Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams

Soft materials such as hydrogels, polymers and foams are increasingly adopted in biomedical and technological applications such as medical devices, robotics and actuators. Understanding the mechanical behaviours of soft materials would enhance the performance and reliability of machinery and devices...

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Main Author: Phua, Yue Qi
Other Authors: Wu Mao See
Format: Final Year Project
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68551
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-685512023-03-04T19:31:19Z Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams Phua, Yue Qi Wu Mao See School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering DRNTU::Engineering Soft materials such as hydrogels, polymers and foams are increasingly adopted in biomedical and technological applications such as medical devices, robotics and actuators. Understanding the mechanical behaviours of soft materials would enhance the performance and reliability of machinery and devices that have incorporated soft materials in the manufacturing process. This project serves to analyse the effects of Mode I open loading on a double cantilever specimen fabricated from agar-gelatin. Two types of agar-gelatin are utilized in this study and subjected to similar forms of modification. Experiments that consist of variation in concentration, height and initial crack length are conducted respectively for the two types of agar-gelatin. Experimental data are thoroughly recorded in the Appendix and detailed graphical analyses are presented in this study. Double cantilever beam experiment allows the derivation of Young’s modulus based on a small initial region of the load against crack opening displacement graph that is assumed to be approximately linear and exhibits Hooke’s Law behaviour. Utilizing the maximum deflection equation of a cantilever beam subjected to a concentrated load at the free end and evaluation of second moment of area, Young’s modulus for each agar-gelatin specimen can be derived. Normalized graphs and application of Griffith’s theory provided further insights on agar-gelatin properties. Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) 2016-05-26T08:36:09Z 2016-05-26T08:36:09Z 2016 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68551 en Nanyang Technological University 75 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic DRNTU::Engineering
spellingShingle DRNTU::Engineering
Phua, Yue Qi
Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
description Soft materials such as hydrogels, polymers and foams are increasingly adopted in biomedical and technological applications such as medical devices, robotics and actuators. Understanding the mechanical behaviours of soft materials would enhance the performance and reliability of machinery and devices that have incorporated soft materials in the manufacturing process. This project serves to analyse the effects of Mode I open loading on a double cantilever specimen fabricated from agar-gelatin. Two types of agar-gelatin are utilized in this study and subjected to similar forms of modification. Experiments that consist of variation in concentration, height and initial crack length are conducted respectively for the two types of agar-gelatin. Experimental data are thoroughly recorded in the Appendix and detailed graphical analyses are presented in this study. Double cantilever beam experiment allows the derivation of Young’s modulus based on a small initial region of the load against crack opening displacement graph that is assumed to be approximately linear and exhibits Hooke’s Law behaviour. Utilizing the maximum deflection equation of a cantilever beam subjected to a concentrated load at the free end and evaluation of second moment of area, Young’s modulus for each agar-gelatin specimen can be derived. Normalized graphs and application of Griffith’s theory provided further insights on agar-gelatin properties.
author2 Wu Mao See
author_facet Wu Mao See
Phua, Yue Qi
format Final Year Project
author Phua, Yue Qi
author_sort Phua, Yue Qi
title Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
title_short Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
title_full Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
title_fullStr Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
title_full_unstemmed Experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
title_sort experimental study of the fracture of soft actuator beams
publishDate 2016
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/68551
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