller stabilized the length error in joint space as well as the synchronization error, and the adaptive robust control part attenuated the adverse effects of modelling error and disturbance. The force character of the pneumatic muscles was difficult to model precisely, so the on-line recursive least square estimation(RLSE) method was employed to modify the model compensation. The projector mapping method was used to condition the RLSE algorithm to bound the parameters estimated. An integral feedback part was added to the traditional robust function to reduce the negative influence of the slow time-varying characteristic of pneumatic muscles and enhance the ability of trajectory tracking. The stability of the controller designed was proved through Laypunov's theory. Various contrast controllers were designed to testify the newly designed components of the CCIARC. Extensive experiments were conducted to illustrate the performance of the controller.
文摘We proposed a novel impact pneumatic cylinder with a reservoir connected to the inlet chamber so that the pneumatic cylinder can achieve a high speed. A reservoir with high-pressure air enabled the cylirider to achieve considerable＇acceleration when it began to Work. We established a mathematical model to simulate the behaviors of an impact pneumatic cylinder, focusing on the relationships of the maximum piston speed with the air supply pressure and the reservoir volume. The results show that the reservoir .can help significantly enhance the pneumatic system velocity. When the reservoir volume is less than double the cylinder volume, an increase in the reservoir volume is more effective in increasing the maximum piston velocity.
