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Advances in Smart Materials and Applications

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 13986

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jiong Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: vibration control and utilization

Dr. Xinjie Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: smart materials; PLZT ceramic; photostrictive materials; piezoelectric actuation

Prof. Dr. Wenling Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: soft matters; soft robots

Dr. Huixing Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: MR grease materials; impact isolate; vibration control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As humankind has embarked upon a continual quest for superior products and weaponry fabricated from superior materials and structure, terms such as smart materials have entered our vocabulary. Smart materials are one kind of materials that have one or more properties that can be manipulated via magnetic field or electric, light, stress, temperature, moisture, PH, chemical compounds, etc. Currently, there are a number of types of smart material, e.g., magnetorheological materials, electrorheological materials, piezoelectric materials, electrostrictive materials, magnetostrictive materials, photovoltaic materials, ferroelectric materials, thermoelectric materials, shape memory alloys, polymers, etc., which have been discovered and studied in different fields, playing an important role in promoting the development of modern science and technology. The fast growth of the topic and increasing interest in the field among researchers with expertise in the areas of smart materials and beyond are the main reasons for this Special Issue on “Advances in Smart Materials and Applications”.

The issue is intended to provide a platform for researchers working in the field to disseminate their ideas on novel smart material types, improvements of existing smart materials, and engineering applications. We will consider theoretical and experimental articles focusing on smart material modeling, smart material characterization, smart material control, and numerical analyses. In addition, applications to engineering systems including smart material development for robots, aerospace, military weapons, mechanic, automotive, sensor/actuator networks, energy harvesting, health monitoring, and biomimetic devices are also within the scope of the issue.

Prof. Dr. Jiong Wang
Dr. Xinjie Wang
Prof. Dr. Wenling Zhang
Dr. Huixing Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

smart materials
smart structure
material characterization
material control
numerical analyses
structural design
colloidal materials and interfaces
bio-inspired design
soft actuating materials
soft actuators
soft robots
artificial intelligent
active vibration control
optical drive

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4964 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Control of a Trapezoidal Piezoelectric Bimorph Actuator for Optical Fiber Alignment

by Xinjie Wang, Jianhui Li and Xingfan Lu

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5811; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175811 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 657

Abstract

To align a pair of optical fibers, it is required that the micro actuators used be small and have the characteristics of high accuracy and fast response time. A trapezoidal piezoelectric bimorph actuator was proposed for pushing and pulling an optical fiber. Based on a mathematical model and finite element model established in this paper, we analyzed the output displacement and output force of the proposed trapezoidal piezoelectric actuator under the influence of structural parameters. Since the piezoelectric bimorph actuator had a hysteresis effect, we applied particle swarm optimization to establish a Prandtl–Ishlinskii (PI) model for actuator and parameter identification. Then, two control methods, namely feedforward control considering hysteresis effects and fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control employing feedback, were proposed. Finally, a composite control model combining the two control methods with fewer tracking errors was designed. The results show that the output displacement of this actuator is larger than that of a rectangular one. Additionally, the fuzzy PID control has a lower response time (15 ms) and an overshoot (5%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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16 pages, 9384 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Sepiolite on the Field-Dependent Normal Force of Magnetorheological Grease

by Mengwei Du, Huixing Wang, Xudan Ye, Kun Qian and Jiong Wang

Materials 2023, 16(16), 5627; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165627 - 15 Aug 2023

Viewed by 748

Abstract

In order to investigate the influence of sepiolite minerals on the normal force of magnetorheological grease (MRG), a mixed sample (ALCH) on the basis of preparing an aluminum–lithium-based magnetorheological grease (base sample ALC), containing sepiolite was further prepared. The field-dependent normal force of the two samples was tested using a rotational rheometer, considering conditions such as magnetic field, time, strain amplitude, frequency, and temperature, and the results were compared. The results indicate that sepiolite limits the field dependent normal force of the magnetorheological grease under steady state shear, and is unaffected by magnetic field, time, temperature, and shear rate. Sepiolite has minimal impact on the transient response of the magnetorheological grease. Under oscillatory shear, the magnetic field is an important factor influencing the field-dependent normal force response of the sepiolite-magnetorheological grease (ALCH). At low magnetic fields, the field-dependent normal force of the sepiolite-containing sample (ALCH) is greater than that of the base sample (ALC), while this relationship is reversed at high magnetic fields, unaffected by other factors. Under long-term shear conditions, both samples exhibit good shear stability, as well as consistency at different frequencies and strain amplitudes. However, an increase in shear rate reduces the normal force, and temperature also affects the field-dependent normal force. The patterns of variation in steady-state and oscillatory shear modes are not entirely the same, but both exhibit a characteristic decrease with increasing temperature under high magnetic field intensities. Sepiolite can reduce the temperature sensitivity of the normal force of the magnetorheological grease. In conclusion, the introduction of sepiolite is beneficial for the application of magnetorheology in high-precision devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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20 pages, 11565 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Design and Controllability of Magnetorheological Grease Buffers under Impact Loading

by Gaoyang Kong, Qing Ouyang, Hongsheng Hu, Wenfeng Xiang and Wei Zhao

Materials 2023, 16(13), 4724; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134724 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 739

Abstract

Shock loads can pose a great threat to personnel or instruments, and efficient control of the buffering process is an effective means of reducing damage from shock energy. In this paper, magneto-rheological grease was used as the internal controllable material of the buffer to address the turbulence and settling problems of conventional magneto-rheological fluid. A bending and folding back magnetic circuit is proposed, and the magnetic circuit simulation was verified. The corresponding dynamic mechanical model was established, and the mechanical response characteristics of the buffer under impact load were also simulated dynamically. The mechanical properties of the designed and processed device were tested, and a variable current control method was used to improve the performance of the shock resistance of the buffer. The response of the magnetorheological grease buffer under different drop hammer impacts was investigated. The buffering effect and controllability of the buffer were analyzed by comparing the acceleration, velocity, and top-end cap displacement at the same drop hammer height for different current magnitudes. The results show that the buffer performance of the buffer gradually improved as the current increased. The response time of the designed new magnetorheological buffer was determined by the jump time of the peak damping force to be 9 ms. Lastly, the controllability was verified by manually and automatically adjusting the current magnitude, and the results were compared with those at 300 mm drop hammer height and 0.5 A current magnitude, and the continuous variable current control was found to be effective. This provides a feasible reference for scholars to study optimal buffer control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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13 pages, 3318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiphysics Modeling and Simulation of a Light-Controlled Variable Damping System

by Zhicheng Liu, Zhen Lv, Yujuan Tang, Xinjie Wang, Xiang Liu and Yusong Chen

Materials 2023, 16(8), 3194; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083194 - 18 Apr 2023

Viewed by 885

Abstract

In this paper, a light-controlled variable damping system (LCVDS) is proposed based on PLZT ceramics and electrorheological fluid (ERF). The mathematical models for the photovoltage of PLZT ceramics and the hydrodynamic model for the ERF are established, and the relationship between the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel and the light intensity is deduced. Then, simulations are conducted by applying different light intensities in the LCVDS to analyze the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel using COMSOL Multiphysics. The simulation results show that the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel increases with the increase in light intensity, which is consistent with results from the mathematical model established in this paper. The error rate of the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel is within 13.8% between the theoretical and simulation results. This investigation lays the foundation for the application of light-controlled variable damping in future engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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27 pages, 19348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Optimization Design and Performance Comparison of Magnetorheological Torsional Vibration Absorbers of Different Configurations

by Guisheng Liu, Hongsheng Hu, Qing Ouyang and Feng Zhang

Materials 2023, 16(8), 3170; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083170 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1322

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide a convenient optimization design method for magnetorheological torsional vibration absorbers (MR-TVA) suitable for automotive engines, which is a damper matching design method that takes into account the needs of the engine operating conditions. In this study, three kinds of MR-TVA with certain characteristics and applicability are proposed: axial single-coil configuration, axial multi-coil configuration and circumferential configuration. The magnetic circuit model, damping torque model and response time model of MR-TVA are established. Then, under the constraints of weight, size and inertia ratio, according to different torsional vibration conditions, the MR-TVA mass, damping torque and response time are multi-objective optimized in two directions. The optimal configurations of the three configurations are obtained from the intersection of the two optimal solutions, and the performance of the optimized MR-TVA is compared and analyzed. The results show that the axial multi-coil structure has large damping torque and the shortest response time (140 ms), which is suitable for complex working conditions. The damping torque of the axial single coil structure is generally large (207.05 N.m), which is suitable for heavy load conditions. The circumferential structure has a minimum mass (11.03 kg) and is suitable for light load conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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17 pages, 5486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Current Drive System of Magnetorheological Damper Based on Fuzzy PI Control

by Wei Li, Huijun Liang, Dongbin Xia, Jie Fu, Lei Luo and Miao Yu

Materials 2022, 15(24), 8893; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248893 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1485

Abstract

Magnetorheological dampers (MRD) are increasingly used in smart structural damping systems due to their good damping properties. In practical applications, as a nonlinear device, the parameters of the internal excitation coil of the magnetorheological damper will change during operation under the influence of the temperature and external environment, deteriorating the dynamic performance of the output current of the driver and reducing the damping effect of the system. Therefore, the current driver needs to be optimized for this phenomenon in order to ensure accurate current output. In this paper, a mathematical model of the buck circuit combined with the MRD equivalent circuit is established, and after analyzing the model, the parameters of the PI controller are rectified to lay the foundation for the design of the adaptive law. Then, with the help of the fuzzy control method, a fuzzy PI control strategy for MRD current driver is established, which enables the current driving system to adjust the control parameters adaptively when the MRD parameters change and ensure the accurate driving current output. The experimental results demonstrate that the fuzzy PI control strategy has a stronger robustness in the face of parameter changes of the control object compared with the traditional PI control at a system parameter change rate of 40%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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13 pages, 3939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Magnetic Field and Temperature on Rheological Behavior of Magnetorheological Gel

by Min Sun, Xiangdong Li, Zhou Zhou, Ran Deng, Xu Chen, Jiong Wang and Runsong Mao

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228070 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1238

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of temperature on rheological properties of magnetorheological (MR) gel is investigated under rotational steady shear and oscillatory dynamic shear. A kind of fluid-like MR gel (MRG) was firstly synthesized by mixing carbonyl iron powder (CIP) with polymer matrix. Then, the relationship between yield stress, normal stress of MRG and shear rate under six temperatures and four magnetic field strengths were studied by rotational shear experiments. The results demonstrate that the dependence of shear stress on temperature displays an opposite tendency in comparison with that of normal stress on temperature. Moreover, maximum yield stress, one of the most important parameter of MR materials, decreases with the increment of temperature. Under oscillatory dynamic shear test, storage and loss moduli and normal stress of MRG all increase with temperature when a magnetic field is applied, which presents a contrary trend in the absence of a magnetic field. Related mechanisms about the alternation of microstructures of MRG were proposed to explain the above-mentioned phenomena. This paper is helpful in fabricating semi-active engineering devices using MR materials as a medium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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16 pages, 8224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rate-Dependent Hysteresis Modeling and Displacement Tracking Control Based on Least-Squares SVM for Axially Pre-Compressed Macro-Fiber Composite Bimorph

by Kaiming Hu, Hujian Ge, Hua Li, Shenglong Xie and Suan Xu

Materials 2022, 15(18), 6480; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186480 - 18 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1660

Abstract

The new axially pre-compressed macro-fiber composite bimorph (MFC-PBP) can produce large displacement and output power. However, it has the property of strong rate-dependent hysteresis nonlinearity, which challenges the displacement tracking control of morphing structures. In this paper, the least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) is applied to model the rate-dependent hysteresis of MFC-PBP. Compared with the predicated results of the series model of the Bouc–Wen model and Hammerstein model (BW-H), the LS-SVM model achieved higher predication accuracy and better generalization ability. Based on the LS-SVM hysteresis compensation model, with the support vector pruning, the displacement tracking feedforward compensator is obtained. In order to improve the displacement tracking accuracy, the LS-SVM feedforward compensator combined with the proportional and integral (PI) controller and the feedforward plus feedback control experiment is carried out on the displacement tracking of MFC-PBP. The test results show that the feedforward plus feedback displacement tracking control loop based on the LS-SVM model also has a higher displacement tracking accuracy than that based on the inverse model of BW-H. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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21 pages, 4942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isogeometric Analysis of Graphene-Reinforced Functionally Gradient Piezoelectric Plates Resting on Winkler Elastic Foundations

by Yanan Liang, Shijie Zheng and Dejin Chen

Materials 2022, 15(16), 5727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15165727 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1637

Abstract

In this paper, the refined plate theory (RPT), Hamilton’s principle, and isogeometric analysis (IGA) are applied to investigate the static bending, free vibration and buckling behaviors of functionally graded graphene-platelet-reinforced piezoelectric (FG-GRP) plates resting on a Winkler elastic foundation. The graphene platelets (GPLs) are distributed in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a power function along the plate thickness direction to generate functionally gradient materials (FGMs). The modified Halpin–Tsai parallel model predicts the effective Young’s modulus of each graphene-reinforced piezoelectric composite plate layer, and the rule of the mixture can be used to calculate the effective Poisson’s ratio, mass density, and piezoelectric properties. Under different graphene distribution patterns and boundary conditions, the effects of a plate’s geometric dimensions, GPLs’ physical properties, GPLs’ geometric properties and the elastic coefficient of the Winkler elastic foundation on deflections, frequencies and bucking loads of the FG-GRP plates are investigated in depth. The convergence and computational efficiency of the present IGA are confirmed versus other studies. Furthermore, the results illustrate that a small amount of GPL reinforcements can improve the FG-GRP plates’ mechanical properties, i.e., GPLs can improve the system’s vibration and stability characteristics. The more GPL reinforcements spread into the surface layers, the more effective it is at enhancing the system’s stiffness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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18 pages, 5546 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Microwave Absorption Properties of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes/Carbonyl Iron Particles/Polyurethane Foams

by Xuegong Huang, Danping Yu and Simin Wang

Materials 2022, 15(16), 5690; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15165690 - 18 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2129

Abstract

In order to improve the microwave absorption performance of absorbing materials, the composite foam absorbing materials with different multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) contents were prepared using polyurethane foam as the substrate and MWCNTs and flaked carbonyl iron powder as absorbers. The electromagnetic properties of the materials were characterized and analyzed. Then, CST electromagnetic simulation software was used to simulate the electromagnetic shielding effect of absorbing materials on mechatronics products under a strong electromagnetic irradiation environment, and, finally, it was verified by irradiation experiment. The results show that the materials have good microwave absorption properties, in which the composites containing 1.5 wt.% MWCNTs exhibit good microwave absorption properties. The minimum reflectivity reaches −29 dB when the thickness is 3 mm and −15.6 dB when the thickness is 1.5 mm, with a bandwidth of 5.7 GHz for reflectivity less than −10 dB. The good microwave absorption performance of the material is due to the synergistic effect of MWCNTs particles and good impedance matching. The simulation and experimental results show that the mechatronics product with absorbing materials can protect against strong electromagnetic interference and ensure the normal operation of the mechatronics product circuits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Smart Materials and Applications)

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