Constant Force Research Articles

Constructing critical control parameters to keep vehicle away from divergent loss of stability

This paper describes a proposed methodology for the vehicle dynamics modelling and analysis of the stationary states for a two-axle road vehicle subject to a constant external lateral force and a resulting moment acting about a vertical axis passing through the mass centre of the vehicle. The classic nonlinear bicycle model is used and analyses are performed to investigate the stabilisation of straight-line motion through the automated correction of steering inputs to the front wheels. The approach taken here is based on the Pevsner-Pacejka graph-analytical method analysis of a stability set of stationary states in combination with an applicable theory of bifurcation. The disturbing lateral force is typically due to the pressure resulting from a strong side wind gust. The resolution of this force will act through the centre of pressure, taking the vehicle in side profile. The centre of pressure is unlikely to coincide with the centre of mass. This results in the additional disturbing yaw moment acting about a vertical axis through the centre of mass of the vehicle. Depending on the vehicle configuration this moment may introduce a dangerous oversteer response that most drivers would find difficult to manage.

Exploration of Stokes hydrodynamic law at molecular length scales.

The celebrated generalized Stokes law predicts that the velocity of a particle pulled through a liquid by an external force, Fex, is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the friction ζ acted by the medium on the particle. We investigate the range of validity of the generalized Stokes law at molecular length scales by employing computer simulations to calculate friction by pulling a tagged particle with a constant force. We thus calculate friction for two model interaction potentials, Lennard-Jones and soft sphere, for several particle sizes, ranging from radius (a) smaller than the solvent particles to three times larger. We next obtain friction from diffusion (D) by using Einstein's relation between diffusion and friction ζ in an unperturbed liquid. We find a quantitative agreement between the two at a small-to-intermediate pulling force regime for all the sizes studied. The law does break down at a large pulling force beyond a threshold value. Importantly, the range of validity of Stokes' scheme to obtain friction increases substantially if we turn off the attractive part of the interaction potential. Additionally, we calculate the viscosity (η) of the unperturbed liquid and find a good agreement with the Stokes-Einstein relation ζ = Cηa for the viscosity dependence with a value of C close to 5 π, which is intermediate between the slip and stick boundary condition.

Last Word on Viewpoint: Rethinking force steadiness: a new perspective-Yank magnitude: a metric of unsteadiness during the constant isometric force task.

Last Word on Viewpoint: Rethinking force steadiness: a new perspective-Yank magnitude: a metric of unsteadiness during the constant isometric force task.

Spectral characterization of human leg EMG signals from an open access dataset for the development of computational models.

Large-scale neuromusculoskeletal models have been used for predicting mechanisms underlying neuromuscular functions in humans. Simulations of such models provide several types of signals of practical interest, such as surface electromyographic signals (EMG), which are compared with experimental data for interpretations of neurophysiological phenomena under study. Specifically, realistic characterization of spectral properties of simulated EMG signals is important for achieving powerful inferences, whereas considerations should be taken for myoelectric signals of different muscles. In this study, we characterized spectral properties of surface interference pattern EMG signals and motor unit action potentials (MUAP) acquired from three plantar flexor muscles: Soleus (SO), Medial Gastrocnemius (MG), and Lateral Gastrocnemius (LG); and one dorsiflexor muscle: Tibialis Anterior (TA). Surface EMG signals were acquired from 20 participants using the same convention for electrode placement. Specifically, interference pattern EMG signals were obtained during isometric constant force contractions at 5%, 10% and 20% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), whereas surface MUAPs were decomposed from surface EMG signals obtained at low contraction forces. We compared the spectrum median frequency (MDF) estimated from interference pattern EMG signals across muscles and contraction intensities. Additionally, we compared MDF and durations of MUAPs between muscles. Our results showed that MDF of interference pattern EMG signals acquired from TA were higher compared to SO, MG, and LG for all contraction intensities i.e., 5%, 10%, and 20% MVC. Consistently, MUAPs acquired from TA also had higher MDF values and shorter durations compared to the other leg muscles. We provide herein a dataset with the surface MUAPs waveforms and interference pattern EMG signals obtained for this study, which should be useful for implementing and validating the simulation of myoelectrical signals of leg muscles. Importantly, these results indicate that spectral properties of myoelectrical signals should be considered for improving EMG modeling in large-scale neuromusculoskeletal models.

An MFC-based friction damper with adjustable normal force: conception, modelling, and experiment

For classic friction dampers, the normal force on the contact interface is designed to be constant and cannot be easily adjusted post-manufacturing. The damping performance will attenuate when the working condition deviates from the target one. To overcome this issue, semi-active friction dampers are developed, where the normal force can be regulated by actuators to match the current working condition. However, the additional mass brought by the actuators limits their application prospects in the aerospace field. In this work, we propose a macro-fiber-composite-based adjustable friction damper (MFC-AFD) for typical thin-walled structures in aircrafts, which has the advantages of being lightweight, easy to install, and inherently fail-safe. The idea is to use the embedded MFC to drive the flexible structure of the damper to deform, thereby regulating the normal force. By adjusting the constant component of the normal force, the effective working range is expected to be enlarged, especially under non-target working condition. By controlling the second harmonic component, the optimal damping performance is expected to be further improved. We conduct the research using a combination of numerical simulations and experiments. To accurately and efficiently predict the damping performance of the MFC-AFD, a homogenization modeling method of MFC is proposed, and the corresponding experimental calibration technique is given. The harmonic balance-based nonlinear solver specifically for calculating the steady-response of electromechanically coupled structures is developed. Concerning the constant normal force control, a step-back to zero control law is established to eliminate the hysteresis behavior of MFC. In terms of the time-varying normal force control, a closed-loop control strategy in the frequency domain for the second harmonic component is proposed and realized. The vibration reduction effects of the MFC-AFD adopting the constant and time-varying normal force control laws are validated experimentally through a cantilever beam. Experiment results are in line with our expectations. When the vibration level is nearly 10 times of the target one, the reduction ratio recovers to 75% (i.e. close to the target working condition) by using the constant normal force control. There is an additional 32% vibration reduction compared to the optimal constant normal force when the time-varying normal force is properly controlled.

Space time energy equivalence

Space–time–energy equivalence is the principle that everything that has space and time (in the presence of a constant force with an impact point) has an equivalent amount of energy, and vice versa. This equivalence is widespread in physics and astrophysics. Five examples (Stoney units, Planck units, Newton's law and Interaction of light rays, standard gravitational parameter and Coulomb's law) of the algebraic notation of this principle show its universality. Five examples (repetitions) of the same principle should justify the universality of the new principle and its use in physics and astrophysics. The proposed equivalence reveals the functional relationship between physical constants: Planck's constant, electric charge of an electron, vacuum permittivity and vacuum permeability. The realization of this equivalence will allow, through deepening the understanding of the nature of space–time, to take a fresh look at physics, when describing natural laws and principles.

Force matching: motor effects that are not reported by the actor.

We explored unintentional drifts of finger forces during force production and matching task. Based on earlier studies, we predicted that force matching with the other hand would reduce or stop the force drift in instructed fingers while uninstructed (enslaved) fingers remain unaffected. Twelve young, healthy, right-handed participants performed two types of tasks with both hands (task hand and match hand). The task hand produced constant force at 20% of MVC level with the Index and Ring fingers pressing in parallel on strain gauge force sensors. The Middle finger force wasn't instructed, and its enslaved force was recorded. Visual feedback on the total force by the instructed fingers was either present throughout the trial or only during the first 5s (no-feedback condition). The other hand matched the perceived force level of the task hand starting at either 4, 8, or 15s from the trial initiation. No feedback was ever provided for the match hand force. After the visual feedback was removed, the task hand showed a consistent drift to lower magnitudes of total force. Contrary to our prediction, over all conditions, force matching caused a brief acceleration of force drift in the task hand, which then reached a plateau. There was no effect of matching on drifts in enslaved finger force. We interpret the force drifts within the theory of control with spatial referent coordinates as consequences of drifts in the command (referent coordinate) to the antagonist muscles. This command is not adequately incorporated into force perception.

An Investigation of Real-Time Robotic Polishing Motion Planning Using a Dynamical System

When addressing the technical challenges of achieving precise force tracking during the local polishing process of polishing robots, controlling the contact state between the robot and the workpiece surface is essential. To this end, a contact motion-planning strategy based on dynamic systems is designed to generate trajectory routes during local polishing. The trajectory simulation of the local modulation dynamic system is achieved through the employment of the support vector regression (SVR) algorithm with a Gaussian kernel, facilitating the learning process. The feasibility and stability of planning local paths are validated using the local modulation dynamic system. To maintain a constant contact force between the end-effector polishing robot and the workpiece, an integral adaptive impedance control strategy is utilized, enabling the robot’s compliant control. Subsequently, an experimental system for the polishing robot is constructed in order to verify the effectiveness of the motion-planning system. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed motion-planning approach is applicable in practical polishing processes, ensuring smooth contact and maintaining the desired contact force when scanning nonlinear surfaces, and thus showcasing stability and practicality.

I-Rheo-optical assay: Measuring the viscoelastic properties of multicellular spheroids

This study introduces a novel mechanobiology assay, named “i-Rheo-optical assay”, that integrates rheology with optical microscopy for analysing the viscoelastic properties of multicellular spheroids. These spheroids serve as three-dimensional models resembling tissue structures. The innovative technique enables real-time observation and quantification of morphological responses to applied stress using a cost-effective microscope coverslip for constant compression force application. By bridging a knowledge gap in biophysical research, which has predominantly focused on the elastic properties while only minimally exploring the viscoelastic nature in multicellular systems, the i-Rheo-optical assay emerges as an effective tool. It facilitates the measurement of broadband viscoelastic compressional moduli in spheroids, here derived from cancer (PANC-1) and non-tumoral (NIH/3T3) cell lines during compression tests.This approach plays a crucial role in elucidating the mechanical properties of spheroids and holds potential for identifying biomarkers to discriminate between healthy tissues and their pathological counterparts. Offering comprehensive insights into the biomechanical behaviour of biological systems, i-Rheo-optical assay marks a significant advancement in tissue engineering, cancer research, and therapeutic development.

Optimal seismic design for self-centering concrete wall structures equipped with U-shaped flexural plate dissipaters

In self-centering wall (SCW) structural system, additional energy dissipation devices are crucial members that are expected to provide both partial lateral force resistance and energy dissipation capacity aiming at mitigating structural response. This research aims to develop a seismic design framework based on particle swarm optimization algorithm for SCW structures equipped with U-Shaped Flexural Plates (UFPs), which can be used to seek out the optimal configuration of UFPs of each floor to reduce seismic response, while maintaining a constant total lateral force resistance provided by all UFPs. For validation, a 10-story SCW structure is chosen as the design case. Specifically, two configurations are considered: a 10-story SCW structure equipped with identical UFPs following conventional design (SCF10-Original) and one equipped with UFPs from optimized configuration (SCF10-Optimized). Their drift and acceleration response are calculated and compared under different seismic intensities through nonlinear time history analysis (NATH). The results demonstrate that the optimized configuration of UFPs can significantly mitigate the drift response in SCW structure. For instance, the maximum inter-story drift ratios of SCF10-Optimized are 0.2 % smaller than those of SCF10-Original under maximum considered earthquake, while the maximum residual inter-story drift ratios of SCF10-Optimized are only half those of SCF10-Original under Extremely Rare Earthquake. Furthermore, the optimized UFPs can effectively reduce the maximum floor acceleration response under various seismic intensities. Therefore, the optimized configuration of UFPs is more effective in reducing both structural and non-structural damage for SCW structural systems compared to conventional configuration. It is also found that greater energy dissipation levels in SCW structure equipped with UFPs may not always result in smaller seismic response, while the configuration of UFPs may play a major influencing factor due to different inter-story lateral force resistance and inter-story energy dissipation demands of SCW structure.

The development and testing of a smart sensorized guide wire for catheterization in a "blood" vessel phantom to support aortic valve implementation.

Heart valve disease is commonly treated by minimally invasive procedures with guide wires and catheterization. The main purpose of this study is to find out whether an extension of the guide wire with a sensor can support the surgeon within the blood vessel to reduce X-ray necessity. A smart guide wire is developed by an extension with a flex-bending sensor to evaluate the sensor signal with and without "blood" flow at a constant compression force. Various surgically relevant investigations are performed. For assessment, the mean temporal average of the moving averaged filtered ADC signal and a subsequent FFT are carried out. Results show that there is a smaller sensor signal when the applied force or bending at the sensor is higher. In all investigations, there was a different sensor signal. The flex-bending sensor can detect the effect of pulsatile flow. The smallest temporal averaged signal difference between reference and clamp in the front wire's tip is 1.09%. For example, the mean temporal average of the filtered ADC signal for different clinically relevant scenarios is between 2550 and 2900. The results show that the sensorized guide wire developed for catheterization can support aortic valve implementation. The sensor sensitivity is sufficient to detect even very small variations within the blood vessel and therefore is promising to support catheterization heart valve surgeries in future.

Heat Treatment's Vital Role: Elevating Orthodontic Mini-Implants for Superior Performance and Longevity-Pilot Study.

Ten self-drilling mini-implants sourced from two distinct manufacturers (Jeil Medical Corporation® and Leone®) with dimensions of 2.0 mm diameter and 10 mm length were tested. They were separated into two material groups: Ti6Al4V and 316L. Using the CETRUMT-2 microtribometer equipment, indentation testing was conducted employing a diamond-tipped Rockwell penetrator at a constant force of 4.5 N. Slight differences were observed in the elastic modulus of the Ti6Al4V alloy (103.99 GPa) and stainless steel 316L (203.20 GPa) compared to natural bone. The higher elastic moduli of these materials indicate that they are stiffer, which could potentially lead to stress-shielding phenomena and bone resorption. Heat treatment resulted in significant changes in mechanical properties, including elastic modulus reductions of approximately 26.14% for Ti6Al4V and 24.82% for 316L, impacting their performance in orthodontic applications. Understanding the effects of heat treatment on these alloys is crucial for optimizing their biomechanical compatibility and longevity in orthodontic treatment. To fully evaluate the effects of heat treatment on mini-implants and to refine their design and efficacy in clinical practice, further research is needed.

3-D woven honeycomb structures and their composites

Honeycomb is regarded as a valuable structural material because of its high strength, shear stiffness, high impact strength, low weight, high crushing stress, and nearly constant force to crush. It is a cellular solid, well-known as a core in creating sandwich structures for use in structural composites. Honeycombs are often utilized in the aircraft sector as the core of sandwich panels and in the automotive industry as effective impact attenuators because of their superior mechanical performance. The hollow spaces in the honeycomb structure not only reduce weight but also ensure the required strength, provided they are designed correctly. In lightweight application areas, because they offer structural integrity, 3-D woven honeycomb composites have a bright future and possess the potential to replace aluminum and other metal alloys. This issue of Textile Progress focuses on the manufacturing of 3-D woven honeycomb fabrics, their mechanical characterization, application areas, different ways of weaving honeycomb cells, and some innovations related to honeycomb-like auxetic and 3-D printed honeycomb structures.

Design of constant-force mechanisms using origami

The origami mechanisms possess numerous unique advantages, including folding, reconfigurability, and multi-stability. The presence of multi-stability introduces a novel concept for the design of constant force mechanisms (CFM). In this study, we present a CFM with multi-segment constant-force regions by leveraging the multi-stable characteristics of the origami mechanism. The design principle behind this CFM involves combining an accordion origami structure with positive stiffness and a Kresling origami structure with multi-segment negative stiffness regions. To achieve zero stiffness, the Kresling origami structure is aligned parallel to the accordion origami. To effectively utilize both the Kresling and accordion origamis, we have established a mechanical model that describes their respective stiffness characteristics to establish design rules for the constant-force mechanism. By carefully designing the parameters of these two origami structures, we evaluate how variations in the structural parameters of Kresling influence the constant force properties of our proposed multi-segment CFM. To illustrate its inherent property of providing constant force across multiple segments, we employ finite element analysis and experiments to obtain force-displacement curves for our mechanism. The results demonstrate the feasibility of our presented design method which paves the way for constructing a simple CFM.

An adaptive electropneumatic end effector for constant force robot grinding with steel wire brush

An adaptive electropneumatic end effector for constant force robot grinding with steel wire brush

Event‐triggered based finite‐frequency control for vehicle electrohydraulic suspension with force tracking

AbstractThis study investigates the problem of event‐triggered based finite‐frequency control for vehicle electrohydraulic suspensions with force tracking. A novel hierarchical control methodology is proposed by designing event‐triggered finite frequency and active force tracking controllers to improve the suspension performance. In practical application, active suspension system can be constructed as the network control system under consideration of the electrohydraulic actuator's nonlinear dynamics and parametric uncertainties, and in‐vehicle network delay in a unified framework. Then, due to the more sensitiveness of the human body to vertical vibrations in 4–8 Hz and limited in‐vehicle network communication resource, an event‐triggered finite frequency controller is developed based on the generalized KYP lemma and Lyapunov stability theory. The triggered condition is designed for the network control system with in‐vehicle network delay. Other physical constraints including suspension working space, tire dynamic load and actuator saturation are also introduced in this controller design. It can generate the target force to satisfy suspension performance requirements under each triggered instant period. Furthermore, since the nonlinearity and uncertainty always exist in the electrohydraulic actuator, a filter‐based adaptive sliding mode control method is employed to design the active force tracking controller. It can precisely drive electrohydraulic actuator to track the target constant force generated by event‐triggered finite frequency controller. Finally, the results validate the effectiveness and saving communication resource capability of the proposed control methodology.

Чисельне дослідження впливу довжини стрижня на його критичні сили

The effect of changing the length of a longitudinally compressed rod on its critical forces is numerically investigated. The research is carried out on the example of a two-span rectilinear rod of bending stiffness constant along length, which is compressed by a constant lengthwise longitudinal force and hinged on one of the ends on an absolutely rigid support, and inside - on a support of finite stiffness. The change in the length of the rod occurs due to the movement of the end hinge support with the corresponding increase or decrease of the adjacent section of the rod without changing the position and characteristics of the remaining constraints. The dependence of the critical forces of the rod on the position of this support and, accordingly, on the length of the adjacent compressed section of the rod is investigated. Calculations are performed on the basis of the use of known exact analytical expressions of the influence functions of a rod of constant cross-section compressed by a longitudinal force constant by length. In the considered examples, qualitative signs of increase, decrease, and extremum of simple critical forces when changing the length of the rod, related to the qualitative features of the corresponding buckling forms, established earlier theoretically, were fully confirmed. In particular, exact calculations have shown that the increase or decrease of the simple critical force when the length of the fragment of the rod adjacent to the movable support is changed is determined by the type of the corresponding buckling form in the neighborhood of this support. Different possible configurations of buckling forms are considered, and the behavior of critical forces when changing the length of the rod are considered for each of the configurations. In order to verify the previously established theoretical results, which relate to the study of the behavior of not only the main critical forces, but also higher simple critical forces, which have an arbitrary number in the spectrum, the calculations are carried out in the article for the second critical forces of the rods considered in the given examples. The results of the calculations are shown in the form of graphs, which represent configurations of buckling forms of various possible types in connection with the corresponding changes in critical forces. Graphs of the dependence of the second critical force of the studied rods on their length are also given. It has been demonstrated that under certain conditions, reducing the length of the rod can lead to a reduction in its critical force.

Abstract 5641: Transcriptional regulation by nuclear deformation

Abstract Establishment and maintenance of cell identities requires transcriptional rewiring and modulation of three-dimensional genome organization. The nucleus is subject to constant mechanical forces, both intrinsic from the cytoskeleton and extrinsic, such as compression, confinement, and stretch. Recently, work from us and others implicate mechanical force, through activating biochemical signaling pathways as well as direct nuclear deformation, in remodeling nuclear architecture, chromatin state and global gene expression patterns. Thus, we hypothesize that mechanical force plays an important role in coordinating and thresholding transcriptional responses. Here, we challenge this hypothesis by quantifying the effect of nuclear deformation on transcription in real time at single cell resolution quasi genome wide. Further, recent work elucidated that the MYC oncogene exerts global effects on transcriptional output by altering the binding dynamics of transcription factors involved in the activation and productive elongation of RNA Polymerase II. This contrasts with mechanical stress which reduces global levels of RNA Polymerase II. Here we interrogate how transcriptional output is tuned for specific genetic programs/loci by mechanical force using MYC as a paradigm. Citation Format: Andrew Cook, Rebecca Stephens, Nadezda Fursova, Carson C. Chow, Dan Larson, Yekaterina Miroshnikova. Transcriptional regulation by nuclear deformation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5641.

Assessing fracture toughness of vintage and modern X65 pipeline steels under in situ electrochemical hydrogen charging using advanced testing methodology

The susceptibility of pipeline steels to hydrogen embrittlement, which can significantly impair mechanical performance, especially fracture toughness, is a critical issue in infrastructure integrity. This study evaluates the fracture toughness of modern and vintage API X65 steels under cathodic polarization (CP) conditions, employing methods such as rising displacement testing, stepwise rising constant load testing, and constant load testing. Tearing crack growth was detected at crack tip opening displacements (CTODs) of 0.032 to 0.055 mm while subsequent crack arrest under constant force loading was observed with CTOD thresholds of 0.148 mm and 0.255 mm for modern and vintage X65, respectively. Electron channelling contrast imaging demonstrated that arrested cracks in both steels exhibited reduced plasticity and a higher propensity for crack branching compared to propagating cracks. These findings highlight the need for tailored strategies to mitigate the effects of hydrogen embrittlement in pipeline materials and underscore the differences in damage tolerance between steel generations.

The control of the arm's equilibrium position.

To generate a force, the brain activates muscles that act like springs to pull the arm toward a new equilibrium position. The equilibrium position (EP) is central to our understanding of the biological control of viscoelastic muscles. While there is evidence of the EP during the control of limb posture, EPs have not been directly identified when the limb exerts a force against the environment. Here, we asked participants to apply a constant force in one of eight directions against a point-like constraint. This constraint was released abruptly to observe the final position to which the arm converged. Importantly, the same force magnitude was maintained while changing the arm's stiffness by modulating the strength of the hand's power grasp. The final position moved further away from the constraint as the arm became less stiff and was inversely proportional to the arm's stiffness, thereby confirming that the final position was the arm's EP. These results demonstrate how the EP changes with the arm's stiffness to produce a desired force in different directions.