High birefringent rhombic-hole photonic crystal fibers

High birefringence induced by rhombic air-hole photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) is numerically analyzed by using the finite-element method. The birefringence of a few kinds of PCFs was investigated with different parameters related to rhombic holes, including the rhombic-hole shape, size, and spacing. It was found that the birefringence of the proposed rhombic-hole PCF in this study is relatively larger than that of an elliptical-hole PCF with the same air-filling fraction (f = 0.0375) when the ratio of the rhombic-hole diagonal length is equal to the elliptical-hole ellipticity. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America

The main factor influencing the tensile properties of surface nano-crystallized graded materials

The improved mechanical properties of surface nano-crystallized graded materials produced by surface severe plastic deformation ((SPD)-P-2) are generally owing to the effects of the refined structure, work-hardened region and compressive residual stress. However, during the (SPD)-P-2 process, residual stress is produced simultaneously with work-hardened region, the individual contribution of these two factors to the improved mechanical properties remains unclear. Numerical simulations are carried out in order to answer this question. It is found that work hardening predominates in improving the yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength of the surface nano-crystallized graded materials, while the influence of the residual stress mainly emerges at the initial stage of deformation and decreases the apparent elastic modulus of the surface nano-crystallized graded materials, which agrees well with the experimental results. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peeling behavior of a bio-inspired nano-film on a substrate

A peeling model is proposed to analyze the peeling properties of bio-mimetic nano-films using the finite element method (FEM) and theoretical approach. The influences of the nano-film's adhesion length, thickness, elastic modulus, roughness and peeling angle on the peeling force were considered as well as the effect of the viscoelastic behavior. It has been found that the effective adhesion length, at which the peeling force attained maximum, was much smaller than the real length of nano-films; and the shear force dominated in the case of smaller peeling angles, whereas, the normal force dominated at larger peeling angles. The total peeling force decreased with an increasing peeling angle. Two limiting values of the peeling-off force can be found in the viscoelastic model, which corresponds to the smaller and larger loading rate cases. The effects of nano-film thickness and Young's modulus on peeling behaviors were also discussed. The results obtained are helpful for understanding the micro-adhesion mechanisms of biological systems, such as geckos. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvement of FEM's dynamic property

The discretization size is limited by the sampling theorem, and the limit is one half of the wavelength of the highest frequency of the problem. However, one half of the wavelength is an ideal value. In general, the discretization size that can ensure the accuracy of the simulation is much smaller than this value in the traditional finite element method. The possible reason of this phenomenon is analyzed in this paper, and an efficient method is given to improve the simulation accuracy.

FLOW-PIPE-SEEPAGE COUPLING ANALYSIS OF SPANNING INITIATION OF A PARTIALLY-EMBEDDED PIPELINE

The initiation of pipeline spanning involves the coupling between the flow over the pipeline and the seepage-flow in the soil underneath the pipeline. The pipeline spanning initiation is experimentally observed and discussed in this article. It is qualitatively indicated that the pressure-drop induced soil seepage failure is the predominant cause for pipeline spanning initiation. A flow-pipe-seepage sequential coupling Finite Element Method (FEM) model is proposed to simulate the coupling between the water flow-field and the soil seepage-field. A critical hydraulic gradient is obtained for oblique seepage failure of the sand in the direction tangent to the pipe. Parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of inflow velocity, pipe embedment on the pressure-drop, and the effects of soil internal friction angle and pipe embedment-to-diameter ratio on the critical flow velocity for pipeline spanning initiation. It is indicated that the dimensionless critical flow velocity changes approximately linearly with the soil internal friction angle for the submarine pipeline partially-embedded in a sandy seabed.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor for Strain Sensing in Low Temperature Superconducting Magnet

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for monitoring the electromagnetic strain in a low temperature superconducting (LTS) magnet was studied. Before used to LTS magnet strain sensing, the strain response of the sensor with 1.54-mu m wavelength at liquid helium was experimentally studied. It was found that the wavelength shift showed good linearity with longitudinal applied loads and the strain sensitivity is constant at 4.2 K. And then, the hoop strain measurement of a LTS magnet was carried out on the basis of measured results. Furthermore, the finite element method (FEM) was used to simulate the magnet strain. The difference between the experimental and numerical analysis results is very small.

Hydroelastic dynamic characteristics of a slender axis-symmetric body

The slender axis-symmetric submarine body moving in the vertical plane is the object of our investigation. A coupling model is developed where displacements of a solid body as a Euler beam (consisting of rigid motions and elastic deformations) and fluid pressures are employed as basic independent variables, including the interaction between hydrodynamic forces and structure dynamic forces. Firstly the hydrodynamic forces, depending on and conversely influencing body motions, are taken into account as the governing equations. The expressions of fluid pressure are derived based on the potential theory. The characteristics of fluid pressure, including its components, distribution and effect on structure dynamics, are analyzed. Then the coupling model is solved numerically by means of a finite element method (FEM). This avoids the complicacy, combining CFD (fluid) and FEM (structure), of direct numerical simulation, and allows the body with a non-strict ideal shape so as to be more suitable for practical engineering. An illustrative example is given in which the hydroelastic dynamic characteristics, natural frequencies and modes of a submarine body are analyzed and compared with experimental results. Satisfactory agreement is observed and the model presented in this paper is shown to be valid.

模拟岩石材料脆性破裂过程的三维离散元模型

发展一种能够模拟岩石材料脆性破裂过程的三维不规则、可变形块体离散元模型.一方面,在裂纹扩展过程中动态地将潜在破坏的连续块体沿潜在破坏方向细化为若干子块体,并在子块体之间的界面上设置连接型弹簧;另一方面,连接型弹簧在满足张拉-剪切复合破坏准则时发生脆性破裂,转变为接触型弹簧,实现材料由连续到非连续的破裂.借助动态松弛技术完成求解,通过计算实例验证该方法的适用性

基于连续介质力学的块体单元离散弹簧法研究

提出一种基于连续介质力学的块体单元离散弹簧法,并将其应用于地质体渐进破坏过程的数值模拟研究。该方法以连续介质力学的基本理论为基础,以八节点正六面体单元为离散对象,根据有限元的形函数理论及正六面体单元刚度矩阵的具体表达式,将正六面体单元离散成为12根棱弹簧,并推导各弹簧的弹簧力计算公式,给出各弹簧的弹簧力分量的物理意义、对应的弹簧刚度及相关联的位移。在弹性部分的计算结果与传统的有限元计算结果一致的基础上,在弹簧中引入Mohr-Coulomb准则及拉伸破坏准则,进行弹簧破坏的判断。如果块体内的弹簧全部断裂,便将其视为散体。在判断破坏时采用双重判断模式,块体单元的判断主要用于选取弹簧潜在的破坏面,离散弹簧的判断用于计算弹簧上的真实弹簧力。最后,通过相关算例验证引入破坏准则后所得计算结果的合理性。块体单元离散弹簧法的实质是通过12根离散弹簧将单元转化为结构,因此可以通过分析各弹簧的断裂情况研究块体的内部破坏特征,更可以通过各弹簧的先后断裂过程来研究地质体的渐进破坏过程。

工程地质灾害预测中的关键科学问题

简述了几类工程地质灾害不同的表现形式和成灾机理，提炼了地质灾害的共性问题。地质灾害体通常是由不良地质体经历孕育、成形、演化、发生、发展和结束的几个阶段和状态，与之相关联的破坏状态包括既有破坏、局部再破坏、贯穿性破坏、碎裂性破坏和运动性破坏。将地质灾害预测转化为破坏状态的判断是科学预测的技术途径。阐述了如下的关键科学问题：(1)地质体具有非连续、非均匀、流固耦合特性、这些特性只有在地质灾害体的尺度和赋存的环境中才能表现出来、更为重要的是人们只能获得地质体的局部的信息，认知地质体的运动规律必需建立现场监测和内部结构破坏之间的联系。通过局部的信息反分析地质体的当前状态是工程地质灾害的关键科学问题之一；(2)地质灾害体的力学包含了固体的连续介质模型、非连续介质模型、散体介质的流动模型、多相流体模型等，灾害演化的过程也是从固体发展为流体的过程。对灾害的判别不能仅仅依赖于材料强度的判断，需要建立地质体尺度上的渐进破坏的判据，地质体灾害形成的机理。(3)处于复杂地质环境中的灾害体结构复杂并具有显著的尺度效应。实际工程不同方向上的破坏尺度以及最大破坏尺度与实验室试样尺度都有数个量级的差别；地质灾害的形成是一个时间和空间的演化过程，灾害体宏观变化的范围和位移的尺度越来越大而与之对应的时间尺度越来越小；定量地描述这样的物理过程，需要跨尺度的数值计算方法。论文简述了基于连续介质离散元方法(CDEM--continuum-based distinct element method)的基本原理，主要功能以及在工程地质灾害预测中应用的实例。

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor for Strain Sensing in Low Temperature Superconducting Magnet

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor for monitoring the electromagnetic strain in a low temperature superconducting (LTS) magnet was studied. Before used to LTS magnet strain sensing, the strain response of the sensor with 1.54-mu m wavelength at liquid helium was experimentally studied. It was found that the wavelength shift showed good linearity with longitudinal applied loads and the strain sensitivity is constant at 4.2 K. And then, the hoop strain measurement of a LTS magnet was carried out on the basis of measured results. Furthermore, the finite element method (FEM) was used to simulate the magnet strain. The difference between the experimental and numerical analysis results is very small.

INVESTIGATING A NEAR-BED SUBMARINE PIPELINE IN A CURRENT

This paper considers the lift forces acting on a pipeline with a small gap between the pipeline and the plane bottom or scoring bottom. A more reasonable fluid force on the pipeline has been obtained by applying the knowledge of modified potential theory (MPT), which includes the influences of the downstream wake. By finite element method, an iteration procedure is used to solve problems of the nonlinear fluid-structure interaction. Comparing the deflection and the stress distributions with the difference sea bottoms, the failure patterns of a spanning pipeline have been discussed. The results are essential for engineers to assess pipeline stability.

Stress analysis of CR superferric magnet

Finite Element Method is used in this article to analyze the stress of CR superferric magnet. Magnetic force and the stress caused by this force are calculated. The thermal stress and strain of the coil caused by cooling down is also analyzed. The result will be taken as a check for the design of the coil and coilcase, and also as a reference for the optimization of further design and quench protection.

Quench Protection Design and Simulation of a 7 Tesla Superconducting Magnet

A 7 Tesla superconducting magnet with a clear warm bore of 156 mm in diameter has been developed for Lanzhou Penning Trap at the Institute of Modern Physics for high precision mass measurement. The magnet is comprised of 9 solenoid coils and operates in persistent mode with a total energy of 2.3 MJ. Due to the considerable amount of energy stored during persistent mode operation, the quench protection system is very important when designing and operating the magnet. A passive protection system based on a subdivided scheme is adopted to protect the superconducting magnet from damage caused by quenching. Cold diodes and resistors are put across the subdivision to reduce both the voltage and temperature hot spots. Computational simulations have been carried in Opera-quench. The designed quench protection circuit and the finite element method model for quench simulations are described; the time changing of temperature, voltage and current decay during the quench process is also analysed.

Performance inhomogeneity of gelatin during gelation process

The structural and performance inhomogeneities of gelatin gel can directly affect its application as a kind of functional material. The structural inhomogeneity of gelatin caused by the uneven and unstable temperature field has been analyzed by the finite element method in our previous work. Further in this paper, the performance inhomogeneity of gelatin which is closely connected with the actual application is numerically analyzed during the gelation process, which includes the inhomogeneities of the optical and mechanical properties of gelatin gels. The time required for reaching the gel point at different spatial grids is exhibited and discussed. The calculated results also show that the equilibrium shear modulus of gelatin is dependent on the thermal history.