• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.375-393
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• 2006

Under high velocity, pulse type near source earthquakes semi-active control systems are very effective in reducing seismic response base isolated structures. Semi-active control systems can be classified as: 1) independently variable stiffness, 2) independently variable damping, and 3) combined variable stiffness and damping systems. Several researchers have studied the effectiveness of independently varying damping systems for seismic response reduction of base isolated structures. In this study effectiveness of a combined system consisting of a semi-active independently variable stiffness (SAIVS) device and a magnetorheological (MR) damper in reducing seismic response of base isolated structures is analytically investigated. The SAIVS device can vary the stiffness, and hence the period, of the isolation system; whereas, the MR damper enhances the energy dissipation characteristics of the isolation system. Two separate control algorithms, i.e., a nonlinear tangential stiffness moving average control algorithm for smooth switching of the SAIVS device and a Lyapunov based control algorithm for damping variation of MR damper, are developed. Single and multi degree of freedom systems consisting of sliding base isolation system and both the SAIVS device and MR damper are considered. Results are presented in the form of nonlinear response spectra, and effectiveness of combined variable stiffness and variable damping system in reducing seismic response of sliding base isolated structures is evaluated. It is shown that the combined variable stiffness and variable damping system leads to significant response reduction over cases with variable stiffness or variable damping systems acting independently, over a broad period range.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.189-206
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• 2012

This paper focuses on the actuation system combined with a piezoelectric transducer and an electric circuit, which leads to a new insight; the electric actuation system is equivalent to mechanical variable-stiffness actuation systems. By controlling the switch in the circuit, the electric status of the piezoelectric transducer is changed, and consequently a variable-stiffness mechanism is achieved on the electric actuator. This proposed actuator features a shift in the equilibrium point of force, while conventional electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuators feature the variation of the stiffness value. We intensively focus on the equilibrium shift in the actuation system, which has been neglected. The stiffness of the variable-stiffness actuator is periodically modulated by controlling the switch, to suppress the vibration of the system in an open-loop way. It is proved that this electric actuator is equivalent to its mechanical counterpart, and that the electrical version has some practical advantages over the mechanical one. Furthermore, another kind of electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuator, using an energy-recycling mechanism is also discussed from the viewpoint of open-loop vibration control. Extensive numerical simulations provide comprehensive assessment on both electrically-induced variable-stiffness actuators employed for open-loop vibration control.

• 로봇학회논문지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.326-332
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• 2019

In the case of conventional soft robots, the basic stiffness is small due to the use of flexible materials. Therefore, there is a limitation that the load that can bear is limited. In order to overcome these limitations, a study on a variable stiffness method has been conducted. And it can be seen that the jamming mechanism is most effective in increasing the stiffness of the soft robot. However, the jamming mechanism as a method in which a large number of variable act together is not even theoretically analyzed, and there is no study on intrinsic principle. In this paper, a study was carried out to increase the stability of the force chain to increase the stiffness due to the jamming transition phenomenon. Particle size variables, backbone mechanisms were used to analyze the stability of the force chains. We choose a jamming mechanism as a variable stiffness method of a soft robot, and improve the effect of stiffness based on theoretical analysis, modeling FEM simulation, prototyping and experiment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.287-297
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• 1998

The elastic stiffness formula of leaf type holddown spring(HDS) assembly is verified by comparing the values of elastic stiffness with the characteristic test results of the HDS's specimens. The comparisons show that the derived elastic stiffness formula is useful in reliably estimating the elastic stiffness of leaf type HDS assembly. The elastic stiffness sensitivity of leaf type HDS assembly is analyzed using the formula and its gradient vectors obtained from the mid-point formula. As a result of sensitivity analysis, the elastic stiffness sensitivity with respect to each design variable is quantified and design variables of large sensitivity are identified. Among the design variables, leaf thickness is identified as the most sensitive design variable to the elastic stiffness of leaf type HDS assembly. In addition, the elastic stiffness sensitivity, with respect to design variable, is in power-law type correlation to the base thickness of the leaf.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제17권6호
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• pp.750-758
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• 2016

일반적으로 시스템을 강성체로 설계할 경우 시스템의 구조적 안정성을 확보할 수 있으나 유리잔을 잡거나 작은 수술용 도구로 사용하는 등의 사용용도에 따라 활용성이 제한될 수 있다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위하여 유연한 재질을 사용하여 강성조절이 가능한 메커니즘에 대한 연구가 다양하게 이루어져 왔다. 기존에 연구했던 강성체와 연성체의 연속구조로 이루어진 모델에 텐던을 삽입한 구조를 이용한 가변강성 메커니즘을 통하여 가변강성 구조체에 대한 가능성을 확인하였다. 그러나 필요로 하는 가변강성을 충족하기 위한 구조체의 설계 변수에 대한 연구가 필요하였다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 가변강성 메커니즘의 다양한 변수 변화에 따른 강성변화 실험을 통해 강성의 경향성을 파악하고자 하였다. 실험 결과 지름이 클수록 강성은 증가하며 강성의 증가폭 또한 늘어난다. 또한 연성체 길이가 짧을수록 강성이 증가하며 텐던을 당겨 연성체를 압착할 경우 강성값은 비선형적으로 증가하였다. 동일 조건에서 연성체 길이변화에 따른 강성 증가폭과 강성체의 길이 변화에 따른 강성 증가폭을 비교하였을 때 연성체 길이 변화가 강성체 길이 변화 보다 강성값 변화에 영향을 미친다는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 해석값이 실험값에 비하여 정확성은 낮지만, 가변강성의 경향성을 확인하기 위하여 해석적인 방법을 통한 강성을 예측해보았다. 이러한 변수변화 실험 결과는 필요로 하는 강성값을 충족하는 가변강성 메커니즘 설계에 활용할 수 있을 것이다.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.361-377
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• 2019

The stiffness of shape memory alloy (SMA) spring while in actuation is represented by an empirical model that is derived from the logistic differential equation. This model correlates the stiffness to the alloy temperature and the functionality of SMA spring as active variable stiffness actuator (VSA) is analyzed based on factors that are the input conditions (activation current, duty cycle and excitation frequency) and operating conditions (pre-stress and mechanical connection). The model parameters are estimated by adopting the nonlinear least square method, henceforth, the model is validated experimentally. The average correlation factor of 0.95 between the model response and experimental results validates the proposed model. In furtherance, the justification is augmented from the comparison with existing stiffness models (logistic curve model and polynomial model). The important distinction from several observations regarding the comparison of the model prediction with the experimental states that it is more superior, flexible and adaptable than the existing. The nature of stiffness variation in the SMA spring is assessed also from the Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA), which as well proves the proposal. This model advances the ability to use SMA integrated mechanism for enhanced variable stiffness actuation. The investigation proves that the stiffness of SMA spring may be altered under controlled conditions.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제31권11호
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• pp.1077-1082
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• 2007

We present a micromechanical active amplifier, inspired from the principle of the outer hair cells in cochlea, amplifying both displacement and force. The present micromechanical active amplifier modulates the resonant carrier motion using the variable stiffness spring whose stiffness changes proportionally to the input motion. We design, fabricate, and characterize two types of the amplifiers A and B, each having the variable stiffness spring fur the maximum displacement gain and force gain, respectively. In the experimental study, the amplifier A shows the displacement gain of 5.62, which is 2.15 times larger than that of the amplifier 3. The amplifier B shows the force gain of 10.0, resulting in 1.26 times larger value compared to that of the amplifier A. We experimentally verify that the haircell-inspired micromechanical amplifiers are capable to amplify both displacement and force.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제37권10호
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• pp.1195-1200
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• 2013

최근에 들어 로봇과 환경 사이의 상호작용이 다양하게 발생하는 작업에서 가변 강성 액추에이터의 연구가 활발하다. 기존의 다양한 가변 강성 액추에이터가 개발되었지만 크기와 중량 때문에 응용분야를 찾기가 어렵다. 따라서 다양한 분야에 쉽게 이용되기 위해 소형의 가변 강성 액추에이터(miniVSA)를 개발하였다. miniVSA는 모멘트 암 기반의 강성제어 장치와 두 개의 모터로 구성된 구동 장치로 구성된다. 강성제어 장치는 두 캠의 상대 운동을 제어하여 위치와 강성을 동시에 제어할 수 있다. 이를 실험을 통하여 강성 변화를 검증하였다.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.103-110
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• 2020

수중 로봇의 가장 기본 성능이라 할 수 있는 동적 성능인 유영속도와 동적 효율 향상을 위해 수중생물을 모사한 로봇들이 주로 연구되고 있다. 그중에서 생체모사 소프트 로봇은 유연한 꼬리지느러미를 적용함으로써 높은 자유도를 구현할 수 있다. 다만, 유연한 구동부의 효율을 높이기 위해서는 구동 주파수에 맞추어 꼬리지느러미의 강성이 바뀌어야 한다. 따라서, 연구를 통해 새로운 형태의 가변강성 메커니즘을 구현하고, 이를 연구 과정에서 검증하였다. 본 연구에서는 실제 돌고래의 해부도에서 영감을 얻어, 가변강성 메커니즘을 적용한 돌고래 로봇을 새로이 설계하고 제작하는 과정을 기술하였다. 실제 돌고래의 척추 모양을 모사하여, 절삭과 적층형 공정으로 가변강성 구동부를 제작하였다. 로봇 돌고래를 구동하기 위한 텐던도 실제 돌고래의 텐던 위치를 고려하여 배치하였으며, 추가로 강성 변화를 위한 텐던을 설치하였다. 돌고래의 유선형 외형을 모사하여 로봇 돌고래를 제작하였고, 강성 변화에 따른 로봇 돌고래의 유영속도를 측정하였다. 동일한 구동 주파수에 꼬리지느러미 구동부의 강성을 변화시켰을 때, 로봇 돌고래의 유영속도의 차이가 약 1.24배, 추력으로는 약 1.5배 변화하였다.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.373-392
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• 2012

Tracking control of systems with variable stiffness hysteresis using a gain-scheduled (GS) controller is developed in this paper. Variable stiffness hysteretic system is represented as quasi linear parameter dependent system with known bounds on parameters. Assuming that the parameters can be measured or estimated in real-time, a GS controller that ensures the performance and the stability of the closed-loop system over the entire range of parameter variation is designed. The proposed method is implemented on a spring-mass system which consists of a semi-active independently variable stiffness (SAIVS) device that exhibits hysteresis and precisely controllable stiffness change in real-time. The SAIVS system with variable stiffness hysteresis is represented as quasi linear parameter varying (LPV) system with two parameters: linear time-varying stiffness (parameter with slow variation rate) and stiffness of the friction-hysteresis (parameter with high variation rate). The proposed LPV-GS controller can accommodate both slow and fast varying parameter, which was not possible with the controllers proposed in the prior studies. Effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated by comparing the results with a fixed robust $\mathcal{H}_{\infty}$ controller that assumes the parameter variation as an uncertainty. Superior performance of the LPV-GS over the robust $\mathcal{H}_{\infty}$ controller is demonstrated for varying stiffness hysteresis of SAIVS device and for different ranges of tracking displacements. The LPV-GS controller is capable of adapting to any parameter changes whereas the $\mathcal{H}_{\infty}$ controller is effective only when the system parameters are in the vicinity of the nominal plant parameters for which the controller is designed. The robust $\mathcal{H}_{\infty}$ controller becomes unstable under large parameter variations but the LPV-GS will ensure stability and guarantee the desired closed-loop performance.