The mechanism of energy loss and transition in a flow with submerged vegetation

The mechanism of energy balance in an open-channel flow with submerged vegetation was investigated. The energy borrowed from the local flow, energy spending caused by vegetation drag and flow resistance, and energy transition along the water depth were calculated on the basis of the computational results of velocity and Reynolds stress. Further analysis showed that the energy spending in a cross-section was a maximum around the top of the vegetation, and its value decreased progressively until reaching zero at the flume bed or water surface. The energy borrowed from the local flow in the vegetated region could not provide for spending; therefore, surplus borrowed energy in the non-vegetated region was transmitted to the vegetated region. In addition, the total energy transition in the cross-section was zero; therefore, the total energy borrowed from the flow balanced the energy loss in the whole cross-section. At the same time, we found that there were three effects of vegetation on the flow: turbulence restriction due to vegetation, turbulence source due to vegetation and energy transference due to vegetation, where the second effect was the strongest one. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Material response and failure mechanism of unidirectional metal matrix composites under impulsive shear loading

The material response and failure mechanism of unidirectional metal matrix composite under impulsive shear loading are investigated in this paper. Both experimental and analytical studies were performed. The shear strength of unidirectional C-f/A356.0 composite and A356.0 aluminum alloy at high strain rate were measured with a modified split Hopkinson torsional bar technique. The results indicated that the carbon fibers did not improve the shear strength of aluminum matrix if the fiber orientation aligned with the shear loading axis. The microscopic inspection of the fractured surface showed a multi-scale zigzag feature which implied a complicated shear failure mechanism in the composite. In addition to testing, the micromechanical stress field in the composite was analyzed by the generalized Eshelby equivalent method (GEEM). The influence of cracking in matrix on the micromechanical stress field was investigated as well. The results showed that the stress distribution in the composite is quite nonhomogeneous and very high shear stress concentrations are found in some regions in the matrix. The high shear stress concentration in the matrix induces tensile cracking at 45 degrees to the shear direction. This in turn aggravates the stress concentration at the fiber/matrix interface and finally leads to a catastrophic failure in the composite. From the correlation between the analysis and experimental results, the shear failure mechanism of unidirectional C-f/A356.0 composite can be elucidated qualitatively.

Mechanism of nucleation and precipitation in Li containing Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys

Investigations on the aging hardening behavior of four Al-Li-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys were carried out using differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy and hardness measurement. It is shown that the addition of Li inhibits the formation of Zn-rich G.P. zones in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. The dominant aging hardening precipitates is delta'(Al3Li) phase. Coarse T ((AlZn)(49)Mg-32) phase, instead of MgZn2, precipitates primarily on grain boundaries, and provides little strengthening. The multi-stop aging involving plastic deformation introduces in the matrix a high concentration of structural defects. These defects play different role on the nucleation of Zn-rich G.P. zones in different alloys. For the Li free alloy, structural defects act as vacancy sinks and tend to suppress the homogeneous precipitation of G.P. zones, while for the Li containing alloys, these defects promote the heterogeneous nucleation of G.P. zones and metastable MgZn2. A significant aging hardening effect is attained in deformed Li containing alloys due to the extra precipitation of fine MgZn2 in the matrix combined with deformation hardening.

Formation Mechanism of Cracks in Saturated Sand

The formation mechanism of “water film” (or crack) in saturated sand is analyzed theoretically and numerically. The theoretical analysis shows that there will be no stable “water film” in the saturated sand if the strength of the skeleton is zero and no positions are choked. It is shown by numerical simulation that stable water films initiate and grow if the choking state keeps unchanged once the fluid velocities decrease to zero in the liquefied sand column. The developments of “water film” based on the model presented in this paper are compared with experimental results.

Study of Growth Mechanism of Lysozyme Crystal by Batch Crystallization Method

The lysozyme crystals were made by batch crystallization method and the distribution of aggregate in solution were measured by dynamic light scattering. The results showed that the dimension of aggregate increased with the increase of the concentration of lysozyme and NaCl, lysozyme molecules aggregated gradually in solution and finally arrived at balance each other. The higher the concentrations of lysozyme and NaCl were, the faster the growth rate of (I 10) face was. The growth rates of lysozyme crystal were obtained by a Zeiss microscope, and the effective surface energy (a) of growing steps were calculated about 4.01 X 10(-8) J.cm(-2) according to the model of multiple two-dimensional nucleation mechanism.

On the mechanism of the formation of horizontal cracks in a vertical column of saturated sand

Extended horizontal cracks have! been observed experimentally in a vertical column of saturated sand when a flow of water is forced to percolate upward through it. This paper provides a theory for this phenomenon. It will be shown that the presence of inhomogeneity in permeability along the length of the column is essential for such cracks to develop. It will also be shown that small initial inhomogeneity may be magnified through the transport of the finer component of the sand by percolation. Under certain conditions liquefaction takes place at a section of the sand column causing a crack to initiate and grow there. This theory is found to be in good qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.

Thermodynamics of the displacive mechanism of alpha(1) transformation in a beta

Thermodynamics of the displacive mechanism of plate-shaped phase alpha(1) was analyzed in beta'Cu-Zn alloys. It was proposed that the displacive transformation of the alpha(1) plate took place in the solute-depleted region formed in the parent phase during the incubation period. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the driving force of alpha(1) transformation, Delta G, increased with the reduction of x(d), the solute concentration of the depleted region. And, Delta G could overcome-the transformation barrier with solute depletion to a certain degree. In addition, x(d) was higher than the equilibrium concentration in the phase diagram. Therefore, the shear formation of alpha(1) plate in the solute-depleted region was thermodynamically supported.

On the mechanism of void growth and the effect of straining mode in ductile materials

Finite element analysis is employed to investigate void growth embedded in elastic-plastic matrix material. Axisymmetric and plane stress conditions are considered. The simulation of void growth in a unit cell model is carried out over a wide range of triaxial tensile stressing or large plastic straining for various strain hardening materials to study the mechanism of void growth in ductile materials. Triaxial tension and large plastic strain encircling around the void are found to be of most importance for driving void growth. The straining mode of incremental loading which favors the necessary strain concentration around void for its growth can be characterized by the vanishing condition of a parameter called "the third invariant of generalized strain rate". Under this condition, it accentuates the internal strain concentration and the strain energy stored/dissipated within the material layer surrounding the void. Experimental results are cited to justify the effect of this loading parameter. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mechanism of pattern selection in coupled map lattices

The pattern selection of one-dimensional coupled map lattices is studied in this paper. It is shown by spatiotemporal variable separation that there exists a threshold wavelength in pattern selection which possesses wave-like structures in space and periodic chaotic motion in time.

Experimental-study on the criteria and mechanism of spallation in an aluminum-alloy

In this paper, a damage function defined by the residual strength of spalled specimens of an aluminium alloy is given to characterize the spallation of the material. Based on this function a simple method for continuously describing the spallation may be developed. Stress wave profiles showing the signal of spallation were successfully obtained with carbon gauges. Microscopic observations of the spalled aluminium alloy specimens reveal that the nucleation of spallation initiates from cracking of the second phase particles. Spallation is a process of crack nucleation, growth and coalescence to final, complete disintegration.

A study of the mechanism of consolidating metal-powder under explosive-implosive shock-waves

A study of the two-dimensional flow pattern of particles in consolidation process under explosive-implosive shock waves has been performed to further understand the mechanism of shock-wave consolidation of metal powder, in which bunched low-carbon steel wires were used instead of powder. Pressure in the compact ranges from 6 to 30 GPa. Some wires were electroplated with brass, some pickled. By this means, the flow pattern at particle surfaces was observed. The interparticle bonding and microstructure have been investigated systematically for the consolidated specimens by means of optical and electron microscopy, as well as by microhardness. The experimental results presented here are qualitatively consistent with Williamson's numerical simulation result when particle arrangement is close packed, but yield more extensive information. The effect of surface condition of particle on consolidation quality was also studied in order to explore ways of increasing the strength of the compacts. Based on these experiments, a physical model for metal powder shock consolidation has been established.

Excitation mechanism of thermocapillary oscillatory convection

It is suggested that the oscillation of thermocapillary convection may be excited by the buoyancy instability. By means of numerical simulation of the finite-element method, the temperature distributions in the liquid bridge are qualitatively analyzed. The temperature gradient in a certain flow region of liquid bridge may turn to be parallel to the direction of gravity when the temperature difference △T between two boundary rods of liquid bridge is larger than the critical value. The buoyancy instability may be excited, and then the thermocapillary oscillatory convection appears, as the temperature difference increases further. The distribution of the critical Marangoni number in the micro-gravity environment is derived from the data on the ground experiments. The results show that the onset of thermocapillary oscillatory convection is delayed in the case of smaller typical scale of liquid bridge and lower gravity environment.

The mechanism of energy storage by shearing the solar magnetic field

In this paper, a complete set of MHD equations have been solved by numerical calculations in an attempt to study the dynamical evolutionary processes of the initial equilibrium configuration and to discuss the energy storage mechanism of the solar atmosphere by shearing the magnetic field. The initial equilibrium configuration with an arch bipolar potential field obtained from the numerical solution is similar to the configuration in the vicinity of typical solar flare before its eruption. From the magnetic induction equation in the set of MHD equations and dealing with the non-linear coupling effects between the flow field and magnetic field, the quantitative relationship has been derived for their dynamical evolution. Results show that plasma shear motion at the bottom of the solar atmosphere causes the magnetic field to shear; meanwhile the magnetic field energy is stored in local regions. With the increase of time the local magnetic energy increases and it may reach an order of 4×10^25 J during a day. Thus the local storage of magnetic energy is large enough to trigger a big solar flare and can be considered as the energy source of solar flares. The energy storage mechanism by shearing the magnetic field can well explain the slow changes in solar active regions.

High-speed streams from coronal holes and the accelerating mechanism of the solar-wind

In this paper, the general Mach number equation is derived, and the influence of typical energy forms in the solar wind is analysed in detail. It shows that the accelerating process of the solar wind is influenced critically by the form of heating in the corona, and that the transonic mechanism is mainly the result of the adjustment of the variation of the crosssection of flowing tubes and the heat source term.The accelerating mechanism for both the high-speed stream from the coronal hole and the normal solar wind is similar. But, the temperature is low in the lower level of the coronal hole and more heat energy supply in the outside is required, hence the high speed of the solar wind; while the case with the ordinary coronal region is just the opposite, and the velocity of the solar wind is therefore lower. The accelerating process for various typical parameters is calculated, and it is found that the high-speed stream may reach 800 km/sec.

Formation Mechanism Of Lamellar Chips During Machining Of Bulk Metallic Glass

The uniqThe unique lamellar chips formed in turning–machining of a Vit 1 bulk metallic glass (BMG) are found to be due to repeated shearband formation in the primary shear zone (PSZ). A coupled thermomechanical orthogonal cutting model, taking into account force, free volume and energy balance in the PSZ, is developed to quantitatively characterize lamellar chip formation. Its onset criterion is revealed through a linear perturbation analysis. Lamellar chip formation is understood as a self-sustained limit-cycle phenomenon: there is autonomous feedback in stress, free volume and temperature in the PSZ. The underlying mechanism is the symmetry breaking of free volume flow and source, rather than thermal instability. These results are fundamentally useful for machining BMGs and even for understanding the physical nature of inhomogeneous flow in BMGs.ue lamellar chips formed in turning–machining of a Vit 1 bulk metallic glass (BMG) are found to be due to repeated shearband.