Repair evaluation of concrete cracks using surface and through-transmission wave measurements

Surface opening cracks are common defects in large civil structures like bridges. They allow penetration of water or other agents that result in loss of durability earlier than expected. Their repair can be conducted by the injection of epoxy material that seals the crack sides keeping out any aggressive substances in addition to the recovery of strength. In order to evaluate crack parameters before impregnation as well as to determine the final repair effectiveness, a combination of Rayleigh and longitudinal waves is applied. Rayleigh waves demonstrate the filling condition of the material into the shallow layer near the surface while tomography using longitudinal waves through the thickness yields information about the area inside the structure. Wave propagation dispersion features are exploited by the proposed tomography at different frequencies, demonstrating that higher frequencies lead to more accurate characterization.     

On the behaviour of hygroscopic wheels: Part I – channel modelling

In this paper a detailed mathematical formulation is developed for the numerical modelling of the behaviour of a channel of a hygroscopic compact matrix. A comparison between the detailed version and a simplified one is performed considering a two-dimensional airflow between desiccant parallel plates. The distinct heat and mass transfer phenomena are strongly coupled, and some properties of the airflow and of the desiccant medium exhibit important changes during the sorption processes. Both physical models take into account the gas side and solid side resistances to heat and mass transfer. The wall domain is treated similarly in both models, by taking into account the simultaneous heat and mass transfer together with the water adsorption/desorption process. Two phases co-exist in equilibrium inside the desiccant porous medium, the equilibrium being characterized by sorption isotherms without hysteresis. The detailed model is based on the solution of the differential equations for the conservation of mass, energy and momentum, assuming that no momentum transport exists in the porous wall domain. In the simplified model, the airflow is treated as a bulk flow, the interaction with the wall being evaluated by using appropriated convective coefficients.Both models are compared in the simulation of a parallel plate channel during an adsorption process. The results show a good agreement for channel lengths greater than 0.1 m. In part II of the paper, the simplified model is adapted to the simulation of the three-dimensional problem in the channel of a hygroscopic rotor, and it is used to perform parametric studies.     

Research on virtual dynamic optimization design for NC machine tools

Virtual dynamic optimization design can avoid the repeated process from design to trial-manufacture and test. The designer can analyze and optimize the product structures in virtual visualization environment. The design cycle is shortened and the cost is reduced. The paper analyzed the peculiarity of virtual optimization design, and put forwards the thought and flow to implement virtual optimization design. The example to optimize the internal grinder was studied via establishing precise finite element model, modifying the layout of Stiffened Plates and designing parameters of the worktable, and using the technology of modal frequency revision and the technology of multiple tuned damper. The result of optimization design compared the new grinder with the original grinder shows that the entire machine＇s first orders natural frequency is enhanced by 17%, and the response displacement of the grinding-head has dropped by 28% under the first order natural frequency and by 41% under second order natural frequency. Finally, the dynamic performance of the internal grinder was optimized.     

Syntactic foams from copolymers based on epoxidized soybean oil

Syntactic foams are been increasingly used as core of sandwich panels due to their light weight and good mechanical properties. This investigation evaluates the compressive, flexural and thermo-mechanical properties of syntactic foams made by embedding randomly dispersed hollow glass microspheres in bio-based resins obtained by partial substitution of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). Volume fraction of glass microballoons was 0.55 in all foam formulation. Flexural and compressive strength values decreased simultaneously with increasing ESO content. Similar trend was observed for the flexural and compressive modulus and glass transition temperature. The work further showed that mechanism of failure mainly depended on the fracture of microballoons regardless the ESO content in the formulation. Results reported herein suggest that large fractions of DGEBA can be replaced by ESO with minor effect on mechanical and thermal properties.     

Theoretical investigation on the cavitation bubble dynamics near three spherical particles based on Weiss theorem

To research the dynamics of the cavitation bubble under the interaction of particle clusters,the bubble morphological evolutionary characteristics near three equal-sized spherical particles are theoretically explored in the present study based on the Weiss theorem and the velocity potential superposition theory.The three particles are arranged symmetrically,and the fluid velocity field near the three particles and the cavitation bubble is obtained.Moreover,the effects of the bubble-particle distance and the maximum radius of the cavitation bubble on the fluid velocity are investigated,and the contribution mechanisms of the fluid velocity field constituents are compared.The analysis has found that:(1)The fluid velocity between the bubble and the particle is lower than that at the other locations in both the growth and collapse phases,thus the bubble cannot always maintain a standard spherical shape.(2)The bubble-particle distance and the maximum radius of the cavitation bubble are the key parameters affecting the circumferential inhomogeneity of the radial velocity of the fluid around the bubble.The larger the maximum radius or the smaller the bubble-particle distance is,the more visible the non-circularity of the bubble morphology.(3)The image bubbles and the linear sinks contribute oppositely to the fluid velocity field,and the presence of the image bubble reduces the fluid velocity.In the low velocity region,the image bubble is the main mechanism contributing to the effect of the particle on the fluid velocity.     

Cracked asphalt pavement under traffic loading – A 3D finite element analysis

An asphalt pavement containing a transverse top-down crack is investigated under traffic loading using 3D finite element analysis. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) and the T-stress are calculated for different distances between the crack and the vehicle wheels. It is found that all the three Modes (I, II and III) are present in the crack deformation. The signs and magnitudes of K_I, K_II, K_III and T are significantly dependent on the location of the vehicle wheels with respect to the crack plane. The magnitude of T-stress is considerable, if compared to the stress intensity factors, when one of the wheels is very close to the crack plane.     

Size-dependent non-linear mechanical properties of graphene nanoribbons

An atomistic, spring-based, non-linear finite element method is implemented in order to predict the non-linear mechanical behavior of graphene nanoribbons. According this method, appropriate non-linear springs are utilized to simulate each interatomic interaction. Their force–displacement curve follows the relation between the first differentiation of the potential energy of the corresponding interaction-bond deformation. The potential which corresponds to the bond angle variation is simulated by a torsional spring, while the bond stretching is simulated by a uniaxial compression/extension spring. The linear approximation, commonly made in the literature for the bond angle bending interaction, is not followed here and thus the overall non-linear response of the specific interaction is accurately introduced into the model. Following the proposed formulation, the tensile uniaxial stress–strain behavior for various graphene nanoribbons, of zigzag as well as armchair orientation, arise. The results demonstrate that the linear and non-linear mechanical properties are strongly dependent on the structure as well as on the size of the graphene strip tested.