Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors measure deviation in a reflected wavelength of light to detect in-situ strain. These sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference, and the inclusion of multiple FBGs on the same fiber allows for a seamlessly integrated sensing network. FBGs are attractive for embedded sensing in aerospace applications due to their small noninvasive size and prospect of constant, real-time nondestructive evaluation. In this study, FBG sensors are embedded in aluminum 6061 via ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM), a rapid prototyping process that uses high power ultrasonic vibrations to weld similar and dissimilar metal foils together. UAM was chosen due to the desire to embed FBG sensors at low temperatures, a requirement that excludes other additive processes such as selective laser sintering or fusion deposition modeling. In this paper, the embedded FBGs are characterized in terms of birefringence losses, post embedding strain shifts, consolidation quality, and strain sensing performance. Sensors embedded into an ASTM test piece are compared against an exterior surface mounted foil strain gage at both room and elevated temperatures using cyclic tensile tests.
KEYWORDS: Vibrational characterization, Ultrasonics, Additive manufacturing, 3D printing, Metals, Structural dynamics, Process modeling, Transducers, Velocity measurements, Systems modeling, Motion models, Control systems
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a recent 3D metal printing technology which utilizes ultrasonic vibrations from high power piezoelectric transducers to additively weld similar and dissimilar metal foils. CNC machining is used intermittent of welding to create internal channels, embed temperature sensitive components, sensors, and materials, and for net shaping parts. Structural dynamics of the welder and work piece influence the performance of the welder and part quality. To understand the impact of structural dynamics on UAM, a linear time-invariant model is used to relate system shear force and electric current inputs to the system outputs of welder velocity and voltage. Frequency response measurements are combined with in-situ operating measurements of the welder to identify model parameters and to verify model assumptions. The proposed LTI model can enhance process consistency, performance, and guide the development of improved quality monitoring and control strategies.
The purpose of this study is to understand and improve the interfacial shear strength of metal matrix composites fabricated via very high power (VHP) ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM). VHP-UAM NiTi-Al composites have shown a dramatic decrease in thermal expansion compared to Al, yet thermal blocking stresses developed during thermal cycling have been found to degrade and eventually cause interface failure. Consequently, to improve understanding of the interface and guide the development of stronger NiTi- Al composites, the interface strength was investigated through the use of single ber pullout tests. It was found that the matrix yielded prior to the interface breaking since adhered aluminum was consistently observed on all pullout samples. Additionally, measured pullout loads were utilized as an input to a nite element model for stress and shear lag analysis, which, in turn showed that the Al matrix experienced a peak shear stress near 230 MPa. This stress is above the Al matrix's ultimate shear strength of 150-200 MPa, thus this large stress corroborates with matrix failure observed during testing. The in uence of various ber surface treatments on bond mechanisms was also studied with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) is a recent solid state manufacturing process that combines ad- ditive joining of thin metal tapes with subtractive milling operations to generate near net shape metallic parts. Due to the minimal heating during the process, UAM is a proven method of embedding Ni-Ti, Fe-Ga, and PVDF to create active metal matrix composites. Recently, advances in the UAM process utilizing 9 kW very high power (VHP) welding has improved bonding properties, enabling joining of high strength materials previously unweldable with 1 kW low power UAM. Consequently, a design of experiments study was conducted to optimize welding conditions for aluminum 6061 components. This understanding is critical in the design of UAM parts containing smart materials. Build parameters, including weld force, weld speed, amplitude, and temperature were varied based on a Taguchi experimental design matrix and tested for me- chanical strength. Optimal weld parameters were identi ed with statistical methods including a generalized linear model for analysis of variance (ANOVA), mean e ects plots, and interaction e ects plots.
In most energy harvesting applications the need for a reliable long-term energy supply is essential in powering
embedded sensing and control electronics. The goal of many harvesters is to extract energy from the ambient
environment to power hardware; however in some applications there may be conditions in which the harvester's
performance cannot meet all of the demands of the embedded electronics. One method for addressing this shortfall is to
supplement harvested power through the transmission of wireless energy, a concept that has successfully been
demonstrated by the authors in previous studies. In this paper we present our findings on the use of a single
electromagnetic coil to harvest kinetic energy in a solenoid configuration, as well as background and directed wireless
energy in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency (RF) bands commonly used in WiFi and cellular phone applications. The
motivation for this study is to develop a compact energy harvester / receiver that conserves physical volume, while
providing multi-modal energy harvesting capabilities. As with most hybrid systems there are performance trade-offs that
must be considered when capturing energy from different physical sources. As part of this paper, many of the issues
related to power transmission, physical design, and potential applications are addressed for this device.
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