The Young's moduli prediction of random distributed short-fiber-reinforced polypropylene foams using finite element method

The elastic moduli of short-fiber-reinforced foams depend critically on the fiber content and fiber length, as well as on the fiber orientation distribution. Based on periodic tetrakaidecahedrons, the finite element models with short-fiber reinforcement were proposed in this paper to examine the effects of the fiber content and fiber length on Young's modulus. The fiber length distribution and fiber orientation distribution were also considered. The proposed models featured in a three-dimensional diorama with random short-fiber distribution within or on the surfaces of the walls and edges of the closed-cells of polypropylene (PP) foams. The fiber length/orientation distributions were modeled by Gaussian prob-ability density functions. Different fiber volume fractions, different lengths, and different distributions were investigated. The predicted Young's moduli of the PP foams with short-glass-fiber or short-carbon-fiber reinforcement were compared with other theoretic and experimental results, and the agreement was found to be satisfactory. The proposed finite element models were proved to be acceptable to predict the Young's moduli of the grafted closed-cell PP foams with short-fiber reinforcement.     

Light metal compound casting

‘Compound casting’simplifies joining processes by directly casting a metallic melt onto a solid metal substrate. A continuously metallurgic transition is very important for industrial applications, such as joint structures of spaceframe constructions in transport industry. In this project, ‘compound casting’ of light metals is investigated, aiming at weight-saving. The substrate used is a wrought aluminium alloy of type AA5xxx, containing magnesium as main alloying element. The melts are aluminium alloys, containing various alloying elements (Cu, Si, Zn), and magnesium. By replacing the natural oxygen layer with a zinc layer, the inherent wetting difficulties were avoided, and compounds with flawless interfaces were successfully produced (no contraction defects, cracks or oxides). Electron microscopy and EDX investigations as well as optical micrographs of the interfacial areas revealed their continu- ously metallic constitution. Diffusion of alloying elements leads to heat-treatable microstructures in the vicinity of the joining interfaces in Al-Al couples. This permits significant variability of mechanical properties. Without significantly cutting down on wettability, the formation of low-melting intermetallic phases (Al3Mg2 and Al12Mg17 IMPs) at the interface of Al-Mg couples was avoided by applying a protective coating to the substrate.     

Modeling large reversible electric-field-induced strain in ferroelectric materials using 90° orientation switching

Reversible large electric-field-induced strain caused by reversible orientation switchings in BaTiO3 is modeled using the Landau's theory of phase transition. A triple well free energy function is constructed. Each of its minima is associated with one of the polarization orientations involved. Nonlinear constitu- tive laws accounting for reversible orientation switchings and electrostriction effects are obtained by using thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Hysteretic dynamics of one-dimensional structures is described by coupled nonlinear differential equations. Double hysteretic loops in the electric and me- chanic fields are both successfully modeled. Giant reversible electrostriction is modeled as a conse-quence of reversible orientation switchings via electro-mechanical couplings. Comparisons with ex-perimental results reported in literatures are presented.     

Digital monitoring for heavy duty mechanical equipment based on fiber Bragg grating sensor

The digital monitoring principle and technologies for heavy duty mechanical equipment based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology are introduced in this paper. The fundamentals of new-style FBG sensing technology, including the photorefractive effect of FBG, the physical formation, and the relation between optical properties and grating parameters, are investigated. The plaster, encapsulation and distribution planning of FBG sensor (FBGS), which is used to monitor heavy duty mechanical equipment under abominable environment and extreme conditions, are also studied. In addition, theoretical and experimental researches on the strain, temperature, displacement, and stress transmission characteristics between FBGS and detection interface are presented. The principle and method for temperature compensation in non-uniformity temperature field are described in detail as well. Comparing with the traditional sensing monitoring techniques, the application of FBGS technology on digital monitoring and diagnosis for heavy duty mechanical equipment has a number of significant technical advantages and will make a new breakthrough in this field.     

Microstructure and texture evolution during warm compression of the magnesium alloy AZ31

The evolution of the microstructure and texture with strain during compression at 150℃ of the magnesium alloy AZ31 has been investigated using the electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. The initial samples were chosen to have a strong basal plane texture with the crystal c-axes perpendicular to the compression direction. The EBSD data provide evidence concerning the relative activity of both {10-12} extension twinning and slip, and suggest that non-basal slip is important in samples deformed to a strain of more than 0.2. The relative contributions of the twinning and the slip during deformation have been discussed based on the results above.     

Asymptotic state behaviour and its modeling for saturated sand

A new double hardening elasto-plastic model is proposed in this paper based on the existing unified hardening model (UH model). By assuming that there is part coupling effect between the plastic volumetric strain and plastic shear strain, hardening parameters consisting of a coupled and an uncoupled components are adopted in this model. A unique feature of this model is that it can describe not only the conventional drained and undrained behaviors of soil, but also the stress-strain relationships of soil under partially drained conditions which can be volumetric compression or dilation. Adopting the asymptotic state concept, simple equations for estimating the limiting stress ratio under undrained or earth pressure at rest (i.e. K ₀) conditions are derived. The new model is relatively simple to be adopted in practice for two reasons. First, the same soil parameters as in Cam-clay model are used except the addition of one extra parameter, the stress ratio at the characteristic state. Second, all the parameters can be determined using conventional triaxial compression tests. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10672010 and 50479001) and the National Earthquake Science Item (Grant No. 200808076)     

Methane absorption and application of mixed organic aggregate prepared from Span80 and alkaline salt

The water-based materials for mine gas absorption and explosion suppression were prepared, in which the mixed organic aggregate of Span80 and alkaline salt can be used as methane absorbent. Methane was used as a model of mine gas, and the absorptions of methane with different complex materials were studied using head space gas chromatography. Then the state of aqueous material was characterized with laser light scattering instrument and the effects of different complex materials on explosion suppression were preliminarily studied in explosion chamber which can simulate mine gas explosion. The research results showed that complex material could absorb methane and there was some correlation between the mean diameter of organic aggregate in aqueous material and the absorption effect. Additionally, the aqueous material could suppress the methane explosion to some degree. The material can absorb mine gas in atomization condition, therefore, degrease mine gas concentration and influence the distribution of mine gas in the space, and then suppress the mine gas explosion to some extent.     

Photocatalytic performance of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin films connected with Cu micro-grid

Aiming at reducing the recombination of photo-induced carriers in semiconductor photocatalytic process, we prepared TiO₂ thin film with its surface modified by a connected Cu micro-grid via a microsphere lithography strategy, which showed higher photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO₂ film. The improvement of photocatalytic activity of Cu micro-grid to the TiO₂ film is due to the charge carrier separation and electron transfer by the conducting metal grid. The photocatalytic activity was improved as metal loading increased, which obtained the best performance at a certain loading amount, and then decreased at higher loading amount. This phenomenon was attributed to the metal’s bulk effect which could be explained by the relationship between the energetic positions and the metal cluster size. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50672003, 50872005) and the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” Project) (Grant No. 2007CB613302) and the Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation (Grant No. 111050)     

Viscous liquid sloshing damping in cylindrical container using a volume of fluid method

Liquid sloshing is a kind of very complicated free surface flow and exists widely in many fields. In order to calculate liquid sloshing damping precisely a volume of fluid method based on finite volume scheme is used to simulate free surface flows in partly filled cylindrical containers. A numerical method is presented to simulate the movement of the free surface flow, in which a piecewise linear interface construction scheme and an unsplit Lagrangian advection scheme instead of Eulerian advection scheme are used. The damping performance of liquid sloshing in cylindrical containers under fundamental sloshing mode is investigated. There are four factors determining the surface-wave damping: free surface, boundary-layer, interior fluid and contact line. In order to study different contributions from these four factors to whole damping, several examples are simulated. No-slip and slip wall boundary conditions on both side wall and bottom wall of the cylindrical containers are studied to compare with the published results obtained by solving Stokes equations. In the present method the first three main factors can be considered. The simulation results show that the boundary-layer damping contribution increases while the interior fluid damping contribution decreases with increase of Reynolds number. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10532010)     

Field measurement on wind characteristic and buffeting response of the Runyang Suspension Bridge during typhoon Matsa

Field measurement on wind characteristic and buffeting response of existing bridge is of great value to the development of bridge wind engineering, and the structural health monitoring system (SHMS) employed in many long-span bridges provide a research basis for the field measurement. In order to provide reliable basis for wind resistant evaluation of Runyang Suspension Bridge (RSB), two anemometers and 85 accelerometers were installed in the SHMS of RSB. In August 2005, Typhoon Matsa crossed over Jiangsu, the SHMS timely recorded the typhoon and structural vibration responses. In this paper by using the time-frequency technique and statistical theory, the recorded data were analyzed to obtain the strong wind characteristics, the buffeting response characteristics of the cable and deck, and the variation of buffeting response RMS versus wind speed. Results obtained in this study can be employed to validate the credibility of current buffeting response analysis theory techniques, and provide reference values for wind resistant evaluation of other long-span bridges. Supported by the National Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (“863” Project) (Grant No. 2006AA04Z416), the Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50538020) and the Outstanding Youth Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50725828)