Spider dynamics under vertical vibration and its implications for biological vibration sensing

Often overlooked, vibration transmission through the entire body of an animal is an important factor in understanding vibration sensing in animals. To investigate the role of dynamic properties and vibration transmission through the body, we used a modal test and lumped parameter modelling for a spider. The modal test used laser vibrometry...

Vibration-buckling tests on heated composite plates

This paper presents an experimental investigation on vibrations of heated composite plates leading to thermal buckling. The tests were performed considering two main goals: the application of the Vibration Correlation Technique for the detection of thermal buckling in composite plates; and the exploration of the frequency variations before...

Validation of Breathing Modes in Wind Turbine Blade Finite Element Models

Wind energy is a growing industry, and in an effort to reduce costs and increase turbine efficiency, rotor blades are becoming increasingly large in size. To facilitate this effort, the SmartBlades2 research project has designed, built, and tested a set of prototype research blades. As part of the SmartBlades2 project, high sensor density modal...

Wolf Rock lighthouse: Past developments and future survivability under wave loading

Lighthouses situated on exposed rocky outcrops warn mariners of the dangers that lurk beneath the waves. They were first constructed when approaches to wave loading and structural response were relatively unsophisticated, essentially learning from previous failures. Here, we chart the evolution of lighthouses on the Wolf Rock, situated...

Experimental setup for dynamic analysis of microand nano-mechanical systems in vacuum, gas, and liquid

An experimental setup to perform dynamic analysis of a micro- and nano-mechanical system in vacuum, gas, and liquid is presented. The setup mainly consists of a piezoelectric excitation part and the chamber that can be either evacuated for vacuum, or filled with gas or water. The design of the piezoelectric actuator was based on a Langevin...

Design of a Setup for Modal Testing of Micro-Cantilevers Immersed in Liquid

To facilitate research on the dynamics of micro-cantilevers immersed in liquid, a modal test setup was designed. Modal testing is a powerful form of dynamic testing whereby the system's natural frequencies, modal masses, modal damping ratios, mode shapes, and weight of each of these modes at a certain frequency are determined. Micro-cantilever...

Structural Performance of Fiber-Placed, Variable-Stiffness Composite Conical and Cylindrical Shells

The use of fiber-reinforced composites in aerospace structures has increased dramatically over the past decades. The high specific strength and stiffness, the tailorability, and the possibilities to integrate parts and reduce the number of fasteners give composites an advantage over metals. Automation of the production process enables large...