Sharif Digital Repository

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are a new generation of smart materials with the capability of recovering their predefined shape after experiencing a large strain. This is mainly due to the shape memory effects and the superelasticity of SMA. These properties make SMA an excellent alternative to be used in passive, semi-active, and active control systems in civil engineering applications. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the recent developments in the applications of SMA in civil infrastructures, including, steel, concrete, and timber structures. This review reveals the significance of SMA in civil infrastructures particularly, the enhancement of structural behavior and energy... 

The labels mathematician, engineer, and physicist have all been used in reference to Balthazar van der Pol. The van der Pol oscillator, which we study in this paper, is a model developed by him to describe the behavior of nonlinear vacuum tube circuits in the relatively early days of the development of electronics technology. Our study in this paper will be based entirely on numerical solutions. The rigorous foundations for the analysis (e.g., the proof that the equation has a limit cycle solution which is a global attractor) date back to the work of Lienard in 1928, with later more general analysis by Levinson and others  

This paper proposes a multi-objective structure for the optimization of an engine control unit mapping. In this way, first an integrated engine-vehicle model is developed. The objective functions for the optimization problem can be defined from this model. After describing the structure of the optimization problem, two different multi-objective genetic algorithms, namely Distance-based Pareto Genetic Algorithm and Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (together with Entropy-based Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm), are proposed and implemented. The results demonstrate the superiority of this computerized structure to the manual mapping methods and also more generality of the... 

Detection and isolation of faults in the exhaust gas path of a turbocharged spark ignition (SI) engine is an essential part of the engine control unit (ECU) strategies to minimize exhaust emission and ensure safe operation of a turbocharger. This paper proposes a novel physics-based strategy to detect and isolate an exhaust manifold leakage and a closed-stuck wastegate fault. The strategy is based on a globally optimal parameter estimation algorithm which detects an effective hole area in the exhaust manifold. The estimation algorithm requires prediction of the exhaust manifold's input and output flows. The input flow is predicted by a nonlinear Luenberger observer which is analytically... 

Reduction of cold start hydrocarbon (HC) emissions requires a proper compromise between low engine-out HC emission and fast light-off of the three way catalytic converter (TWC). In this paper, a hybrid switching system is designed and optimized for reducing HC emissions of a mid-sized passenger car during the cold start phase of FTP-75 (Federal Test Procedure). This hybrid system has the benefit of increasing TWC temperature during the early stages of the driving cycle by switching between different operational modes. The switching times are optimized to reduce the cumulative tailpipe HC of an experimentally validated automotive emission model. The designed hybrid system is tested in... 

Detection and isolation of faults in the exhaust gas path of a turbocharged spark ignition (SI) engine is an essential part of the engine control unit (ECU) strategies to minimize exhaust emission and ensure safe operation of a turbocharger. This paper proposes a novel physics-based strategy to detect and isolate an exhaust manifold leakage and a closed-stuck wastegate fault. The strategy is based on a globally optimal parameter estimation algorithm which detects an effective hole area in the exhaust manifold. The estimation algorithm requires prediction of the exhaust manifold's input and output flows. The input flow is predicted by a nonlinear Luenberger observer which is analytically... 

Extended Boussinesq-type water wave equations are derived in two horizontal dimensions to capture the nonlinearity effects and frequency dispersion of wave in a high accuracy order. A multi-parameter perturbation analysis is applied in several steps to extend the previous second order Boussinesq-type equations in to 6th order for frequency dispersion and consequential order for nonlinearity terms. The presented high-order Boussinesq-type equation is applied in a numerical model to simulate the wave field transformation due to physical processes such as shoaling, refraction and diffraction. The models results are compared with available experimental data which obtained in a laboratory wave... 

In this paper, GyroSym, a compact highly-stable single-wheel robot is introduced. Symmetrical flywheels have been used as its stabilization mechanism to keep the wheel upright. Thanks to the type of the flywheel used, the dynamic equations of the robot is simplified, the torque needed to tilt the spin axis is reduced, and the space is drastically minimized. Besides, a centrifugal clutch is used to smooth the motion of the robot in forward motion. Two controllers, fuzzy and fuzzy-Padé, were implemented based on their ability to stabilize the robot. Although both prevented the GyroSym from falling over, neither can entirely cancel out the effects of nonlinear behaviors that is present in the... 

Besides the conventional fiber production methods, microfluidics has emerged as a promising approach for the engineered spinning of fibrous materials and offers excellent potential for fiber manufacturing in a controlled and straightforward manner. This method facilitates low-speed prototype synthesis of fibers for diverse applications while providing superior control over reaction conditions, efficient use of precursor solutions, reagent mixing, and process parameters. This article reviews recent advances in microfluidic technology for the fabrication of fibrous materials with different morphologies and a variety of properties aimed at various applications. First, the basic principles, as... 

The paper aims at proposing a controller through two-layer neural networks (NN) in order to control CD4 amount in HIV + Patients. In the same direction, initially a new mathematical model by using of two-layer neural networks (NN) was designed. Medical information of 300 HIV + Patients who were being treated in the Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS (IRCHA), Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, was used to design this model. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) medical method is a significant method that was used in this study. It is worthy to say that CD4 amount declining leads to immune system deficiency and it is considered as one of AIDS main symptoms. Output of this mathematic... 

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamic response of an inclined pinned-pinned beam with a constant cross section, finite length subjected to a concentrated vertical force traveling with a constant velocity is investigated. The study is focused on the mode summation method and also on frequency analysis of the governing PDEs equations of motion. Furthermore, the steady-state response is studied by applying the multiple scales method. The nonlinear response of the beam is obtained by solving two coupled nonlinear PDEs governing equations of planar motion for both longitudinal and transverse oscillations of the beam. The dynamic magnification factor and normalized time histories of mid-pint of the... 

Blend drug-loading method in electrospun scaffolds has gained much attention as a cost-effective and simple delivery system in regenerative medicine. However, it has some drawbacks, such as the burst release of encapsulated drugs and denaturing active agents in harsh organic solvents. In this study, a new silk fibroin-gelatin (SF–G) fibrous sheet has been introduced as an engineered scaffold and a straightforward drug delivery system for skin tissue engineering applications. The hybrid sheets have been prepared via co-electrospinning and in-situ crosslinking methods without corrosive solvents and toxic crosslinking agents. To evaluate the proposed scaffold as a controlled release system, the... 

This paper presents a new method for protecting the variable speed wind turbines in switching between different regions. With the objective of power maximization, the controller is applied in all regions. Since usually different methods and algorithms are used in different regions for controlling the wind turbines, smooth transition between these controllers is necessary for the safety and protection of turbine parts and structure. A two degree of freedom mechanical model is used and the simulations are performed and verified by FAST. The turbine is controlled by a rotor angular speed controller in the second region and an inverse dynamic pitch controller in the third region. The transient... 

The design of advanced nanobiomaterials to improve analytical accuracy and therapeutic efficacy has become an important prerequisite for the development of innovative nanomedicines. Recently, phospholipid nanobiomaterials including 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) have attracted great attention with remarkable characteristics such as resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption and cell adhesion for various biomedical applications. Despite many recent reports, there is a lack of comprehensive review on the phospholipid nanobiomaterials from synthesis to diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Here, we review the synthesis and characterization of phospholipid nanobiomaterials... 

Blend drug-loading method in electrospun scaffolds has gained much attention as a cost-effective and simple delivery system in regenerative medicine. However, it has some drawbacks, such as the burst release of encapsulated drugs and denaturing active agents in harsh organic solvents. In this study, a new silk fibroin-gelatin (SF–G) fibrous sheet has been introduced as an engineered scaffold and a straightforward drug delivery system for skin tissue engineering applications. The hybrid sheets have been prepared via co-electrospinning and in-situ crosslinking methods without corrosive solvents and toxic crosslinking agents. To evaluate the proposed scaffold as a controlled release system, the... 

Here we report on the development of a hybrid nanofibrous scaffold made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers embedding zinc oxide nanorods (ZnOns), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers incorporating dexamethasone (DEX)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles using dual-electrospinning method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile analysis were carried out for physiochemical characterization of the scaffolds, followed by DEX release profile. In addition, an MTT assay was conducted to assess the viability of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) on the hybrid nanofibrous scaffold.... 

A combination of topographical cues and controlled release of biochemical factors is a potential platform in controlling stem cells differentiation. In this study the synergistic effect of nanotopography and sustained release of biofunctional transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) on differentiation of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hWJ-derived UC-MSCs) toward myogenic lineage was investigated. In order to achieve a sustained release of TGF-β1, this factor was encapsulated within chitosan nanoparticles. Afterwards the aligned composite mats were fabricated using poly-E-caprolacton (PCL) containing TGF-β1-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA).... 

Structural control using energy dissipater devices is emerging as a heavily researched strategy in earthquake engineering. Among several control systems, semiactive control is usually possible and efficient. In this research, a semiactive energy dissipating bracing system based on a viscous damper is proposed. In the conventional bracing systems, it is assumed that the braces can buckle under compression. Therefore, a semiactive on-off brace strategy is implemented to improve the conventional brace performance. Further, an energy absorbing mechanism is implemented. In the proposed system, the buckling of the member is prevented by implementing a one-way valve device. The permanent story...