Investigation of thermal residual stresses during laser ablation of tantalum carbide coated graphite substrates using micro-Raman spectroscopy and COMSOL multiphysics

Laser ablation of high-temperature ceramic coatings results in thermal residual stresses due to which the coatings fail by cracking and debonding. Hence, the measurement of such residual stresses during laser ablation process holds utmost importance from the view of performance of coatings in extreme conditions. The present research aims at investigating the effect of laser parameters such as laser pulse energy, scanning speed and line spacing on thermal residual stresses induced in tantalum carbide-coated graphite substrates. Residual stresses were measured using micro-Raman spectroscopy and correlated with Raman peak shifts. Transient thermal analysis was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to model the single ablated track and residual stresses were reported at low, moderate and high pulse energy regimes. The results showed that the initial laser conditions caused higher tensile residual stresses. Moderate pulse energy regime comprised higher compressive residual stresses due to off centre overlapping of the laser pulses. Higher pulse energy (250 μJ), higher scanning speed (1000 mm/s) and moderate line spacing (20 μm) caused accumulation of tensile residual stresses during the final stage of laser ablation. The deviation of experimental residual stresses from COMSOL numerical model was attributed to unaccounted additional stresses induced during thermal spraying process and deformation potentials in the numerical model.     

Multiphysics modeling and optimization of mechatronic multibody systems

Modeling mechatronic multibody systems requires the same type of methodology as for designing and prototyping mechatronic devices: a unified and integrated engineering approach. Various formulations are currently proposed to deal with multiphysics modeling, e.g., graph theories, equational approaches, co-simulation techniques. Recent works have pointed out their relative advantages and drawbacks, depending on the application to deal with: model size, model complexity, degree of coupling, frequency range, etc. This paper is the result of a close collaboration between three laboratories, and aims at showing that for “non-academic” mechatronic applications (i.e., issuing from real industrial issues), multibody dynamics formulations can be generalized to mechatronic systems, for the model generation as well as for the numerical analysis phases. Model portability being also an important aspect of the work, they must be easily interfaced with control design and optimization programs. A global “demonstrator”, based on an industrial case, is discussed: multiphysics modeling and mathematical optimization are carried out to illustrate the consistency and the efficiency of the proposed approaches.     

MEMS光纤法珀压力传感器的设计及解调方法实现

基于外界压力引起敏感膜片形变导致腔长变化来实现压力信号传感的原理,提出了一种MEMS光纤法珀压力传感器的设计,建立了传感器敏感膜片的挠度变化与膜厚、半径及施加压力的关系理论模型,并在此基础上进行了膜片的MATLAB二维数值仿真和Comsol Multiphysics三维数值仿真,并完成了FP压力敏感头的制作,进而设计了能够应用于光纤传感的解调方法,搭建了光纤传感的压力测试系统并进行了相关实验,利用所设计的解调方法对实验数据进行处理,进而对压力传感器的性能及特性进行了测试和验证。实验结果表明,传感器测试曲线线性度良好,与数值仿真结果基本一致,在100 kPa的量程范围内其灵敏度可达62.3 nm/kPa,温度敏感系数为0.023μm/℃,测量精度3.93%,且最小压强分辨率为1.29 kPa,证实了该MEMS光纤法珀压力传感系统具有一定的可行性。     

一种新型网丝传感器优化设计

基于COMSOL仿真软件,对新型的网丝传感器进行了仿真研究,并针对原油高含水情况下油分相含率检测,优化设计网丝式传感器结构。根据油滴尺寸、网格细分以及重建图像等问题提出了分块多阈值算法。仿真实验表明,基于分块多阈值算法进行图像重建,明显改善图像质量,提高了油分相含量检测精度。     

Multiphysics coupled modeling of light water reactor fuel performance

A fuel performance code for light water reactors called CityU Advanced Multiphysics Nuclear Fuels Performance with User-defined Simulations (CAMPUS) was developed. The CAMPUS code considers heat generation and conduction, oxygen diffusion, thermal expansion, elastic strain, densification, fission product swelling, grain growth, fission gas production and release, gap heat transfer, mechanical contact, gap/plenum pressure with plenum volume, fuel thermal and irradiation creep, cladding thermal and irradiation creep and oxidation. All the equations are implemented into the COMSOL Multiphysics finite-element platform with a 2D axisymmetric geometry of a fuel pellet with cladding. Comparisons of critical fuel performance parameters for UO₂ fuel using CAMPUS are similar to those obtained from BISON, ABAQUS and FRAPCON. Additional comparisons of beryllium doped fuel (UO₂-10%volBeO) with silicon carbide, instead of Zircaloy as cladding, also indicate good agreement. The capabilities of the CAMPUS code were further demonstrated by simulating the performance of oxide (UO₂), composite (UO₂-10%volBeO), silicide (U₃Si₂) and mixed oxide ((Th_0.9,U_0.1)O₂) fuel types under normal operation conditions. Compared to UO₂, it was found that the UO₂-10%volBeO fuel experiences lower temperatures and fission gas release while producing similar cladding strain. The U₃Si₂ fuel has the earliest gap closure and induces the highest cladding hoop stress. Finally, the (Th_0.9,U_0.1)O₂ fuel is predicted to produce the lowest fission gas release and a lower fuel centerline temperature when compared with the UO₂ fuel. These tests demonstrate that CAMPUS (using the COMSOL platform) is a practical tool for modeling LWR fuel performance.     

Design of Ag nanograting for broadband absorption enhancement in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells

Light trapping is one of the key issues to improve the light absorption and increase the efficiency of thin film solar cells. The effects of the triangular Ag nanograting on the absorption of amorphous silicon solar cells were investigated by a numerical simulation based on the finite element method. The light absorption under different angle and area of the grating has been calculated. Furthermore, the light absorption with different incident angle has been calculated. The optimization results show that the absorption of the solar cell with triangular Ag nanograting structure and anti-reflection film is enhanced up to 96% under AM1.5 illumination in the 300–800 nm wavelength range compared with the reference cell. The physical mechanisms of absorption enhancement in different wavelength range have been discussed. Furthermore, the solar cell with the Ag nanograting is much less sensitive to the angle of incident light. These results are promising for the design of amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with enhanced performance.     

Adaptive burnup stepsize selection using control theory for 2-D lattice depletion simulations

A control theory approach is adopted to determine the temporal discretization during two-dimensional lattice physics depletion simulations. Two primary applications of automated and adaptive stepsize control are identified: (i) the presence of strong absorbers such as gadolinium, where the accurate burnout of the isotopes requires a depletion stepsize smaller than typically required, and (ii) high fidelity multiphysics simulations, e.g. loosely coupled physics, where the coupled physics are nonlinear in time and stepsize changes may be necessary to obtain an accurate coupled solution. A conventional predictor–corrector method is used to address the nonlinearity of the nuclide transmutation and neutron flux. An adaptive stepsize method is developed based on monitoring the one-group scalar neutron flux at both the predictor and corrector steps to approximate the convergence residual of the nonlinear solution. A user-specified tolerance on the L² relative error norm of the scalar neutron flux is utilized by the stepsize controller. Controllers that include integral, proportional, and/or derivative components are investigated and parameterized using Latin hypercube sampling of the controller input parameters. Three distinct fuel loadings of pressurized water reactor 17 × 17 fuel pin assemblies are considered, including no burnable absorbers, Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber, and gadolinium fuel pins. The required depletion stepsizes, as predicted throughout the cycle by the controller, are compared with a very small stepsize (0.01 MW d/kgHM) reference solution and a solution obtained by a typical rule of thumb depletion stepsize sequence.     

A critical analysis of the performance of plate- and point-electrodes for determination of electrical properties of the soil mass

In the recent past, researchers have started utilizing electrical properties of the soil mass for its characterization by employing either plate- or point electrodes. Though, plate-electrodes are easy to use for laboratory experiments, and quantification of geometrical characteristics of the electric field generated within them is easy to quantify, their application for in-situ experiments and for samples of cylindrical shape becomes difficult. On the other hand, usage of point-electrodes which are cylindrical in shape, are used for moisture content determination of the soil or migration of contaminants in it, for coarse-grained soils and fine-grained soils might yield erroneous results, due to the presence of inter particle voids and presence of cavities & anomalies, respectively. Furthermore, quantification of geometrical parameters of the electric field of point-electrodes is quite difficult which results erroneous measurements in determination of electrical properties of the material, in which they are installed. Hence, establishment of the uniqueness of electrical properties obtained from the plate- and point-electrodes, for identical samples becomes utmost important. With this in view, COMSOL Multiphysics® was employed to simulate the electrical response of various geomaterials in their uncontaminated and contaminated states and results were critically evaluated vis-à-vis those obtained from the impedance analysis (1 Hz to 40 MHz). Efforts have also been made to relate the geometrical dimensions of electrodes and electric field generated across the point electrodes, which would facilitate proper design and installation of sensors in a material to achieve the desired output. This study demonstrates the suitability and versatility of the point-electrodes for various (field and laboratory) applications where in moisture profiling and contaminant transport is to be established.     

Development of an experimentally validated semi-empirical fully-coupled performance model of a PEM electrolysis cell with a 3-D structured porous transport layer

A semi-empirical non-isothermal model incorporating coupled momentum, heat and mass transport phenomena for predicting the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis cell operating without flow channels is presented. Model input parameters such as electro-kinetics properties and mean pore size of the porous transport layer (PTL) were determined by rotating disc electrode and capillary flow porometry, respectively. This is the first report of a semi-empirical fully coupled model which allows one to quantify and investigate the effect of the gas phase and bubble coverage on PEM cell performance up to very high current densities of about 5 A/cm². The mass transport effects are discussed in terms of the operating conditions, design parameters and the microstructure of the PTL. The results show that, the operating temperature and pressure, and the inlet water flowrate and thickness of the PTL are the critical parameters for mitigating mass transport limitation at high current densities. The model presented here can serve as a tool for further development and scale-up effort in the area of PEM water electrolysis, and provide insight during the design stage.     

电极对薄膜体声波谐振器性能的影响

采用有限元分析软件COMSOL Multiphysics仿真了三维结构的谐振器,探讨了不同的顶电极形状对谐振器性能的影响。有效机电耦合系数(k2teff)随电极-压电层厚度比增大而减小,其中电极形状为三角形的谐振器在厚度比为0.05时获得最大k2teff(5.73%)。品质因数Q值变化趋势与k2teff相反,由三角形电极在厚度比为0.25时,获得最大Q值为1 314。不同电极形状的谐振器的优值随电极-压电厚度比先增大后减小,最大值为65.4,由正方形电极在比值为0.15时获得。