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Search results for: ATOMIC FORCE MICROCOPY
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A comparison of geometric analogues of holographic reduced representations, original holographic reduced representations and binary spatter codes
PublicationGeometric Analogues of Holographic Reduced Representations (GA HRR) employ role-filler binding based on geometric products. Atomic objects are real-valued vectors in n-dimensional Euclidean space and complex statements belong to a hierarchy of multivectors. The paper reports a battery of tests aimed at comparison of GA HRR with Holographic Reduced Representation (HRR) and Binary Spatter Codes (BSC). Firstly, we perform a test of...
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Emerging oxidized and defective phases in low-dimensional CrCl3
PublicationTwo-dimensional (2D) magnets such as chromium trihalides CrX3 (X ¼ I, Br, Cl) represent a frontier for spintronics applications and, in particular, CrCl3 has attracted research interest due its relative stability under ambient conditions without rapid degradation, as opposed to CrI3. Herein, mechanically exfoliated CrCl3 flakes are characterized at the atomic scale and the electronic structures of pristine, oxidized, and defective...
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Optical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth metal-modified ZnO quantum dots
PublicationA series of novel ZnO quantum dots modified with rare earth metals was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel approach. The effects of types (Eu, Er, Tb, Yb, Ho, La) and amounts (from 0.09 to 0.45 mmol) of lanthanides on the optical properties, structural characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/RE QDs were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform...
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Synthesis, characterization and application of cross-linked functional terpolymer through epoxy group as sorbent for extraction of cadmium from waters and foods: Multivariate optimization
PublicationThe purpose of this study was to develop a selective sorbent for cadmium ions (Cd(II)) enrichment in orbital shaker assisted solid phase microextraction (OS-SPME) from different aqueous and food samples. A maleic anhydride-styrene-glycidyl methacrylate (MA-St-GMA) terpolymer was synthesized and characterized in detail. Experimental variables of sample preparation step were optimized using a central composite design (CCD). The final...
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Effect of small quantities of potassium promoter and steam on the catalytic properties of nickel catalysts in dry/combined methane reforming
PublicationCarbon dioxide and methane are two of the principal greenhouse gases. Reduction of their content in the atmosphere is currently the subject of much worldwide research. Dry and combined reforming of methane are effective methods of CO2 and CH4 utilization and production of synthesis gas (syngas) in chemical technology. Testing of catalysts that provide the desired H2/CO ratio and long operation time is one of the critical aspects...
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Electron attachment to representative cations composing ionic liquids
PublicationUsing ab initio electronic structure methods with flexible atomic orbital basis sets, we investigated the electronic structure and stability of reduction products of selected representative cations (C+) constituting ionic liquids. We found that an electron attachment to such cations leads to the neutral radicals, whereas a subsequent attachment of another (i.e., excess) electron leads to adiabatically stable anions only in two...
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Release of selected chemical elements from shale drill cuttings to aqueous solutions of different pH
PublicationThe effect of pH changes on leachability of light and heavy metals from shale drill cuttings generated from unconventional shale gas production was investigated. Cuttings, being the primary byproduct generated from drilling operations, belong to the potentially hazardous type of wastes due to presence of heavy and radioactive elements and remains of drilling fluid. In this regard, assessment of potentially dangerous components...
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The influence of feed rate and shear forces on the devulcanization process of ground tire rubber (GTR) conducted in a co-rotating twin screw extruder
PublicationThe search for new ways to recycling of rubber waste has been the aim of many studies conducted by research centers and companiesworldwide. The results of our investigations on the process of continuous thermomechanical devulcanization of ground tire rubber using a twin screw extruder are presented.We used a co-rotating twin screw extruder with a special configuration of plasticizing unit, enabling generation of considerable shear...
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4-Point beam tensile test on a soft adhesive
PublicationAn adhesive butt joint with a soft bondline has been studied. A series of experiments was conducted on test pieces constituted of aluminium adherends bonded with a low modulus epoxy adhesive, ScotchWeld™ 2216. The joint was subjected to four point bending, in tension/compression loading, under constant deflection rate, with the bondline being parallel to the applied load. The objective was to examine and evaluate crack nucleation...
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Behaviour of deformed steel columns exposed to impact load during earthquakes - experimental study
PublicationIt has been observed during major earthquakes that the so called soft-storey failure of an upper floor of a structure results in large impact load acting on structural members of the lower storeys. It may further lead to progressive collapse of the whole structure substantially intensifying human and material losses. The aim of this paper is to investigate experimentally the behaviour of horizontally deformed columns (deformation...
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Electrostatic Zipping Actuators—Analysis of the Pull-In Effect Depending on the Geometry Parameters
PublicationContinuous work on a new generation of actuators, referred to as artificial muscles, resulted in the initiation of work on electrostatic zipping actuators, the concept of which is derived from micro electro-mechanical devices. Despite partial knowledge of their basic operating parameters, a question remains whether electrostatic zipping actuators are able to meet the expectations in the context of generated forces and control possibilities....
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Influence of addition of carbon nanotubes on rheological properties of selected liquid lubricants - a computer simulation study
PublicationThis work is motivated by the improvement of anti-friction properties of lubricants by addition of CNTs proved experimentally in literature. In particular, a methodology is developed to compute the shear viscosity of liquid lubricants (Propylene Glycol) based on Molecular Dynamics simulation. Non-Equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach is used with a reactive force field ReaxFF implemented in LAMMPS. The simulations are...
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Preferences of the Facade Composition in the Context of Its Regularity and Irregularity
PublicationAbstract: The aim of this study is to determine the preferences of Polish society towards building facades depending on the degree of the composition regularity of the facade elements. The subject matter is inspired by the authors’ observations in relation to the current architectural trends. The purposefulness of the conducted research results from several issues. Firstly, the reports of psychology and neurosciences clearly indicate...
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Deformable model of a butterfly in motion on the example of Attacus atlas
PublicationInsect wings can undergo significant chordwise (camber) as well as spanwise (twist) deformation during flapping flight but the effect of these deformations is not well understood. The shape and size of butterfly wings leads to particularly large wing deformations, making them an ideal test case for investigation of these effects. High-speed videogrammetry was used to capture the wing kinematics and deformations. The movements of...
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Retrievable strain measuring system in screw displacement piles - readings and results interpretation problems
PublicationStatic load tests on foundation piles are generally carried out in order to determine load – displacement characteristic of the pile. For more detailed information, e.g. force distribution along the shaft, load transfer mechanism and characteristics of soil-structure interaction (unit resistance curves t-z, q-z) additional pile instrumentation is required. Most popular techniques focus on direct concrete strain measurements and...
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An analysis of wind conditions at pedestrian level in the selected types of multi-family housing developments
PublicationThe following article addresses the issue of wind conditions around urban building development at pedestrian level. Factors that depend on those issues include wind comfort and air quality within urbanized spaces. The conditions specific of cities located in a temperate climate zone have been taken into account. The article is intended to identify aerodynamic phenomena characteristic of the three basic types of multi-family building...
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Investigating the effects of structural pounding on the seismic performance of adjacent RC and steel MRFs
PublicationAn insufficient separation distance between adjacent buildings is the main reason for structural pounding during severe earthquakes. The lateral load resistance system, fundamental natural period, mass, and stiffness are important factors having the influence on collisions between two adjacent structures. In this study, 3-, 5- and 9-story adjacent reinforced concrete and steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) were considered to investigate...
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Molecular hydrogen solvated in water – A computational study
PublicationThe aqueous hydrogen molecule is studied with molecular dynamics simulations at ambient temperature and pressure conditions, using a newly developed flexible and polarizable H2 molecule model. The design and implementation of this model, compatible with an existing flexible and polarizable force field for water, is presented in detail. The structure of the hydration layer suggests that first-shell water molecules accommodate the...
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Deep eutectic solvents – based green absorbents for effective volatile organochlorine compounds removal from biogas
PublicationVolatile organochlorine compounds (VOXs) presented in biogas can cause many technological and environmental problems. During the combustion of biogas containing VOXs, the corrosion of installation, as well as the formation of toxic by-products (polyhalogenated dioxins and furans) and further emission to the atmosphere, may occur. Therefore, in this study, a new procedure based on physical absorption was developed. In order to meet...
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Self-employment of women: an opportunity or the last resort?
PublicationIt is believed that automatization and technological changes will be the main drivers of work in the future. At the same time, there is a growing discussion about new forms of employment, such as self-employment. It may be either perceived as a chance for empowerment, through creating new job opportunities, that were not reachable previously, or as precarious work, with less stability, higher risk, and uncertain income. The main...
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Assessment of dynamic characteristics of thin cylindrical sandwich panels with magnetorheological core
PublicationBased on the equivalent single-layer linear theory for laminated shells, free and forced vibrations of thin cylindrical sandwich panels with magnetorheological core are studied. Five variants of available magnetorheological elastomers differing in their composition and physical properties are considered for smart viscoelastic core. Coupled differential equations in terms of displacements based on the generalized kinematic hypotheses...
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Elastic Fender-Dolphin Interaction for Economic Design of Berthing Dolphins
PublicationThe study addresses the question of the possible design benefits when considering the interaction between a modern marine modular rubber fender and a steel tubular pile substructure of a berthing dolphin. Absorption of the berthing kinetic energy of the vessel by a dualelasticity pile-fender berthing system is described in detail using the interactive treatment method (ITM). Application of the ITM is illustrated by a calculative...
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The thermal effort during marine steam turbine flooding with water
PublicationThe work discussed an extreme case of cooling a steam turbine. The ship's steam turbine was used as an example. In marine transport units with low-speed engines dominate, however, there are also units with steam turbines. An example of analysed marine steam turbine is shown in Fig. 1. When considering the issue of cooling steam turbines, it is necessary to estimate the extreme conditions that may occur during operation of the turbine....
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Visual method for detecting critical damage in railway contact strips
PublicationEnsuring an uninterrupted supply of power in the electric traction is vital for the safety of this important transport system. For this purpose, monitoring and diagnostics of the technical condition of the vehicle's power supply elements are becoming increasingly common. This paper presents a new visual method for detecting contact strip damage, based on measurement and analysis of the movement of the overhead contact line (OCL)...
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Development and test of fex, a fingers extending exoskeleton for rehabilitation and regaining mobility
PublicationThis paper presents the design process of an exoskeleton for executing human fingers' extension movement for the rehabilitation procedures and as an active orthosis purposes, together with its first clinical usability tests of a robotic exoskeleton. Furthermore, the Fingers Extending eXoskeleton (FEX) is a serial, under-actuated mechanism capable of executing fingers' extension. FEX is based on the state-of-art FingerSpine serial...
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Assembly of 1D Granular Structures from Sulfonated Polystyrene Microparticles
PublicationBeing able to systematically modify the electric properties of nano- and microparticles opens up new possibilities for the bottom-up fabrication of advanced materials such as the fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) colloidal and granular materials. Fabricating 1D structures from individual particles offers plenty of applications ranging from electronic sensors and photovoltaics to artificial flagella for hydrodynamic propulsion....
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MSRL and the Real-Life Processes of Capturing and Implementing the "Urban Innovation"
PublicationResult of the MSRL workshop, five research projects, reflect on a broader process of exchange of the ideas between the cities, that is occurring in the real life and became one of the driving factors of the urban development nowadays. The objective of the MSRL research - concepts, which help to advance the development of the cities, support the improvement of the quality of urban environment or meet the future challenges, can be...
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Performance analyses of helical coil heat exchangers. The effect of external coil surface modification on heat exchanger effectiveness
PublicationThe shell and coil heat exchangers are commonly used in heating, ventilation, nuclear industry, process plant, heat recovery and air conditioning systems. This type of recuperators benefits from simple construction, the low value of pressure drops and high heat transfer. In helical coil,centrifugal force is acting on the moving fluid due to the curvature of thetube results in the development. It has been long recognized that the...
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Numerical Analysis of Seismic Pounding between Adjacent Buildings Accounting for SSI
PublicationThe structural pounding caused by an earthquake may damage structures and lead to their collapse. This study is focused on the pounding between two adjacent asymmetric structures with different dynamic properties resting on the surface of an elastic half-space. An exploration of the relationship between the effects of the seismic analysis with the impact response to the torsional pounding between adjacent buildings under different...
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Bending Moment Control and Weight Optimization in Space Structures by Adding Extra Members in the Optimal Locations
PublicationThis paper investigates the reduction of bending moment in critical members by adding some extra members in the optimum location. Instead of enlarging the size of members to resist the moment, eight additional members are added in the optimum location to reduce the bending moment in the critical members. The total weight of the proposed structure with extra members is less than that of the original structure that resists the induced...
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Modelowanie matematyczne górnej sieci trakcyjnej dla potrzeb diagnostyki odbieraków prądu
PublicationGórna sieć trakcyjna jest obecnie najbardziej skutecznym sposobem zasilania kolejowych pojazdów elektrycznych. Wzrost prędkości pojazdów zwiększa pobór mocy i wymaga zapewnienia właściwej współpracy odbieraków prądu pojazdów z siecią jezdną. Metody modelowania i projektowania wspomaganego komputerowo dla górnej sieci trakcyjnej są obecnie na całym świecie szeroko rozwijane. W artykule przedstawiono nowy model matematyczny elementów...
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Badania eksperymentalne i symulacyjne dynamiki modelowego odcinka sieci trakcyjnej
PublicationW pracy przedstawiono główne założenia i strukturę opracowanego modelu matematycznego odcinka kolejowej górnej sieci trakcyjnej, opartego na metodzie energetycznej Lagrange’a. W celu wyznaczenia wybranych parametrów modelu, jak również dla oceny stopnia zgodności odwzorowania przez utworzony program symulacyjny stanów statycznych i dynamicznych sieci zbudowano laboratoryjny model odcinka sieci jezdnej z użyciem rzeczywistych jej...
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Study of microstress state of P91 steel using complementary mechanical Barkhausen, magnetoacoustic emission, and X-ray diffraction techniques
PublicationThe paper deals with assessment of microstress state of martensite P91 steel using three complementary techniques: mechanical Barkhausen emission, magnetoacoustic emission (MAE), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) profile analysis. Magnetic coercivity Hc and microstructure were investigated with inductive magnetometry and magnetic force microscopy (MFM), respectively. Internal stress level of P91 steel was modified by heat treatment....
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Determination of binder-aggregate adhesion by contact angle measurement
PublicationThe key factor in asphalt pavement durability, especially in the presence of water, is adhesion of the bituminous binder to mineral aggregates. There are currently no standard laboratory test procedures that can quickly and accurately measure the strength of the interaction (bond) between the binder and aggregate. In this regard, to evaluate the adhesion force measurements based on the contact angle between the binder and the aggregate...
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3D X-ray Micro-CT Analysis of Rebar Corrosion in Reinforced Concrete Subjected to a Chloride-Induced Environment
PublicationThe paper presents experimental investigations of the concrete cover protective ability to coun-teract rebar corrosion in reinforced concrete cubes. To study and quantify the consequences of corrosion a reinforced concrete sample was subjected to chloride-induced environment in order to get corroded and combined with un-corroded sample. Chloride-accelerated technique can in-duce a high degree of corrosion within at a controlled...
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Design of a Shape-Memory-Alloy-Based Carangiform Robotic Fishtail with Improved Forward Thrust
PublicationShape memory alloys (SMAs) have become the most common choice for the development of mini- and micro-type soft bio-inspired robots due to their high power-to-weight ratio, ability to be installed and operated in limited space, silent and vibration-free operation, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance properties. Moreover, SMA spring-type actuators are used for developing different continuum robots, exhibiting high degrees...
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Mechanical and structural investigations of wings of selected insect species
PublicationThis paper presents research and measurements leading to obtaining the Young’s modulus of wing bearing structures of selected insect species. A small testing machine intended for three-point bending and equipped with instruments registering low forces was constructed for the needs of the experiment. The machine was used to perform numerous bending tests of wings of three species of insects (obtained from a breeding farm): Attacus...
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The ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory program
PublicationWe present an overview of the ONETEP program for linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT) calculations with large basis set (planewave) accuracy on parallel computers. The DFT energy is computed from the density matrix, which is constructed from spatially localized orbitals we call Non-orthogonal Generalized Wannier Functions (NGWFs), expressed in terms of periodic sinc (psinc) functions. During the calculation, both the...
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Green energy extraction for sustainable development: A novel MPPT technique for hybrid PV-TEG system
PublicationThe Photovoltaic (PV) module converts only a small portion of irradiance into electrical energy. Most of the solar energy is wasted as heat, resulting in a rise in PV cell temperature and a decrease in solar cell efficiency. One way to harvest this freely available solar thermal energy and improve PV cell efficiency is by integrating PV systems with thermoelectric generators (TEG). This cogeneration approach of the hybrid PV-TEG...
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A new concept of PWM duty cycle computation using the Barycentric Coordinates in a Three-Dimensional voltage vectors arrangement
PublicationThe paper presents a novel approach to the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) duty cycle computing for complex or irregular voltage vector arrangements in the two (2D) and three–dimensional (3D) Cartesian coordinate systems. The given vectors arrangement can be built using at least three vectors or collections with variable number of involved vectors (i.e. virtual vectors). Graphically, these vectors form a convex figure, in particular,...
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Zmiany udziału pracy w dochodzie narodowym a nierówności społeczne na przykładzie państw Grupy Wyszehradzkiej
PublicationDokonująca się liberalizacja handlu, rynków pieniężnych i kapitałowych, umiędzynaro-dowienie produkcji oraz szybkie i szerokie wykorzystanie technologii stanowiące siłę napędową globalizacji włączyły, transformującą się gospodarkę polską w ten proces. Globalizacja określa rozprzestrzenianie się charakterystycznych trendów światowej ekonomii, polityki, życia społecznego i kultury na całym świecie, niezależnie od stopnia zaawansowania...
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Alternative convolution approach to friction in unsteady pipe flow
PublicationIn the paper some aspects of the unsteady friction in pipe flow expressed by the convolution are analyzed. This additional term introduced into the motion equation involves the accelerations of fluid occurring in the past and a weighting function. The essence of such approach is to assume the appropriate form of weighting function. However, until now no fully reliable formula for this function has been found. To avoid some inconveniences...
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Professional activity and women entrepreneurship in Poland – Europe 2020 Strategy perspective
PublicationThe level of economic activity of women in Poland is the lowest among Baltic Sea Region countries. The analysis of Europe 2020 targets, shows that at least 3 of the 5 main objectives relate, more or less, to women (e.g. participation in labor market). The objective concerning social inclusion assumes the increase in the employment rate of men and women (aged 20-64) in Poland up to 71%. To achieve this goal, support programs to...
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Encapsulation of an anticancer drug Isatin inside a host nano-vehicle SWCNT: a molecular dynamics simulation
PublicationThe use of carbon nanotubes as anticancer drug delivery cargo systems is a promising modality as they are able to perforate cellular membranes and transport the carried therapeutic molecules into the cellular components. Our work describes the encapsulation process of a common anticancer drug, Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione) as a guest molecule, in a capped single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) host with chirality of (10,10). The...
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Marine traffic risk modelling – an innovative approach and a case study
PublicationThis paper presents a model to analyse the risk of two common marine accidents: collision and grounding. Attention is focused on oil tankers since they pose the highest environmental risks. A case study in selected areas of the Gulf of Finland in ice-free conditions is presented. The model utilizes a formula for risk calculation that considers both the probability of an unwanted event and its consequences. The model can be decomposed...
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A shear stress micromodel of urinary tract infection by the Escherichia coli producing Dr adhesin
PublicationIn this study, we established a dynamic micromodel of urinary tract infection to analyze the impact of UT-segment-specific urinary outflow on the persistence of E. coli colonization. We found that the adherence of Dr+ E. coli to bladder T24 transitional cells and type IV collagen is maximal at lowest shear stress and is reduced by any increase in flow velocity. The analyzed adherence was effective in the whole spectrum of physiological...
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Preparation and properties of composite coatings, based on carbon nanotubes, for medical applications
PublicationThe coatings based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly developed for their applications, among others, in medicine, in particular for implants in implantology, cardiology, and neurology. The present review paper aims at a detailed demonstration of diferent preparation methods for such coatings, their performance, and relationships between deposition parameters and microstructure and material, mechanical, physical, chemical,...
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Controlling nodal displacement of pantographic structures using matrix condensation and interior-point optimization: A numerical and experimental study
PublicationThis study presents an innovative approach for the precise control of nodal displacements in pantographic structures. The method is founded on the Matrix Condensation of Force Method, seamlessly integrated with an Interior Point Optimization algorithm. This combination offers a unique advantage by allowing users to manipulate displaced nodes within a defined coordination domain. Furthermore, this approach introduces the Interior...
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Experimental study on the feasibility of alternative materials for tilting pad thrust bearings operating in transition to mixed friction
PublicationIn hydrodynamic bearings traditional bearing alloys: Babbitts and bronzes are most frequently utilized. Polymer sliding layers are sometimes applied as a valuable alternative. Hard diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, which are also considered for certain applications may show some advantages, as well. Although material selection is of secondary importance in a full film lubrication regime it becomes important in mixed friction...
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Seismic performance evaluation of steel buckling-restrained braced frames including SMA materials
PublicationThe permanent deformation of the building after seismic excitations can be determined by the Maximum Residual Interstory Drift Ratio (MR-IDR), which may be used for measuring the damage states. Low-post yield stiffness of the steel buckling-restrained braced frame (BRBF) makes this system vulnerable to large MR-IDR after a severe earthquake event. To overcome this issue, this paper investigates the seismic limit state performances...