CAREER: Integrated Synthesis of Mechanical Systems with Unconventional Actuations

这笔赠款为职业奖励提供资金。该项目的主要目标是为非常规驱动下的机械结构的形状合成开发系统的设计方法。以下三个综合问题将被解决：(1)具有嵌入的电热顺应致动器的新型微细和中尺度器件的合成，使得它们在施加两点之间的电压差时理想地变形；(2)用于规定的简正模式形状的结构的合成；以及(3)压电驱动结构的形状合成。在每种情况下，多能域场方程之间的耦合相互作用将被建模，并与数值优化方法结合使用，以开发最优综合算法。教育计划包括让本科生参与研究，并开发面向设计的研究生课程，以及为快速增长的微电子机械系统(MEMS)领域的研究生和本科生开设的课程。作为这一综合研究和教育活动的一部分，还包括了一项新的外展活动--“将MEMS带入高中”，以激励和鼓励高中生从事科学和技术职业。如果成功，这项研究将产生优化形状的设计方法，以充分发挥材料和用于MEMS和Smart Structures等现代机械系统的非传统驱动的潜力。这将对MEMS、微传感器和执行器行业产生影响，使其产品因提高质量和降低成本而更具竞争力。该项目教育计划的成功实施将为21世纪培养具有跨学科技能的机械工程专业毕业生。

This grant provides funding for a CAREER award. The principal goal of this project is to develop systematic design methods for the shape synthesis of mechanical structures subject to unconventional actuation. The following three synthesis problems will be addressed: (1) Synthesis of novel micro- and meso-scale devices with embedded electro-thermal-compliant actuation such that they deform desirably upon applying an voltage differential between two points; (2) Synthesis of a structure for prescribed normal mode shapes; and (3) Shape synthesis of piezoelectrically driven structures. In each case, the coupled interactions among the field equations of multiple energy domains will be modeled and used in conjunction with the numerical optimization methods to develop the optimal synthesis algorithms. The educational plan includes involving undergraduates in research, and developing design-oriented graduate courses and a curriculum for graduate and undergraduate students in the rapidly growing area of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). A new outreach activity of `Taking MEMS to high schools` is included as part of this integrated research and education activity to inspire and encourage high school students to pursue careers in science and technology. If successful, this research will result in design methodologies for optimizing shape to exploit the full potential of materials and unconventional actuations used in modern mechanical systems such as MEMS and Smart Structures. This will impact the MEMS, and micro-sensor and actuator industries making their products more competitive because of improved quality and lower cost. The successful implementation of the educational plan of this project will result in mechanical engineering graduates with interdisciplinary skills for the 21st century.