Study on Aqueous Humour Hydrodynamics of Glaucoma Condition Using 3D Printed Model and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)

This study aims to explore the knowledge on fluid flow properties of the aqueous humour (AH), specifically on the anterior segment (AS) of the human eye for a medical condition called Glaucoma. The research objectives are to study on fluid flow characteristics of velocity and pressure of the AH on the AS of the eye using enlarged 3D printed model and computational analysis, and also to analyse the suitability of the 3D generated anterior AS in fluid flow analysis application on particle image velocimetry (PIV). Using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a water-soluble 3D printing filament, a 3D model of the AS of the human eye was generated with SolidWorks 2018 and printed using Creality Ender 3. This printed model serves as the pattern for silicon rubber mould production using vacuum casting process. Analysis of AH flow hydrodynamics are conducted with computational analysis using ANSYS Workbench 19.2. Key findings support that use of PVA material suite the creation of specific shapes and patterns for 3D modelling applications alike, and silicon rubber moulding creates a non-reactive and long-lasting mould for PIV applications. Computational analysis findings support the use of the generated model for PIV applications. Overall, the study successfully supports the use of 3D printed model for PIV application and future work that can be induced include direct experimentation of the mould with PIV.

Testing of Silicon Rubber/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite for Mechanical and Tribological Performance

Nanocomposite made by blending nano-montmorillonite (MMT) and Silicon Rubber (SR) for mechanical and tribological performance is explored in this work. Different configurations of MMT/SR nanocomposite, with 0, 0.5, 2 and 5 wt % of MMT are manufactured by two roll mixing methods. Noticeable improvement in the mechanical and tribological performance is observed, which is also justified by a morphological study of fractured and wear surfaces through SEM. Two percent of MMT loading is found to be the optimum content that shows excellent performance compared to other compositions. The performance improvement can be linked to the good interfacial interaction between the MMT and SR. Statistical modeling through ANOVA is carried out for tribological performance, which reveals the influence of load on the coefficient of friction (COF) and the influence of sliding distance on the wear rate.

Silicon rubber/expandable microsphere based triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting biomechanical energy

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is favorable for harvesting adaptable and complex biomechanical energy in our daily life. Here, silicon rubber/expandable microsphere TENG was achieved by spin-coating a mixture of expandable microspheres and silicon rubber on a flat plate with conductive fabric. Furthermore, self-made flexible TPU/MWCNTs electrodes replaced commercial conductive fabric to make TENG more adapt to skin of human body. Finally, the optimized TENG in this work demonstrates energy harvesting capabilities and can be applied in self-powered sensor systems and provides new dimensions for biomechanical energy harvesters and wearable self-powered electronics.

FEM Based Elasto-Electric Analysis of Elastomers for Pharmaceutical Applications

Elastomer materials are very important due to weak intermolecular forces and very low Young's modulus and have high failure strain. Due to these properties, they are used in a large number of applications especially in pharmaceutical industry and medical / surgical equipment etc. Electrostatic discharge on such material is a potential hazard for the operator who is dealing with elastomers. In the research presented here, a detailed analysis on the elasto-electric analysis of 03x elastomers is analyzed in detail by using Finite Element Method (FEM). A CAD model is generated in accordance with an early research on elasto-electric study of Silicon material. Subsequently FEM based analysis is carried out to study vital electrostatics properties like Surface deformation and surface potential distribution developed on the application of external forces on 03x types of elastomers i.e. Silicon Rubber, Nitrile (NBR) and Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC). The whole study is carried out in COMSOL multi-physics software. Analysis showed that the electric field developed on the surface of the elastomer is dependent on the deformation on non-linear nature and depends upon the material properties. FEM based results show that Silicon Rubber develops maximum deformation and electric potential of three chosen materials up to 50mm and 3150V respectively. Based on the conducted analysis, Silicon Rubber is widely recommended for its utilization in Pharmaceutical applications requiring electrostatics.

Analysis of the Influence of Silicone Rubber Aging on the Transmission Parameters of Terahertz Waves

In this study, a method for testing the aging of silicone rubber insulators using terahertz waves in the 0.17–0.22 THz frequency band is proposed, aiming at the problem of online non-destructive testing of the aging degree of composite insulators. The relationship between the aging degree of silicone rubber composite insulators and the relative dielectric constant was studied through first-principles calculations and molecular chain scission models. In addition, the electromagnetic model of the terahertz signal incident on the silicon rubber sheet was simulated and the relationship between the aging degree of the silicon rubber and the terahertz input return loss was obtained. Eleven insulator samples with different degrees of aging were selected. In these samples, the degree of aging was calibrated according to the degree of surface deterioration and the average partial discharge voltage. The terahertz return loss measurement experiment was performed after that. Finally, the results of experiment and calculation simulation were compared and the reliability of the relationship between the aging degree of the silicone rubber insulator and the terahertz input return loss was verified.