Static indentation and unloading response of sandwich beams

This paper deals with analysis of foam core sandwich beams subject to static indentation and subsequent unloading (removal of load). Sandwich beams are assumed continuously supported by a rigid platen to eliminate global bending. An analytical model is presented assuming an elastic-perfectly plastic compressive behaviour of the foam core. An elastic part of indentation response is described using the Winkler foundation model. Upon removal of the load, an elastic unloading response of the foam core is assumed. Also, finite element (FE) analysis of static indentation and unloading of sandwich beams is performed using the FE code ABAQUS. The foam core is modelled using the crushable foam material model. To obtain input data for the analytical model and to calibrate the crushable foam model in FE analysis, the response of the foam core is experimentally characterized in uniaxial compression, up to densification, with subsequent unloading and tension until tensile fracture. Both models can predict load–displacement response of sandwich beams under static indentation and a residual dent magnitude in the face sheet after unloading along with residual strain levels in the foam core at the unloaded equilibrium state. The analytical and FE analyses are experimentally verified through static indentation tests of composite sandwich beams with two different foam cores. The load–displacement response, size of a crushed core zone and the depth of a residual dent are measured in the testing. A digital speckle photography technique is also used in the indentation tests in order to measure the strain levels in the crushed core zone. The experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical and FE analyses.     

Recognition of shapes by attributed skeletal graphs

In this paper, we propose a framework to address the problem of generic 2-D shape recognition. The aim is mainly on using the potential strength of skeleton of discrete objects in computer vision and pattern recognition where features of objects are needed for classification. We propose to represent the medial axis characteristic points as an attributed skeletal graph to model the shape. The information about the object shape and its topology is totally embedded in them and this allows the comparison of different objects by graph matching algorithms. The experimental results demonstrate the correctness in detecting its characteristic points and in computing a more regular and effective representation for a perceptual indexing. The matching process, based on a revised graduated assignment algorithm, has produced encouraging results, showing the potential of the developed method in a variety of computer vision and pattern recognition domains. The results demonstrate its robustness in the presence of scale, reflection and rotation transformations and prove the ability to handle noise and occlusions.     

Typing artifacts in megamodeling

Model management is essential for coping with the complexity introduced by the increasing number and varied nature of artifacts involved in model-driven engineering-based projects. Global model management (GMM) addresses this issue by enabling the representation of artifacts, particularly transformation composition and execution, within a model called a megamodel. Type information about artifacts can be used for preventing type errors during execution. Built on our previous work, in this paper we present the core elements of a type system for GMM that improves its original typing approach and enables both typechecking and type inference on artifacts within a megamodel. This type system is able to deal with non-trivial situations such as the use of higher order transformations. We also present a prototypical implementation of such a type system.     

Field normalized citation rates, field normalized journal impact and Norwegian weights for allocation of university research funds

We compared three different bibliometric evaluation approaches: two citation-based approaches and one based on manual classification of publishing channels into quality levels. Publication data for two universities was used, and we worked with two levels of analysis: article and department. For the article level, we investigated the predictive power of field normalized citation rates and field normalized journal impact with respect to journal level. The results for the article level show that evaluation of journals based on citation impact correlate rather well with manual classification of journals into quality levels. However, the prediction from field normalized citation rates to journal level was only marginally better than random guessing. At the department level, we studied three different indicators in the context of research fund allocation within universities and the extent to which the three indicators produce different distributions of research funds. It turned out that the three distributions of relative indicator values were very similar, which in turn yields that the corresponding distributions of hypothetical research funds would be very similar.     

Fast headspace-enantioselective GC-mass spectrometric-multivariate statistical method for routine authentication of flavoured fruit foods

This study describes a rapid total analysis system (TAS) to detect the authenticity of fruit-flavoured foods and beverages by on-line combining headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with enantioselective GC-MS (Es-GC-MS) and statistical multivariate methods (PCA, HCA). Peach, coconut, apricot, raspberry, as fruits mainly characterised by γ- and δ-lactones as chiral markers, strawberry (α-ionone, linalool, nerolidol, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyric acid and γ-lactones) and melon (ethyl 2-methylbutyrate and 2-methylbutanol) were investigated. The system was developed by (a) optimising non-equilibrium HS-SPME sample preparation, (b) speeding-up ES-GC using cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral selectors with conventional and narrow-bore columns and (c) elaborating data by multivariate methods. The resulting TAS affords a reduction of the time needed for the whole analytical process from about 150 min to 20-50 min (67-87% of the current routine method) depending on matrix, sampling and analysis conditions and Es-GC columns.     

Fermented milk obtained with kefir grains as an ingredient in breadmaking

The objectives of this research were to study the effect of the addition of lyophilised kefir milk to premixes for household production of bread and evaluate the quality attributes of them. Four lyophilised samples were obtained from the followings: skim milk, acidified skim milk, fermented skim milk and neutralised fermented skim milk. Breads were prepared with commercial wheat flour, lyophilised milk samples and yeast through a straight dough process. Quality was assessed through loaf volume, crumb porosity and moisture, crumb texture and crust colour. Changes in texture and starch recrystallisation by X‐ray diffractometry were determined after 1 and 3 days of storage at room temperature. Breads with acidified milks showed the highest specific volumes and crumbs with the best texture properties. Crystallinity in bread with fermented milks was higher than for skim milk sample. This would indicate that there would be a certain effect of the type of milk processing on the promotion of starch retrogradation.     

Hot Deformation of AA6082 Containing Fine Intermetallic Particles

Hot deformation of AA6082 aluminum alloy was studied by compression tests carried out between 573 K and 823 K (300 °C and 550 °C) under a wide range of strain rates. Light optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the as-received microstructure, which consisted of elongated, partially recrystallized grains containing fine Mg₂Si and AlFeMnSi particles. The hot-deformed material showed the effects of dynamic recovery, i.e., small low angle grain boundary formation and dislocation pinning by fine particles. The flow data were used to calculate the constitutive equations, obtaining high values of n exponent. This behavior was attributed to the interaction of particles with dislocations during hot deformation. Threshold stresses were introduced to adjust the constitutive equation to a n exponent value of 5 at high stresses and a value of 3 in the low stresses range, which was related to dislocations’ climbing and sliding and thus to dynamic recovery. The threshold values were related to the detachment stresses in close connection with the precipitation state which was a function of the deformation temperature.     

Noise Effect on Ice Surface Softening During Friction

The ice surface softening by friction is investigated considering the additive non-correlated fluctuations of the shear strain and stress, and the temperature. The premelting is construed by the Kelvin–Voigt equation for shear strain and by the relaxation equations of Landau–Khalatnikov type for shear stress and temperature. Taking into account the noises in these equations, the Langevin and Fokker–Planck equations are derived. Their analysis is based on the investigation of extrema of the distribution function, i.e., steady-state values of the shear strain using the Stratonovich interpretation. The phase diagrams are constructed, where the noises intensities and thermostat temperature determine the regions of ice, softened ice and their mixture (stick–slip rubbing). We present that domain of ice friction is bounded by relatively small background sliding block temperatures and fluctuation intensities of the stress and temperature. The ice film softens with growth of the stress noise intensity even at small thermostat temperatures. The friction force time series for all rubbing modes are calculated and compared with experimentally observed ones.