Infinitely Many Contact Process Transitions on a Tree

We continue our study of the ergodic behavior of the contact process on infinite connected graphs of bounded degree. Examples are provided of trees on which, as the infection parameter increases, complete convergence alternates between holding and failing infinitely many times.     

Existence results for dynamic adhesive contact of a rod

The existence and uniqueness of the weak solution to the model for the dynamics of a viscoelastic rod which is in adhesive contact with an obstacle is established. The model consists of a hyperbolic equation for the vibrations of the rod coupled with a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) for the evolution of the bonding function. The model allows for failure, i.e., complete debonding, in finite time. The existence of the weak solution is established by using an existence result for ODEs and the Schauder fixed-point theorem. The limit of an elastic rod when the viscosity vanishes is studied, too.     

Numerical study on flanging and spring-back of stamped thick metal plate

A quasi-three-dimensional shell element model, which can be effectively used to simulate the flanging and spring-back deformation, is introduced into the independently developed CAE software, KMAS. In this model, a double surface contact algorithm, which allows the gap between punch and die to change, and a spring-back treatment scheme based on finite element meshing are described. And then the flanging and spring-back deformations of the retractor's kickstand of a railcar made of stamped thick metal plate are numerically simulated. The simulation results of flanging deformation are compared with those of international commercial software, PAM-STAMP, and experimental ones. Finally, a predicting scheme of spring-back quantily for this problem is given. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 19832020) and the Ministry of Education of China.     

Contact Interaction Between a Laminated Shell of Revolution and a Rigid or Elastic Foundation

A method is proposed to solve the contact problem for laminated anisotropic shells of revolution. The method is based on a two-dimensional model that accounts for transverse shears and reduction. Also the method is based on the method of successive approximations, the generalized pseudo-force method, and a numerical-analytical method of solving boundary-value problems. The results obtained for a cylindrical shell of complex thickness structure are compared with those obtained in three-dimensional formulation__________Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 68–75, May 2005.     

Fatigue resistance of plasma-sprayed CrC-NiCr cermet coatings in rolling contact

The aim of this paper was to address the fatigue behavior and failure modes of plasma-sprayed CrC-NiCr cermet coatings in rolling contact under the identical tribological conditions of contact stress at room temperature. For all tests, the thicknesses of the coatings were controlled to be about 100 μm. Thirteen rolling contact tests were performed to obtain the statistical result. The Weibull distribution plot of fatigue-life data of the coating specimens was obtained. The failure modes and mechanisms of the coatings were studied on the basis of the worn surface observations of the failed coatings. Experiment results showed that the RCF life data of the coatings exhibited high scattering, since the bimodal distribution of the fatigue-life data of the coatings was observed in the Weibull plot. Different failure modes named as spalling and delamination were observed during this investigation. However, the failure modes might be associated with the microstructure and the bonding strength of the coating, and the distribution of shear stress at the subsurface. The coatings failed in the spalling generally exhibited the relatively high fatigue lives and the coatings failed in the delamination exhibited low lives, resulting in the bimodal distribution of the fatigue-life data in the Weibull plot.     

Stability of droplets and channels on homogeneous and structured surfaces

Wetting of structured or imprinted surfaces which leads to a variety of different morphologies such as droplets, channels or thin films is studied theoretically using the general framework of surface or interface thermodynamics. The first variation of the interfacial free energy leads to the well-known Laplace equation and a generalized Young equation which involves spatially dependent interfacial tensions. Furthermore, we perform the second variation of the free energy for arbitrary surface patterns and arbitrary shape of the wetting morphology in order to derive a new and general stability criterion. The latter criterion is then applied to cylindrical segments or channels on homogeneous and structured surfaces. Received 4 August 1999     

Exact solution of external tangential contact problem for a transversely isotropic elastic half-space

Summary  The following mixed boundary-value problem for a transversely isotropic elastic half-space is considered. Arbitrary tangential displacements are prescribed at the exterior of a circle, while the interior of the circle is free of tangential stress, and the normal stress vanishes all over the boundary. The governing integral equation is solved exactly, in closed form, and in terms of elementary functions. The method of continuation of solutions previously published by the author has been used here. Several examples are considered. No similar results has been reported before, even in the case of an isotropic body. Received 8 May 2000; accepted for publication 20 July 2000     

A note on the contact angle boundary condition for Monge-Ampère equations

We give a simple proof of a result of Xinan Ma concerning a necessary condition for the solvability of the two-dimensional Monge-Ampère equation subject to the contact angle or capillarity boundary condition. Our technique works for more general Monge-Ampère equations in any dimension, and also extends to some other boundary conditions.

     

Reversible stopping (“switching”) implies super contact

This note shows that the second derivative of the value function exists (across a stopping threshold, short “super contact”) if reversibly stopping and entering involves no cost, called “switching”. This holds for discrete (real option) as well as for continuous stochastic control problems and proves particularly suitable in real option set ups since it provides the lacking boundary condition. However, super contact does not hold in dynamic games. A simple example documents the applicability of this condition. This paper was written during my visit of the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and I am grateful for the hospitality of and the stimulus at the School of Finance and Economics, in particular to Carl Chiarella. I also acknowledge many helpful discussions with Thomas Dangl on related issues, valuable suggestions from a referee and last but not least encouragement by Josef Kallrath     

A compact high‐order HLL solver for nonlinear hyperbolic systems

We present a new finite‐volume method for calculating complex flows on non‐uniform meshes. This method is designed to be highly compact and to accurately capture all discontinuities that may arise within the solution of a nonlinear hyperbolic system. In the first step, we devise a fourth‐degree Hermite polynomial to interpolate the solution. The coefficients defining this polynomial are calculated by using a least‐square method. To introduce monotonicity conditions within the procedure, two constraints are added into the least‐square system. Those constraints are derived by locally matching the high‐order Hermite polynomial with a low‐order TVD polynomial. To emulate these constraints only in regions of discontinuities, data‐depending weights are defined; these weights are based upon normalized indicators of smoothness of the solution and are parameterized by an O(1) quantity. The reconstruction so generated is highly compact and is fifth‐order accurate when the solution is smooth; this reconstruction becomes first order in regions of discontinuities. In the second step, this reconstruction is inserted in an HLL approximate Riemann solver. This solver is designed to correctly capture all discontinuities that may arise into the solution. To this aim, we introduce the contribution of a possible contact discontinuity into the HLL Riemann solver. Thus, a spatially fifth‐order non‐oscillatory method is generated. This method evolves in time the solution and its first derivative. In a one‐dimensional context, a linear spectral analysis and extensive numerical experiments make it possible to assess the robustness and the advantages of the method in computing multi‐scale problems with embedded discontinuities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.