Publications
420 results found
Yuan T, Zhan W, Dini D, 2023, Linking fluid-axons interactions to the macroscopic fluid transport properties of the brain., Acta Biomater, Vol: 160, Pages: 152-163
Many brain disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease, and drug delivery procedures are linked to fluid transport in the brain; yet, while neurons are extremely soft and can be easily deformed, how the microscale channel flow interacts with the neuronal structures (especially axons) deformation and how these interactions affect the macroscale tissue function and transport properties is poorly understood. Misrepresenting these relationships may lead to the erroneous prediction of e.g. disease spread, drug delivery, and nerve injury in the brain. However, understanding fluid-neuron interactions is an outstanding challenge because the behaviours of both phases are not only dynamic but also occur at an extremely small length scale (the width of the flow channel is ∼100 nm), which cannot be captured by state-of-the-art experimental techniques. Here, by explicitly simulating the dynamics of the flow and axons at the microstructural level, we, for the first time, establish the link between micromechanical tissue response to the physical laws governing the macroscopic transport property of the brain white matter. We found that interactions between axons and the interstitial flow are very strong, thus playing an essential role in the brain fluid/mass transport. Furthermore, we proposed the first anisotropic pressure-dependent permeability tensor informed by microstructural dynamics for more accurate brain modelling at the macroscale, and analysed the effect of the variation of the microstructural parameters that influence such tensor. These findings will shed light on some unsolved issues linked to brain functions and medical treatments relying on intracerebral transport, and the mathematical model provides a framework to more realistically model the brain and design brain-tissue-like biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study reveals how neurons interact with the fluid flowing around them and how these microscale interactions affect m
Xu Y, Balint D, Greiner C, et al., 2023, On the origin of plasticity-induced microstructure change under sliding contacts, Friction, Vol: 11, Pages: 473-488, ISSN: 2223-7704
Discrete dislocation plasticity (DDP) calculations are carried out to investigate the response of a single crystal contacted by a rigid sinusoidal asperity under sliding loading conditions to look for causes of microstructure change in the dislocation structure. The mechanistic driver is identified as the development of lattice rotations and stored energy in the subsurface, which can be quantitatively correlated to recent tribological experimental observations. Maps of surface slip initiation and substrate permanent deformation obtained from DDP calculations for varying contact size and normal load suggest ways of optimally tailoring the interface and microstructural material properties for various frictional loads.
Yu M, Evangelou S, Dini D, 2023, Advances in Active Suspension Systems for Road Vehicles, Engineering
Yuan T, Yang Y, Zhan W, et al., 2023, Mathematical Optimisation of Magnetic Nanoparticle Diffusion in the Brain White Matter., Int J Mol Sci, Vol: 24
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are a promising drug delivery system to treat brain diseases, as the particle transport trajectory can be manipulated by an external magnetic field. However, due to the complex microstructure of brain tissues, particularly the arrangement of nerve fibres in the white matter (WM), how to achieve desired drug distribution patterns, e.g., uniform distribution, is largely unknown. In this study, by adopting a mathematical model capable of capturing the diffusion trajectories of MNPs, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the effects of key parameters in the MNP delivery on the particle diffusion behaviours in the brain WM microstructures. The results show that (i) a uniform distribution of MNPs can be achieved in anisotropic tissues by adjusting the particle size and magnetic field; (ii) particle size plays a key role in determining MNPs' diffusion behaviours. The magnitude of MNP equivalent diffusivity is reversely correlated to the particle size. The MNPs with a dimension greater than 90 nm cannot reach a uniform distribution in the brain WM even in an external magnitude field; (iii) axon tortuosity may lead to transversely anisotropic MNP transport in the brain WM; however, this effect can be mitigated by applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the local axon track. This study not only advances understanding to answer the question of how to optimise MNP delivery, but also demonstrates the potential of mathematical modelling to help achieve desired drug distributions in biological tissues with a complex microstructure.
Abdelbar M, Ewen J, Dini D, et al., 2023, Polymer brushes for friction control: Contributions of molecular simulations, Biointerphases, Vol: 18, ISSN: 1934-8630
When polymer chains are grafted to solid surfaces at sufficiently high density, they form brushes that can modify the surface properties. In particular, polymer brushes are increasingly being used to reduce friction in water-lubricated systems close to the very low levels found in natural systems, such as synovial joints. New types of polymer brush are continually being developed to improve with lower friction and adhesion, as well as higher load-bearing capacities. To complement experimental studies, molecular simulations are increasingly being used to help to understand how polymer brushes reduce friction. In this paper, we review how molecular simulations of polymer brush friction have progressed from very simple coarse-grained models toward more detailed models that can capture the effects of brush topology and chemistry as well as electrostatic interactions for polyelectrolyte brushes. We pay particular attention to studies that have attempted to match experimental friction data of polymer brush bilayers to results obtained using molecular simulations. We also critically look at the remaining challenges and key limitations to overcome and propose future modifications that could potentially improve agreement with experimental studies, thus enabling molecular simulations to be used predictively to modify the brush structure for optimal friction reduction.
Lasen M, Dini D, Schwingshackl CW, 2023, Experimental Proof of Concept of Contact Pressure Distribution Control in Frictional Interfaces with Piezoelectric Actuators, 40th Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics (IMAC), Publisher: SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG, Pages: 83-86, ISSN: 2191-5644
Lasen M, Salles L, Dini D, et al., 2023, Tribomechadynamics Challenge 2021: A Multi-harmonic Balance Analysis from Imperial College London, 40th Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics (IMAC), Publisher: SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG, Pages: 79-82, ISSN: 2191-5644
Feng Z, Yu M, Evangelou SA, et al., 2023, Mu-synthesis PID control of full-car with parallel active link suspension under variable payload, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Vol: 72, Pages: 176-189, ISSN: 0018-9545
This paper presents a combined μ -synthesis PID control scheme, employing a frequency separation paradigm, for a recently proposed novel active suspension, the Parallel Active Link Suspension (PALS). The developed μ -synthesis control scheme is superior to the conventional H∞ control, previously designed for the PALS, in terms of ride comfort and road holding (higher frequency dynamics), with important realistic uncertainties, such as in vehicle payload, taken into account. The developed PID control method is applied to guarantee good chassis attitude control capabilities and minimization of pitch and roll motions (low frequency dynamics). A multi-objective control method, which merges the aforementioned PID and μ -synthesis-based controls is further introduced to achieve simultaneously the low frequency mitigation of attitude motions and the high frequency vibration suppression of the vehicle. A seven-degree-of-freedom Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) full car model with PALS, is employed in this work to test the synthesized controller by nonlinear simulations with different ISO-defined road events and variable vehicle payload. The results demonstrate the control scheme's significant robustness and performance, as compared to the conventional passive suspension as well as the actively controlled PALS by conventional H∞ control, achieved for a wide range of vehicle payload considered in the investigation.
Ardah S, Profito FJ, Dini D, 2023, An integrated finite volume framework for thermal elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Vol: 177, ISSN: 0301-679X
Liskiewicz T, Dini D, 2022, Fretting Wear and Fretting Fatigue Fundamental Principles and Applications, Publisher: Elsevier, ISBN: 9780128240977
Fretting Wear and Fretting Fatigue: Fundamental Principles and Applications takes a combined mechanics and materials approach, providing readers with a fundamental understanding of fretting phenomena, related modeling and experimentation ...
Shi Y, Liu J, Li J, et al., 2022, Improved mechanical and tribological properties of PAAm/PVA hydrogel-Ti6Al4V alloy configuration for cartilage repair, JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH, Vol: 29, ISSN: 1022-9760
Bernardini A, Trovatelli M, Klosowski M, et al., 2022, Reconstruction of ovine axonal cytoarchitecture enables more accurate models of brain biomechanics, Communications Biology, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2399-3642
There is an increased need and focus to understand how local brain microstructure affects the transport of drug molecules directly administered to the brain tissue, for example in convection-enhanced delivery procedures. This study reports a systematic attempt to characterize the cytoarchitecture of commissural, long association and projection fibres, namely the corpus callosum, the fornix and the corona radiata, with the specific aim to map different regions of the tissue and provide essential information for the development of accurate models of brain biomechanics. Ovine samples are imaged using scanning electron microscopy combined with focused ion beam milling to generate 3D volume reconstructions of the tissue at subcellular spatial resolution. Focus is placed on the characteristic cytological feature of the white matter: the axons and their alignment in the tissue. For each tract, a 3D reconstruction of relatively large volumes, including a significant number of axons, is performed and outer axonal ellipticity, outer axonal cross-sectional area and their relative perimeter are measured. The study of well-resolved microstructural features provides useful insight into the fibrous organization of the tissue, whose micromechanical behaviour is that of a composite material presenting elliptical tortuous tubular axonal structures embedded in the extra-cellular matrix. Drug flow can be captured through microstructurally-based models using 3D volumes, either reconstructed directly from images or generated in silico using parameters extracted from the database of images, leading to a workflow to enable physically-accurate simulations of drug delivery to the targeted tissue.
Bonari J, Paggi M, Dini D, 2022, A new finite element paradigm to solve contact problems with roughness, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol: 253, ISSN: 0020-7683
This article's main scope is the presentation of a computational method for the simulation of contact problems within the finite element method involving complex and rough surfaces. The approach relies on the MPJR (eMbedded Profile for Joint Roughness) interface finite element proposed in [Paggi, M., Reinoso, J., 2020. Mech. Adv. Mater. Struct. 27:1731–1747], which is nominally flat but can embed at the nodal level any arbitrary height to reconstruct the displacement field due to contact in the presence of roughness. Here, the formulation is generalized to handle 3D surface height fields and any arbitrary nonlinear interface constitutive relation, including friction and adhesion. The methodology is herein validated with BEM solutions for linear elastic contact problems. Then, a selection of nonlinear contact problems prohibitive to be simulated by BEM and by standard contact algorithms in FEM are detailed, to highlight the promising aspects of the proposed method for tribology.
Hills D, Dini D, Paggi M, 2022, Editorial for Special Issue in Honour of 80th Birthday of Prof. J.R. Barber, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol: 253, ISSN: 0020-7683
Weiand E, Ewen JP, Roiter Y, et al., 2022, Nanoscale Friction of Biomimetic Hair Surfaces
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>We investigate the nanoscale friction between biomimetic hair surfaces using chemical colloidal probe atomic force microscopy experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. In the experiments, friction is measured between water-lubricated silica surfaces functionalised with monolayers of either octadecyl or sulfonate groups, which are representative of the surfaces of virgin and ultimately bleached hair, respectively. In the simulations, friction is monitored between coarse-grained model hair surfaces with different levels of chemical damage, where different fractions of grafted lipid molecules are randomly replaced with sulfonate groups. The sliding velocity dependence of friction can be described using an extended stress-augmented thermally activation model. As the damage level increases, the friction generally increases, but its sliding velocity-dependence decreases. At low sliding speeds, which are closer to those encountered physiologically and experimentally, we observe a monotonic increase of friction with the damage ratio, which is consistent with our new experiments using biomimetic surfaces and previous ones using real hair. This observation demonstrates that modified surface chemistry, rather than roughness changes or subsurface damage, control the increase in nanoscale friction of damaged hair. We expect the experimental and computational model surfaces proposed here to be useful to screen the tribological performance of hair care formulations.</jats:p>
Yang X, Liu H, Dhawan S, et al., 2022, Digitally-enhanced lubricant evaluation scheme for hot stamping applications, Nature Communications, Vol: 13, ISSN: 2041-1723
Digitally-enhanced technologies are set to transform every aspect of manufacturing. Networks of sensors that compute at the edge (streamlining information flow from devices and providing real-time local data analysis), and emerging Cloud Finite Element Analysis technologies yield data at unprecedented scales, both in terms of volume and precision, providing information on complex processes and systems that had previously been impractical. Cloud Finite Element Analysis technologies enable proactive data collection in a supply chain of, for example the metal forming industry, throughout the life cycle of a product or process, which presents revolutionary opportunities for the development and evaluation of digitally-enhanced lubricants, which requires a coherent research agenda involving the merging of tribological knowledge, manufacturing and data science. In the present study, data obtained from a vast number of experimentally verified finite element simulation results is used for a metal forming process to develop a digitally-enhanced lubricant evaluation approach, by precisely representing the tribological boundary conditions at the workpiece/tooling interface, i.e., complex loading conditions of contact pressures, sliding speeds and temperatures. The presented approach combines the implementation of digital characteristics of the target forming process, data-guided lubricant testing and mechanism-based accurate theoretical modelling, enabling the development of data-centric lubricant limit diagrams and intuitive and quantitative evaluation of the lubricant performance.
Malik S, O'Sullivan C, Reddyhoff T, et al., 2022, An acoustic 3D positioning system for robots operating underground, IEEE Sensors Letters, Vol: 6, Pages: 1-4, ISSN: 2475-1472
Underground robots are potentially helpful in many application domains, including geotechnical engineering, agriculture, and archaeology. One of the critical challenges in developing underground robotics is the accurate estimation of the positions of the robots. Acoustic-based positioning systems have been explored for developing an underground 3D positioning system. However, the positioning range is limited due to attenuation in the medium. This letter proposes an underground positioning system that utilizes a novel and easy-to-implement electronic approach for measuringthe acoustic propagation times between multiple transmitters and a receiver. We demonstrate a prototype using four transmitters at the surface and a single buried acoustic sensor as a proof-of-concept. The times of arrival for signals emitted by the different sources are measured by correlating the transmitted and received signals. The distances between the multiple transmitters and a receiver are estimated, and a tri-linearization algorithm is used to estimate the position of the buried sensor in 3D with respect to reference coordinates. The system is tested in a soil tank. The experimental results show that the proposed system is able to estimate the 3D position of buried sensors with an error of less than ±2.5 cm within a measurement field of size 50 cm × 50 cm × 35 cm in X, Y, and Z (width × length × depth). The proposed electronic synchronization approach allows increasing the positioning range of the system by increasing the number of transmittersat the surface. This paves the way for the development of a positioning system for robots operating underground.
Yu M, Evangelou S, Dini D, 2022, Parallel active link suspension: full car application with frequency-dependent multi-objective control strategies, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Vol: 30, Pages: 2046-2061, ISSN: 1063-6536
In this article, a recently proposed at basic level novel suspension for road vehicles, the parallel active link suspension (PALS), is investigated in the realistic scenario of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) full car. The involved rocker-pushrod assembly is generally optimized to maximize the PALS capability in improving the suspension performance. To fully release the PALS functions of dealing with both low- and high-frequency road cases, a PID control scheme is first employed for the chassis attitude stabilization, focusing on the minimization of both the roll and pitch angles; based on a derived linear equivalent model of the PALS-retrofitted full car, an H∞ control scheme is designed to enhance the ride comfort and road holding; moreover, a frequency-dependent multiobjective control strategy that combines the developed PID and H∞ control is proposed to enable: 1) chassis attitude stabilization at 0-1 Hz; 2) vehicle vibration attenuation at 1-8 Hz; and 3) control effort penalization (for energy saving) above 10 Hz. With a group of ISO-defined road events tested, numerical simulation results demonstrate that, compared to the conventional passive suspension, the PALS has a promising potential in full-car application, with up to 70% reduction of the chassis vertical acceleration in speed bumps and chassis leveling capability of dealing with up to 4.3-m/s² lateral acceleration.
Hu S, Huang W, Li J, et al., 2022, Rigid-flexible hybrid surfaces for water-repelling and abrasion-resisting, FRICTION, Vol: 11, Pages: 635-646, ISSN: 2223-7690
Eder SJ, Grutzmacher PG, Ripoll MR, et al., 2022, Does speed kill or make friction better?-Designing materials for high velocity sliding, APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY, Vol: 29, ISSN: 2352-9407
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Hu S, Cao X, Reddyhoff T, et al., 2022, Pneumatic programmable superrepellent surfaces, Droplet, Vol: 1, Pages: 48-55, ISSN: 2731-4375
Bastola A, Stewart D, Dini D, 2022, Three-dimensional finite element simulation and experimental validation of sliding wear, WEAR, Vol: 504-505, ISSN: 0043-1648
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- Citations: 1
Yuan T, Zhan W, Jamal A, et al., 2022, On the microstructurally driven heterogeneous response of brain white matter to drug infusion pressure, Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, Vol: 21, ISSN: 1617-7959
Delivering therapeutic agents into the brain via convection-enhanced delivery (CED), a mechanically controlled infusion method, provides an efficient approach to bypass the blood–brain barrier and deliver drugs directly to the targeted focus in the brain. Mathematical methods based on Darcy’s law have been widely adopted to predict drug distribution in the brain to improve the accuracy and reduce the side effects of this technique. However, most of the current studies assume that the hydraulic permeability and porosity of brain tissue are homogeneous and constant during the infusion process, which is less accurate due to the deformability of the axonal structures and the extracellular matrix in brain white matter. To solve this problem, a multiscale model was established in this study, which takes into account the pressure-driven deformation of brain microstructure to quantify the change of local permeability and porosity. The simulation results were corroborated using experiments measuring hydraulic permeability in ovine brain samples. Results show that both hydraulic pressure and drug concentration in the brain would be significantly underestimated by classical Darcy’s law, thus highlighting the great importance of the present multiscale model in providing a better understanding of how drugs transport inside the brain and how brain tissue responds to the infusion pressure. This new method can assist the development of both new drugs for brain diseases and preoperative evaluation techniques for CED surgery, thus helping to improve the efficiency and precision of treatments for brain diseases.
Collard B, Giuliani F, Ingenbleek G, et al., 2022, A fracture mechanics analysis of the micromechanical events in finite thickness fibre push-out tests, Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, Vol: 121, Pages: 103441-103441, ISSN: 0167-8442
Understanding the micromechanical events of interfacial failure in fibre reinforced composites is vital to accurately characterising micromechanical properties and, consequently, the macroscopic properties of the composite. A fracture mechanics model of the fibre push-out test is developed, with an emphasis on the effect of sample thickness and residual stresses on the mechanisms of interfacial crack advancement. The model is applied to both a SiC-SiC ceramic matrix composite and a SiC-Ti metal matrix composite. The model demonstrates that previous assumptions about the micromechanical events of interfacial cracking are consistent with the measured values of interfacial fracture energy for ceramic matrix composites. Moreover, the model can identify the range of geometries for which different micromechanical cracking mechanisms occur simultaneously in a given material system. Identifying this range is important in choosing the sample geometry for fibre push-out testing because the interaction of advancing cracks affects the measurement of interfacial fracture energy by classical models.
Zhang X, Scaraggi M, Zheng Y, et al., 2022, Quantifying Wetting Dynamics with Triboelectrification, ADVANCED SCIENCE, Vol: 9
Ewen J, Maffioli L, Smith E, et al., 2022, Slip and stress from low strain-rate nonequilibrium molecular dynamics: The transient-time correlation function technique, The Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol: 156, Pages: 1-11, ISSN: 0021-9606
We derive the transient-time correlation function (TTCF) expression for the computation of phase variables of inhomogenous confined atomistic fluids undergoing boundary-driven planar shear (Couette) flow at constant pressure. Using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we then apply the TTCF formalism to the computation of the shear stress and the slip velocity for atomistic fluids at realistic low shear rates, in systems under constant pressure and constant volume. We show that, compared to direct averaging of multiple trajectories, the TTCF method dramatically improves the accuracy of the results at low shear rates and that it is suitable to investigate the tribology and rheology of atomistically detailed confined fluids at realistic flow rates.
Feng Z, Yu M, Evangelou S, et al., 2022, Feedforward PID control of full-car with parallel active link suspension for improved chassis attitude stabilization, IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA 2022), Publisher: IEEE
PID control is commonly utilized in an active suspension system to achieve desirable chassis attitude, where, due to delays, feedback information has much difficulty regulating the roll and pitch behavior, and stabilizing the chassis attitude, which may result in roll over when the vehicle steersat a large longitudinal velocity. To address the problem of the feedback delays in chassis attitude stabilization, in this paper, a feedforward control strategy is proposed to combine with a previously developed PID control scheme in the recently introduced Parallel Active Link Suspension (PALS). Numerical simulations with a nonlinear multi-body vehicle model areperformed, where a set of ISO driving maneuvers are tested. Results demonstrate the feedforward-based control scheme has improved suspension performance as compared to the conventional PID control, with faster speed of response in brakein a turn and step steer maneuvers, and surviving the fishhook maneuver (although displaying two-wheel lift-off) with 50 mph maneuver entrance speed at which conventional PID control rolls over.
Rahman M, Shen L, Ewen J, et al., 2022, The intrinsic fragility of the liquid-vapor interface: a stress network perspective, Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, Vol: 38, Pages: 4669-4679, ISSN: 0743-7463
The evolution of the liquid-vapour interface of a Lennard-Jones fluid is examined with molecular dynamics simulations using the intrinsic sampling method. Results suggest, in agreement with capillary wave theory, clear damping of the density profiles as the temperature is increased. We identify a linear variation of the space-filling nature (fractal dimension) of the stress-clusters at the intrinsic surface with increasing surface tension, or equivalently, with decreasing temperature. A percolation analysis of these stress networks indicates that the stress field is more disjointed at higher temperatures. This leads to more fragile interfaces that result in a reduction in surface tension at higher temperature.
Heyes DM, Dini D, 2022, Intrinsic viscuit probability distribution functions for transport coefficients of liquids and solids, JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS, Vol: 156, ISSN: 0021-9606
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- Citations: 1
Yuan T, Gao L, Zhan W, et al., 2022, Effect of Particle Size and Surface Charge on Nanoparticles Diffusion in the Brain White Matter, PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH, Vol: 39, Pages: 767-781, ISSN: 0724-8741
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- Citations: 7
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