Engineering topics

Wu, Amanda S.

Publications and source records attributed to Wu, Amanda S..

6 records

DOE OSTI2019

Active Mixing of Disparate Inks for Multimaterial 3D Printing

3D printing of multimaterial parts relies upon efficient mixing of the ink components and a rapid response to composition changes. However, at low Reynolds numbers and large Peclet numbers, mixing disparate viscosity and density inks poses a challenge. In this study, the performance of active micromixers for disparate non-Newtonian inks is evaluated using both experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations. The mixing efficiencies are compared with scaling relationships for active micromixers. Using detailed simulation results, multiple factors are identified that can impact the micromixer response time during a composition change. Finally, an active micromixer is proposed and evaluated to efficiently mix arbitrary multimaterial ink compositions and produce fine composition gradients within printed parts.

3D printing↗

DOE OSTI2018

Shape memory behavior and recovery force of 4D printed textile functional composites

Four-dimensional (4D) printing of multi-directionally reinforced preforms has tremendous potential for the development of next generation functional composites by using the capabilities of 3D printing technology, 3D textile preform design, and polymer shape memory behavior. This paper demonstrates the shape memory behavior and recovery force of 4D printed circular braided tube preforms and their silicone elastomer matrix composites. The preforms were printed by fused deposition modeling using the shape memory polymer (SMP), polylactic acid (PLA). The effects of braiding angle, tube wall thickness, and shape recovery temperature on the shape memory behavior of 4D printed tube preforms and their silicone elastomer matrix composites have been characterized. Measurements of shape recovery forces of the preform and composite were conducted using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The braided microstructural parameters and shape recovery temperature have a significant effect on the preform shape memory behavior. The introduction of the silicone elastomer matrix greatly enhances the shape recovery force, shape recovery ratio, as well as radial compressive failure load of the 4D printed preform/silicone elastomer matrix composite. Finally, building on these results, a potential application for 4D printed textile functional composites is presented.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2017

Custom 3D Printable Silicones with Tunable Stiffness

Silicone elastomers have broad versatility within a variety of potential advanced materials applications, such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, and metamaterials. Furthermore, a series of custom 3D printable silicone inks with tunable stiffness is developed, formulated, and characterized. The silicone inks exhibit excellent rheological behavior for 3D printing, as observed from the printing of porous structures with controlled architectures. Here, the capability to tune the stiffness of printable silicone materials via careful control over the chemistry, network formation, and crosslink density of the ink formulations in order to overcome the challenging interplay between ink development, post-processing, material properties, and performance is demonstrated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Editors' Choice—Field Trials Testing of Mixed Potential Electrochemical Hydrogen Safety Sensors at Commercial California Hydrogen Filling Stations

Hydrogen safety sensors must meet specific performance requirements, mandated by the U.S. Department of Energy, for hydrogen fueling station monitoring. Here, we describe the long-term performance of two zirconia-based mixed potential electrochemical hydrogen gas sensors, developed specifically with a high sensitivity to hydrogen, low cross-sensitivity, and fast response time. Over a two-year period, sensors with tin-doped indium oxide and strontium doped lanthanum chromite electrodes were deployed at two stations in four field trials tests conducted in Los Angeles. The sensors documented the existence of hydrogen plumes ranging in concentration from 100 to as high as 2700 ppm in the area surrounding the dispenser, consistent with depressurization from 700 bar following vehicle refueling. As expected, the hydrogen concentration reported by the mixed potential sensors was influenced by wind direction. Baseline stability testing at a Chino, CA station showed no measureable baseline drift throughout 206 days of uninterrupted data acquisition. In conclusion, the high baseline stability, excellent correlation with logged fueling/depressurization events, and absence of false alarms suggest that the zirconia-based mixed potential sensor platform is a good candidate for protecting hydrogen infrastructure where frequent calibrations or sensor replacement to reduce the false alarm frequency have been shown to be cost prohibitive.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2017

Characterization of residual stress and deformation in additively manufactured ABS polymer and composite specimens

Residual stresses induced in the layer-by-layer fabrication process of additively manufactured parts have significant impact on their mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy. This work aims here to characterize the residual stress and deformation in specimens based on unreinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), carbon nanotube reinforced ABS and short carbon fiber reinforced ABS. The shrinkage and displacement fields were obtained, respectively, by thermal treatment as well as Digital Image Correlation observation of specimens before and after sectioning. The microstructure and porosity of additively manufactured specimens were also examined using X-ray micro-computed tomography. Specimen shrinkage and porosity content were significantly influenced by the process parameters of raster angle and printing speed, as well as material types. Faster printing speed led to larger porosity and residual stress, as well as higher shrinkage after specimen thermal treatment. Raster angle had a greater influence on specimen shrinkage and porosity as comparing to printing speed. Composite printing wires based on carbon nanotube and short carbon fiber in ABS greatly reduced specimen shrinkage and deformation, while increased the porosity, especially for carbon fiber reinforced ABS specimens.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

3D Printed Silicones with Shape Memory

Direct ink writing enables the layer-by-layer manufacture of ordered, porous structures whose mechanical behavior is driven by architecture and material properties. Here, we incorporate two different gas filled microsphere pore formers to evaluate the effect of shell stiffness and T g on compressive behavior and compression set in siloxane matrix printed structures. The lower T g microsphere structures exhibit substantial compression set when heated near and above T g , with full structural recovery upon reheating without constraint. By contrast, the higher T g microsphere structures exhibit reduced compression set with no recovery upon reheating. Aside from their role in tuning the mechanical behavior of direct ink write structures, polymer microspheres are good candidates for shape memory elastomers requiring structural complexity, with potential applications toward tandem shape memory polymers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗