Silver-Polymer Composite Stars: Synthesis and Applications

Colloidal "silver stars" were synthesized upon poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanosphere templates via a facile two-step silver reduction method. Myriad dendrimer-like Ag star morphologies were synthesized by varying the amount of poly(vinyl alcohol) and trisodium citrate used during silver reduction. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that star-shaped silver-polymer composites possessing nanoscopic, fractal morphologies with diameters ranging from 500 nm to 7 μm were produced. These composites have broad applications from antibacterial agents to catalysis; two such applications were tested here. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies showed multiple hot spots of SERS activity within a single star. Electrochemical catalysis experiments demonstrated the feasibility of using the silver stars instead of platinum for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline fuel cells.     

亚格子过滤双流体模型的网格依赖性

基于双流体方程和颗粒动力学理论的计算模型被广泛应用于流化床的气固两相流数值计算,高精度网格是其准确计算流动的必要条件。一些经典的微尺度阻力模型,其网格尺度决定其模拟结果的精度。亚格子过滤双流体模型是一种有效的适用于粗糙网格的计算模型,其包含的气固相间作用力和颗粒相应力本构方程是在高精度网格条件下,以微尺度双流体方程和颗粒动力学理论计算得到的气固流场为基础,对计算结果进行小尺度过滤后得出。使用亚格子过滤双流体模型替换基于颗粒动力学理论的双流体模型,针对同一物理问题,在不同网格尺度下进行了数值计算,结果表明此计算模型相比经典阻力模型具有较好的网格无关特性,并且和实验结果较为一致。同时也对颗粒动力学理论与之相结合进行了尝试,即仅使用亚格子过滤阻力模型,颗粒相应力仍然使用颗粒动力学模型,其计算结果的网格无关性及与实验值的吻合程度优于经典模型。     

Chemical vapor infiltration of additively manufactured preforms: Pore-resolved simulations and experimental validation

The densification of additively manufactured porous preforms by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) is studied using pore-resolved simulations and experiments. Experimentally, 3D printed silicon carbide (SiC) preforms are subject to CVI synthesis using methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) precursor to obtain high purity SiC/SiC composites. Optical images of the cross sections of the processed preforms are analyzed to obtain the spatial porosity distribution. The numerical method is based on a level set formulation to capture the spatial distribution and time evolution of the pore scale microstructural characteristics. The coupled transport and kinetic effects are represented using a dimensionless Thiele modulus. Simulations are initialized using representative synthetic preform geometries comprising of packed particles based on the size distribution of the powder used for 3D printing. The simulation results are validated against the experimental observations in terms of total density and the distribution of residual porosity. The densification characteristics, porosity classification, concentration profiles, and structure functions are analyzed as functions of processing temperature and Thiele modulus.     

Studies on compressive failure features in syntactic foam material

Syntactic foam made by mechanical mixing of glass hollow spheres in epoxy resin matrix is characterized for compressive properties in the present study. Volume fraction of hollow spheres in the syntactic foam under investigation is kept at 67.8%. Effect of specimen aspect ratio on failure behavior and stress-strain curve of the material is highlighted. Considerable differences are noted in the macroscopic fracture features of the specimen and the stress-strain curve with the variation in specimen aspect ratio, although compressive yield strength values were within a narrow range. Post compression test scanning electron microscopic observations coupled with the macroscopic observations taken during the test helped in explaining the deviation in specimen behavior and in gathering support for the proposed arguments.     

Decoupled approach to multidisciplinary design optimization under uncertainty

We propose solution methods for multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) under uncertainty. This is a class of stochastic optimization problems that engineers are often faced with in a realistic design process of complex systems. Our approach integrates solution methods for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) with solution methods for deterministic MDO problems. The integration is enabled by the use of a deterministic equivalent formulation and the first order Taylor’s approximation in these RBDO methods. We discuss three specific combinations: the RBDO methods with the multidisciplinary feasibility method, the all-at-once method, and the individual disciplinary feasibility method. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the procedure. Anukal Chiralaksanakul is currently a full-time lecturer in the Graduate School of Business Administration at National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, Thailand.     

Structural Health Monitoring of Railroad Wheels Using Wheel Impact Load Detectors

This paper proposes two quantitative criteria for removing railroad wheels from service, based on real-time structural health monitoring trends that are developed using data collected from trains while in service. The data is collected using wheel impact load detectors (WILDs). These impact load trends are able to distinguish wheels with a high probability of failure from high-impact wheels with a low probability of failure. The trends indicate the critical wheels that actually need to be removed, while at the same time allowing wheels that aren’t critical to remain in service. As a result, the safety of the railroad will be much improved by being able to identify and remove wheels that have high likelihood of causing catastrophic failures.     

Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) Design Based on Computational Reliability Analysis

Accelerated life testing (ALT) design is usually performed based on assumptions of life distributions, stress–life relationship, and empirical reliability models. Time‐dependent reliability analysis on the other hand seeks to predict product and system life distribution based on physics‐informed simulation models. This paper proposes an ALT design framework that takes advantages of both types of analyses. For a given testing plan, the corresponding life distributions under different stress levels are estimated based on time‐dependent reliability analysis. Because both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty sources are involved in the reliability analysis, ALT data is used in this paper to update the epistemic uncertainty using Bayesian statistics. The variance of reliability estimation at the nominal stress level is then estimated based on the updated time‐dependent reliability analysis model. A design optimization model is formulated to minimize the overall expected testing cost with constraint on confidence of variance of the reliability estimate. Computational effort for solving the optimization model is minimized in three directions: (i) efficient time‐dependent reliability analysis method; (ii) a surrogate model is constructed for time‐dependent reliability under different stress levels; and (iii) the ALT design optimization model is decoupled into a deterministic design optimization model and a probabilistic analysis model. A cantilever beam and a helicopter rotor hub are used to demonstrate the proposed method. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed ALT design optimization model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low Cycle Fatigue Behavior of 316LN Stainless Steel Alloyed with Varying Nitrogen Content. Part I: Cyclic Deformation Behavior

In this study, the influence of cyclic strain amplitude on the evolution of cyclic stress–strain response and the associated cyclic deformation mechanisms in 316LN stainless steel with varying nitrogen content (0.07 to 0.22 wt pct) is reported in the temperature range 773 K to 873 K (500 °C to 600 °C). Two mechanisms, namely dynamic strain aging and secondary cyclic hardening, are found to strongly influence the cyclic stress response. Deformation substructures associated with both the mechanisms showed planar mode of deformation. These mechanisms are observed to be operative over certain combinations of temperature and strain amplitude. For strain amplitudes >0.6 pct, wavy or mixed mode of deformation is noticed to suppress both the mechanisms. Cyclic stress–strain curves revealed both single and dual-slope behavior depending on the test temperature. Increase in nitrogen content is found to increase the tendency toward planar mode of deformation, while increase in strain amplitude leads to transition from planar slip bands to dislocation cell/wall structure formation, irrespective of the nitrogen content in 316LN stainless steel.     

Determinants of software quality in offshore development - An empirical study of an Indian vendor

Context

Cost advantage has been one of the primary drivers of successful offshoring engagements of Indian software and services companies. However, the emphasis has shifted to the ability of the vendors to provide high quality over cost advantage in delivering software products and services. Meeting high quality requirements of the clients is a challenge due to the very nature of development and delivery of software through offshoring.

Objective

The objective of this research paper is to identify and evaluate the key determinants of quality in the case of software projects delivered through offshoring model.

Method

A detailed survey was conducted among project managers/project leaders (leads) of a leading midsize Indian IT services company to evaluate the relationship of the determinants on the attributes of quality.

Results

Out of six determinants, our research reveals requirements uncertainty has significant association with all the attributes of quality. While process maturity and trained personnel have moderate association, communication and control, knowledge transfer and integration and technical infrastructure have relatively low association on software quality attributes in the case of offshoring.

Conclusion

It is concluded that the complexities in offshoring necessitates proper capturing of requirements. In addition high level of process maturity and availability of trained personnel to the project will help vendors to achieve software quality. The paper provides a set of implications for practice and directions for further research.     

Fatigue limit prediction of notched components using short crack growth theory and an asymptotic interpolation method

Mechanical components have stress risers, such as notchs, corners, welding toes and holes. These geometries cause stress concentrations in the component and reduce the fatigue strength and life of the structure. Fatigue crack usually initiates at and propagates from these locations. Traditional fatigue analysis of notched specimens is done using an empirical formula and a fitted fatigue notch factor, which is experimentally expensive and lacks physical meaning. A general methodology for fatigue limit prediction of notched specimens is proposed in this paper. First, an asymptotic interpolation method is proposed to estimate the stress intensity factor (SIF) for cracks at the notch root. Both edge notched and center notched components with finite dimension correction are included into the proposed method. The small crack correction is included in the proposed asymptotic solution using El Haddad’s fictitious crack length. Fatigue limit of the notched specimen is estimated using the proposed stress intensity factor solution when the realistic crack length is approaching zero. A wide range of experimental data are collected and used to validate the proposed methodology. The relationship between the proposed methodology and the traditionally used fatigue notch factor approach is discussed.