Dynamic behaviors of mode III interfacial crack under a constant loading rate

In an earlier study on intersonic crack propagation, Gao et al. (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 49: 2113-2132, 2001) described molecular dynamics simulations and continuum analysis of the dynamic behaviors of a mode II dominated crack moving along a weak plane under a constant loading rate. The crack was observed to initiate its motion at a critical time after the onset of loading, at which it is rapidly accelerated to the Rayleigh wave speed and propagates at this speed for a finite time interval until an intersonic daughter crack is nucleated at a peak stress at a finite distance ahead of the original crack tip. The present article aims to analyze this behavior for a mode III crack moving along a bi-material interface subject to a constant loading rate. We begin with a crack in an initially stress-free bi-material subject to a steadily increasing stress. The crack initiates its motion at a critical time governed by the Griffith criterion. After crack initiation, two scenarios of crack propagation are investigated: the first one is that the crack moves at a constant subsonic velocity; the second one is that the crack moves at the lower shear wave speed of the two materials. In the first scenario, the shear stress ahead of the crack tip is singular with exponent -1/2, as expected; in the second scenario, the stress singularity vanishes but a peak stress is found to emerge at a distance ahead of the moving crack tip. In the latter case, a daughter crack supersonic with respect to the softer medium can be expected to emerge ahead of the initial crack once the peak stress reaches the cohesive strength of the interface.

The Uniaxial Tensile Deformation of Ni Nanowire: Atomic-Scale Computer Simulations

The mechanical deformations of nickel nanowire subjected to uniaxial tensile strain at 300 K are simulated by using molecular dynamics with the quantum corrected Sutten-Chen many-body force field. We have used common neighbor analysis method to investigate the structural evolution of Ni nanowire during the elongation process. For the strain rate of 0.1%/ps, the elastic limit is up to about 11% strain with the yield stress of 8.6 GPa. At the elastic stage, the deformation is carried mainly through the uniform elongation of the distances between the layers (perpendicular to the Z-axis) while the atomic structure remains basically unchanged. With further strain, the slips in the {111} planes start to take place in order to accommodate the applied strain to carry the deformation partially, and subsequently the neck forms. The atomic rearrangements in the neck region result in a zigzag change in the stress-strain curve; the atomic structures beyond the region, however, have no significant changes. With the strain close to the point of the breaking, we observe the formation of a one-atom thick necklace in Ni nanowire. The strain rates have no significant effect on the deformation mechanism, but have some influence on the yield stress, the elastic limit, and the fracture strain of the nanowire.

Dependence of collision frequency on distance between two hard-sphere particles estimated by computer simulation

A Monte Carlo simulation is performed to study the dependence of collision frequency on interparticle distance for a system composed of two hard-sphere particles. The simulation quantitatively shows that the collision frequency drops down sharply as the distance between two particles increases. This characteristic provides a useful evidence for the collision-reaction dynamics of aggregation process for the two-particle system described in the other reference.

Computer Simulation Of Random Sphere Packing In An Arbitrarily Shaped Container

Most simulations of random sphere packing concern a cubic or cylindric container with periodic boundary, containers of other shapes are rarely studied. In this paper, a new relaxation algorithm with pre-expanding procedure for random sphere packing in an arbitrarily shaped container is presented. Boundaries of the container are simulated by overlapping spheres which covers the boundary surface of the container. We find 0.4 similar to 0.6 of the overlap rate is a proper value for boundary spheres. The algorithm begins with a random distribution of small internal spheres. Then the expansion and relaxation procedures are performed alternately to increase the packing density. The pre-expanding procedure stops when the packing density of internal spheres reaches a preset value. Following the pre-expanding procedure, the relaxation and shrinking iterations are carried out alternately to reduce the overlaps of internal spheres. The pre-expanding procedure avoids the overflow problem and gives a uniform distribution of initial spheres. Efficiency of the algorithm is increased with the cubic cell background system and double link data structure. Examples show the packing results agree well with both computational and experimental results. Packing density about 0.63 is obtained by the algorithm for random sphere packing in containers of various shapes.

Computer simulation of influence of sedimentation on rapid coagulation

A computer simulation was performed to explore the features and effects of sedimentation on rapid coagulation. To estimate the accumulated influence of gravity on coagulation for dispersions, a sedimentation influence ratio is defined. Some factors possibly related to the influence of sedimentation were considered in the simulation and analysed by comparing the size distribution of aggregates, the change in collision number, and coagulation rates at different gravity levels (0 g, 1 g and more with g being the gravitational constant).

Computer simulation on the collision-sticking dynamics of two colloidal particles in an optical trap

Collisions of a particle pair induced by optical tweezers have been employed to study colloidal stability. In order to deepen insights regarding the collision-sticking dynamics of a particle pair in the optical trap that were observed in experimental approaches at the particle level, the authors carry out a Brownian dynamics simulation. In the simulation, various contributing factors, including the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek interaction of particles, hydrodynamic interactions, optical trapping forces on the two particles, and the Brownian motion, were all taken into account. The simulation reproduces the tendencies of the accumulated sticking probability during the trapping duration for the trapped particle pair described in our previous study and provides an explanation for why the two entangled particles in the trap experience two different statuses. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Collective evolution characteristics and computer simulation of short fatigue cracks

Fatigue testing was conducted using a kind of triangular isostress specimen to obtain the short-fatigue-crack behaviour of a weld low-carbon steel. The experimental results show that short cracks continuously initiate at slip bands within ferrite grain domains and the crack number per unit area gradually increases with increasing number of fatigue cycles. The dispersed short cracks possess an orientation preference, which is associated with the crystalline orientation of the relevant slip system. Based on the observed collective characteristics, computer modelling was carried out to simulate the evolution process of initiation, propagation and coalescence of short cracks. The simulation provides progressive displays which imitate the appearance of experimental observations. The results of simulation indicate that the crack path possesses a stable value of fractal dimension whereas the critical value of percolation covers a wide datum band, suggesting that the collective evolution process of short cracks is sensitive to the pattern of crack site distribution.

Digitized Processing Track Generation of a Computer Integrated Multi-Functional 5-Axis Laser Processing System

Based on the computer integrated and flexible laser processing system, an intelligent measuring sub-system was developed. A novel model has been built up to compensate the deviations of the main frame-structure, and a new 3-D laser tracker system is applied to adjust the accuracy of the system. To analyze the characteristic of all kind surfaces of automobile outer penal moulds and dies, classification of types of the surface、brim and ridge(or vale) area to be measured and processed has been established, resulting in one of the main processing functions of the laser processing system. According to different type of surfaces, a 2-D adaptive measuring method based on B?zier curve was developed; furthermore a 3-D adaptive measuring method based on Spline curve was also developed. According to the laser materials processing characteristics and data characteristics, necessary methods have been developed to generate processing tracks, they are explained in details. Measuring experiments and laser processing experiments were carried out to testify the above mentioned methods, which have been applied in the computer integrated and flexible laser processing system developed by the Institute of Mechanics, CAS.

The Intelligent Measuring Sub-System in the Computer Integrated and Flexible Laser Processing System

Based on the computer integrated and flexible laser processing system, develop the intelligent measuring sub-system. A novel model has been built to compensate the deviations of the main frame, a new-developed 3-D laser tracker system is applied to adjust the accuracy of the system. Analyzing the characteristic of all kinds of automobile dies, which is the main processing object of the laser processing system, classify the types of the surface and border needed to be measured and be processed. According to different types of surface and border, develop 2-D adaptive measuring method based on B?zier curve and 3-D adaptive measuring method based on spline curve. During the data processing, a new 3-D probe compensation method has been described in details. Some measuring experiments and laser processing experiments are carried out to testify the methods. All the methods have been applied in the computer integrated and flexible laser processing system invented by the Institute of Mechanics, CAS.

Novel approach for region merging and image segmentation for human-computer interaction

For the purpose of human-computer interaction (HCI), a vision-based gesture segmentation approach is proposed. The technique essentially includes skin color detection and gesture segmentation. The skin color detection employs a skin-color artificial neural network (ANN). To merge and segment the region of interest, we propose a novel mountain algorithm. The details of the approach and experiment results are provided. The experimental segmentation accuracy is 96.25%. (C) 2003 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Direct writing computer-generated holograms on metal film by an infrared femtosecond laser

Writing computer-generated holograms has been achieved by using near infrared femtosecond laser selective ablation of metal film deposited on glass substrate. The diffraction features with data reconstruction of fabricated computer-generated holograms were evaluated. Both transmission and reflection holograms can be fabricated in a single process. The process required no mask, no pre- or post-treatment of the substrate. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America.

Computer simulation of intrinsic defects in YAlO3 single crystal

National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60607015)

The computer simulation of primate (Macaca mulatta) spatial visual delayed response and cerebral prefrontal control function

Cerebral prefrontal function is one of the important aspects in neurobiology. Based on the experimental results of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, behavioral sciences, and the principles of cybernetics and information theory after constructed a simple model simulating prefrontal control function, this paper simulated the behavior of Macaca mulatta completing delayed tasks both before and after its cerebral prefrontal cortex being damaged. The results indicated that there is an obvious difference in the capacity of completing delayed response tasks for the normal monkeys and those of prefrontal cortex cut away. The results are agreement with experiments. The authors suggest that the factors of affecting complete delayed response tasks might be in information keeping and extracting of memory including information storing, keeping and extracting procedures rather than in information storing process.