A Study of Composite Beam with Shape Memory Alloy Arbitrarily Embedded under Thermal and Mechanical Loadings

The constitutive relations and kinematic assumptions on the composite beam with shape memory alloy (SMA) arbitrarily embedded are discussed and the results related to the different kinematic assumptions are compared. As the approach of mechanics of materials is to study the composite beam with the SMA layer embedded, the kinematic assumption is vital. In this paper, we systematically study the kinematic assumptions influence on the composite beam deflection and vibration characteristics. Based on the different kinematic assumptions, the equations of equilibrium/motion are different. Here three widely used kinematic assumptions are presented and the equations of equilibrium/motion are derived accordingly. As the three kinematic assumptions change from the simple to the complex one, the governing equations evolve from the linear to the nonlinear ones. For the nonlinear equations of equilibrium, the numerical solution is obtained by using Galerkin discretization method and Newton-Rhapson iteration method. The analysis on the numerical difficulty of using Galerkin method on the post-buckling analysis is presented. For the post-buckling analysis, finite element method is applied to avoid the difficulty due to the singularity occurred in Galerkin method. The natural frequencies of the composite beam with the nonlinear governing equation, which are obtained by directly linearizing the equations and locally linearizing the equations around each equilibrium, are compared. The influences of the SMA layer thickness and the shift from neutral axis on the deflection, buckling and post-buckling are also investigated. This paper presents a very general way to treat thermo-mechanical properties of the composite beam with SMA arbitrarily embedded. The governing equations for each kinematic assumption consist of a third order and a fourth order differential equation with a total of seven boundary conditions. Some previous studies on the SMA layer either ignore the thermal constraint effect or implicitly assume that the SMA is symmetrically embedded. The composite beam with the SMA layer asymmetrically embedded is studied here, in which symmetric embedding is a special case. Based on the different kinematic assumptions, the results are different depending on the deflection magnitude because of the nonlinear hardening effect due to the (large) deflection. And this difference is systematically compared for both the deflection and the natural frequencies. For simple kinematic assumption, the governing equations are linear and analytical solution is available. But as the deflection increases to the large magnitude, the simple kinematic assumption does not really reflect the structural deflection and the complex one must be used. During the systematic comparison of computational results due to the different kinematic assumptions, the application range of the simple kinematic assumption is also evaluated. Besides the equilibrium study of the composite laminate with SMA embedded, the buckling, post-buckling, free and forced vibrations of the composite beam with the different configurations are also studied and compared.

Analysis of ingredient and heating value of municipal solid waste

Great differences between municipal solid wastes(MSW)produced at different places and different times in terms of such parameters as physical ingredient and heating value lead to difficulty in effective handling of MSW. In this paper, ingredient, heating value and their temporal varying trends of typical MSW in Beijing were continuously measured and analyzed. With consideration of the process in pyrolysis and incineration, correlation between physical ingredients and heating values was induced, favorable for evaluation of heating value needed in handling of MSW from simple analysis of physical ingredients of it.

Optimized Group Velocity Control Scheme and DNS of Decaying Compressible Turbulence of Relative High Turbulent Mach Number

To overcome the difficulty in the DNS of compressible turbulence at high turbulent Mach number, a new difference scheme called GVC8 is developed. We have succeeded in the direct numerical simulation of decaying compressible turbulence up to turbulent Mach number 0.95. The statistical quantities thus obtained at lower turbulent Mach number agree well with those from previous authors with the same initial conditions, but they are limited to simulate at lower turbulent Mach numbers due to the so-called start-up problem. The energy spectrum and coherent structure of compressible turbulent flow are analysed. The scaling law of compressible turbulence is studied. The computed results indicate that the extended self-similarity holds in decaying compressible turbulence despite the occurrence of shocklets, and compressibility has little effects on relative scaling exponents when turbulent Mach number is not very high.

Assessment of Microscale Test Methods of Peeling and Splitting along Surface of Thin-Film/Substrates

Peel test methods are assessed through being applied to a peeling analysis of the ductile film/ceramic substrate system. Through computing the fracture work of the system using the either beam bend model (BB model) or the general plane analysis model (GPA model), surprisingly, a big difference between both model results is found. Although the BB model can capture the plastic dissipation phenomenon for the ductile film case as the GPA model can, it is much sensitive to the choice of the peeling criterion parameters, and it overestimates the plastic bending effect unable to capture crack tip constraint plasticity. In view of the difficulty of measuring interfacial toughness using peel test method when film is the ductile material, a new test method, split test, is recommended and analyzed using the GPA model. The prediction is applied to a wedge-loaded experiment for Al-alloy double-cantilever beam in literature.

On-line observation of interlaminar damage by ultrasonic inspection

This paper explores an on-line experimental method to highlight the process of internal damage development in composites by taking advantage of ultrasonic inspection. A loading device, which can work together with an ultrasonic inspection system, was designed, and the interlaminar shear damage of a double-sided grooved specimen of composite was examined on-line with the system. A full view of the progressive internal interlaminar damage, seen only with difficulty by common inspection methods, was successfully achieved.

An incremental micromechanical scheme for nonlinear particulate composites

A general incremental micromechanical scheme for the nonlinear behavior of particulate composites is presented in this paper. The advantage of this scheme is that it can reflect partly the effects of the third invariant of the stress on the overall mechanical behavior of nonlinear composites. The difficulty involved is the determination of the effective compliance tensors of the anisotropic multiphase composites. This is completed by making use of the generalized self-consistent Mori-Tanaka method which was recently developed by Dai et al. (Polymer Composites 19(1998) 506-513; Acta Mechanica Solida 18 (1998) 199-208). Comparison with existing theoretical and numerical results demonstrates that the present incremental scheme is quite satisfactory. Based on this incremental scheme, the overall mechanical behavior of a hard-particle reinforced metal matrix composite with progressive particle debonding damage is investigated.

Critical Sensitivity and Trans-Scale Fluctuations in Catastrophic Rupture

Rupture in the heterogeneous crust appears to be a catastrophe transition. Catastrophic rupture sensitively depends on the details of heterogeneity and stress transfer on multiple scales. These are difficult to identify and deal with. As a result, the threshold of earthquake-like rupture presents uncertainty. This may be the root of the difficulty of earthquake prediction. Based on a coupled pattern mapping model, we represent critical sensitivity and trans-scale fluctuations associated with catastrophic rupture. Critical sensitivity means that a system may become significantly sensitive near catastrophe transition. Trans-scale fluctuations mean that the level of stress fluctuations increases strongly and the spatial scale of stress and damage fluctuations evolves from the mesoscopic heterogeneity scale to the macroscopic scale as the catastrophe regime is approached. The underlying mechanism behind critical sensitivity and trans-scale fluctuations is the coupling effect between heterogeneity and dynamical nonlinearity. Such features may provide clues for prediction of catastrophic rupture, like material failure and great earthquakes. Critical sensitivity may be the physical mechanism underlying a promising earthquake forecasting method, the load-unload response ratio (LURR).

Statistical Simulation of Rarefied Gas Flows in Micro-Channels

Rarefied gas flows through micro-channels are simulated using particle approaches, named as the information preservation (IP) method and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. In simulating the low speed flows in long micro-channels the DSMC method encounters the problem of large sample size demand and the difficulty of regulating boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet. Some important computational issues in the calculation of long micro-channel flows by using the IP method, such as the use the conservative form of the mass conservation equation to guarantee the adjustment of the inlet and outlet boundary conditions and the super-relaxation scheme to accelerate the convergence process, are addressed. Stream-wise pressure distributions and mass fluxes through micro-channels given by the IP method agree well with experimental data measured in long micro-channels by Pong et al. (with a height to length ratio of 1.2:3000), Shih et al. (l.2:4800), Arkilic et al. and Arkilic (l.3:7500), respectively. The famous Knudsen minimum of normalized mass flux is observed in IP and DSMC calculations of a short micro-channel over the entire flow regime from continuum to free molecular, whereas the slip Navier-Stokes solution fails to predict it.

Shock tube study of JP-10 ignition delay time

JP-10 (exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene, C10H16) ignition delay times were measured in a preheated shock tube. The vapor pressures of the JP-10 were measured directly by using a high-precision vacuum gauge, to remedy the difficulty in determining the gaseous concentrations of heavy hydrocarbon fuel arising from the adsorption on the wall in shock tube experiments. The whole variation of pressure and emission of the OH or CH radicals were observed in the ignition process by a pressure transducer and a photomultiplier with a monochromator. The emission of the OH or CH radicals was used to identify the time to ignition. Experiments were performed over the pressure range of 151-556 kPa, temperature range of 1000-2100 K, fuel concentrations of 0.1%-0.55% mole fraction, and stoichiometric ratios of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0. The experimental results show that for the lower and higher temperature ranges, there are different dependency relationships of the ignition time on the temperature and the concentrations of JP-10 and oxygen.

Domain decomposition hybrid method for numerical simulation of bluff body flows:theoretical model and application

The discrete vortex method is not capable of precisely predicting the bluff body flow separation and the fine structure of flow field in the vicinity of the body surface. In order to make a theoretical improvement over the method and to reduce the difficulty in finite-difference solution of N-S equations at high Reynolds number, in the present paper, we suggest a new numerical simulation model and a theoretical method for domain decomposition hybrid combination of finite-difference method and vortex method. Specifically, the full flow. field is decomposed into two domains. In the region of O(R) near the body surface (R is the characteristic dimension of body), we use the finite-difference method to solve the N-S equations and in the exterior domain, we take the Lagrange-Euler vortex method. The connection and coupling conditions for flow in the two domains are established. The specific numerical scheme of this theoretical model is given. As a preliminary application, some numerical simulations for flows at Re=100 and Re-1000 about a circular cylinder are made, and compared with the finite-difference solution of N-S equations for full flow field and experimental results, and the stability of the solution against the change of the interface between the two domains is examined. The results show that the method of the present paper has the advantage of finite-difference solution for N-S equations in precisely predicting the fine structure of flow field, as well as the advantage of vortex method in efficiently computing the global characteristics of the separated flow. It saves computer time and reduces the amount of computation, as compared with pure N-S equation solution. The present method can be used for numerical simulation of bluff body flow at high Reynolds number and would exhibit even greater merit in that case.

Statistical Simulation of Thin-Film Bearings

The information preservation (IP) method and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method are used to simulate the gas flows between the write/read head and the platter of the disk drive (the slider bearing problem). The results of both methods are in good agreement with numerical solution of the Reynolds equation in the cases studied. However, the DSMC method owing to the problem of large sample size demand and the difficulty in regulating boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet was able to simulate only short bearings, while IP simulates the bearing of authentic length ~1000 m ? and can provide more detailed flow information.

Information Preservation (IP) Method in Simulation

This paper reviews firstly methods for treating low speed rarefied gas flows: the linearised Boltzmann equation, the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the Navier-Stokes equation plus slip boundary conditions and the DSMC method, and discusses the difficulties in simulating low speed transitional MEMS flows, especially the internal flows. In particular, the present version of the LBM is shown unfeasible for simulation of MEMS flow in transitional regime. The information preservation (IP) method overcomes the difficulty of the statistical simulation caused by the small information to noise ratio for low speed flows by preserving the average information of the enormous number of molecules a simulated molecule represents. A kind of validation of the method is given in this paper. The specificities of the internal flows in MEMS, i.e. the low speed and the large length to width ratio, result in the problem of elliptic nature of the necessity to regulate the inlet and outlet boundary conditions that influence each other. Through the example of the IP calculation of the microchannel (thousands long) flow it is shown that the adoption of the conservative scheme of the mass conservation equation and the super relaxation method resolves this problem successfully. With employment of the same measures the IP method solves the thin film air bearing problem in transitional regime for authentic hard disc write/read head length ( ) and provides pressure distribution in full agreement with the generalized Reynolds equation, while before this the DSMC check of the validity of the Reynolds equation was done only for short ( ) drive head. The author suggests degenerate the Reynolds equation to solve the microchannel flow problem in transitional regime, thus provides a means with merit of strict kinetic theory for testing various methods intending to treat the internal MEMS flows.

Information preservation (IP) method in simulation of internal rarefied gas flows in MEMS

This paper reviews firstly methods for treating low speed rarefied gas flows: the linearised Boltzmann equation, the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the Navier-Stokes equation plus slip boundary conditions and the DSMC method, and discusses the difficulties in simulating low speed transitional MEMS flows, especially the internal flows. In particular, the present version of the LBM is shown unfeasible for simulation of MEMS flow in transitional regime. The information preservation (IP) method overcomes the difficulty of the statistical simulation caused by the small information to noise ratio for low speed flows by preserving the average information of the enormous number of molecules a simulated molecule represents. A kind of validation of the method is given in this paper. The specificities of the internal flows in MEMS, i.e. the low speed and the large length to width ratio, result in the problem of elliptic nature of the necessity to regulate the inlet and outlet boundary conditions that influence each other. Through the example of the IP calculation of the microchannel (thousands m ? long) flow it is shown that the adoption of the conservative scheme of the mass conservation equation and the super relaxation method resolves this problem successfully. With employment of the same measures the IP method solves the thin film air bearing problem in transitional regime for authentic hard disc write/read head length ( 1000 L m ? = ) and provides pressure distribution in full agreement with the generalized Reynolds equation, while before this the DSMC check of the validity of the Reynolds equation was done only for short ( 5 L m ? = ) drive head. The author suggests degenerate the Reynolds equation to solve the microchannel flow problem in transitional regime, thus provides a means with merit of strict kinetic theory for testing various methods intending to treat the internal MEMS flows.

A simple method to simulate shrinkage-induced cracking in cement-based composites by lattice-type modeling

A new numerical procedure is proposed to investigate cracking behaviors induced by mismatch between the matrix phase and aggregates due to matrix shrinkage in cement-based composites. This kind of failure processes is simplified in this investigation as a purely spontaneous mechanical problem, therefore, one main difficulty during simulating the phenomenon lies that no explicit external load serves as the drive to propel development of this physical process. As a result, it is different from classical mechanical problems and seems hard to be solved by using directly the classical finite element method (FEM), a typical kind of "load -> medium -> response" procedures. As a solution, the actual mismatch deformation field is decomposed into two virtual fields, both of which can be obtained by the classical FEM. Then the actual response is obtained by adding together the two virtual displacement fields based on the principle of superposition. Then, critical elements are detected successively by the event-by-event technique. The micro-structure of composites is implemented by employing the generalized beam (GB) lattice model. Numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the method, and detailed discussions are conducted on influences of material properties.

A load simulation method of piezoelectric actuator in FEM for smart structures

More and more piezoelectric materials and structures have been used for structure control in aviation and aerospace industry. More efficient and convenient computation method for large complex structure with piezoelectric actuation devices is required. A load simulation method of piezoelectric actuation is presented in this paper. By this method, the freedom degree of finite element simulation is significantly reduced, the difficulty in defining in-plane voltage for multi-layers piezoelectric composite is overcome and the transfer computation between material main direction and the element main direction is simplified. The concept of simulation load is comprehensible and suitable for engineers of structure strength in shape and vibration control, thereby is valuable for promoting the application of piezoelectric material and structures in practical aviation and aerospace fields.