The Lightweight Design of Low RCS Pylon Based on Structural Bionics

<正> A concept of Specific Structure Efficiency (SSE) was proposed that can be used in the lightweight effect evaluation ofstructures.The main procedures of bionic structure design were introduced systematically.The parameter relationship betweenhollow stem of plant and the minimum weight was deduced in detail.In order to improve SSE of pylons, the structural characteristicsof hollow stem were investigated and extracted.Bionic pylon was designed based on analogous biological structuralcharacteristics.Using finite element method based simulation, the displacements and stresses in the bionic pylon were comparedwith those of the conventional pylon.Results show that the SSE of bionic pylon is improved obviously.Static, dynamic andelectromagnetism tests were carried out on conventional and bionic pylons.The weight, stress, displacement and Radar CrossSection (RCS) of both pylons were measured.Experimental results illustrate that the SSE of bionic pylon is markedly improvedthat specific strength efficiency and specific stiffness efficiency of bionic pylon are increased by 52.9% and 43.6% respectively.The RCS of bionic pylon is reduced significantly.     

Structural Bionic Design and Experimental Verification of a Machine Tool Column

Based on the configuration principles of biological skeletons and sandwich stems, a machine tool column with stiffening ribs inside was designed using structural bionic method. After the lightening effect was verified by finite element simulation, scale-down models of a conventional column and a bionic column were fabricated and tested. Results indicate that the bionic column can reduce the maximum static displacement by 45.9% with 6.13% mass reduction and its dynamic performances is also better with increases in the first two natural frequencies. The structural bionic design is effective in improving the static and dynamic structural performances of high speed machine tools.     

Elastic BucMing of Bionic Cylindrical Shells Based on Bamboo

High load-bearing efficiency is one of the advantages of biological structures after the evolution of billions of years. Biomimicking from nature may offer the potential for lightweight design. In the viewpoint ofrnechanics properties, the culm of bamboo comprises of two types of cells and the number of the vascular bundles takes a gradient of distribution. A three-point bending test was carried out to measure the elastic modulus. Results show that the elastic modulus of bamboo decreases gradually from the periphery towards the centre. Based on the structural characteristics of bamboo, a bionic cylindrical structure was designed to mimic the gradient distribution of vascular bundles and parenchyma cells. The buckling resistance of the bionic structure was compared with that of a traditional shell of equal mass under axial pressure by finite element simulations. Results show that the load-bearing capacity of bionic shell is increased by 124.8%. The buckling mode of bionic structure is global buckling while that of the conventional shell is local buckling.     

Elastic Buckling of Bionic Cylindrical Shells Based on Bamboo

High load-bearing efficiency is one of the advantages of biological structures after the evolution of billions of years.Biomimicking from nature may offer the potential for lightweight design. In the viewpoint of mechanics properties, the culm of bamboo comprises of two types of cells and the number of the vascular bundles takes a gradient of distribution. A three-point bending test was carried out to measure the elastic modulus. Results show that the elastic modulus of bamboo decreases gradually from the periphery towards the centre. Based on the structural characteristics of bamboo, a bionic cylindrical structure was designed to mimic the gradient distribution of vascular bundles and parenchyma cells. The buckling resistance of the bionic structure was compared with that of a traditional shell of equal mass under axial pressure by finite element simulations. Results show that the load-bearing capacity of bionic shell is increased by 124.8%. The buckling mode of bionic structure is global buckling while that of the conventional shell is local buckling.     

An Ant Colony Optimization Based Dimension Reduction Method for High-Dimensional Datasets

In this paper, a bionic optimization algorithm based dimension reduction method named Ant Colony Optimization -Selection (ACO-S) is proposed for high-dimensional datasets. Because microarray datasets comprise tens of thousands of features (genes), they are usually used to test the dimension reduction techniques. ACO-S consists of two stages in which two well-known ACO algorithms, namely ant system and ant colony system, are utilized to seek for genes, respectively. In the first stage, a modified ant system is used to filter the nonsignificant genes from high-dimensional space, and a number of promising genes are reserved in the next step. In the second stage, an improved ant colony system is applied to gene selection. In order to enhance the search ability of ACOs, we propose a method for calculating priori available heuristic information and design a fuzzy logic controller to dynamically adjust the number of ants in ant colony system. Furthermore, we devise another fuzzy logic controller to tune the parameter (q₀) in ant colony system. We evaluate the performance of ACO-S on five microarray datasets, which have dimensions varying from 7129 to 12000. We also compare the performance of ACO-S with the results obtained from four existing well-known bionic optimization algorithms. The comparison results show that ACO-S has a notable ability to generate a gene subset with the smallest size and salient features while yielding high classification accuracy. The comparative results generated by ACO-S adopting different classifiers are also given. The proposed method is shown to be a promising and effective tool for mining high-dimension data and mobile robot navigation.     

Study of a Bionic Paddy Impeller Inspired by Buffalo Hoof

Based on the particular geometric characteristics of buffalo hoof, which is capable to walk on the soft soil of paddy-field with low resistance, a bionic blade for paddy field impeller was designed. The test results in soil bin show that the traction ability of the bionic blade for paddy wheel is improved. Compared with the conventional plate blade, the maximum pull force of the bionic blade is increased by 37.8% and the maximum impeller efficiency is 38.3% higher. Computational simulation analysis shows that bionic shape can improve the driving force of the impeller by resisting and reducing the impacts resulted from the sharp velocity change of the discontinuous surface water flow, and the driving torque of the bionic blade may increase as well.     

Transfer of Natural Micro Structures to Bionic Lightweight Design Proposals

The abstraction of complex biological lightweight structure features into a producible technical component is a funda- mental step within the transfer of design principles from nature to technical lightweight solutions. A major obstacle for the transfer of natural lightweight structures to technical solutions is their peculiar geometry. Since natural lightweight structures possess irregularities and often have extremely complex forms due to elaborate growth processes, it is usually necessary to simplify their design principles. This step of simplification/abstraction has been used in different biomimetic methods, but so far, it has an arbitrary component, i.e. it crucially depends on the competence of the person who executes the abstraction. This paper describes a new method for abstraction and specialization of natural micro structures for technical lightweight compo- nents. The new method generates stable lightweight design principles by using topology optimization within a design space of preselected biological archetypes such as diatoms or radiolarian. The resulting solutions are adapted to the technical load cases and production processes, can be created in a large variety, and may be further optimized e.g. by using parametric optimization.     

Bionic Mechanism and Kinematics Analysis of Hopping Robot Inspired by Locust Jumping

A flexible-rigid hopping mechanism which is inspired by the locust jumping was proposed,and its kinematic characteristics were analyzed.A series of experiments were conducted to observe locust morphology and jumping process.According to classic mechanics,the jumping process analysis was conducted to build the relationship of the locust jumping parameters.The take-off phase was divided into four stages in detail.Based on the biological observation and kinematics analysis,a mechanical model was proposed to simulate locust jumping.The forces of the flexible-rigid hopping mechanism at each stage were analyzed.The kinematic analysis using pseudo-rigid-body model was described by D-H method.It is confirmed that the proposed bionic mechanism has the similar performance as the locust hind leg in hopping.Moreover,the jumping angle which decides the jumping process was discussed,and its relation with other parameters was established.A calculation case analysis corroborated the method.The results of this paper show that the proposed bionic mechanism which is inspired by the locust hind limb has an excellent kinematics performance,which can provide a foundation for design and motion planning of the hopping robot.     

Design and Analysis of Biomimetic Nose Cone for Morphing of Aerospace Vehicle

Morphing capability is absolutely vital for aerospace vehicle to gain predominant functions of aerodynamics,mobility and flight control while piercing and re-entering the atmosphere.However,the challenge for existing aerospace vehicle remains to change its structure of nose cone agilely.This paper carries out a lot of observational experiments on honeybee's abdomen which enhances the flight characteristics of honeybee by adjusting its biomorphic shape.A morphing structure is adopted from honeybee's abdomen to improve both the axial scalability and bending properties of aerospace vehicle,which can lead to the super-maneuver flight performance.Combined with the methods of optimum design and topology,a new bionic morphing structure is proposed and applied to the design of morphing nose cone of aerospace vehicle.Furthermore,simulations are conducted to optimize the structural parameters of morphing nose cone.This concept design of biomimetic nose cone will provide an efficient way for aerospace vehicle to reduce the aerodynamic drag.     

An Efficient Gait-generating Method for Electrical Quadruped Robot Based on Humanoid Power Planning Approach

The research field of legged robots has always relied on the bionic robotic research,especially in locomotion regulating approaches,such as foot trajectory planning,body stability regulating and energy efficiency prompting.Minimizing energy consumption and keeping the stability of body are considered as two main characteristics of human walking.This work devotes to develop an energy-efficient gait control method for electrical quadruped robots with the inspiration of human walking pattern.Based on the mechanical power distribution trend,an efficient humanoid power redistribution approach is established for the electrical quadruped robot.Through studying the walking behavior acted by mankind,such as the foot trajectory and change of mechanical power,we believe that the proposed controller which includes the bionic foot movement trajectory and humanoid power redistribution method can be implemented on the electrical quadruped robot prototype.The stability and energy efficiency of the proposed controller are tested by the simulation and the single-leg prototype experi-ment.The results verify that the humanoid power planning approach can improve the energy efficiency of the electrical quadruped robots.     

An Experimental Study on a Microclimatic Layer of a Bionic Fa(c)ade Inspired by Vertical Greenery

A microclimatic layer of the green façade is proven to have specific temperature and flow conditions on the building envelope. Lower temperatures and wind velocities, and higher relative humidity in the microclimatic layer are the characteristics of vertical greenery systems, which cause lower energy consumption for the cooling and heating of buildings. Despite innovative architectural solutions, there are some drawbacks to applying vertical greenery on building envelopes. In this study, a bionic façade that mimics the positive effects and eliminates the disadvantages of green façades is presented. The bionic façade consists of bionic leaves, which are made of photovoltaic cells and evaporative matrices. A real scale experiment was carried out in the summer to evaluate the potential of the cooling efficiency of the microclimatic layer and a new photovoltaic cooling technique. The results show a good agreement of the thermal performance between the bionic and the green façade and up to 20.8 K lower surface temperatures of photovoltaic cells, which increase the daily electricity yield by 6.6%.     

A methodology for in silico endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) can involve some unfavorable complications such as endoleaks or stent-graft (SG) migration. Such complications, resulting from the complex mechanical interaction of vascular tissue, SG and blood flow or incompatibility of SG design and vessel geometry, are difficult to predict. Computational vascular mechanics models can be a predictive tool for the selection, sizing and placement process of SGs depending on the patient-specific vessel geometry and hence reduce the risk of potential complications after EVAR. In this contribution, we present a new in silico EVAR methodology to predict the final state of the deployed SG after intervention and evaluate the mechanical state of vessel and SG, such as contact forces and wall stresses. A novel method to account for residual strains and stresses in SGs, resulting from the precompression of stents during the assembly process of SGs, is presented. We suggest a parameter continuation approach to model various different sizes of SGs within one in silico EVAR simulation which can be a valuable tool when investigating the issue of SG oversizing. The applicability and robustness of the proposed methods are demonstrated on the example of a synthetic abdominal aortic aneurysm geometry.     

Bionic Research on Fish Scales for Drag Reduction

To reduce friction drag with bionic method in a more feasible way,the surface microstructure of fish scales was analyzed attempting to reveal the biologic features responding to skin friction drag reduction.Then comparable bionic surface mimicking fish scales was fabricated through coating technology for drag reduction.The paint mixture was coated on a substrate through a self-developed spray-painting apparatus.The bionic surface with micron-scale caves formed spontaneously due to the interfacial convection and deformation driven by interfacial tension gradient in the presence of solvent evaporation.Comparative experiments between bionic surface and smooth surface were performed in a water tunnel to evaluate the effect of bionic surface on drag reduction,and visible drag reduction efficiency was obtained.Numerical simulation results show that gas phase develops in solid-liquid interface of bionic surface with the effect of surface topography and partially replaces the solid-liquid shear force with gas-liquid shear force,hence reducing the skin friction drag effectively.Therefore,with remarkable drag reduction performance and simple fabrication technology,the proposed drag reduction technique shows the promise for practical applications.     

Erosion-Resistant Surfaces Inspired by Tamarisk

Tamarisk, a plant that thrives in arid and semi-arid regions, has adapted to blustery conditions by evolving extremely ef- fective and robust anti-erosion surface patterns. However, the details of these unique properties and their structural basis are still unexplored. In this paper, we demonstrate that the tamarisk surface only suffers minor scratches under wind-sand mixture erosion. The results show that the anti-erosion property of bionic sample, inspired by tamarisk surface with different surface morphologies, can be attributed to the flow rotating in the grooves that reduces the particle impact speed. Furthermore, the simulation and experiment on the erosion wear behavior of the bionic samples and bionic centrifugal fan blades show that the bionic surface with V-type groove exhibits the best erosion resistance. The bionic surface on centrifugal fan blades with opti- mum parameters can effectively improve anti-erosion property by 28.97%. This paper show more opportunities for bionic application in improving the anti-erosion performance of moving parts that work under dirt and sand particle environment, such as helicopter rotor blades, airplane propellers, rocket motor nozzles, and pipes that regularly wear out from erosion.     

Technological Parameters and Design of Bionic Integrated Honeycomb Plates

We investigated an integrated manufacturing method to develop lightweight composite materials. To design the preparation process for the integrated honeycomb plates, the shear and compressive mechanical properties of the corresponding composite materials were also investigated. The results indicate that these composite materials, with two types of resins reinforced by short basalt fibers, exhibit obvious toughness, particularly in their compressive properties. The Epoxy Resin （ER） is denser and has better bonding at the fiber and matrix interface than the vinyl ester resin matrix. Therefore, the ER exhibits better shear and compressive strengths than the vinyl ester resin matrix, thereby providing a design technology of the preparation process of the integrated honeycomb plate. The matrix material of this plate is composed of an epoxy （E51 ）, a curing agent （593）, and a thinner （501） at a ratio of 10：3：1; short basalt fibers are added as a reinforcing material at a 30% volume fraction. By increasing the curing temperature and other experimental conditions, we obtained an expected integrated honeycomb plate. This integrated honeycomb plate possesses properties such as a high fiber content, good shear and compressive performance, and high proc- essing efficiency.     

Accuracy and power of statistical methods for detecting adaptive evolution in protein coding sequences and for identifying positively selected sites

The parsimony method of Suzuki and Gojobori (1999) and the maximum likelihood method developed from the work of Nielsen and Yang (1998) are two widely used methods for detecting positive selection in homologous protein coding sequences. Both methods consider an excess of nonsynonymous (replacement) substitutions as evidence for positive selection. Previously published simulation studies comparing the performance of the two methods show contradictory results. Here we conduct a more thorough simulation study to cover and extend the parameter space used in previous studies. We also reanalyzed an HLA data set that was previously proposed to cause problems when analyzed using the maximum likelihood method. Our new simulations and a reanalysis of the HLA data demonstrate that the maximum likelihood method has good power and accuracy in detecting positive selection over a wide range of parameter values. Previous studies reporting poor performance of the method appear to be due to numerical problems in the optimization algorithms and did not reflect the true performance of the method. The parsimony method has a very low rate of false positives but very little power for detecting positive selection or identifying positively selected sites.     

Influence of PVD-duplex-treated,Bionic Surface Structures on the Wetting Behavior for Sheet-Bulk Metal Forming Tools

Bionic surface structures,inspired by the flora,were developed for Sheet-Bulk Metal Forming (SBMF) in order to locally control the friction condition by adjusting the wetting behavior.Five bionic structures were micromilled on ASP(R)2023,in annealed as well as hardened and tempered conditions.Subsequently,the structured surfaces were plasma-nitrided and coated with a CrA1N thin film.The influence of the treatment method on the structural geometry was investigated with the aid of a scanning electron microscope and 3D-profilometer.The wetting behaviors of water and deep drawing oil (Berufluid ST6007) on bionic surfaces were evaluated using contact angle measurements.The resulting micro-milled structures exhibit an almost identical shape as their bionic models.However,the roughness of the structured surfaces is influenced by the microstructure.The combination of plasma-nitriding and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) leads to an increase in roughness.All bionic structures possess higher contact angles than that of the unstructured surfaces when wetted by water.This can be explained by the fact that the structural elevations block the spreading.When the bionic surfaces are wetted by deep drawing oil,the lubricant spreads in the structural cavities,leading to smaller contact angles.Furthermore,the anisotropy of the structure has an influence on the wetting behavior.     

A Parallel Actuated Pantograph Leg for High-speed Locomotion

High-speed running is one of the most important topics in the field of legged robots which requires strict constraints on structural design and control.To solve the problems of high acceleration,high energy consumption,high pace frequency and ground impact during high-speed movement,this paper presents a parallel actuated pantograph leg with an approximately decoupled configuration.The articulated leg features in light weight,high load capacity,high mechanical efficiency and structural stability.The similarity features of force and position between the control point and the foot are analyzed.The key design parameters,K1 and K2,which concern the dynamic performances,are carefully optimized by comprehensive evaluation of the leg inertia and mass within the maximum foot trajectory.A control strategy that incorporates virtual Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum (SLIP) model and active force is also proposed to test the design.The strategy can implement highly flexible impedance without mechanical springs,which substantially simplifies the design and satisfies the variable stiffness requirements during high-speed running.The rationality of the structure and the effectiveness of the control law are validated by simulation and experiments.     

MAMMOTH (matching molecular models obtained from theory): an automated method for model comparison

Advances in structural genomics and protein structure prediction require the design of automatic, fast, objective, and well benchmarked methods capable of comparing and assessing the similarity of low-resolution three-dimensional structures, via experimental or theoretical approaches. Here, a new method for sequence-independent structural alignment is presented that allows comparison of an experimental protein structure with an arbitrary low-resolution protein tertiary model. The heuristic algorithm is given and then used to show that it can describe random structural alignments of proteins with different folds with good accuracy by an extreme value distribution. From this observation, a structural similarity score between two proteins or two different conformations of the same protein is derived from the likelihood of obtaining a given structural alignment by chance. The performance of the derived score is then compared with well established, consensus manual-based scores and data sets. We found that the new approach correlates better than other tools with the gold standard provided by a human evaluator. Timings indicate that the algorithm is fast enough for routine use with large databases of protein models. Overall, our results indicate that the new program (MAMMOTH) will be a good tool for protein structure comparisons in structural genomics applications. MAMMOTH is available from our web site at http://physbio.mssm.edu/~ortizg/.