Search results for "piezoelectric"

Realization and drive tests of active thin glass x-ray mirrors

2016

A technique to obtain lightweight and high-resolution focusing mirror segments for large aperture X-ray telescopes is the hot slumping of thin glass foils. In this approach, already successfully experimented to manufacture the optics of the NuSTAR X-ray telescope, thin glasses are formed at high temperature onto a precisely figured mould. The formed glass foils are subsequently stacked onto a stiff backplane with a common axis and focus to form an XOU (X-ray Optical Unit), to be later integrated in the telescope optic structure. In this process, the low thickness of the glass foils guarantees a low specific mass and a very low obstruction of the effective area. However, thin glasses are sub…

Electroelastic Analysis of Piezoelectric Composite Laminates by Boundary Integral Equations

2004

A boundary integral representation for the electroelastic state in piezoelectric composite laminates subjected to axial extension, bending, torsion, shear/bending, and electric loadings is proposed. The governing equations are presented in terms of electromechanical generalized variables by the use of a suitable matrix notation. Thus, the three-dimensional electroelasticity solution for piezoelectric composite laminates is generated from a set of two partially coupled differential equations defined on the cross section of each individual ply within the laminate. These ply equations are linked through the interface conditions, which allow restoration of the model of the laminate as a whole. …

Electrical connections and driving electronics for piezo-actuated x-ray thin glass optics

2016

Use of thin glass modular optics is a technology currently under study to build light, low cost, large area X-ray telescopes for high energy astrophysics space missions. The angular resolution of such telescopes is limited by local deviations from the ideal shape of the mirrors. One possible strategy to improve it consists in actively correcting the mirror profile by gluing thin ceramic piezo-electric actuators on the back of the glasses. A large number of actuators, however, requires several electrical connections to drive them with the different needed voltages. We have developed a process for depositing conductive paths directly on the back of non-planar thin foil mirrors by means of a p…

Hybrid Tribo-Piezo-Electric Nanogenerator with Unprecedented Performance Based on Ferroelectric Composite Contacting Layers

2019

This research was supported by the European Regional Development Fund within the project ‘‘Hybrid energy harvesting systems’’ 1.1.1.1./16/A/013.

Comparison of postoperative morbidity between piezoelectric surgery and conventional rotary instruments in mandibular third molar surgery: a split-mo…

2020

Background The extraction of impacted third molar teeth is a common procedure in maxillofacial surgery. The aim of this study was to compare of piezoelectric surgical technique with the one with conventional rotary instruments in terms of edema, trismus and pain, in mandibular third molar surgery. Material and Methods 20 individuals with symmetrically impacted lower mandibular third molars and 40 teeth were included in the study. Third molars on the left side of each patient were removed with piezosurgery, while the counterparts on the right side were removed with conventional rotary instruments. Postoperatively, the same antibiotic, analgesic, and mouthwash were recommended to both groups.…

Molecular dynamics in ferroelectric liquid crystals: From low molar to polymeric and elastomeric systems

2007

Giant lateral electrostriction in ferroelectric liquid-crystalline elastomers

2001

Mechanisms for converting electrical energy into mechanical energy are essential for the design of nanoscale transducers, sensors, actuators, motors, pumps, artificial muscles, and medical microrobots. Nanometre-scale actuation has to date been mainly achieved by using the (linear) piezoelectric effect in certain classes of crystals (for example, quartz), and 'smart' ceramics such as lead zirconate titanate. But the strains achievable in these materials are small--less than 0.1 per cent--so several alternative materials and approaches have been considered. These include grafted polyglutamates (which have a performance comparable to quartz), silicone elastomers (passive material--the constri…

The generalized plane piezoelectric problem: Theoretical formulation and application to heterostructure nanowires

2016

We present a systematic methodology for the reformulation of a broad class of three-dimensional (3D) piezoelectric problems into a two-dimensional (2D) mathematical form. The sole underlying hypothesis is that the system geometry and material properties as well as the applied loads (forces and charges) and boundary conditions are translationally invariant along some direction. This class of problems is commonly denoted here as the generalized plane piezoelectric (GPP) problem. The first advantage of the generalized plane problems is that they are more manageable from both analytical and computational points of view. Moreover, they are flexible enough to accommodate any geometric cross secti…

Optical and electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors

2011

In the past two decades, nanoscale advanced materials have been explored for biosensing molecules, so new horizons have opened up for identifying and quantifying biomolecules, and possible early diagnosis of diseases. DNA nanobiosensors show promise. This article provides an overview on their optical and electrochemical aspects. We discuss recent progress in this field, describing basic concepts of molecular beacons and quantum dots as optical nano-imaging systems. Also, carbon nanotubes provide a platform for development and advancement of electrochemical DNA nanobiosensors, which are increasingly being implemented as robust tools for detection in biomedical sciences. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Manufacturing an active X-ray mirror prototype in thin glass

2015

Adjustable mirrors equipped with piezo actuators are commonly used at synchrotron and free-electron laser (FEL) beamlines, in order to optimize their focusing properties and sometimes to shape the intensity distribution of the focal spot with the desired profile. Unlike them, X-ray mirrors for astronomy are much thinner in order to enable nesting and reduce the areal mass, and the application of piezo actuators acting normally to the surface appears much more difficult. There remains the possibility to correct the deformations using thin patches that exert a tangential strain on the rear side of the mirror: some research groups are already at work on this approach. The technique reported he…