Kiran Mallavarapu

Office: 
310 New Engineering Building
Mechanical Engineering Department
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA  24061-0261

Tel: (540) 231-2910 Fax: (540) 231-2903 E-mail: mkiran@vt.edu

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Page Last Updated: 5/6/01


Biography

Born in Bapatla, a sleepy town in India, but raised in Bangalore - silicon valley of India. Received B.E. in Mechanical Engineering in December 1999 from Bangalore University. I am currently working in CIMSS towards a Master's degree in M. E. and my research includes the feedback control of IPMC actuators. Expected graduation date of August 2001. A member of Association for India Development and my hobbies include programming, developing web pages, playing tennis and driving (any amount and anytime !!).

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Research Project

Objective

Develop feedback control algorithms for ionic polymer materials for the purpose of increasing the actuation bandwidth.

Recent Results

Developed a modelling technique using step response measurements of ionic polymer materials.
Developed feedback control algorithms using full-state feedback and observer-based design techniques.
Demonstrated an eight-fold increase (from 24 seconds to 3 seconds) in the settling time of cantilevered samples of ionic polymer material.

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Publications

  1. Mallavarapu, K.*, Leo, D.J., 2001, “Feedback control of the bending response of ionic polymer actuators,”             Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, vol. 12, pp. 143-155.
  2. Mallavarapu, K.., Leo, D.J., 2001, “Feedback control of the resonant modes in the bending response of ionic polymer bender actuators,” Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, paper number AD-23732.
  3. Mallavarapu, K, Newbury, K.M., Leo, D.J., 2001, "Feedback control of the bending response of ionic polymer metal composite actuators," to appear, Proceedings of the SPIE, vol. 4329.

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Resume

Current Resume

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