• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.7-12
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• 2008

This paper presents a lateral resistive contact RF MEMS switch using comb drive. Our goal was to fabricate the RF MEMS switch with high reliability and good RF characteristics for front end module in wireless transceiver system. Therefore, comb drive is used for large contact force in order to achieve low insertion loss and small off-state capacitance in order to achieve high isolation. The single crystalline silicon is used for mechanical reliability. As a result, the developed switch showed insertion loss less than 0.44 dB at 2 GHz, isolation greater than 60 dB, and low actuation voltage at 26 V.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.51-54
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• 2005

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) find many applications in smart composite structural systems as the active components. Their ability to provide a high force and large displacement makes them an excellent candidate for an actuator for controlling the shape of smart structures. In this paper, using a macroscopic model that captures the thermo-mechanical behaviors and the two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) of SMAs smart morphing polymeric composite shell structures like shape-changeable UAV wings is demonstrated and analyzed numerically and experimentally when subjected to various kinds of pressure loads. The controllable shapes of the morphing shells to that thin SMA strip actuator are attached are investigated depending on various phase transformation temperatures. SMA strips start to transform from the martensitic into the austenitic state upon actuation through resistive heating, simultaneously recover the prestrain, and thus cause the shell structures to deform three dimensionally. The behaviors of composite shells attached with SMA strip actuators are analyzed using the finite element methods and 3-D constitutive equations of SMAs. Several morphing composite shell structures are fabricated and their experimental shape changes depending on temperatures are compared to the numerical results. That two results show good correlations indicates the finite element analysis and 3-D constitutive equations are accurate enough to utilize them for the design of smart composite shell structures for various applications.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.814-823
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• 2011

Nowadays many neurological diseases such as stroke and Parkinson diseases are continually increasing. Orthotic devices as well as exoskeletons have been widely developed for supporting movement assistance and therapy of patients. Robotic knee orthosis can compensate stiff-knee gait of the paralyzed limb and can provide patients consistent assistance at wearable environments. With keeping a robotic orthosis wearable, however, it is not easy to develop a compact and safe actuator with fast rotation and high torque for consistent supports of patients during walking. In this paper, we propose a novel kinematic model for a robotic knee orthosis to drive a knee joint with independent actuation during swing and stance phases, which can allow an actuator with fast rotation to control swing motions and an actuator with high torque to control stance motions, respectively. The suggested kinematic model is composed of a hamstring device with a slide-crank mechanism, a quadriceps device with five-bar/six-bar links, and a patella device for knee covering. The quadriceps device operates in five-bar links with 2-dof motions during swing phase and is changed to six-bar links during stance phase by the contact motion to the patella device. The hamstring device operates in a slider-crank mechanism for entire gait cycle. The kinematics and velocity/force relations are analyzed for the quadriceps and hamstring devices. Finally, the adequate actuators for the suggested kinematic model are designed based on normal gait requirements. The suggested kinematic model will allow a robotic knee orthosis to use compact and light actuators with full support during walking.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2010

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are smart materials. The unique characteristics of SMAs enable the production of large force and displacement. Hence, SMAs can be used in many applications such as in actuators and active structural acoustic controllers; the SMAs can also be used for dynamic tuning and shape control. A SMA torque tube actuator consisting of SMA tubes and superelastic springs is proposed, and the behaviors of the actuator are investigated. From the results of heat transfer analysis, it is proved that the SMA torque tube actuator with both resistive heating of SMA itself and a separate conventional heating rod in the tube core has good performance. The behavior of an actuator system was analyzed by performing a contact analysis, and the twisting motion was noticed when checking the actuation. 3D SMA nonlinear constitutive equations were formulated numerically and implemented by performing a nonlinear analysis by using Abaqus UMAT.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.442-448
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• 2008

This paper presents an approach to define an optimal piezoactuator length to actively control structural vibration. The optimal ratio of the piezoactuator length against beam length when a pair of piezoceramic actuator and accelerometer is used to suppress unwanted vibration with direct velocity feedback (DVFB) control strategy is not clearly defined so far. It is well known that direct velocity feedback (DVFB) control can be very useful when a pair of sensor and actuator is collocated on structures with a high gain and excellent stability. It is considered that three different collocated pairs of piezoelectric actuators (20, 50 and 100 mm) and accelerometers installed on three identical clamped-clamped beams (300 * 20 * 1 mm). The response of each sensor-actuator pair requires strictly positive real (SPR) property to apply a high feedback gain. However the length of the piezoactuator affects SPR property of the sensor-actuator response. Intensive simulation and experiment shows the effect of the actuator length variation is strongly related with the frequency range of SPR property. A shorter actuator gave a wider SPR frequency range as a longer one had a narrower range. The shorter actuator showed limited control performance in spite of a higher gain was applied because the actuation force was relatively small. Thus an optimal length ratio (actuator length/beam length) was suggested to obtain relevant performance with good stability with DVFB strategy. The result of this investigation could give important information in the design of active control system to suppress unwanted vibration of smart structures with piezoelectric actuators and accelerometers.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.517-539
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• 2014

The combined use of smart materials, complementing each others' characteristics and resulting in devices with optimised features, is providing new solutions in many industries. The use of ingenious combinations of smart materials has led to improvements in actuation speed and force, signal-to-noise ratio, sensor precision and unique capabilities such as self-sensing self-healing systems and energy autonomy. This may all give rise to a revival for numerous families of smart materials, for which application proposals had already reached a stationary situation. It may also provide the boost needed for the definitive industrial success of many others. This study focuses on reviewing the proposals, preliminary studies and success cases related to combining smart materials to obtain multifunctional, improved systems. It also examines the most outstanding applications and fields for the combined use of these smart materials. We will also discuss related study areas which warrant further research for the development of novel approaches for demanding applications.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1996.07c
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• pp.2004-2006
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• 1996

A thermally driven polysilicon micro actuator has been fabricated using surface micromachining techniques. It consists of P-doped polysilicon as a structural layer and TEOS (tetracthylorthosilicate) as a sacrificial layer. The polysilicon was annealed for the relaxation of residual stress which is the main cause to its deformation such as bending and buckling. And the newly developed HF VPE (vapor phase etching) process was also used as an effective release method for the elimination of sacrificial TEOS layer. The thickneas of polysilicon is $2{\mu}m$ and the lengths of active and passive polysilicon cantilevers are $500{\mu}m$ and $260{\mu}m$, respectively. The actuation is incurred by die thermal expansion due to the current flow in the active polysilicon cantilever, which motion is amplified by lever mechanism. The moving distance of polysilicon micro actuator was experimentally conformed as large as $21{\mu}m$ at the input voltage level of 10V and 50Hz square wave. The actuating characteristics are investigated by simulating the phenomena of heat transfer and thermal expansion in the polysilicon layer. The displacement of actuator is analyzed to be proportional to the square of input voltage. These micro actuator technology can be utilized for the fabrication of MEMS (microelectromechanical system) such as micro relay, which requires large displacement or contact force but relatively slow response.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.713-721
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• 2004

Variable air intake and variable exhaust nozzle of hypersonic engines are designed and tested in this study. Dimensions for variable geometry air intake, ram combustor and variable geometry exhaust nozzle are defined based on the requirements of a pre-cooled turbojet engine. Hypersonic Ramjet Engine is designed as a scaled test bed for each component. Actuation forces of moving parts for variable intake and variable nozzle are reduced by balancing the other force in the opposite direction. A demonstrator engine which includes variable intake and variable nozzle is designed and the components are fabricated. Composite material with silicone carbide is applied for high temperature parts under oxidation environment such as leading edge of the variable intake and combustor liner. Internal cooling structure is adopted for both moving and static parts of the variable nozzle. Pressure recovery and mass capture ratio of the variable intake at Mach 5 is obtained by a hypersonic wind tunnel test. Flow characteristics of the variable nozzle are obtained by a low temperature flow test. Wall temperature and heat flux of the nozzle at Mach 3 is obtained by a firing test. As results, the intake and the nozzle are proved to be used at designed pressure and temperature environment.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 2018

Vibrational problems in the domestic Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (SHAWT) are due to flap wise vibrations caused by varying wind velocities acting perpendicular to its blade surface. It has been reported that monitoring the structural health of the turbine blades requires special attention as they are key elements of a wind power generation, and account for 15-20% of the total turbine cost. If this vibration problem is taken care, the SHAWT can be made as commercial success. In this work, Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires made of Nitinol (Ni-Ti) alloys are embedded into the Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) wind turbine blade in order to reduce the flapwise vibrations. Experimental study of Nitinol (Ni-Ti) wire characteristics has been done and relationship between different parameters like current, displacement, time and temperature has been established. When the wind turbine blades are subjected to varying wind velocity, flapwise vibration occurs which has to be controlled continuously, otherwise the blade will be damaged due to the resonance. Therefore, in order to control these flapwise vibrations actively, a non-linear current controller unit was developed and fabricated, which provides actuation force required for active vibration control in smart blade. Experimental analysis was performed on conventional GFRP and smart blade, depicted a 20% increase in natural frequency and 20% reduction in amplitude of vibration. With addition of active vibration control unit, the smart blade showed 61% reduction in amplitude of vibration.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.771-782
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• 2017

This paper describes the development of a wearable robot to assist ankle power for the elderly. Previously developed wearable robots have generally used motors and gears to assist muscle power during walking. However, the combination of motor and reduction gear is heavy and has limitations on the simultaneous control of stiffness and torque due to the friction of the gear reducer unlike human muscles. Therefore, in this study, Mckibben pneumatic muscle, which is lighter, safer, and more powerful than an electric motor with gear, was used to assist ankle joint. Antagonistic actuation using a pair of pneumatic muscles assisted the power of the soleus muscles and tibialis anterior muscles used for the pitching motion of the ankle joint, and the model parameters of the antagonistic actuator were experimentally derived using a muscle test platform. To recognize the wearer's walking intention, foot load and ankle torque were calculated by measuring the pressure and the center of pressure of the foot using force and linear displacement sensors, and the stiffness and the torque of the pneumatic muscle joint were then controlled by the calculated ankle torque and foot load. Finally, the performance of the developed ankle power assistive robot was experimentally verified by measuring EMG signals during walking experiments on a treadmill.