This study examines a 2kW photovoltaic (PV) support structure, highlighting the vulnerability of conventional metal frames to corrosion and strength degradation in harsh environmental conditions. To overcome these challenges, we propose using pultruded fiber-reinforced polymer (PFRP) members as an alternative structural material. An optimal design framework is established to identify efficient PFRP cross-sections. The study aims to determine lightweight cross-sectional dimensions for box sections (columns and girders) and C-sections (purlins) while maintaining structural safety. We evaluate structural performance using the allowable stress design (ASD) method, incorporating safety factors recommended by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Finite element analysis (FEA) assesses critical design constraints, including buckling, material failure, and serviceability deflection limits. From the feasible designs, we select the lightest cross-sectional configuration that meets all safety requirements. The results demonstrate that PFRP members can significantly reduce weight while ensuring structural safety, thus validating their potential as an alternative to conventional metal photovoltaic support structures.

The warm shrink fitting process is generally used to assemble automobile transmission parts (shaft/gear). But the fitting process can cause the dimensions of addendum and dedendum of the gear to change with respect to the fitting interference and the profile of the gear. As a result, there may be additional noise and vibration between gears. To address these problems, we analyzed the warm shrink fitting process according to process parameters; the fitting interference between the outer diameter of the shaft and the inner diameter of the gear, the inner diameter of the gear, addendum and dedendum of the gear, the heating temperature. In this study, a closed form equation for predicting the amount of deformation of addendum and dedendum in the R-direction was proposed. And the FEA method to analyze the cooling process was proposed for thermal-structural-thermal coupled field analysis of the warm shrink fitting process (heating-fitting-cooling process).

Recently, with the development of bio-technology the interests in the micro-fluidic devices for analysis in the fields of biology and medical science have been steadily increasing. Although polymer is considered as one of the best materials for micro-fluidic devices, glass or silicon molds fabricated by photo-lithographic technique have been commonly used. However, it is generally perceived that the conventional photo-lithographic technique has the limitation for fabricating micro-channels for micro-fluidic devices. In this work, the possibility of fabrication of micro-fluidic channels on PDMS by using the mechano-chemical process and the effect of surface states on the fluid flow were investigated. Experimental results revealed that PDMS mold fabricated by the mechano-chemical process could be used effectively to replicate micro-fluidic channels with high reproducibility and dimensional accuracy. It was also found that the fluid flow generation and flow speed were largely affected by the hydrophilicity and the surface roughness of the micro-channel surfaces.