Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper a shell formulation is proposed for analyzing the torsional instability of carbon nano-peapods (CNPs), i.e., the hybrid structures composed of C60 fullerenes encapsulated inside carbon nanotubes (CNTs), based on the nonlocal elasticity theory. The nonlocal elasticity theory, as a well-known non-classical continuum theory, is capable to capture small scale effects which appear due to the discontinuities in nano-structures. Based on the derived formulation, the critical torsional moments for a pristine (10,10) CNT and C60@ (10,10) CNP are investigated as case studies. The results for the (10,10) CNT are compared with those of the available molecular dynamics simulations in the... 

The coupled three-dimensional flexural vibrations of a micro-rotating shaft–disk system, as a basic model for micro-engines, are investigated in this paper by considering small-scale effects utilizing the modified couple stress theory. Governing equations of motion are derived by the use of Hamilton’s principle. Then, implementing the Galerkin approach, an infinite set of ordinary differential equations is obtained for the system. With truncated two-term equations, expressions for the first two natural frequencies are written, and for the two corresponding modes, the maximum rotational speed up to which the system will be stable is analytically determined. Parametric studies on the results... 

The free longitudinal vibration of tapered nanowires is investigated in the context of nonlocal continuum theory. The problem is studied for the nanowires with linearly varied radii under fixedfixed and fixedfree boundary conditions. In order to assess the problem in a more general form, a perturbation technique is proposed based on the Fredholm alternative theorem. The natural frequencies, corresponding mode shapes, and phase velocities of the tapered nanowires are derived analytically up to the second-order perturbation for different boundary conditions. The predicted results by the perturbation technique are successfully verified with those of the exact solution. The obtained results... 

In this work, some vibrational response parameters of strain gradient based micro-spinning Rayleigh beams with mass eccentricity distribution are investigated within infinitesimal deformation conditions. Governing equations of motion are derived utilizing the Hamilton’s principle. The gyroscopic effects and rotary inertia are both included in the formulation. By applying the Galerkin method, analytical expressions for natural frequencies of the micro beam in forward and backward whirl motions are obtained. In addition, an expression for the vibrational amplitude of the micro-beam due to mass eccentricity distribution is determined. Some numerical results are presented to study the effect of... 

On the basis of the modified couple stress theory, some analytical results are obtained for vibrational parameters of micro-spinning Rayleigh beams with an axial mass-eccentricity distribution. The modified couple stress theory is a nonclassical continuum theory capable to capture the size effects in small-scale structures. After writing the governing equations of motion, they are transformed to the complex form. Then by utilizing the Galerkin method, analytical expressions for natural frequencies of the micro-spinning beam in forward and backward whirl motions are obtained. Critical speeds are also analytically presented in the two whirl motions for different modes. Moreover, the... 

Thermoelastic damping (TED) is one of the main energy dissipation mechanisms in structures with small scales. On the other hand, the classical continuum theory is not capable of describing the mechanical behavior of small-scale structures. In this paper, small-scale effects on the thermoelastic damping in microplates are studied. To this end, the coupled governing equations of motion and heat conduction are obtained based on the non-classical continuum theory of the modified couple stress and the dual-phase-lag heat conduction model. By solving these coupled equations, an explicit expression including small-scale effects for calculating TED in microplates is derived. The results are compared... 

In this paper, the characteristics of a hybrid regenerative electromagnetic (EM) damper are first determined and experimentally examined. The main idea is to have two modes of operation for the EM damper, namely passive energy harvesting and semi-active modes. In the passive mode, the vibrational energy of an underlying structure is harvested and stored in a rechargeable battery. The harvested energy can then be employed in the semi-active control mode to supply the power demand for the required sensors and microcontroller. This hybrid damper would thus be capable of realizing the characteristics of a self-powered EM damper. A prototype of the damper was designed and tested under different... 

In this paper, pull-in behavior of cantilever micro/nano-beams made of functionally graded materials (FGM) with small-scale effects under electrostatic force is investigated. Consistent couple stress theory is employed to study the influence of small-scale on pull-in behavior. According to this theory, the couple tensor is skew-symmetric by adopting the skew-symmetric part of the rotation gradients. The material properties except Poisson’s ratio obey the power law distribution in the thickness direction. The approximate analytical solutions for the pull-in voltage and pull-in displacement of the microbeams are derived using the Rayleigh–Ritz method. Comparison between the results of the... 

The small-scale effects on the mechanical responses of micro-rotating disks with angular acceleration are investigated based on the strain gradient theory, as one of the powerful non-classical continuum theories which have been developed to justify the empirical observations of mechanical behavior in small-scale structures and components. The differential equations governing motion of the micro-disk elements in radial and circumferential direction together with the corresponding boundary conditions are derived. Then, an analytical solution is presented for the components of the displacement field which can be used as a base for determination of the components of the stress field. In a... 

In this paper, pull-in behavior of cantilever micro/nano-beams made of functionally graded materials (FGM) with small-scale effects under electrostatic force is investigated. Consistent couple stress theory is employed to study the influence of small-scale on pull-in behavior. According to this theory, the couple tensor is skew-symmetric by adopting the skew-symmetric part of the rotation gradients. The material properties except Poisson’s ratio obey the power law distribution in the thickness direction. The approximate analytical solutions for the pull-in voltage and pull-in displacement of the microbeams are derived using the Rayleigh–Ritz method. Comparison between the results of the... 

Optical fibers, in particular, glass fibers, are mostly used in the field of optical communication, however in recent years new optical sensors based on the optical fibers have been reported in literature and produced commercially. Extrinsic and intrinsic character of the fibers have been implemented in development of such sensing devices. Glass Optical Fibers (GOF) because of low attenuation are more suitable for the optical communication purposes while Plastic Optical Fibers are advantageous for the linking purpose and some sensing operations. Considering this point different (POF) optical fiber sensors have been developed by author to show potential applications of POFs in sensor... 

Renewable energies could be a good solution to the problems associated with fossil fuels. The storage of wind energy by means of small-scale devices rather than large-scale turbines is a topic that has gained lots of interest. In this study, a compact device is proposed to harvest wind energy and transform it into electrical energy, by means of oscillations of a magnet into a coil, using the concept of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) behind a barrier. For a more comprehensive investigation, this system is studied from two viewpoints of fluid mechanics (without magnet) and power generation (with the magnet). For this purpose, an oscillating plate hinging on one side and three barriers with... 

Due to deregulation and restructuring in many countries, it is expected that the amount of small-scale generations connected to the distribution networks will increase. So, it is necessary that the impact of these kinds of generators on Volt/Var control should be investigated. This paper presents a new approach to Volt/Var control in distribution systems with Distributed Generation (DG). It has been shown that DG can improve the entire performance of a network system, by means of better control and decreasing losses. In this approach, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been used as the optimization method, where the amount of DG and its controlling parameters, the voltage regulators situation,... 

Untethered small-scale robots can accomplish tasks which are not feasible by conventional macro robots. In the current research, we have designed and fabricated a miniature magnetic robot actuated by an external magnetic field. The proposed robot has two coaxial wheels and one magnetic dipole which is capable of rolling and moving on the surface by variation in the direction of magnetic field. To generate the desired magnetic field, a Helmholtz electromagnetic coil is manufactured. To steer the robot to the desired position, at first the robot dynamics is investigated, and subsequently a controller based on a neuro-fuzzy network has been designed. Finally, the proposed controller is... 

In the present work, a micro combustor for thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices is proposed which is included a U-shaped microtube in a box with a secondary fluid in space between U-shaped microtube and box walls. By utilizing the three-dimensional CFD model, combustion characteristics of the premixed lean hydrogen-air mixture in the present micro combustor are studied numerically with detailed chemistry and transport taking into account heat transfer through the wall. The results show that the establishment of secondary flows and better preheating in the curved tubes is caused the flammability limits to be at least four times in comparison with straight tubes. Combustion characteristics are...