Optimum design and sensitivity analysis of piezoelectric truss structures

This paper is concerned with the optimum design and sensitivity analysis methods of piezoelectric intelligent trusses on the structural stiffness and free-vibration frequency. On the basis of the finite element method and taking into account the mechanical-electric coupling effect under electric load and mechanical load, the computational formula of sensitivities of structural displacement and free-vibration frequency with respect to the size and shape design variables are proposed. A new kind of design variable of the electric voltage and the calculating method of displacement sensitivity with respect to the electric voltage variable is presented. The new method for structural deformation control by optimizing the voltages of piezoelectric active bars is given. The numerical methods of optimum design and sensitivity analysis for piezoelectric truss structures are implemented in JIFEX software. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the methods and the program. Project supported by the Special Funds for National Key Basic Research of China (No. G1999032805) and the Foundation for University Key Teachers by the Ministry of Education of China.     

Translational medicine of the glutamate AMPA receptor

Psychiatric and neurological disorders severely hamper patient’s quality of life. Despite their high unmet needs, the development of diagnostics and therapeutics has only made slow progress. This is due to limited evidence on the biological basis of these disorders in humans. Synapses are essential structural units of neurotransmission, and neuropsychiatric disorders are considered as “synapse diseases”. Thus, a translational approach with synaptic physiology is crucial to tackle these disorders. Among a variety of synapses, excitatory glutamatergic synapses play central roles in neuronal functions. The glutamate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) is a principal component of glutamatergic neurotransmission; therefore, it is considered to be a promising translational target. Here, we review the limitations of current diagnostics and therapeutics of neuropsychiatric disorders and advocate the urgent need for the promotion of translational medicine based on the synaptic physiology of AMPAR. Furthermore, we introduce our recent translational approach to these disorders by targeting at AMPARs.     

层板复合材料的疲劳剩余刚度统计分布模型

在分析现有关于层板复合材料疲劳剩余刚度衰退模型的基础上，根据层板复合材料在疲劳载荷作用下刚度衰退变化的现象，研究了疲劳载荷对层板复合材料刚度衰退的影响，建立了一个新的、更为合理的用于描述层板复合材料在常幅疲劳载荷作用下的刚度衰退模型，导出了剩余刚度统计分布的表达式，给出了确定模型参数的方法。为验证该模型，设计了几组测试实验，并利用试验结果对模型参数进行了估计。利用该统计分布模型，可以预报层板复合材料在给定应力水平的疲劳载荷作用下循环指定周次时剩余刚度的统计分布。实验数据表明，理论预报和实验结果符合得是很好的。     

First- and second-order sensitivities of beams with respect to cross-sectional cracks

This paper deals with a variational formulation for the sensitivity problem of beam systems in the context of deformable solids with cracks. Natural frequencies are defined as state variables involved in the energy functional of the system, while the cracks length and position are treated as system parameters. The hierarchical equation system is formed and solved for the first and second derivatives of the natural frequency functions with respect to the cracks length and position. An analytical procedure for calculations of the second-order sensitivities of natural frequencies is proposed for the non-symmetrical equation system operator. Numerical algorithms are worked out and implemented computationally. Analytical and numerical aspects of the problem are discussed in detail through a number of illustrative results.The support of this work by the State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) under Grant No. 4-050-0148/17-98-00 is gratefully acknowledged.     

结合部切向接触刚度分形模型研究

根据球体与平面接触的切向接触刚度和粗糙表面的接触分形理论，从理论上首次建立了结合部切向接触刚度分形模型，该模型具有尺度独立性。通过对所建模型的数字仿真，直观地给出了结合部切向接触刚度与其影响因素之间的非线性关系，并与实验研究结果具有较好的一致性，从而说明了该模型是合理的。     

Effect and importance of static-load on airflow resistivity determination and its consequences on dynamic stiffness

Airflow resistivity is a physical parameter which characterizes porous and fibrous sound absorbent materials. It is well-known that such property allows the evaluation of the acoustic behaviour of sound absorbent materials in various fields of application, including automotive noise mitigation, architectural acoustics and building acoustics. In structure-borne sound insulation, airflow resistivity is essential for the evaluation of the dynamic stiffness of porous and fibrous resilient insulating materials used as underlay in floating floors.However, an inconsistency between the dynamic stiffness and the airflow resistivity test conditions can be recognized. In order to evaluate dynamic stiffness of a resilient material, a static load of about 2 kPa is applied, while in airflow resistivity determination this condition is not explicitly required. As a result, the density of analyzed material, in dynamic stiffness and airflow measurements, is different. Since these two quantities are correlated, it is necessary to measure materials under the same conditions of applied static load.In this work the effects of static load (or density after compression) in airflow resistivity determination of various porous and fibrous resilient materials are investigated, and the consequent influence on dynamic stiffness is discussed. A simply empirical relation between density and airflow resistivity is also put forth.The main focus of this paper is to propose an harmonization among requirements of the Standards in order to prevent significant errors in dynamic stiffness determination and incorrect evaluations of the acoustic behaviour.     

Assessment of pulmonary artery stiffness using velocity-encoding magnetic resonance imaging: evaluation of techniques

The loss of pulmonary artery (PA) compliance has significant pathophysiological effect on the right ventricle. Noninvasive and reliable assessment of PA wall stiffness would be an essential determiner of right heart load and a clinically useful factor to assess cardiovascular risk. Two MRI techniques have been proposed for assessing PA stiffness by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV): transit time (TT) and flow area (QA). However, no data are available that compares the two techniques and evaluates their performance, especially over a wide range of PWV values or at 3.0-T, which is the purpose of the present study. Thirty-three patients with different heart conditions were imaged using optimized high-temporal resolution and high-spatial resolution velocity-encoding MRI sequences. Statistical analysis was conducted to study intermethod, interobserver and intraobserver variabilities. The PWV measurements using TT and QA techniques showed good agreement (P>0.1). The Bland-Altman analysis showed negligible differences between the two methods (mean±S.D.=0.11±0.35 m/s, correlation coefficient r=0.94). The repeated measurements showed low interobserver and intraobserver variabilities, although the S.D. of the differences was larger in the QA technique. The mean±S.D. of the TT/QA measurement differences were −0.05±0.2/0.0±0.36 m/s and 0.02±0.26/0.02±0.39 m/s for the interobserver and intraobserver differences, respectively. In conclusion, each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. The two techniques result in similar measurements, although the QA method is more subjective due to its dependency on operator intervention.     

Stress state of a cylindrical composite panel weakened by a circular hole

The paper studies the stress-strain state of a deep cylindrical panel weakened by a hole and subjected to a tensile load at the outer boundary. A variational difference method is used. A numerical analysis is carried out for an orthotropic panel with low shear stiffness __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 73–78, May 2006.     

PBL节点初始平动刚度计算及设计参数优化

为研究钢桁腹混凝土组合箱梁中PBL(Perfobond Leiste)节点的初始平动刚度及其影响因素,首先基于组件法,运用卡氏第二定理推导出考虑了开孔钢板与混凝土间的界面剪切力和混凝土榫贡献的PBL节点的初始平动刚度表达式,其次以某工程实例为背景,结合有限元模型验证所推公式的合理性;在此基础上分析了混凝土强度、腹杆直径、腹杆壁厚、开孔钢板开孔孔径和开孔钢板厚度等构造参数对初始平动刚度的影响,并利用正交分析法对以上5个参数进行优化组合。研究结果表明,本文方法计算的PBL节点初始平动刚度结果与有限元计算结果间的误差在8.0%以内;相较运用解三角形计算腹杆平动位移的方法,采用卡氏第二定理不仅可以简化计算,还可以减小解三角形过程中因多次计算变形带来的误差累积;腹杆刚度对PBL节点整体平动刚度的贡献最大,可达到82.5%;保持原设中的混凝土强度不变,将腹杆直径增加20 mm,将钢腹杆壁厚增加4 mm,将开孔钢板开孔孔径增加4 mm,将开孔钢板厚度增加4 mm,可以将PBL节点理论初始平动刚度提高约25.7%。