Zhifei Shi

Bending behavior of piezoelectric curved actuator

Bending behaviors of both a piezoelectric curved bi-morph actuator and a functional gradient piezoelectric curved actuator are studied and compared. The exact solutions of both mechanical and electrical fields of the actuators are obtained based fully on the theory of elasticity. It is found that non-zero normal stresses exist in the gradient piezoelectric curved actuator when the actuator is subjected to an external voltage, which is different from the results obtained in our previous works on the gradient piezoelectric flat actuator. It is also proved that the internal stresses are drastically reduced although the deflection of the gradient curved actuator is quite small. The present analytical solutions are compared with the FEM results and a good agreement is found.

Periodic materials-based vibration attenuation in layered foundations: experimental validation

Guided by the recent advances in solid-state research in periodic materials, a new type of layered periodic foundation consisting of concrete and rubber layers is experimentally investigated in this paper. The distinct feature of this new foundation is its frequency band gaps. When the frequency contents of a wave fall within the range of the frequency band gaps, the wave, and hence its energy, will be weakened or cannot propagate through the foundation, so the foundation itself can serve as a vibration isolator. Using the theory of elastodynamics and the Bloch–Floquet theorem, the mechanism of band gaps in periodic composites is presented, and a finite element model is built to show the isolation characteristic of a finite dimensional periodic foundation. Based on these analytical results, moreover, a scaled model frame and a periodic foundation were fabricated and shake table tests of the frame on the periodic foundation were performed. Ambient, strong and harmonic vibration attenuations are found when the exciting frequencies fall into the band gaps.

Theoretical analysis of piezoelectric energy harvesting from traffic induced deformation of pavements

The problem of energy harvesting using piezoelectric transducers for pavement system applications is formulated with a focus on moving vehicle excitations. The pavement behavior is described by an infinite Bernoulli–Euler beam subjected to a moving line load and resting on a Winkler foundation. A closed-form dynamic response of the pavement is determined by a Fourier transform and the residue theorem. The voltage and power outputs of the piezoelectric harvester embedded in the pavements are then obtained by the direct piezoelectric effect. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to show the effect of damping, the Winkler modulus, and the velocity of moving vehicles on the voltage and power output of the piezoelectric harvester. It is found that the output increases sharply when the velocity of the vehicle is close to the so-called critical velocity.

Exact analysis of multi-layer piezoelectric/composite cantilevers

Both multi-layer piezoelectric cantilevers and multi-layer piezoelectric composite cantilevers are studied based on 2D linear theory of elasticity and piezoelectricity. Both the piezoelectric coefficient and the thickness for different layers are taken as variables. As opposed to traditional investigations based on the elementary theory of elasticity, the present investigation gives exact solutions for the variation of these parameters by introducing several recurrence formulae. The solutions obtained in the present paper are compared with numerical results and the results obtained by other investigators; good agreement is found.

Seismic isolation of two dimensional periodic foundations

Phononic crystal is now used to control acoustic waves. When the crystal goes to a larger scale, it is called periodic structure. The band gaps of the periodic structure can be reduced to range from 0.5 Hz to 50 Hz. Therefore, the periodic structure has potential applications in seismic wave reflection. In civil engineering, the periodic structure can be served as the foundation of upper structure. This type of foundation consisting of periodic structure is called periodic foundation. When the frequency of seismic waves falls into the band gaps of the periodic foundation, the seismic wave can be blocked. Field experiments of a scaled two dimensional (2D) periodic foundation with an upper structure were conducted to verify the band gap effects. Test results showed the 2D periodic foundation can effectively reduce the response of the upper structure for excitations with frequencies within the frequency band gaps. When the experimental and the finite element analysis results are compared, they agree well with each other, indicating that 2D periodic foundation is a feasible way of reducing seismic vibrations.

Application of Periodic Theory to Rows of Piles for Horizontal Vibration Attenuation

One of the most important phenomena in periodic structures is the existence of the band of frequency gaps (BFGs). Elastic waves with frequencies in BFGs cannot propagate in the medium. Therefore, the BFGs can be used to reduce the dynamic response of structures be- hindperiodicpilebarriers.Althoughmanyachievementshavebeenreportedonpilesasbarriers,theperiodicnatureofrowsofpileshasnotbeen consideredthusfar.Inthepresentpaper,theperiodictheoryofsolid-statephysicsisintroduced.TheBFGsoftwo-dimensionalperiodicrowsof piles are obtained. The effect of physical parameters such as soil density and elastic modulus, as well as the geometrical parameters of pile barriers on the BFGs, was investigated. The results show that vibrations can be greatly reduced within the range of the BFGs. Increasing the filling fraction or choosing different configurations can achieve wider BFGs. Moreover, periodic pile barriers with softer soil and a larger periodicconstantcanproducethelowerboundfrequency.DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000193.

Modeling on energy harvesting from a railway system using piezoelectric transducers

Theoretical models of piezoelectric energy harvesting from railway systems using patch-type and stack-type piezoelectric transducers are studied. An infinite Euler–Bernoulli beam on a Winkler foundation subjected to moving multi-loads is adopted to describe the dynamic behavior of railway track. The voltage and electric power of piezoelectric transducers installed at the bottom of a steel rail are derived analytically. Comparisons with earlier works and experimental results are given, indicating that the present solutions are reliable. Additionally, a parametric study is conducted to discuss the effects of axle loads, running velocity and load resistors on the solutions. The numerical results show that patch-type and stack-type piezoelectric transducers can harvest the available energy from track vibration to supply power for a wireless sensor network node and can also serve as sensors to monitor basic train information, such as the running velocity, the location and the axle load. The present investigations provide a theoretical guide in the design of piezoelectric patch and stack energy harvesters used in railway systems, which can serve as power sources for distributed wireless sensor networks in remote areas. The research results also demonstrate the potential of piezoelectric patches and stack harvesters in designing self-powered wireless sensor networks used in railway systems to ensure train operation safety.

Locally resonant periodic structures with low-frequency band gaps

Presented in this paper are study results of dispersion relationships of periodic structures composited of concrete and rubber, from which the frequency band gap can be found. Two models with fixed or free boundary conditions are proposed to approximate the bound frequencies of the first band gap. Studies are conducted to investigate the low-frequency and directional frequency band gaps for their application to engineering. The study finds that civil engineering structures can be designed to block harmful waves, such as earthquake disturbance.

Dynamic Responses of a Structure with Periodic Foundations

AbstractThe dynamic responses of a structure with different foundations, including the so-called periodic foundation, are studied. Based on the calculation and optimization regarding the band of frequency gap of a periodic structure, a new kind of periodic isolated foundation is designed. To test the validity of this periodic isolated foundation, the dynamic responses of a seven-storey frame structure with three different foundations are conducted and compared. The analysis assumes that seismic wave input is from the arbitrary direction. This investigation shows that the seismic waves cannot propagate in the periodic foundation without being attenuated when the frequencies of the seismic wave fall within the band of frequency gap of the foundation. Thus, the dynamic responses of the supported structure will be greatly reduced. The investigation supports this new and effective method to block seismic waves for structures in civil engineering.

Vibration analysis of a functionally graded piezoelectric cylindrical actuator

This paper focuses on the response of a functionally graded piezoelectric cylindrical actuator placed in a harmonic electric field based on elastic membrane theory and shell theory. The actuator is polarized in the radial direction with its piezoelectric coefficient d31 varying linearly along the axial direction. In the present investigation, non-dimensional expressions are introduced, and analytical solutions for this class of actuator are obtained. The results provided in the present study are compared with other investigations, with good agreement being found. The major differences between a functionally graded actuator and an actuator with homogeneous material properties are identified, and the advantages of the former are demonstrated. In the last section of this paper, limitations of membrane theory and shell theory models are discussed.