• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.215-224
• /
• 2023

This paper presents the structural design and response control system of the JR MEGURO MARC building, a 70 meters high office building with steel structure located in Tokyo (Figure 1). In order to achieve high earthquake resistance and useable office space, this building integrates a centralized response control system with deformation amplification mechanisms and tuned viscous mass dampers on the lower floor. Moreover, buckling-restrained braces (BRB) are installed on the upper floors to increase the effectiveness of centralized response control system and to reduce damage of the main frames in the event of a major earthquake. It features an efficient centralized response control system by amplifying the deformation of the dampers without creating a soft story.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2021

In this study, a new design of an extension-type actuator (ExACT) is proposed based on a chevron structure with displacement amplification mechanisms by local heating. ExACT comprises diamond-shaped displacement amplification structures (DASs) containing axially oriented V-shaped chevron beams, a support bar that restricts lateral heat deformation, and a loading slot for thin-film heaters. On heating the thin film heater, the diamond-shaped DASs undergo thermal expansion. However, lateral expansion is restricted by the support bar, leading to displacement amplification in the axial direction. The performance parameters of ExACT such as temperature distribution and extended displacement is calculated using thermo-mechanical analysis methods with the finite element method (FEM) tool. Subsequently, the ExACTs are fabricated using a polymer-based 3D printer capable of reproducing complex structures, and the performance of ExACTs is evaluated under various temperature conditions. Finally, the performance evaluation results were compared with those of the FEM analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.82 no.4
• /
• pp.503-515
• /
• 2022

The multi-rigid-body matrix method (MRBMM) is a generalized modeling method for obtaining the displacements, forces, and dynamic characteristics of a compliant mechanism without performing inner-force analysis. The method discretizes a compliant mechanism of any type into flexure hinges and rigid bodies by implementing a multi-body mass-spring model using coordinate transformations in a matrix form. However, in this method, the deformations of bodies that are assumed to be rigid are inherently omitted. Consequently, it may yield erroneous results in certain mechanisms. In this paper, we present a multi-compliant-body matrix-method (MCBMM) that considers a rigid body as a compliant element, while retaining the generalized framework of the MRBMM. In the MCBMM, a rigid body in the MRBMM is segmented into a certain number of body nodes and flexure hinges. The proposed method was verified using two examples: the first (an XY positioning stage) demonstrated that the MCBMM outperforms the MRBMM in estimating the static deformation and dynamic mode. In the second example (a bridge-type displacement amplification mechanism), the MCBMM estimated the displacement amplification ratio more accurately than several previously proposed modeling methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.168-175
• /
• 2003

In this research, a bridge-type flexure hinge mechanism is developed and optimized to amplify the displacement of a multilayer piezostack. Developed hinge mechanism has three-dimensional structure to reduce link size, so it have high amplification ratio with respect to small size. A flexure hinge is assumed to be 6 degree-of-freedom spring elements and matrix methods are used to model a hinge mechanism. To verify derived matrix model, a displacement and frequency experiments are performed. The analysis result shows that the displacemental error between matrix model and experiments is below 10 percents and the deformation of hinge in parasitic direction should be considered In hinge modeling. Using developed matrix model, an optimal design is performed to maximize the performance of hinge mechanism.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.434-441
• /
• 2013

Bending motion has been used in the surgical instruments with bending structures and tendon mechanisms. A simplified bending angle amplification ratio between the proximal and distal bending joint was derived in this article. The bending structure of disk and rib in the proximal joint was analyzed based on finite element method with an emphasis on the circumferential uniformity of bending stiffness. Regarding the distal joint, optimal design and sensitivity analysis was done with four design variables of outer and inner diameter, rib height and rib width while maximizing the deformation under the stress distribution below the yield stress. Outer diameter and rib width are most critical to maximum deformation as the outer diameter and inner diameters are so to maximum equivalent stress.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.481-493
• /
• 2020

The negative stiffness spring and inerter are both characterized by the negative stiffness effect in the force-displacement relationship, potentially yielding an amplifying mechanism for dashpot deformation by being incorporated with a series tuning spring. However, resisting forces of the two mechanical elements are dominant in different frequency domains, thus leading to necessary complementarity in terms of vibration control and the amplifying benefit. Inspired by this, this study proposes a Negative Stiffness Inerter System (NSIS) as an earthquake protection system and developed analytical design formulae by fully utilizing its advantageous features. The NSIS is composed of a sub-configuration of a negative stiffness spring and an inerter in parallel, connected to a tuning spring in series. First, closed-form displacement responses are derived for the NSIS structure, and a stability analysis is conducted to limit the feasible domains of NSIS parameters. Then, the dual advantageous features of displacement reduction and the dashpot deformation amplification effect are revealed and clarified in a parametric analysis, stimulating the establishment of a displacement-based optimal design framework, correspondingly yielding the design formulae in analytical form. Finally, a series of examples are illustrated to validate the derived formulae. In this study, it is confirmed that the synergistic incorporation of the negative stiffness spring and the inerter has significant energy dissipation efficiency in a wide frequency band and an enhanced control effect in terms of the displacement and shear force responses. The developed displacement-based design strategy is suitable to utilize the dual benefits of the NSIS, which can be accurately implemented by the analytical design formulae to satisfy the target vibration control with increased energy dissipation efficiency.