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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Investigation Of Compliant Space Mechanisms With Application To The Design Of A Large-Displacement Monolithic Compliant Rotational Hinge, Robert Mcintyre Fowler
Investigation Of Compliant Space Mechanisms With Application To The Design Of A Large-Displacement Monolithic Compliant Rotational Hinge, Robert Mcintyre Fowler
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of compliant mechanisms in space applications and design, analyze, and test a compliant space mechanism. Current space mechanisms are already highly refined and it is unclear if significant improvements in performance can be made by continuing to refine current designs. Compliant mechanisms offer a promising opportunity to change the fundamental approach to achieving controlled motion in space systems and have potential for dramatic increases in mechanism performance given the constraints of the space environment. A compliant deployment hinge was selected for development after industry input was gathered. Concepts for large-displacement …
Mechanical Properties And Mems Applications Of Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Forests, Walter C. Fazio
Mechanical Properties And Mems Applications Of Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Forests, Walter C. Fazio
Theses and Dissertations
This work explores the use of carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotube (CI-CNT) forests as a material for fabricating compliant MEMS devices. The impacts of iron catalyst layer thickness and carbon infiltration time are examined. An iron layer of 7nm or 10nm with an infiltration time of 30 minutes produces CI-CNT best suited for compliant applications. Average maximum strains of 2% and 2.48% were observed for these parameters. The corresponding elastic moduli were 5.4 GPa and 4.1 GPa, respectively. A direct comparison of similar geometry suggested CI-CNT is 80% more flexible than single-crystal silicon. A torsional testing procedure provided an initial shear modulus …