CAREER: Elastic Averaging - Nature's Design Paradigm for High Performance Flexure Systems

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。这个教师早期职业发展（CAREER）项目的研究目标是开发一种新的柔性系统设计方法，其灵感来自于自然界中的弹性平均。柔性件是无接头弹性结构，其从材料顺应性获得运动，这导致高精度、设计简单和低成本。传统的柔性系统综合与优化设计方法是基于精确约束原理，由于没有认识到分布式柔度的独特优势，不必要地限制了解空间。这项研究将创造一个数学和科学基础的弹性平均，一个范例的灵感来自自然？有效地使用分布式顺应性来实现高度过约束的结构，这些结构固有地鲁棒性和高性能，尽管存在局部缺陷。研究成果包括：1）通过对结构非线性进行建模来表征挠曲件中的约束行为; 2）量化关键性能属性，诸如移动性、误差运动、刚度变化和制造灵敏度; 3）响应于挠曲件系统设计规范来生成约束图的合成过程;和4）一个封闭形式的分析框架，允许预测的性能和设计权衡的挠曲系统，从而使优化和灵敏度的研究。如果成功的话，所提出的弯曲机构设计方法将为几种应用中的重大设计创新铺平道路，包括用于精密计量的多轴纳米定位系统，增强灵活性的微创手术工具，以及用于提高微机械效率的顺应性密封件。这项研究的设计方法将通过为工程师和研究人员提供新的专业教程以及弯曲系统的在线参考地图集来传播。该提案还包括密歇根大学本科生和研究生课程开发计划。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to develop a new flexure system design methodology inspired by elastic averaging, which is seen in nature. Flexures are jointless elastic structures that derive motion from material compliance, which results in high precision, design simplicity, and lower costs. The traditional design methodology for the synthesis and optimization of flexure systems is based on Exact Constraint principles, which unnecessarily restrict the solution space by not recognizing the unique advantages of distributed compliance. This research will create a mathematical and scientific foundation for Elastic Averaging, a paradigm inspired by nature?s effective use of distributed compliance in enabling highly over-constrained structures that are inherently robust and high-performing despite local defects. The research deliverables include: 1) Characterization of constraint behavior in flexures by modeling structural non-linearities; 2) Quantification of key performance attributes such as mobility, error motions, stiffness variation, and manufacturing sensitivity; 3) A synthesis procedure for generating constraint maps in response to a flexure system design specification; and 4) A closed-form analytical framework that allows the prediction of performance and design tradeoffs in flexure systems, thus enabling optimization and sensitivity studies. If successful, the proposed flexure mechanism design methodology will pave the path for significant design innovations in several applications including multi-axis nanopositioning systems used in precision metrology, enhanced-dexterity minimally invasive surgical tools, and compliant seals for improving turbomachinery efficiency. The design methodology resulting from this research will be disseminated by means of a new professional tutorial for engineers and researchers, and an online reference atlas of flexure systems. This proposal also includes plans for undergraduate and graduate curriculum development at the University of Michigan.