Experimental investigation of the turbulent heavy liquid metal heat transfer in the thermal entry region of a vertical annulus with constant heat flux on the inner surface

The thermally developing turbulent lead bismuth (Pb⁴⁵Bi⁵⁵) flow within a vertical annulus with the inner surface uniformly heated is experimentally investigated. The ratio between internal and external diameter is 0.136. The investigated Reynolds numbers vary between 1.48 × 10⁴ and 2.37 × 10⁵ and the applied heat flux from 135 kW/m² to 905 kW/m², covering both the forced and mixed convection regime. For forced convection, the local heat transfer convective coefficient is evaluated and compared with literature correlations for low Prandtl number fluids. Additionally, a new empirical relation for the local Nusselt number in the thermal entry region is proposed. The applicability of criteria addressing the forced to mixed convection transition in medium to high Prandtl number fluids is reviewed and extended to account also for low Prandtl number fluids such as heavy liquid metals. Here, the transition from turbulent-diffusion to molecular-diffusion dominated mixed convection is clearly shown.     

Simulation of a textile sleeve on a manikin arm undergoing elbow flexion: effect of arm-sleeve friction

The effect of friction on the interaction between a protective fabric sleeve and a manikin arm undergoing elbow flexion has been investigated both numerically and experimentally. The experimental studies used a cylindrical Kevlar sleeve on the right arm of a Hybrid III crash-test dummy. A load frame was used to produce elbow flexion and to measure the force required to produce that motion. Friction was varied by performing the elbow flexion task with and without a tight-fitting white knit polyester undergarment, and friction coefficients were determined experimentally. Corresponding numerical simulations using LS-DYNA were also performed, with the textile sleeve represented by orthotropic shell elements with geometric non-linearity based on experimental literature data. The results show that the presence of the Kevlar sleeve significantly increases the force required to execute elbow flexion, but that the addition of the friction-reducing undergarment reduces the flexion force generated by the Kevlar sleeve. Furthermore, this behavior can be effectively captured by the numerical simulation. These results demonstrate the possibility of direct simulation of the mechanical burden generated by protective clothing, which could lead to computational design of protective garments with improved comfort, and reduced reliance on human subject testing.     

On the Fabrication and Automation of Reliable Bonded Composite Repairs

For structures made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP), fast, robust, and reliable repair technologies are mandatory for economical usage. In this paper, the authors explain their strategy and experiences. An automated process is proposed to achieve the challenging goals. A general overview on the origin, effects, and analysis of contaminants in CFRP structures and the relationship to the achievable strength of adhesive bonds are given. For the repair of composite structures using adhesive bonding, surface pretreatment is a key factor in terms of reliability and strength. Different surface treatment processes such as grinding, grit blasting, plasma and pulsed lasers treatments are discussed. Furthermore, the possibilities and technical implementation of an automated milling process for the repair of composite structures are presented. This change from manual production to automation tremendously improved the quality and duration of the repair and allows the creation of a uniform surface for adhesive bonding. Further integration of novel technologies is discussed and will further support and enhance the repair in the near future.     

Nanogranular origins of the strength of bone

Here, we investigate the ultrastructural origins of the strength of bone, which is critical for proper physiological function. A combination of dual nanoindentation, three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element analysis using a Mohr-Coulomb cohesive-frictional strength criterion, and angle of repose measurements was employed. Our results suggest that nanogranular friction between mineral particles is responsible for increased yield resistance in compression relative to tension and that cohesion originates from within the organic matrix itself, rather than organic-mineral bonding.     

Positive Effect of Periodic Micropatterns on Compression Ring Friction

Internal combustion engines are increasingly regulated in regard to efficiency and environmental impact, which requires advanced optimization strategies of engine components. The contact between the top ring and the cylinder liner is critical to the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. As shown in a previous study, an amorphous carbon coating can greatly improve the friction properties of piston rings. This work expands on these results by fabricating laser-interference-induced microchannels on the coating perpendicular to the direction of movement with a mean depth of 0.97 and 3.13 μm spatial period to further optimize the tribology. Fired single-cylinder engine measurements of the microtextured rings show a significant reduction in mean piston assembly friction of 5% for operation points that are relevant for urban transportation and up to 10% for specific operation points. Subsequent multibody elastohydrodynamic simulations prove that measured friction changes result from the compression ring microtexture. In particular, the microtexture increases the hydrodynamic pressure, reduces hydrodynamic losses, and leads to 20% lowered compression ring losses for an entire combustion cycle of the investigated operation point. In the future, such tribological concepts can be deployed in internal combustion engines that are powered by sustainable hydrogen or methanol.     

Improving surface quality in selective laser melting based tool making

In the last years, Additive Manufacturing, thanks to its capability of continuous improvements in performance and cost-efficiency, was able to partly replace and redefine well-established manufacturing processes. This research is based on the idea to achieve great cost and operational benefits especially in the field of tool making for injection molding by combining traditional and additive manufacturing in one process chain. Special attention is given to the surface quality in terms of surface roughness and its optimization directly in the Selective Laser Melting process. This article presents the possibility for a remelting process of the SLM parts as a way to optimize the surfaces of the produced parts. The influence of laser remelting on the surface roughness of the parts is analyzed while varying machine parameters like laser power and scan settings. Laser remelting with optimized parameter settings considerably improves the surface quality of SLM parts and is a great starting point for further post-processing techniques, which require a low initial value of surface roughness.

     

High fidelity transfer of nanometric random textures by UV embossing for thin film solar cells applications

We investigate the transfer of random nanostructures commonly used in thin film silicon solar cells onto inexpensive substrates, such as glass or flexible polyethylene sheets. Morphological and optical analyses of masters and replicas show the successful transfer of details with sizes much below 1 μm. These high-quality replicas are obtained by UV nano-imprinting, avoiding the use of PDMS as an intermediate mold, which has been identified as being responsible for the lack of resolution found in previous works.     

Doppler US of helical flow in the portal vein

In helical portal venous blood flow, the usual laminar flow in the portal vein is replaced by a spiral. This changes the color Doppler ultrasound (US) appearance to one of alternating or parallel red and blue bands. Duplex US may appear to show hepatopetal, hepatofugal, or simultaneous bidirectional flow depending on placement of the cursor within the helix. Helical portal venous flow is unusual in normal individuals (2.2% of 135 patients). Its presence should prompt further scrutiny for signs of liver disease, particularly portosystemic shunts, as in 20% of 41 patients who subsequently underwent liver transplantation. It is a normal finding immediately after liver transplantation (43% of 35 patients) and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation (28% of 36 patients). In both liver transplant and TIPS recipients, helical flow is usually transient. Its persistence long after transplantation in association with a prolonged increase in portal venous velocity is a useful sign of portal vein stenosis. Helical flow may also occur in cases of neoplastic invasion or displacement of the portal vein.     

Effects of acid neutralization on the morphology and properties of organoclay nanocomposites formed from K+ and Na+ poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) ionomers

Nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending various sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺) ionomers formed from poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) and the M₂(HT)₂ organoclay formed from montmorillonite (MMT). The effects of the neutralization level of the acid groups and the precursor melt index on the morphology and properties of the nanocomposites were evaluated using stress-strain analysis, wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with particle analysis. The aspect ratio generally increases as the neutralization level increases, except for Na⁺ ionomer nanocomposites with neutralization levels >50%. It appears from both WAXS and TEM analyses that Na⁺ ionomer nanocomposites have higher levels of MMT exfoliation and particle orientation in the flow direction than K⁺ ionomer nanocomposites. DSC results indicate that the level of crystallinity in the Na⁺ ionomers generally increases slightly with MMT addition, while the crystallinity in the K⁺ ionomers decreases slightly with MMT addition. The relative modulus of K⁺ ionomer nanocomposites increases as the degree of neutralization increases. The relative moduli of Na⁺ ionomer nanocomposites are higher than the relative modulus of K⁺ ionomer nanocomposites, likely due to the increased crystallinity of the Na⁺ ionomers and the decreased crystallinity of the K⁺ ionomers upon addition of MMT, the higher exfoliation levels measured by the aspect ratios and the particle densities, and the higher particle orientation indicated by TEM and WAXS. The relative modulus generally increases as the aspect ratio increases. The elongation at break generally decreases as the MMT content increases and as the neutralization level increases for both ionomer types. The fracture energy of most of the ionomers increases with the addition of MMT, reaches a maximum between 2.5 and 5 wt% MMT, and then decreases upon further MMT addition.     

Characterizing the flow of slurries using percolation theory‐based functions

All polymer slurries that have a high concentration of filler are shear thinning. A new function was found that linearly correlates the power law constant, n, to the concentration of the filler. The behavior of this function suggests that the Newtonian to power‐law behavior may be dominated by percolation processes and the area of the filler. A theory is presented that predicts the power law constant, n, as a function of filler cluster formation and the decrease of dissipation due to no velocity gradient in the clusters. This percolation based rheological analysis is then extended to polystyrene melts and highly filled polyethylene resin. Highly filled polymer compounds can present processing challenges, including high screw shaft torque, energy consumption, pressure and melt temperature. A percolation based evaluation of the effects of filler concentration on melt processing is presented using experiments with a batch mixer. It is demonstrated that measurements can be correlated to the theoretical treatment of the rheology as a particulate percolating system. The implications of the increase in viscosity with filler concentration on polymer processing are discussed from a practical engineering perspective. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:403–416, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers