Validation of hot ring rolling industrial process 3D simulation

Ring rolling is a hot forming process used in the production of railway tyres, anti friction bearing races and different ring shaped work pieces for automotive energy production and aerospace applications. The advantages of ring rolling process include short production time, uniform quality, closed tolerances, good material quality and considerable saving in material cost. Despite the benefits some problems still exist according to a correct selection of the process parameters. Due to the nature of the process different rolling mills (driving, idle and axial rolls) are involved and the correct selection of the process parameters is not so feasible. Moreover an experimental approach to solve this problem risks to be more expensive. Actually FE codes are available to simulate the non linear problem that characterizes a ring rolling process. In this work a FE model, based on Deform 3D software, was tested versus experimental results acquired from an industrial plant. The accuracy of the FE model was analyzed through a dual comparison: by geometrical and by physical aspects. A good agreement was found between experimental and numerical results for both comparisons and, as a consequence, this code could be used in order to investigate and optimize the process parameters that characterize the ring rolling process in a virtual not expensive environment. The validated model will allow the studies of more environment-friend process configurations.     

Characterization, modeling and assessment of Roll-N-Cage isolator using the cable-stayed bridge benchmark

This paper presents the results of an extensive series of simulation tests to identify the mechanical characteristics of an innovative isolation device known as the Roll-N-Cage (RNC) isolator. The seismic performance of an RNC passive control scheme is subsequently investigated on a model of the cable-stayed bridge benchmark. Starting from different configurations studied in the laboratory for a 1/10 reduced-scale prototype, the RNC isolator stiffness and damping properties are investigated in terms of cyclic tests with different parameters. Tests at the ultimate level state consisting of monotonic shear and axial loading have been also carried out as a part of the qualification process. The goal of this study is twofold: first, to examine the main integrated mechanisms of the RNC isolator through sophisticated 3D finite element simulation models using a multi-purpose finite element code. The main result of this step is to attempt modeling the force–displacement relationship using the standard Bouc–Wen model of smooth hysteresis. The second aim of this study is the numerical assessment of the device efficiency through its implementation into a bridge model considering several ground motions as external excitations. Based on these extensive studies, it was found that the RNC isolator is promising as a reliable isotropic horizontal isolation device for bridge structures.     

A study of JP-8 surrogate coflow flame structure by combined use of laser diagnostics and numerical simulation

The structure of a JP-8 coflow flame is investigated by applying laser diagnostic techniques to three different fuel surrogates. The results are compared against theoretical predictions from numerical simulations; very good agreement is obtained for temperature and major species.Rayleigh and Raman scattering are used to measure temperature and major species mole fractions in the flame (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and fuel molecules). Quantitative laser diagnostic techniques are particularly challenging when applied to jet-fuel flames; the presence of aromatic molecules in the fuel mixtures and the formation of polyaromatic compounds inside the flame generate spectrally broad fluorescence signals that interfere with the measurement. A polarized/depolarized subtraction technique combined with a post-processing filter based on least-squares fitting is used to mitigate this undesired effect. The proposed technique tries to match the experimental signal against previously calculated spectra and has proved to be a very efficient filter at rejecting polyaromatic fluorescence.Numerical simulations play a fundamental role in this study. Computer predictions are used not only to compare experimental data, but as an active component of the data post-processing. For example, numerically calculated cross-section maps are used to refine the measured temperature for both the Rayleigh and Raman experiments.     

PEGylated chitosan derivatives: Synthesis, characterizations and pharmaceutical applications

This review sets out to describe and discuss the synthetic approaches and the fields of application of PEGylated chitosan copolymers especially for medical use. The PEGylation of chitosan and chitosan derivatives is able to add new physicochemical properties to the cationic polysaccharide polymers, thereby overcoming some limitations, especially regarding their solubility and their use in drug and gene delivery (DNA and siRNA). All methods of derivatization have been considered and described together with the different methods of characterization of the copolymers. The capacities of PEGylated chitosan to reduce chitosan toxicity, to enhance membrane permeation and to form thermosensitive hydrogels have also been discussed.     

Numerical Model for the Characterization of Retro-reflective Materials Behavior in an Urban Street Canyon

In this work, a preliminary numerical model of the behavior of retro-reflective materials used as envelope coatings on street canyon buildings fa?ades has been tested. Retro-reflective materials have a surface finish that allows to reflect the solar radiation back in the same direction of the incident radiation. In the last years this kind of materials has been studied as buildings envelope coating for their potentials in the reduction of the UHI effect. As a matter of fact, the angular dependence of their optical–radiative response would help to mitigate the phenomenon of radiative entrapment due to the urban fabric environment. For this reason, an urban canyon was selected as the most common urban architecture to perform the analysis. A virtual retroreflective material has been simulated considering its response as almost diffusive but in the same direction of the incident radiation. The assessment of the energy advantages of the adoption of a virtual retro-reflective material as envelope coating is investigated by means of a numerical model developed in MATLAB and based on the Gebhart factors theory. The final purpose of the numerical model is the evaluation of the surfaces solar loads by a comparison between perfectly diffusive materials and RR materials used as fa?ades coating.     

Completion of designing and manufacturing of the coil support structure of W7-X

In February 2000, the project called coil support structure for the Wendelstein 7-X fusion machine was started. Since October 2009 the full production of this big (80 tons) and complex component is now completed and delivered at IPP Greifswald. The W7-X coil system consists of 20 planar and 50 non-planar coils. They are supported by a pentagonal 10 m diameter, 2.5 m high called coil support structure (CSS). The CSS is divided into five modules and each module consists of two equal half modules around the radial axis. Currently, the five modules were successfully assembled with the coils meeting the tight manufacturing tolerances. Designing, structural calculation, raw material procurement, welding & soldering technologies, milling, drilling, accurate machining, helium cooling pipe forming, laser metrology, ultra sonic cleaning and vacuum test are some of the key points used all along this successful manufacturing process. The lessons learned in the large scale production of this difficult kind of support structure will be presented as relevant experience for the realization of similar systems for future fusion devices, such as ITER.     

A 1.0-mW, 71-dB SNDR,fourth-order ΣΔ interface circuit for MEMS microphones

In this paper an integrated interface circuit for condenser MEMS microphones is presented. It consists of an input buffer followed by a multi-bit (12-levels), analog, second-order ΣΔ modulator and a fully-digital, single-bit, fourth-order ΣΔ modulator, thus providing a single-bit output signal with fourth order noise shaping, compatible with standard audio chipsets. The circuit, supplied with 3.3 V, exhibits a current consumption of 215 μA for the analog part and 95 μA for the digital part. The measured signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) is 71 dB, with an input signal amplitude as large as −1.8 dB with respect to full-scale, obtained thanks to the use of a feed-forward architecture in the analog ΣΔ modulator, which relaxes the voltage swing requirements of the operational amplifiers. The test chip, fabricated in a 0.35-μm CMOS process, occupies an area of 3 mm², including pads.     

Transcritical carbon dioxide small commercial cooling applications analysis

This paper presents a project to develop an R744 commercial single door bottle cooler that is cost competitive and matches the performance of typical cost optimised R404A and R134a systems. Compressors with different displacement and efficiency values are evaluated for refrigerating systems with fin and tube and steel wire-on-tube gas coolers. Capillary tubes are tested. A methodology to properly sizing them and to optimize the combination of capillary tube and refrigerant charge is developed. The problem of optimal cycle high pressure is addressed and Liao’s approximated solution questioned. Tests demonstrate that the CO₂ energy consumption systems are higher than traditional ones especially at ambient temperatures above 25 °C. Carbon dioxide appears to be a feasible option for stand-alone refrigerating equipment in terms of total equivalent warming impact (TEWI) compared to HFC refrigerants with actual single stage R744 compressor technology, only if the refrigeration units operate at medium-low gas cooler inlet temperature.     

Limitations of quadrature-based moment methods for modeling inhomogeneous polydisperse fluidized powders

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is extensively used to investigate the behavior of dense fluidized suspensions. Often modelers assume that these are formed by few solid phases of particles with constant size. But real powders are continuously distributed over the particle size, and their distribution functions change continuously in time and space reflecting the physical and chemical phenomena occurring within the system. To account for this key feature, models have to include a population balance equation (PBE), which needs to be solved in place of or along with the customary fluid dynamic transport equations. The recently developed quadrature method of moments (QMOM) and direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOM) permit to solve PBEs in commercial CFD codes at relatively low computational cost. These methods, however, still need testing in the context of multiphase flows. Investigating a simple problem, namely the dynamics of two inert polydisperse fluidized suspensions initially segregated, we highlight an important limitation of these methods, which fail to properly model diffusion in real space. We explain where the problem originates and comment on a possible way to overcome it. To conclude the work, we discuss some simulations based on the original and revised formulations of the methods, describing how the code numerics affects the results.     

Thermal,thermo‐mechanical,and dynamic mechanical properties of polypropylene/cycloolefin copolymer blends

Interaction of the components and physical properties of the polypropylene (PP)/cycloolefin copolymer (COC) blends were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), Vicat softening temperature (VST), and measurements of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) and of the density. The attention was focused on the blends with 90–60% of PP by wt, where the COC minority component was present in the form of short fibers. DSC, DMTA, and density measurements concurrently prove the immiscibility of PP and COC. DSC measurements reveal that crystallinity and melting temperature of the PP component slightly decrease with the fraction of COC in blends, in the range of 56–47% and 164–161°C, respectively. Storage modulus and loss modulus of the blends are in a good accord with the model predictions based on (i) the equivalent box model (EBM) and on (ii) modified equations of the percolation theory. The dependence of the VST on the blend composition is in a good correlation with the previous morphological analysis. Measurements of the coefficient of thermal expansion provide useful data as the functions of temperature and blend composition. Density of the blends was found to obey the volume additivity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.