Investigation of the stability problems of elastic bodies using the method of mathematical theory of elasticity

In this paper, using the equilibrium equations and boundary conditions of elastic stability problem of and the method of mathematical theory of elasticity, we solve some elastic stability problems, which were studied by Ишлынский^[2] and Войцеховская^[3,4],and obtained more reasonable results than theirs.     

Effect of different size and orientation of rectangular rotary blades on quality of puddling

The effect of different combinations of size and orientation of rectangular blades of a wet land puddler, on puddling index, force requirement and performance index was investigated under controlled conditions in a soil-bin from the study. It was observed with the blade size of 15-cm width × 8.5-cm depth and a blade angle of 30° with respect to shaft gave better performance than other combinations in terms of minimum puddling index, minimum horizontal force, vertical force, specific energy and maximum performance index. The values are, respectively, 67.95%, 105.12 N, 33.85 N, and 9.71 kJ/m³ and 6.69. The above-mentioned parameters of the blade were found to be very close to the predicted values obtain through MREG computer programme for optimization of size and orientation of puddler blades.     

Optimization of the deflagration to detonation transition: reduction of length and time of transition

The aim of this experimental investigation is the study of Deflagration to Detonation Transition (DDT) in tubes in order to (i) reduce both run-up distance and time of transition (L _DDT and t _DDT) in connection with Pulsed Detonation Engine applications and to (ii) attempt to scale L _DDT with λ_CJ (the detonation cellular structure width). In DDT, the production of turbulence during the long flame run-up can lead to L _DDT values of several meters. To shorten L _DDT, an experimental set-up is designed to quickly induce highly turbulent initial flow. It consists of a double chamber terminated with a perforated plate of high Blockage Ratio (BR) positioned at the beginning of a 26 mm inner diameter tube containing a “Shchelkin spiral” of BR ≈ 0.5. The study involves stoichiometric reactive mixtures of H₂, CH₄, C₃H₈, and C₂H₄ with oxygen and diluted with N₂ in order to obtain the same cell width λ_CJ≈10 mm at standard conditions. The results show that a shock-flame system propagating with nearly the isobaric speed of sound of combustion products, called the choking regime, is rapidly obtained. This experimental set-up allows a L _DDT below 40 cm for the mixtures used and a ratio L _DDT/λ_CJ ranging from 23 to 37. The transition distance seems to depend on the reduced activation energy (E _a/RT _c) and on the normalized heat of reaction (Q/a ₀ ²). The higher these quantities are, the shorter the ratio L _DDT/λ_CJ is. PACS 47.40.Rs · 47.60.+i · 47.70.Pq · 47.80.CbThis paper was based on the work that was presented at the 19th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Hakone, Japan, July 27–August 1, 2003.     

Experimental study of sedimentation characteristics of spheroidal particles

The drag of non-spherical particles is a basic, important parameter for multi-phase flow. As the first step in research in this area, the terminal velocities, Ut, of hemispherical and spherical segment particles with maximal diameters of 6-21 mm were measured in static fluids by using a high-speed video camera. The drag coefficient, CD, measured for Reynolds number, Re of 10^1-10^5, has been obtained and compared with those for a sphere. The Re based on the terminal velocity has a logarithmic linear relationship with Ar number for both the facet facing upwards or downwards for the two experimental spheroidal particles, and their Co values are greater than those of spheres. A shape function that depends on the initial orientation of the particle facet is presented to correct for the shape effects.     

Eigenvalues of Self-Similar Solutions of the Dafermos Regularization of a System of Conservation Laws via Geometric Singular Perturbation Theory

The Dafermos regularization of a system of n conservation laws in one space dimension admits smooth self-similar solutions of the form u=u(X/T). In particular, there are such solutions near a Riemann solution consisting of n possibly large Lax shocks. In Lin and Schecter (2004, SIAM. J. Math. Anal. 35, 884–921), eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linearized Dafermos operator at such a solution were studied using asymptotic expansions. Here we show that the asymptotic expansions correspond to true eigenvalue–eigenfunction pairs. The proofs use geometric singular perturbation theory, in particular an extension of the Exchange Lemma.     

Uniaxial deformation of a random packing of particles

Summary Mechanical behavior of dense packing spheres with small irregularities is investigated in this paper. A generalization of the hertzian contact model for surfaces of the form x ^k yields a normal contact force F _n , which is proportional to ζ^{1+1/ k} , with the normal displacement ζ. For oblique forces, the frictional force can be calculated, [10]. Different load cases are explained in detail. It is shown that the stress-strain curve during initial loading of the packing is identical with the force-displacement relation at the contact point, using an appropriate constant. The results for uniaxial loading, unloading and reloading are illustrated. As experimentally observed, the axial pressure in unloading is smaller than during loading, while the lateral pressure increases. The stress-strain relation is compared with well-known empirical relations of rock and soil mechanics, and the wave velocity for spherical irregularities agrees with earlier geomechanical theories for random packing of smooth spheres. Received 19 July 1998; accepted for publication 19 October 1998     

Initiation of fracture at the interface corner of bi-material joints

Within the context of linear elasticity, a stress singularity of the form Hr^λ−1 may exist at the interface corner of a bi-material joint, where r is the radial distance from the corner, H is the stress intensity factor and λ−1 is the order of the singularity. Recent experimental results in the literature support the use of a critical value of the intensity factor H=H_c as a fracture initiation criterion at the interface corner. In this paper, we examine the validity and limitations of this criterion for predicting the onset of fracture in a butt joint consisting of a thin layer of an elastic-plastic adhesive layer sandwiched between two elastic adherends. The evolution of plastic deformation at the corner is determined theoretically and by the finite element method, and the solution is compared with the extent of the elastic singular field. It is shown that H_c is a valid fracture parameter if h>B(H_c/σ_Y)^1/(1−λ) where the non-dimensional constant B=100 for β=0 and B=13 for β=α/4. Here, h is the thickness of the adhesive layer, σ_Y is the uniaxial yield stress of the bulk adhesive and (α,β) are Dundurs’ parameters (Dundurs, J., J. Appl. Mech. 36 (1969) 650). Experimental results for aluminium/epoxy/aluminium and brass/solder/brass sandwiched joints are used to assess the role of plastic deformation on the validity of the failure criterion.     

In-line measurement of rheological properties of polymer melts

Shear viscosity (), first normal stress difference (N ₁), and extensional viscosity ( _E ) of polymer melts measured under processing conditions are important in process modeling, quality control, and process control. A slit rheometer that could simultaneously measure , N ₁, and the planar extensional viscosity ( _p ) was designed and tested by attaching it in-line to a laboratory model single-screw extruder. A tube (circular cross-section) rheometer to measure and the uniaxial extensional viscosity ( _u ) simultaneously was also designed and tested. Two commercial grades of LDPE (low density polyethylene) with melt index values of 6 and 12 were used as test materials for the study. Exit and hole pressure methods were used to estimate N ₁, and the entrance pressure drop method using the analyses of Cogswell, Binding, and Gibson (the last analysis used with the axisymmetric case only) was used to estimate _E .The hole pressure method was considered better than the exit pressure method to estimate N ₁ (due to the greater susceptibility of the latter to experimental errors). From the hole pressure method N ₁ was obtained from 100 kPa to 500 kPa over a range of shear rates from 40 s^–1 to 700 s^–1. Among the analyses used to estimate the extensional viscosity, Cogswell's is recommended due to its simpler equations without loss of much information compared to the other analyses. The range of extension rates achieved was 1 to 30 s^–1. The combination of the hole pressure and entrance pressure drop methods in a slit rheometer is a feasible design for a process rheometer, allowing the simultaneous measurement of the shear viscosity, first normal stress difference and planar extensional viscosity under processing conditions. Similarly, combining the entrance pressure drop measurements with a tube rheometer is also feasible and convenient.     

A Critique of Atomistic Definitions of the Stress Tensor

Current interest in nanoscale systems and molecular dynamical simulations has focussed attention on the extent to which continuum concepts and relations may be utilised meaningfully at small length scales. In particular, the notion of the Cauchy stress tensor has been examined from a number of perspectives. These include motivation from a virial-based argument, and from scale-dependent localisation procedures involving the use of weighting functions. Here different definitions and derivations of the stress tensor in terms of atoms/molecules, modelled as interacting point masses, are compared. The aim is to elucidate assumptions inherent in different approaches, and to clarify associated physical interpretations of stress. Following a critical analysis and extension of the virial approach, a method of spatial atomistic averaging (at any prescribed length scale) is presented and a balance of linear momentum is derived. The contribution of corpuscular interactions is represented by a force density field f. The balance relation reduces to standard form when f is expressed as the divergence of an interaction stress tensor field, T ⁻. The manner in which T ⁻ can be defined is studied, since T ⁻ is unique only to within a divergence-free field. Three distinct possibilities are discussed and critically compared. An approach to nanoscale systems is suggested in which f is employed directly, so obviating separate modelling of interfacial and edge effects.      

Twist viscosity of mixtures of low molar mass nematics

Measurements of the twist viscosity, γ₁(DLS) and twist elastic coefficient, K₂₂(DLS) by electric-field-dependent dynamic light scattering (EFDLS) are reported for low molar mass nematics (LMMNs) 4′-heptyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (7CB) and 4′-octyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (8CB), and their binary mixtures at several temperatures in the nematic state. The results are compared with values (γ₁(Rheol)=α₃–α₂) computed from rheological measurements of the Leslie viscosities α₂ and α₃. For the binary mixtures, at each temperature, the measured twist viscosity γ₁(DLS) and corresponding twist elastic constant K₂₂(DLS) show approximately a linear additive dependence on concentration. The calculated twist viscosity, γ₁(Rheol), agrees with γ₁(DLS) for the pure components, but is significantly smaller for the binary mixtures. Our observations appear to be consistent with a recent report of a discrepancy between values of the tumbling parameter λ, determined using a small-strain oscillatory optical technique, vs those measured by a rheological method. These results suggest that, in the rheological measurements at large strains, the rate of director rotation for mixtures may be affected by a flow-induced change in structure, e.g., shear-induced biaxiality. Received: 17 March 2000 Accepted: 17 July 2000     

Slow Eigenvalues of Self-similar Solutions of the Dafermos Regularization of a System of Conservation Laws: an Analytic Approach

The Dafermos regularization of a system of n hyperbolic conservation laws in one space dimension has, near a Riemann solution consisting of n Lax shock waves, a self-similar solution u = u _ε(X/T). In Lin and Schecter (2003, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 35, 884–921) it is shown that the linearized Dafermos operator at such a solution may have two kinds of eigenvalues: fast eigenvalues of order 1/ε and slow eigenvalues of order one. The fast eigenvalues represent motion in an initial time layer, where near the shock waves solutions quickly converge to traveling-wave-like motion. The slow eigenvalues represent motion after the initial time layer, where motion between the shock waves is dominant. In this paper we use tools from dynamical systems and singular perturbation theory to study the slow eigenvalues. We show how to construct asymptotic expansions of eigenvalue-eigenfunction pairs to any order in ε. We also prove the existence of true eigenvalue-eigenfunction pairs near the asymptotic expansions.     

Degree of branching of polypropylene measured from Fourier-transform rheology

In this study, linear and branched polypropylenes (PP) were compared under medium strain amplitude oscillatory shear (usually strain amplitude range from 10 to 100%) with Fourier-transform rheology (FT rheology). On a log–log diagram, the third relative intensity (I ₃/I ₁), which is a parameter to represent nonlinearity, shows a linear relationship with the strain amplitude in the range of medium strain amplitude. The slope of I ₃/I ₁ of linear PP with various molecular weight and molecular weight distribution was 2 as most constitutive equations predict, while that of branched PP was 1.64, which is lower than that of linear PP. When the linear and branch PP were blended, the slope of I ₃/I ₁ was proportional to the composition of the branch PP. Therefore, it is suggested that the degree of branching can be defined in terms of the slope of I ₃/I ₁ under medium amplitude oscillatory shear.     

An investigation of the viscoelastic properties of molten polypropylene

Two series of polypropylene samples of different molecular weight, the first obtained directly from polymerization reactions and the second from controlled thermal degradation, were studied by dynamic testing in the melt state. Several viscoelastic parameters were determined, and correlated with weight-average molecular weightM _w . It is found that theM _w -dependence of the two series is rather different.     

Direct measurement of static yield properties of cohesive suspensions

A technique of yield stress investigation based upon the combined use of two devices (an applied stress rheometer and an instrument for measuring the propagation velocity of small amplitude, torsional shear waves) is described. Investigations into the low shear rate rheological properties of illitic suspensions are reported for shear rates, typically, in the range 10^–4— 10^–1 s^–1 under applied stresses in the range 0.01 — 10 Nm^–2 and involving shear strains between 10^–1 and 10^–4. Results are presented which demonstrate that the technique does not invoke the excessive structural disruption of material associated with applied shear rate based methods (direct and otherwise) and the widely encountered problem of wall slip at the surface of rotational measuring devices is avoided using miniature vane geometries. Results are compared with those obtained using smooth-walled cyclindrical measuring devices in both applied stress and applied shear rate instruments.Yield measurements are considered in relation to the structural properties of the undisturbed material state and shear moduli obtained by studying the propagation of small amplitude (10^–5 rad), high frequency (~ 300 Hz) torsional shear waves through the test materials are reported. Experimental techniques and instrument modifications to permit these measurements are described.     

Influence of grading on the undrained behavior of granular materials

This paper aims at investigating the influence of grading on the undrained behavior of granular materials. Series of undrained triaxial tests were carried out with two different materials, glass balls and Hostun sand. For each material, samples with different gradings and similar relative densities were prepared. Experimental results show that the undrained shear strength decreases when the coefficient of uniformity C_u=d₆₀/d₁₀$C_{\mathrm{u}}=d_{60}/d_{10}$ increases from 1.1 to 20. The conditions of instability for the selected granular materials were also analyzed, based on the sign of the second-order work during undrained triaxial loading. The results demonstrate a significant influence of the grading: increasing the coefficient of uniformity heightens the potential of static liquefaction and the materials become more unstable. Furthermore, numerical tests using the three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) were conducted on assemblies of spheres. The DEM inter-particle parameters were derived from the experimental test results on glass balls. The DEM simulations showed similar behaviors compared to experimental results and confirmed the influence of the grain size distribution on the stress–strain relationship and instability phenomena.     

Comparisons of different procedures of pre-compaction stress determination on weakly structured soils

Compaction is an important component of soil degradation. In this regard, the pre-compaction stress (σ_pc) concept is considered useful in mechanized agriculture nowadays. When the external forces exceed the internal strength (σ_pc) of soil, soil structure and soil physical quality will deteriorate. This concept was introduced at first for confined consolidation of non-structured, homogenized and saturated subsoils in civil engineering, though it is also suitable for agricultural conditions where the topsoil and subsoil are considered and both are often structured, heterogeneous and unsaturated. The best method for predicting σ_pc is by the plate sinkage test (PST) in the field, but it is expensive and time-consuming. This study was conducted to find an alternative laboratory method besides the confined compaction test (CCT) for predicting σ_pc. The CCT may not be a good method, especially at higher water contents, and for soils with low organic matter content, because of low sharpness of the critical region on the stress–strain curves. The study was performed on five soil types with a range of soil textures and organic matter content from central Iran using three loading types and three pF (i.e. Log [soil matric suction in cm]) values of 2.3, 2.7 and 2.9 with two replicates. Loading types consisted of CCT, the semi-confined compaction test (SCCT) and the kneading compaction test (KCT) at three maximum (or pre-compaction) stresses of 200, 400 and 600 kPa. The experiment was a completely randomized factorial design. The aim was to determine how accurately each loading type test could predict σ_pc of soil pre-compacted by one of the other methods. The applied combinations of CCT–SCCT, SCCT–CCT and KCT–CCT mean that the soil was pre-compacted by the first loading type and evaluated by the second one. The results showed that σ_pc and the sharpness of the σ_pc region were significantly affected by loading types as well as the soil conditions. The sharpest σ_pc region was observed in SCCT and the least sharp in CCT with the overall order being CCT–SCCT > SCCT–CCT > KCT–CCT. The sharpness of the σ_pc region was reduced for the soil samples with higher water content and coarser texture. Regardless of the soil and loading conditions, the prediction by SCCT was consistently more accurate than by CCT. The prediction of σ_pc by SCCT was more precise in comparison with CCT especially at higher stresses and soil water contents. However, the prediction of σ_pc by SCCT was very accurate at pF values of 2.7 and 2.9, and with low σ_pc values, when compared with the actual values of the σ_pc. For the clay soil at a pF value of 2.3, no pre-compaction region (i.e. zero σ_pc) could be determined by CCT at a maximum axial stress of 600 kPa. This was because of the incompressibility of soil water at this near-saturated soil condition at high stress. However, the sharpness of the critical region in SCCT was high enough to predict σ_pc satisfactorily. There was no significant difference between the combinations of SCCT–CCT and KCT–CCT in predicting σ_pc. The SCCT is a compromise method that lies between CCT and PST. SCCT has the advantage of using a limited and definite soil volume that can be modeled as a soil element. Marginal effects of disturbance caused by coring/sampling as well as pre-test sample preparation seem to have minor effects on the stress–strain curve determined by SCCT in comparison with CCT. Moreover, the soil volume needed for this test is the same as for CCT.     

Analysis of the temperature regime of operation of a filtering unit

The temperature regime of a filtering unit being cooled after an accident at a nuclear power plant is considered. A mathematical model is developed; the model is based on three-dimensional equations of thermohydrodynamics and takes into account heat-transfer mechanisms (convection, heat conduction, and radiation). For the unit variants considered, the maximum value of temperature in the sorbing module is less than 300°C, and the temperature reserve is 20–50°C. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 92–102, November–December, 2007.     

Stability of Couette flow of liquids with power law viscosity

The stability of the Couette flow of the liquid with the power law viscosity in a wide annular gap has been investigated theoretically in this work with the aid of the method of small disturbances. The Taylor number, being a criterion of the stability, has been defined using the mean apparent viscosity value in the main flow. In the whole range of the radius ratio, R _i /R _o and the flow index, n, considered (R _i /R _o 0.5, n = 0.25–1.75 ), the critical value of the Taylor number Ta _c is an increasing function of the flow index, i.e., shear thinning has destabilizing influence on the rotational flow, and dilatancy exhibits an opposite tendency.In the wide ranges of the flow index, n > 0.5, and the radius ratio, R _i /R _o > 0.5, the wide-gap effect on the stability limit is predicted to be almost the same for non-Newtonian fluids as for Newtonian ones. The ratio on the critical Taylor numbers for non-Newtonian and Newtonian fluids: Ta _c (n) and Ta _c (n = 1) obey a generalized functional dependence: Ta _c (n)/Ta _c (n = 1) = g(n), where g(n) is a function corresponding to the solution for the narrow gap approximation.Theoretical predictions have been compared with experimental results for pseudoplastic liquids. In the range of the radius ratio R _i /R _o > 0.6 the theoretical stability limit is in good agreement with the experiments, however, for R _i /R _o < 0.6, the critical Taylor number is considerably lower than predicted by theory.