Design and Optimization of a Highly Sensitive and Linearity Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor Based on a Combination of Cross Beam-Peninsula-Membrane Structure

The sensitivity and linearity trade-off problem has become the hotly important issues in designing the piezoresistive pressure sensors. To solve these trade-off problems, this paper presents the design, optimization, fabrication, and experiment of a novel piezoresistive pressure sensor for micro pressure measurement based on a combined cross beam - membrane and peninsula (CBMP) structure diaphragm. Through using finite element method (FEM), the proposed sensor performances as well as comparisons with other sensor structures are simulated and analyzed. Compared with the cross beam-membrane (CBM) structure, the sensitivity of CBMP structure sensor is increased about 38.7 % and nonlinearity error is reduced nearly 8%. In comparison with the peninsula structure, the maximum non-linearity error of CBMP sensor is decreased about 40% and the maximum deflection is extremely reduced 73%. Besides, the proposed sensor fabrication is performed on the n-type single crystal silicon wafer. The experimental results of the fabricated sensor with CBMP membrane has a high sensitivity of 23.4 mV/kPa and a low non-linearity of −0.53% FSS in the pressure range 0–10 kPa at the room temperature. According to the excellent performance, the sensor can be applied to measure micro-pressure lower than 10 kPa.

Evaluation of Fatigue Life of Asphalt Concrete From Dynamic Modulus Test

Asphalt concrete’s dynamic modulus (|E*|) is one of the key input parameters for structural design of flexible pavement according to the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). Till this day, pavement industry uses |E*| to predict pavement performance whether the material is hot mix asphalt (HMA) or warm mx asphalt or Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) mixed HMA. However, it is necessary to investigate the correlation of |E*| with laboratory performance testing. In this study, laboratory dynamic modulus test was conducted on four different asphalt concrete mixtures collected from different construction sites in the state of New Mexico and mastercurves were obtained to evaluate dynamic modulus (|E*|) for a wide range of frequency. In addition, fatigue performance of these mixtures was predicted from the mastercurves and compared with the laboratory fatigue performance testing. Fatigue performance of these mixtures was evaluated from the four point beam fatigue test. The laboratory results show a good agreement with the predicted value from mastercurves. It is also observed from this study that the fatigue life of the asphalt concrete materials decreases with increase in |E*| value.

Fabrication for and Flow Visualization in 2.5D Rock-Based Ceramic Micromodels

A ceramic-based micromodel was fabricated with batching of green alumina ceramics mixed with polymer binders, extrusion of the green alumina tapes, and hot embossing of the green tapes with a metal mold. The metal mold fabricated using optical lithography of SU8 and electroforming of nickel contained 2.5D pore network geometry in 13 layers of a rock, Boise sandstone. The hot embossing process enabled the generation of the pore network geometries with a minimum feature size of 25 μm and for distinct formation of the 13 layers of the 2.5D pore geometry of the rock. The green ceramic micromodels were processed with solvent extraction, thermal debinding, and sintering. The sintered micromodels showed significant shrinkages at all directions of the micromodels, which were 17.6% in x, 17.5% in y, and 14.6% in z. The sintered, 2.5D rock-based ceramic micromodel was capped with a thin glass cover slide and used for flow visualization with a fluorescent dye and fluorescent nano-particles. The dye-filled micromodel showed good flow connectivity and fluorescence signal intensity dependence on depth. It was observed that the peak particle concentration close to the observation window and gradual decrease in particle concentration along the depth. The higher velocities were measured in the low flow resistance region with velocity variations along the depth. The microfabricated 2.5D ceramic micromodels will allow resistance to harsh experimental conditions such as high temperature and pressure, and opportunity for investigation of the complex flow patterns in 3D.

Analysis of Foaming Properties of Asphalt Binder Through a Laser Based Non-Contact Method

Water injected foamed asphalt application in warm mix asphalt (WMA) accounts for more than 90% of all WMA technologies in past several years in the United States (US). Among different asphalt foaming variables: foaming temperatures, foaming water content (FWC), and air pressure are the major controlling factors of foamed asphalt binder characteristics. Foaming induced binder volume expansion and durability of the expanded volume are two contributing factors of foamed asphalt binder properties and foamed mixtures workability. This study evaluates the effect of FWC on foamed asphalt binder properties through a non-contact method. A laser distance meter has been utilized to record the foaming induced binder volume expansion and subsequent foamed bubbles collapse rate. Recently developed four foaming parameters such as expansion ratio (ER), half-life (HL), foaming index (FI), and stability of semis-table foamed binder bubbles (k-values) have been evaluated to characterize foamed asphalt binder. It is seen that addition of higher FWC results in a higher expansion and durability of overall foamed bubbles. Foaming parameter analysis also shows that semi-stable foamed bubbles durability is fairly constant in higher FWCs. Foamed binder rheology is also found to be correlated with FWCs.

Interface Analysis of a Combined Electroosmotic/Pressure Driven Flow of Three Viscoelastic Immiscible Fluids in a Microchannel

This paper presents the analytical solution of a combined electroosmotic/pressure driven flow of three viscoelastic immiscible fluids in a parallel flat plate microchannel. The mathematical model is based in the Poisson-Boltzmann equation and Cauchy momentum conservation equation. In the steady state analysis, we consider that the three fluids are electric conductors and obey to the simplified Phan-Thien-Tanner rheological model; therefore, different conditions at the interface between the fluids as electric slip, surface charge density and electro-viscous stresses balance are discussed in detail. Results show the transport phenomena coupled in the description of the velocity profiles, by the analyzing of the dimensionless parameters obtained, such as: the electric slips, the electric permittivities ratios, the surface charge densities, the zeta potentials at the walls, the interfaces positions, the viscosity ratios, the viscoelastic and electrokinetic parameters, and the term involving the external pressure gradient. Here, the presence of a net electric charges balance at the interface, breaks the continuity of shear viscous stresses, modifying the flow field; hence, for the established electric conditions at the interface through the values of the electric slips and the surface charge densities, play a role like a switch on the flow behavior. This investigation extends the knowledge about the techniques on the control of immiscible non-Newtonian fluids in microescale.

Polymer-Nanoparticle Composite Foams for Energy Harvesting Applications

Throughout the course of one day, the human body goes through numerous mechanical activities. These activities, while usually not very powerful individually, produce an ample amount of energy collectively. This mechanical energy can be harvested into electrical energy via piezoelectricity. Recent research into piezoelectric nanocomposites has yielded techniques to foam the materials into softer, porous structures more suitable for human comfort. This study focuses on using a host polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and citric acid to create foams. Citric acid, a common industrial chemical blowing agent (CBA), is used in this project due to its capabilities to produce foams with consistent pore sizes and distribution. These foams, coupled with piezoelectric nanoparticles, are fabricated, analyze, and tested. They are mechanically characterized using tensile testing. Electrical characterization is carried out using an integrated mechanical-electrical testing setup. These foams are lighter, softer, and can produce higher electrical output than non-porous counterparts. We believe that these foams have great potential in upcoming piezoelectric technology.

Largely Deformable and Highly Sensitive Strain Sensor Using Carbon Nanomaterials

A new type tactile sensor with spatial resolution less than 1 mm and the minimum pressure sensitivity less than 10 kPa was proposed by applying MWCNTs (Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes). The sensor was embedded into a highly deformable flexible substrate (PDMS: Polydimethylsiloxane) and the obtained gauge factor of the developed sensor was about 5. Since the electronic properties of MWCNTs vary drastically depending on their deformation under mechanical stress, it is important to make appropriate aspect ratio of MWCNTs for improving their stress-sensitivity. The aspect ratio of MWCNTs are mainly dominated by their growth condition such as the average thickness of catalyst layer, growth temperature, pressure of resource gases and so on. Thus, the optimum growth condition was investigated for forming the MWCNTs with high aspect ratio, in other words, high pressure sensitivity. In addition, in this study, the authors fabricated high quality carbon nano-materials to develop highly sensitive strain sensor. A thermal CVD synthesis process of MWCNTs was developed by using acetylene gas. After the synthesis of MWCNTs, flexible isolation material (PDMS) was coated around the grown MWCNT. Then, the interconnection film was deposited by sputtering. After that, PDMS was coated again to fabricate an upper protection layer. Finally, the bottom interconnection layer was sputtered and patterned. The change of the electrical resistance of the grown MWCNTs was measured by applying a compression test in the load range from 0 to 10 mN. It was found that the electrical resistance of the MWCNTs bundle increased almost linearly with the applied compressive load and this sensor showed the high load sensitivity of 10 mN that is higher than human fingers.

Characterizing the High Reynolds Number Regime for Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD) Devices

Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) is a common name given to a class of continuous microfluidic separation devices that use a repeating array of pillars to selectively displace particles having a mean diameter greater than the critical diameter (Dc). This Dc is an emergent property influenced by pillar shape, size, and spacing, in addition to the suspending fluid and target particle properties. The majority of previous research in DLD applications has focused on the utilization of laminar flow in low Reynolds number (Re) regimes. While laminar flow exhibits uniform streamlines and predictable separation characteristics, this low-Re regime is dependent on relatively low fluid velocities, and may not hold true at higher processing speeds. Through numerical modeling and experimentation, we investigated high-Re flow characteristics and potential separation enhancements resulting from vortex generation within a DLD array. We used an analytical model and computational software to simulate DLD performance spanning a Re range of 1–100 at flow rates of 2–170 μL/s (0.15–10 mL/min). Each simulated DLD array configuration was composed of 60 μm cylindrical pillars with a 45 μm gap size. The experimental DLD device was fabricated using conventional soft lithography, and injected with 20 μm particles at varying flow rates to observe particle trajectories. The simulated results predict a shift in Dc at Re > 50, while the experimental results indicate a breakdown of typical DLD operation at Re > 70.

Nano-Scale Binder Phase Identification in Asphalt Concrete

Asphalt concrete (AC) consists of asphalt binder and aggregate. Aggregate consists of: coarse aggregate and fines. Asphalt binder creates a coating or film around the aggregate, which is defined as the binder phase of AC. Fines are believed to be trapped inside an asphalt film or mixed with asphalt binder, creating a composite material called mastic. Thus, AC has three phases: mastic, asphalt film binder, and coarse aggregate. All these phases play major roles in performance of AC. Researchers have performed various tests on asphalt binder at micro scale to understand the macro scale behavior of AC. However, test methods developed and performed on binders, to this day, are mostly rheological shear and bending beam tests. No studies have been conducted on the compression stiffness or modulus and hardness of and binder, rather than shear and binders stiffness. In addition, the existing tests used in the asphalt area cannot be performed on binder and mastic while they are an integral part of AC. Nanoindentation tests can be performed on aggregate and asphalt binder while they are integral parts of AC. Because, in nanoindentation test, a nanometer size tip, which is smaller than binder film thickness as well as other phases. In the study, Performance Grade (PG) 64–28 was used for the study, same binder had been used afterwards to characterize asphalt and AC. A loading rate of 0.005 mN/sec, a dwell time of 200 sec and a maximum load 0.055 mN were employed in the study. In the current study 20 indentations were done on the asphalt binder sample and 100 indentations were done on AC sample, due to heterogeneity of the sample. However, to identify a specific phase in AC sample, the current study adopts the depth range technique for as same loading protocol. The depth rage of binder phase was acquired by independent indentation on same asphalt binder sample. As, asphalt is known to be a viscoelastic material that exhibits creep behavior, the creep compliance of asphalt binder was used for validation of the depth range assumption. The validation of phase identification was done by comparing the asphalt binder phase creep response while they are integral part of AC with creep response of independent asphalt binder sample under nanoindenter. The comparison shows depth resolution technique can successfully identify the binder phase of AC.

Environmental Effects on the Mechanical Behavior of Covetic Aluminum MEMS Components

Covetic aluminum has been researched for its mechanical properties. It has been credited with higher strength in tensile and fatigue loading [1,2]. Modest changes in temperature during tensile testing of covetic aluminum causes significant changes in the ductility and tensile strength. Increasing the temperature from 15 °C to 44 °C causes a decrease in the tensile strength down to 63.8% but an increase in the ductility up to 117% [3]. To further study the environmental effects, microtensile testing was carried out in an environmentally-controlled chamber using a hybrid microtester at high and low relative humidity. MEMS-scale dog-bone shaped specimens with a cross section of 200 × 250 microns were machined from bulk covetic aluminum using a CNC for milling their contours and a ram-type EDM for detaching them from the work piece. The chamber was purged with gases low or high in moisture maintaining a positive pressure. An Omega sensor-controller unit was used to regulate the temperature and relative humidity of the chamber. The results of the tests show a reduction of ductility at high relative humidity. The implications of the results are discussed in relation to the reliability of MEMS structures.