Search for: All records

Abstract Ensuring the structural integrity of the overhead power line conductor is crucial for maintaining the safety and reliability of the electrical transmission system. Exposure to environmental hazards like moisture, dust, and Wind-Induced Vibrations (WIV) can lead to defects and corrosion in power line conductors, which are primary contributors to fatigue and shortened lifespan. Thus, this paper presents a vision-based health inspection of power line conductors for a maintenance robot. The method involves image filtering techniques such as Sobel, Scharr, and Gray-scale Variance Normalization (GVN). After filtering the image, row and column analysis is conducted to identify relevant patterns that distinguish healthy and unhealthy conductors, utilizing histograms for data representation. From the histogram data analysis, 10 features were chosen from observation. Subsequently, the collected image data is classified into either healthy or unhealthy categories through supervised machine learning models, including Random Forest (RF), Multi-Layer Perception (MLP), and Gradient Boosting (GB). The best combination of features is extracted to optimize each machine-learning models accordingly. Experimental results validated the effectiveness of our method, which has been specifically fitted for the Mobile Damping Robot (MDR), presenting its potential for enhancing power line maintenance. 

Abstract Recent work in nonlinear topological metamaterials has revealed many useful properties such as amplitude dependent localized vibration modes and nonreciprocal wave propagation. However, thus far, there have not been any studies to include the use of local resonators in these systems. This work seeks to fill that gap through investigating a nonlinear quasi-periodic metamaterial with periodic local resonator attachments. We model a one-dimensional metamaterial lattice as a spring-mass chain with coupled local resonators. Quasi-periodic modulation in the nonlinear connecting springs is utilized to achieve topological features. For comparison, a similar system without local resonators is also modeled. Both analytical and numerical methods are used to study this system. The dispersion relation of the infinite chain of the proposed system is determined analytically through the perturbation method of multiple scales. This analytical solution is compared to the finite chain response, estimated using the method of harmonic balance and solved numerically. The resulting band structures and mode shapes are used to study the effects of quasi-periodic parameters and excitation amplitude on the system behavior both with and without the presence of local resonators. Specifically, the impact of local resonators on topological features such as edge modes is established, demonstrating the appearance of a trivial bandgap and multiple localized edge states for both main cells and local resonators. These results highlight the interplay between local resonance and nonlinearity in a topological metamaterial demonstrating for the first time the presence of an amplitude invariant bandgap alongside amplitude dependent topological bandgaps. 

Abstract Numerous recent works have established the potential of various types of metamaterials for simultaneous vibration control and energy harvesting. In this paper, we investigate a weakly nonlinear metamaterial with electromechanical (EM) local resonators coupled to a resistance-inductance shunt circuit, a system with no previous examination in the literature. An analytical solution is developed for the system, using the perturbation method of multiple scales, and validated through direct numerical integration. The resulting linear and nonlinear band structures are used for parametric analysis of the system, focusing on the effect of resonator and shunt circuit parameters on band gap formation and vibration attenuation. This band structure analysis informs further study of the system through wavepacket excitation as well as spectro-spatial analysis. The voltage response of the system is studied through spatial profiles and spectrograms to observe the effects of shunt inductance, nonlinearity, and their interactions. Results describe the impact of adding a shunted inductor, including significant changes to the band structure; multiple methods of tuning band gaps and pass bands of the system; and changes to wave propagation and voltage response. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed metamaterial and its potential for both vibration control and energy harvesting, specifically compared to a previously studied system with resistance-only shunt. 

Within the field of elastic metamaterials, topological metamaterials have recently received much attention due to their ability to host topologically robust edge states. Introducing local resonators to these metamaterials also opens the door for many applications such as energy harvesting and reconfigurable metamaterials. However, the interactions between phenomena from local resonance and modulation patterning are currently unknown. This work fills that gap by studying multiple cases of spatially modulated metamaterials with local resonators to reveal the mechanisms behind bandgap formation. Their dispersion relations are determined analytically for infinite chains and validated numerically using eigenvalue analysis. The inverse method is used to determine the imaginary wavenumber components from which each bandgap is characterized by its formation mechanism. The topological nature of the bandgaps is also explored through calculating the Chern number and integrated density of states. The band structures are obtained for various sources of modulation as well as multiple resonator parameters to illustrate how both local resonance and modulation patterning interact together to influence the band structure. Other unique features of these metamaterials are further demonstrated through the mode shapes obtained using the eigenvectors. The results reveal a complex band structure that is highly tunable, and the observations given here can be used to guide designers in choosing resonator parameters and patterning to fit a variety of applications. 

Abstract Recent attention has been given to acoustic non-reciprocity in metamaterials with nonlinearity. However, the study of asymmetric wave propagation has been limited to mechanical diodes only. Prior works on electromechanical rectifiers or diodes using passive mechanisms are rare in the literature. This problem is investigated here by analytically and numerically studying a combination of nonlinear and linear metamaterials coupled with electromechanical resonators. The nonlinearity of the system stems from the chain in one case and from the electromechanical resonator in another. The method of multiple scales is used to obtain analytical expressions for the dispersion curves. Numerical examples show potential for wider operation range of electromechanical diode, considerable harvested power, and significant frequency shift. The observed frequency shift is demonstrated using spectro-spatial analyses and it is used to construct an electromechanical diode to guide the wave to propagate in one direction only. This only allows signal sensing for waves propagating in one direction and rejects signals in any other direction. The performance of this electromechanical diode is evaluated using the transmission ratio and the asymmetric ratio for a transient input signal. Design guidelines are provided to obtain the best electromechanical diode performance. The presented analyses show high asymmetry ratio for directional-biased wave propagation in the medium-wavelength limit for the case of nonlinear chain. Indeed, the present asymmetric and transmission ratios are higher than those reported in the literature for a mechanical diode. The operation frequencies can also be broadened to the long-wavelength limit frequencies using the resonator nonlinearity. 

Electromechanical metamaterials have been the focus of many recent studies for use in simultaneous energy harvesting and vibration control. Metamaterials with quasiperiodic patterns possess many useful topological properties that make them a good candidate for study. However, it is currently unknown what effect electromechanical coupling may have on the topological bandgaps and localized edge modes of a quasiperiodic metamaterial. In this paper, we study a quasiperiodic metamaterial with electromechanical resonators to investigate the effect on its bandgaps and localized vibration modes. We derive here the analytical dispersion surfaces of the proposed metamaterial. A semi-infinite system is also simulated numerically to validate the analytical results and show the band structure for different quasiperiodic patterns, load resistors, and electromechanical coupling coefficients. The topological nature of the bandgaps is detailed through an estimation of the integrated density of states. Furthermore, the presence of topological edge modes is determined through numerical simulation of the energy harvested from the system. The results indicate that quasiperiodic metamaterials with electromechanical resonators can be used for effective energy harvesting without changes in the bandgap topology for weak electromechanical coupling.