Laboratories

Aerospace System

Micro/nano material mechanics laboratory

Staffs
Fig.1 Pt NC web

Fig.1 Pt NC web

Fig.2 Flexible transparent film heater

Fig.2 Flexible transparent film heater

  • Mikio MURAOKA (Professor, Dr. Eng.)
  • Xu ZHAO (Associate Professor, Dr. Eng.)
  • Hiromi ISHIKAWA (Technical Staff)
  • Yukiko ISHIGAMI (Staff)
Research interests

Applications of metallic nanocoils (NCs), especially in electromagnetic wave absorption, flexible transparent electrode, transparent film heater, sensors, and actuators. Suppression or applications of atomic diffusion induced by high current density or stress, especially in microelectronics, fabrication of micro/nano materials.

Figure 1 shows a fabricated Pt NC web (Ref.: Muraoka et al., Method for producing metal nanocoil, Patent PCT/JP2016/053789).
Figure 2 shows a flexible transparent film heater (10 mm × 7 mm) made by transferring the Pt NC web onto a 50 μm-thick silicone rubber membrane (left image). The background of the region of Pt NC web can be clearly seen. The infrared thermography image (right image) shows the temperature distribution of the film heater at an applied constant voltage of 16.5 V. An average temperature being about 84.5 ℃ is achieved.

Research themes
  • Fabrication and Applications of Metallic NC Webs
  • Development of Forming Technique of Thermoplastic Composites
  • Evaluation of Electromigration Reliability of Microelectronics

Heat and fluid flow engineering

Staffs
Fig.1 Electric air-cycle system

Fig.1 Electric air-cycle system

Fig.2 Film-wise lift-up phenomena calculated with OpenFOAM

Fig.2 Film-wise lift-up phenomena calculated with OpenFOAM

Fig.3 Moving purification device on the water surface

Fig.3 Moving purification device on the water surface

  • Takahiro ADACHI (Professor, Dr. Eng.)
  • Kana AKINAGA (Technical Staff)
Research interests

We investigate fluid flow like water and air, and heat transfer theoretically, numerically and experimentally.For example, figure 1 shows a new thermodynamic model of Energy recovery system from the exhaust air discharged from an electric aircraft.Figure 2 shows a simulation result of filmwise lift-up phenomena by using OpenFOAM.Figure 3 shows a autonomous robot using a basic principle of fluid dynamics.

Research themes
  • Energy recovery system from the exhaust air discharged from an electric aircraft
  • Applications using filmwise and filamentwise lift-up phenomena by a rotating cone
  • Plate-type heat exchanger etc.

Raman spectroscopy in mechanical engineering

Staff
Fig.1 SERS spectra on Ag coated ta-C

Fig.1 SERS spectra on Ag coated ta-C

Fig. 2  Quadruple ellipsoidal mirrors

Fig.2 Quadruple ellipsoidal mirrors

  • Makoto YAMAGUCHI (Associate Professor, Dr. Sci.)
Research interests

Structural characterization of the sub-surface layer is becoming important in nanotechnology. Raman spectroscopy which is a light scattering phenomenon resulting from the interaction of light and material are useful technique to evaluate the crystal structure, residual stress, and so on.

Figure 1 shows surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra on Ag coated ta-C. The signal intensity was up to several times higher than that of surface without coated. of spectrum. We applied SERS technique to characterization for structural of surface layer.

Raman spectroscopy system using quadruple ellipsoidal mirrors is shows in fig.2. The ellipsoid mirror was cut in half along a plane through the major axis and cut again along a plane through a focus perpendicular to the major axis. The incident angle to surface can be set at an arbitrary value by rotating a mirror.

Research themes
  • Characterization of carbon related material by deep ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy
  • Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for solid state material
  • Development of the Raman spectroscopy system using quadruple ellipsoidal mirrors
  • Study of structural change induced by mechanical interaction by Raman spectroscopy

Fluid mechanics laboratory

Staffs
Fig.1

Fig.1 An example of sequence of bifurcations approach to turbulence in incompressible shear flow

  • Takeshi AKINAGA (Associate Professor, Dr. Eng.)
Research interests

Universality for transition of flow to turbulence

Turbulence is fully random chaotic system which we analyse guided by Kolmogorov's ideas which gives rise to the isotropic homogeneous turbulence. But what if you look at the nature or engineering applications?

Because turbulence usually requires transport and the transport is only possible if the system which is correlation. Note that the isotropic turbulence does not have any finite correlations.

So we could say that the realistic turbulence systems would be driven by transports, and that the simplest one we can imagine is to be homogeneous in two spatial dimensions and in time. Their finite correlations and their also spontaneous structures are driven by the transports. One of our interests is to understand particular structures amongst the many systems which are homogeneous in two spatial dimensions.

Nomenclature: The primary solution as basic state which has all the symmetries of external conditions. Secondary solutions / flows are introduced by the first instability of the primary solution and they generically assume the form of rolls or stripes and they are just two dimensional.

Figure: An example of sequence of bifurcations approach to turbulence in incompressible shear flow: Higher order fully non-linear solutions in the hierarchical bifurcation sequence for the Taylor-Couette flow (TCF) between co-rotating concentric cylinders, as a function of the Reynolds number (Re) for fixed relative angular velocity of the co-rotating cylinders. It shows solutions that interact to produce higher order states en route to turbulence. The corresponding unstable states are not shown for this case.

# The sequence of bifurcation approach to turbulence derives from the proverb “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

Research themes
  • Sequence of Bifurcations Approach to Turbulence
  • Restorative Approach to Agriculture
  • Particle Sorting in Pipe Flow

Aeronautical and astronautical engineering

Staffs
Fig.1 Surface inspection of spacecraft

Fig.1 Surface inspection of spacecraft

Fig.2 Lunar vertical hole explorer

Fig.2 Lunar vertical hole explorer

  • Hiroshi HIRAYAMA (Lecturer, Dr. Eng.)
Research interests

Dynamics and system engineering about spacecraft and aircraft are interesting subject. Orbital debris is a growing problem in recent space development.Figure 1 shows a conceptual device to inspect surface of spacecraft. That will enable to observe microscopic pits damaged by micro debris, and provide knowledge about existing density of micro debris which cannot be observed from ground. Dynamics of spacecraft when capturing and disposing an orbital debris is also studied.

Exploration on moon and planets is exciting research theme.Figure 2 shows a conceptual lunar exploration probe descending into a vertical hole.

Another topic is electrification of airplane systems. We are studying about power smoothing and system redundancy for electrified flight control system of airplanes.

Research themes
  • Dynamics and control of spacecraft
  • Moon and planetary exploration
  • Observation and mitigation of orbital debris
  • Electrification of airplane systems

Surface nano-imaging laboratory

Staffs
Fig.1 Surface topographic imaging with atomic force microscopy.

Fig.1 Surface topographic imaging with atomic force microscopy.

Fig.2 Surface topographic (left) and magnetic (right) images simultaneously obtained on a magnetic recording medium on a hard disk recording drive (HDD) using a magnetic tip.

Fig.2 Surface topographic (left) and magnetic (right) images simultaneously obtained on a magnetic recording medium on a hard disk recording drive (HDD) using a magnetic tip.

  • Yukinori KINOSHITA (Lecturer, Dr. Eng.)
Research interests

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) depicts solid surface structures in nanometer-scale by detecting the local interaction forces between an oscillating sharp tip and a sample surface (Fig.1). AFM works in various environment (in vacuum, air, liquid) and the spatial resolution reaches sub-atomic level on a clean surface in well controlled equipment conditions. Furthermore, surface topographic, mechanical and magnetic properties can be imaged simultaneously (Fig.2). In this lab, we develop novel AFM imaging technique for evaluating the recent advanced electric/magnetic materials or devices such as fine nano-particles or electric/magnetic recording radium.

Fig.1 explanation
The tip is oscillated at near the resonance frequency and scanned over the sample surface. From the shift of the tip resonance oscillation induced by the tip-sample interaction force, surface topographic images are depicted.

Fig.2 explanation
The topographic image indicates the granular structure with sub-nanometer height and the magnetic image indicates the striped magnetic recording pattern (up and down magnetic moments).

Research themes
  • Multi-dimensions mapping of surface electrical and magnetic properties using precise position drift compensations.
  • Development of high speed magnetic force microscopy.
  • Small amplitude magnetic force microscopy for high magnetic force sensitivity using mechanical oscillation of quartz resonators.

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