Numerical modeling of a human stented trachea under different stent designs

Endotracheal stenting is a common treatment for tracheal disorders as stenosis, cronic cough or dispnoea episodes. However, medical treatment and surgery are still challenging due to the difficulties in overcoming potential prosthesis complications. In this work we analyze the response of the tracheal wall during breathing and coughing conditions under different stent implantations. A finite element model of a human trachea was developed and used to analyze tracheal deformability after prosthesis implantation under normal breathing and coughing using a fluid-structure interaction approach (FSI). The geometry of the trachea is obtained from computed tomography (CT) images of a healthy patient. A structured hexahedral-based grid for the tracheal wall and an unstructured tetrahedral-based mesh with coincident nodes for the fluid were used to perform the simulations with a finite element-based commercial software code. Tracheal wall is modeled as a fiber reinforced hyperelastic solid material in which the anisotropy due to the orientation of the fibers is taken into account. Deformations of the tracheal cartilage rings and of the muscle membrane, as well as the maximum principal stresses in the wall, are analyzed and compared with those of the healthy trachea in absence of prosthesis. The results showed that, the presence of the stent prevents tracheal muscle deflections especially during coughing. In addition, we proposed a methodology to evaluate, through numerical simulations, the predisposition of the stent to migrate.     

Computational fluid-dynamics optimization of a human tracheal endoprosthesis

The Dumon silicone stent is widely used in human medicine for treating tracheal diseases. Although presenting many advantages, as its facility of positioning and removing and its relative low cost, commonly reported complications include stent migration, inflammatory granulation tissue formation, and obstruction. Taking into account this last aspect, in this work we propose an improved stent design which may help in preventing episodes of mucous accumulation. In particular, we changed the design of the stent extremities in order to improve the flow field which cyclically crosses the prosthesis. To evaluate the performances of this new design, a finite element model of a human stented trachea was developed using a fluid–structure interaction approach (FSI). The geometry of the trachea is obtained from computed tomography (CT) images of a healthy patient. The simulations were performed using a finite element-based commercial software code. The tracheal wall is modeled as a fiber reinforced hyperelastic solid material in which we introduced the anisotropy due to the orientation of the fibers. Different new prosthesis designs were tested. Results showed that linear and parabolic transitions of the top and bottom stent extremities reduce the local vorticity field preventing high local flow recirculations during breathing.     

Modeling of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Material Subjected to Thermal Load

Two-dimensional thermally loaded structural elements are considered. The elements are made of composite materials in the form of a multi-layer laminate of matrix layers filled with the fibers. In each layer the fraction of fibers and their arrangement in a matrix can be different. The modeling process of thermal properties of such materials, defined by the coefficients of thermal conductivity in the direction of orthotropy axes (fibers and direction perpendicular to them) is discussed. Using the heat balance equation and Fourier's basic law for total balance of heat flux for mixture of fibers and matrix, the substitute conductivity coefficients in orthotropy directions are determined for a variety of cross-sections of filling fibers in particular layer. These coefficients define the macroscopically equivalent homogeneous orthotropic materials of each layer. Next, the substitute conductivity coefficients for the stack of layers are determined, where the layers stack is modeled with one homogenous material. The proposed model of fiber-reinforced laminate was used in some numerical examples. To analyze the problem of heat transfer within a structure domain, the finite element method was applied.     

Modeling and simulation of a composite high-pressure vessel made of sustainable and renewable alternative fibers

To substitute the standard carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite, sustainable and renewable alternative fibers are investigated for the use of high-pressure vessel through a finite element model. The standard T700S carbon fiber pressure vessel exhibits a minimum burst pressure of 1483 bar on the first layer oriented at 90°. The burst occurs in the central part showing a safe burst and the radial deformation reaches 1.12 mm. Several alternative fibers (basalt, E-glass, flax and recycled T700S carbon) are compared to the T700S carbon fiber. It results of lower burst pressures and none of the alternative composites caters for the minimum pressure threshold of 1400 bar. According to the storage pressure and in respect of the mechanical requirements, hybrid vessels integrating alternative and T700S carbon fibers are proposed to improve physical, environmental and economic performances. From an economic point of view, the optimal vessels are the E-glass/T700S carbon hybrid vessel and E-glass vessel for 700 and 350 bar, respectively. Regarding the environmental impact, the most suitable fibers are basalt/T700S carbon for a 700-bar storage and E-glass for 350 bar. Concerning the vessel mass, T700S carbon composite stays obviously the best candidate for a 700-bar storage but at 350 bar T700S carbon/flax fibers composite appears to be more efficient.     

The interaction of pressure, in-plane moment and torque loadings on piping elbows

This study concerns the load interaction behaviour of 90° smooth piping elbows with circular cross-section and long straight tangent pipes. The finite element method is used for stress analysis of elbows having a wide range of bend and pipe factors. The main aim of the study is to establish the first yield interaction behaviour when an elbow is subjected to a combination loading of in-plane bending, torsion and internal pressure. The study shows that load interaction is influenced by pipe factor, bend radius and load coupling effect, with thinner elbows being affected to a larger degree.     

Parametric investigation of the soil–structure interaction effects on the dynamic behaviour of a shallow foundation supported wind turbine considering a layered soil

The proposed investigation is concerned with influential factors of soil–structure interaction issues for onshore wind turbines. Indeed, the awareness of these aspects encounters hardly a straightforward application in practical regulations and therefore is often neglected. However, with the rapid recent growth, the wind energy installations are expanding into regions where the soil conditions may be unfavorable. A consciousness raising of the significance of interaction between the wind turbine, its foundation and the underlying soil is lacking. This paper aims to fill this research gap. It involves a three‐blade wind turbine grounded on a layered half space. The layered soil is simplified as a horizontal layer over an homogeneous half space. However, the method can consider multilayered soil and different bottom conditions, such as rigid bedrock or flexible half space. The soil–structure system is modeled by means of a coupling between finite element and boundary element method. The analysis is carried out in frequency domain. At the first stage, the only foundation–soil system is investigated, and subsequently, the focus shifts to the whole turbine‐soil assembly. The effects of different parameters are systematically evaluated, in order to provide a range of values for which the soil–structure interaction has to be accounted for. The investigation highlighted the importance of the relative stiffness of structure and soil. Also, the ratio of the layer stiffness to the half space stiffness plays an important role. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pressure wave behavior and its effects on structure under In-box LOCA in a helium-cooled lead lithium blanket of hydrogen fusion reactors

The helium-cooled lead lithium (PbLi) blanket is considered as one of the candidate blanket concepts selected for the hydrogen fusion DEMO reactors and beyond, which has the advantages of simple structure, strong heat removal capacity and high tritium breeding ratio. However, due to the harsh environment such as high-energy neutron irradiation, high thermal load and great pressure gradient, there is a high possibility that one or some of the thousands of coolant channels will break in the breeding zone, which is so-called In-box Loss of Coolant Accident (In-box LOCA). When the accident occurs, the high pressure helium will rapidly inject into the lead lithium flow channel, generating a complex two-phase flow and great pressure shock effect, which may cause the peak pressure to exceed the design limit and threaten the integrity of the blanket structure. Therefore, it is of great significance to perform the transient analysis of in-box LOCA to improve the safety of the blanket and avoid the leakage of radioactive materials. In this paper, a two-way coupling model for fluid-solid interaction was established based on the ANSYS Workbench, and the model were validated through the experimental data obtained by injecting the high pressure helium gas into liquid lithium lead. Then the validated model was applied to the transient pressure wave propagation analysis and structural stress analysis of the Dual-Functional Lithium Lead (DFLL) blanket in order to explore the integrity of blanket structure under In-box LOCA. In addition, the effects of break location on pressure and structural stress was also investigated through six cases. The study found that the transient pressure in the DFLL blanket gone through three stages in any case: step rise, oscillate, and flatten out. Pressure peaks occurred during oscillations and their values were strongly dependent on the break location. The closer to the inlet/outlet, the higher the peak pressure was. The maximum pressure reached more than twice of the inlet pressure (up to ~16 MPa). As a result, the structural stress in some local areas has exceeded the allowable limits, and the corresponding suggestions for improvement have also been put forward. This study can provide guidance for safety design, operation and accident mitigation measures of helium-cooled lead lithium blankets.     

Numerical simulation of the influence of confined multi-point ignited H2–O2 mixture on the propagation of shock waves towards a deformable plate

The study of shock wave propagation in a detonation chamber is of great importance as a part of the plate forming process. Investigations related to the effects of premixed gas detonation on the deflection of a plate require in-depth examination. An Eulerian-Lagrangian numerical simulation is conducted using the space-time conservation element and solution element method of LS-DYNA software to study the effect of confined multi-point ignited gaseous mixture on the dynamic response of thin plates clamped at the end of a combustion chamber. The FSI couples a Lagrangian finite element solver with a Eulerian fluid solver in a 2D space with detailed chemistry of H₂–O₂ mixture. The solution contains the detonation wave propagation through the combustion chamber and its interaction with the plate. The influence of variation in the multi-point ignition locations and combustion chamber dimensions on the pressure history and plate deflection is studied. To verify the model, a comparison with the experimental study is carried out using an adjustable model representative of the real experiment. The verified model is used to link the evolution of plate shape with the arrival time and intensity of shock waves within the chamber. It is found that a longer distance between the ignition point and the plate intensifies the ultimate deflection of the plate. In addition, a fairly large combustion area employed in a direction rather than transverse to the plate surface is unable to influence the ultimate deformation of the plate.     

Dynamic performance of a natural circulation loop with end heat exchangers under different excitations

In the present work the dynamic performance of a natural circulation loop (NCL) has been studied under step, ramp, exponential and sinusoidal excitations. The loop is equipped with two heat exchangers at its lower and upper end for the heating and cooling of the loop fluid. For the analysis, transient one-dimensional conservation equations have been constructed for the loop fluid as well as for the two fluid streams of hot and cold end heat exchangers. The solution of a set of differential equations and one integro-differential equation has been obtained through a finite element method (FEM). For different excitations imposed to the inlet temperature of the hot fluid responses have been studied for the outlet temperature of the two fluid streams and the mass flow rate of the coupling fluid. It has been observed that all these quantities experience some initial transients before reaching the steady state. Time needed for the attainment of steady state varies with the type of excitation. A finite time delay is observed before the cold fluid stream temperature starts responding to the excitation. This delay is related to the time required for the advection of a fluid particle.     

Modeling of the capacity loss of a 12 V automotive lead-acid battery due to ageing and comparison with measurement data

One-dimensional modeling was carried-out to predict the capacity loss of a 12 V automotive lead-acid battery due to ageing. The model not only accounted for electrochemical kinetics and ionic mass transfer in a battery cell, but also considered the anodic corrosion of lead in sulfuric acid. In order to validate the modeling, modeling results were compared with the measurement data of the cycling behaviors of the lead-acid batteries having nominal capacity of 68 Ah that are mounted on the automobiles manufactured by Hyundai Motor Company. The cycling was performed under the protocol of the constant-current discharge and the constant-voltage charge. The discharge rate of C/3 was used. The range of state of charge was between 1 and 0.85. The voltage was kept constant at the gassing voltage until the charge current tapered to 10 mA. The retention capacity of the battery was measured with C/3 discharge rate before the beginning of cycling and after every 40 cycles of cycling. The modeling results were in good agreement with the measurement data.     

The creeping flow of a polymeric fluid through bent square ducts with heat dissipation

The 3D non-isothermal creeping flow of nylon-6 in a bent square duct with uniform temperature is studied numerically. The non-Newtonian characteristics of this fluid polymer are represented by a differential-type non-isothermal White-Metzner model. Computational results are obtained by the elastic-viscous split-stress (EVSS) finite element method, incorporating the streamline-upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) scheme. The generated thermal field is entirely due to viscous heating. Essential flow characteristics, including temperature distribution in the flow field, are predicted. The resulting average Nusselt numbers along the walls are obtained. Subsequently, the effects of flow-rate and geometry are investigated.     

气缸盖中一些关键功能结构的承载机理研究

借助有限元和力学等效原理等方法，对气缸盖中的一些关键功能结构的承载机理进行了深人研究。研究结果表明：气缸盖中的喷油器护套、进排气道、气门导管座孔、中隔板和加强筋通过不同的形式，传递并分散了作用在气缸盖上的燃气爆发压力；这些结构对抑止气缸盖的整体变形、降低气缸盖的总体应力集中水平具有重要的作用；调整这些结构的特性参数可以达到对气缸盖整体和局部应力水平的有效调整。     

Modeling the 3-D radiation of anisotropically scattering media by two different numerical methods

An original model and code for 3-D radiation of anisotropically scattering gray media is developed where radiative transfer equation (RTE) is solved by finite volume method (FVM) and scattering phase function (SPF) is defined by Mie Equations (ME). To the authors’ best knowledge this methodology was not developed before. Missing the benchmark, another new 3-D model and code, which solve the same problems, based on a combination of zone method (ZM) and Monte Carlo method (MC), as a solution of RTE, is developed. Here SPF is also calculated by Mie Equations. The conception ZM + MC is numerically expensive and is used and recommended only as a benchmark. The 3-D rectangular enclosure and the spherical geometry of particles are considered. The both models are applied: (i) to an isotropic and to four anisotropic scattering cases previously used in literature for 2-D cases and (ii) to solid particles of several various coals and of a fly ash. The agreement between the predictions obtained by these two different numerical methods for coals and ash is very good. The effects of scattering albedo and of wall reflectivity on the radiative heat flux are presented. It was found that the developed 3-D model, where FVM was coupled with ME, is reliable and accurate. The methodology is also suitable for extension towards: (i) mixture of non-gray gases with particles and (ii) incorporation in computational fluid dynamics.     

2D numerical study on the deflection of thin steel plate subjected to gaseous detonation wave interaction

An elaborate numerical study with a validated LS-DYNA® immersed boundary method fluid-solid interaction code is used to characterize the influence of pre-detonation pressure, ignition point location and time duration on plastic deformation of thin steel plates subjected to hydrogen-oxygen gaseous detonation. Simulation relies on the modeling of detonation by chemical reaction kinetic and its propagation by conservative element solution element solver. Immersed boundary method is used to simulate the interface motion between the detonating gas and the deforming plate to facilitate the assessment of fluid pressure distribution on the plate surface. The numerical tool relates the pressure distribution and gaseous detonation parameters to the plate macroscopic deformation by employing multi-species reactive Euler's equations for the gas and assuming a Johnson-Cook material model for the plate. The numerical model simulated the experimental tests and a good agreement between them was obtained where specific features of gas detonation-driven forming were considered. With the confidence of the validation, the numerical model investigated the effects of different parameters such as the gaseous mixture initial temperature and combustion cylinder longitudinal capacity on overpressure-time history and strain-time history. It is demonstrated that the larger longitudinal capacity of combustion cylinder and more distant ignition point location have a great influence on increasing the detonation wave intensity. Eventually, the rate-dependent Johnson-Cook failure criterion was used to assess the failure state of plate under high-intensity detonations.     

Comparative study of the behaviour of conventional gasketed and compact non-gasketed flanged pipe joints under bolt up and operating conditions

Bolted flanged joints comprise an assembly of a number of important individual components, which are required to perform well together in service. The ideal requirement for a bolted flange joint is a ‘zero-leak’ condition. However, whilst recommended design procedures for bolted flange joints are available in international codes and standards, leakage problems are still faced by industry. These are common in both normal operating (internal pressure loading) and critical event conditions. The drive is, therefore, to find a flange joint assembly, which provides ‘zero-leak condition’ and requires little or no maintenance and handling. Considerable investigation in the area of optimised bolted joints has been in progress for the past 10 years comparing traditional gasketed joints and ‘compact non-gasketed’ joints, using both analytical and experimental approaches. In this present study, two-dimensional non-linear finite element studies have been performed for both gasketed and non-gasketed bolted flange pipe joints. Based on the stress results for the flange and the bolt and the flange rotation/displacement, compact non-gasketed flange joints are shown to be a viable and preferable alternative to the conventional gasketed flange joints. Recommendations are made for a best-fit flange model for static load conditions with ‘zero-leak’ sealing in a flange joint.     

Modeling the diffusion of flammable hydrogen cloud under different liquid hydrogen leakage conditions in a hydrogen refueling station

Constructing hydrogen refueling stations will be popular for hydrogen energy use in the future, and investigating the diffusion characteristics of hydrogen in a leakage incident is quite significant. The instantaneous evolution of flammable hydrogen clouds arising from liquid hydrogen leakage in a hydrogen refueling station is predicted using Ansys Fluent, and parametric analyses are conducted to reveal the effects of storage pressure, source height, and leakage direction on the distributions of the flammable regions. In addition, the feasibilities of heating the ceiling or the ground of the station after the leakage of liquid hydrogen to accelerate the hydrogen dilution are examined. The results show that the flammable region is stabilized at 90 s, the corresponding flammable hydrogen cloud volume is about 333 m³, and the extensions of downwind and vertical directions reach 10 m and 9.3 m. Storage pressure has a finite effect on the downwind diffusion distance of the flammable cloud. A lower source height tends to format the high-concentration hydrogen cloud near the ground while a higher source height helps separate the flammable clouds from the ground. The upward leakage direction leads to the maximum downwind diffusion distance of about 10.2 m while the downward leakage direction makes the high hydrogen concentration region confined below the ceiling. Just maintaining the ceiling at the initial temperature of 300 K is effective for accelerating the hydrogen dilution in the upward leakage. The maximum hydrogen concentration and the flammable volume can be reduced at rates of 0.35 vol % and 8% for every 50 K increase in heating temperature. For the downward leakage, keeping the ground at the initial temperature just works for the first 40 s in reducing the maximum hydrogen concentration, while increasing the heating temperature receives a gradually declined effect on reducing the flammable volume.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of the movement of the flexible body under different constraints

For the large deformation of the flexible body may cause the fluid grid distortion,which will make the numerical calculation tedious,even to end,the numerical simulation of the flexible body coupling with the fluid is always a tough problem.In this paper,the flexible body is under two kinds of constrained conditions and the ratio of length-diameter is 1：30.The Reynolds number of the airflow is 513,belonging to the area of low Reynolds number.The control equations of the coupling of flexible body with airflow are built and the adaptive grid control method is adopted to conduct the three-dimensional numerical simulation of the movement of the flexible body.The numerical results show that it is possible to simulate the characteristics of the flexible body＇s movement in the low Reynolds number airflow when the appropriate control equations are modeled and suitable equation-solving method is adopted.Unconstrained flexible body would turn over forward along the airflow＇s diffusion direction,while constrained flexible body in the flow field will make periodic rotation motion along the axis of the flexible body,and the bending deformation is more obvious than that of unconstrained flexible body.The preliminary three-dimensional numerical simulation can provide references for further research on the characteristics of the yam movement in high Reynolds number airflow.