Micromechanics of spatially uniform heterogeneous media: A critical review and emerging approaches

Outside of the classical microstructural detail-free estimates of effective moduli, micromechanical analyses of macroscopically uniform heterogeneous media may be grouped into two categories based on different geometric representations of material microstructure. Analysis of periodic materials is based on the repeating unit cell (RUC) concept and the associated periodic boundary conditions. This contrasts with analysis of statistically homogeneous materials based on the representative volume element (RVE) concept and the associated homogeneous boundary conditions. In this paper, using the above classification framework we provide a critical review of the various micromechanical approaches that had evolved along different paths, and outline recent emerging trends. We begin with the basic framework for the solution of micromechanics problems independent of microstructural representation, and then clarify the often confused RVE and RUC concepts. Next, we describe classical models, including the available RVE-based models, and critically examine their limitations. This is followed by discussion of models based on the concept of microstructural periodicity. In the final part, two recent unit cell-based models, which continue to evolve, are outlined. First, a homogenization technique called finite-volume direct averaging micromechanics theory is presented as a viable and easily implemented alternative to the mainstream finite-element based asymptotic homogenization of unit cells. The recent incorporation of parametric mapping into this approach has made it competitive with the finite-element method. Then, the latest work based on locally-exact solutions of unit cell problems is described. In this approach, the interior unit cell problem is solved exactly using the elasticity approach. The exterior problem is tackled with a new variational principle that successfully overcomes the non-separable nature of the overall unit cell problem.     

Rheological properties of biopolymers drilling fluids

Drilling muds are complex fluids, generally used to clean the well, maintain hole integrity, transport the rock cuttings, lubricate the drill bit and control formation pressures. Two basic types of drilling fluids are used, water based muds (WBM) and oil based muds (OBM). OBM are very effective but polluting, and environmental regulations continue to restrict the use of oil based muds in many areas of the world. In order to reduce the mud toxicity, we developed water based mud systems using two biopolymers, which are xanthan gum and scleroglucan, generally proposed for high permeability reservoirs or for complex geometries such as horizontal wells. In this study, we evaluated the rheological behaviour of different samples and we determined the effect of components such as clay, calcium carbonate and potassium chloride. This formulations exhibit non-Newtonian rheological behaviour which can be described well by the tree parameter in Herschel–Bulkley rheological model.     

Spontaneous Formation of Liquid Crystals in Ultralarge Graphene Oxide Dispersions

A novel process is developed to synthesize graphene oxide sheets with an ultralarge size based on a solution‐phase method involving pre‐exfoliation of graphite flakes. Spontaneous formation of lyotropic nematic liquid crystals is identified upon the addition of the ultralarge graphene oxide sheets in water above a critical concentration of about 0.1 wt%. It is the lowest filler content ever reported for the formation of liquid crystals from any colloid, arising mainly from the ultrahigh aspect ratio of the graphene oxide sheets of over 30 000. It is proposed that the self‐assembled brick‐like graphene oxide nanostructure can be applied in many areas, such as energy‐storage devices and nanocomposites with a high degree of orientation.     

Study the flashover voltage for outdoor polymer insulators under desert climatic conditions

This work presents a study of flashover voltage for outdoor polyester and composite insulators under some desert climatic conditions. Cylindrical polyester composite samples have been prepared after incorporated with different concentrations of inorganic fillers e.g., alumina trihydrate [ATH], boric acid [H₃BO₃] and magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)₂] to improve the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties in addition to maximize the surface flashover voltage and decrease the tracking phenomena.Results showed that flashover voltage reaches to 38 kV for samples without filler and 47 kV for samples containing 50% of ATH filler in dry condition. A comparison between inorganic fillers under various environmental conditions showed higher flashover voltage values for samples containing ATH filler than that of samples containing H₃BO₃ and Mg(OH)₂ fillers at all filler concentrations. Flashover voltage increases 24% by adding ATH filler for polyester samples under sandstorm conditions. Also, in this study, the effects of sandstorm, ultra violet (UV) radiation, mechanical strength (compressive and tensile strengths) and thermal performance with respect to surface of the sample under test have been investigated in detail.     

Characterization and Properties of Recycled Polypropylene/Coconut Shell Powder Composites: Effect of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Modification

This research work focuses on the utilization of coconut shell powder (CSP) as filler in recycled polypropylene (rPP). Sodium Dedecyl Sulfate (SDS) was used as coupling agent in these composites. The effect of filler content and SDS on tensile properties, thermal properties, water absorption and morphology of rPP/CSP composites were investigated. In this study, modified rPP/CSP composites with SDS show significant increased tensile propertied, thermal stability, crystallinity and low water absorption compared unmodified rPP/CSP composites. Those improvements were contributed by the coupling effect of SDS.     

Producer’s behavior analysis in an uncertain bicriteria AGV-based flexible jobshop manufacturing system with expert system

Here, an approach for finding an optimal path in a flexible jobshop manufacturing system considering two criteria of time and cost is proposed. A network is configured in which the nodes are considered to be the shops with arcs representing the paths among the shops. An automated guided vehicle functions as a material handling device through the manufacturing network. To account for uncertainty, time is considered to be a triangular fuzzy number and apply an expert system to infer the cost. The expert system based on fuzzy rule backpropagation network to configure the rules for estimating the cost under uncertainty is proposed. A multiple linear regression model is applied to analyze the rules and find the effective rules for cost estimation. The objective is to find a path minimizing an aggregate weighted unscaled time and cost criteria. A fuzzy dynamic programming approach is presented for computing a shortest path in the network. Then, a comprehensive economic and reliability analysis is worked out on the obtained paths to find the optimal producer’s behavior. Finally, an application of the model is illustrated by a numerical example. The results show the effectiveness of our approach for finding an optimal path in a manufacturing system under uncertainty.     

Modeling of nucleate boiling heat transfer under an impinging free jet

A model using an analytical/empirical approach has been developed to predict the rate of heat transfer in the stagnation region of a planar jet impinging on a horizontal flat surface. The model has been developed based on the hypothesis that bubble-induced mixing would result in enhanced or additional diffusivity. The additional diffusivity has been included in the diffusion term of the conservation equations. The value of the effective diffusivity has been correlated with jet parameters (velocity and temperature) and surface temperature using experimental data. The important aspects of the bubble dynamics (generation frequency and average bubble diameter) have been acquired using high-speed imaging and an intrusive optical probe. The applicability of the proposed model has been investigated under conditions of partial and fully-developed nucleate boiling. Experiments have been carried out using water at atmospheric pressure, mass flux in the range of 388–1649 kg/m² s, degree of sub-cooling in the range of 10–28 °C, and surface temperature in the range of 75–120 °C. Results showed that the proposed model is able to predict the surface heat flux with reasonable accuracy (+30% and ?15%).     

Effect of surfactant gels on dough rheological characteristics and quality of bread

Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL), diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglyceride (DATEM), glycerol monostearate (GMS), and distilled glycerol monostearate (DGMS) surfactant gels were made with water and varying shortening contents. The effect of these gels on dough rheological characteristics and quality of bread was investigated. Overall, the surfactant gels improved the farinograph and extensograph characteristics of wheat flour, but the improvement reduced to some extent with the presence of shortening in the gels. Alveograph data indicated that dough properties improved with the addition of surfactant gels. Shortening in gels showed varying influence on the dough alveograph properties of wheat flour. The results indicated that the surfactant gels changed the rapid visco analyzer characteristics of wheat flour, and the presence of shortening in gels further altered the characteristics. All surfactant gels improved the volume, specific volume, texture, and overall quality scores of bread, but the improvement varied for different surfactants. By increasing the addition of shortening in gels, though the quality characteristics further improved, the response to surfactants reduced by increasing shortening content.     

Differential Scanning Calorimetry of Aspartame-Caffeine Mixture

The possible interaction between aspartame and caffeine was investigated by comparing the thermal behavior, using differential scanning calorimetry, of physical mixtures of aspartame and caffeine along with mixtures, in the same molar ratios, obtained as the co-precipitate. Caffeine was found to form several complexes with aspartame. These complexes were found to be dependent on the molar ratios of aspartame to caffeine. The stoichiometry of the aspartame-caffeine complexes were determined from the enthalpy change of the DSC transitions resulting from the complex formation.