A penalization method applied to the wave equation

In this Note we investigate the mathematical properties of the volume penalization method applied to the one-dimensional wave equation. Generally speaking, the penalization method allows one to handle complex geometries by simply adding a term to the equation to impose the boundary conditions. We study the convergence of the method with regards to the penalization parameter and we present error and stability analyses for the wave equation. Numerical simulations using a finite difference scheme illustrate the results. To cite this article: A. Paccou et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

A novel implicit method for coastal hydrodynamics modeling: application to the Arcachon lagoon

The present Note reports on numerical modeling of shallow flows in coastal areas. Successful numerical simulations of such flows should be able to cope with strong irregularities of the bathymetry and to reproduce the covering/uncovering (wetting/drying) of tidal flats due to the tidal oscillations of the free surface. Also, adoption of large time steps is necessary to simulate phenomena which last actually several days or months. In the present study, a new numerical model based on an implicit resolution of the shallow water equations is proposed. A penalty method has been employed for numerical treatment of dry zones emerging during the wetting and drying processes. The capability of the present model has been verified by comparison with standard test cases. Further applications and comparisons have been also carried out to simulate the tidal propagation in the Arcachon lagoon. To cite this article: A. Le Dissez et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

On the cavitation problem and the influence of the surface energy in a viscoplastic medium

In this Note, the solution for spherically symmetric cavitation in a viscoplastic material is analysed. To ensure of the reality of the physical behaviour of the material, the problem is studied by considering a hollow sphere whose matrix obeys to a modified Bodner and Partom model. This local phenomenon is understood in the sense of the rapid growth of a pre-existing void and a particular attention is made to understand the influence of the surface energy on the critical dilative stress. To cite this article: F. Zaïri et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Recent progress in the moving contact line problem: a review

As pointed out long ago by Laplace, viscosity may become a large perturbation to capillary phenomena, especially close to solid surfaces where molecules may stick. A spectacular consequence of this is the impossibility for a triple line to move on a solid if the liquid/vapor interface is considered as a material surface and if the usual no slip boundary condition is enforced. As shown recently this specific phenomenon of contact line motion can be described by coupled van der Waals and fluid equations, yielding a rational theory that is divergence free and consistent with the equilibrium results. Far from the triple line, the equations of fluid mechanics are recovered in their usual form. In this approach, the contact line move close to the solid by evaporation or condensation, which requires (for evaporation) the molecules to jump above a high potential barrier on their way from the liquid to the vapor. An Arrhenius factor makes this process intrinsically slow, compared to molecular speeds. For (realistic) very small Arrhenius factors, the motion of the triple line induces a dynamical change of the functions in the van der Waals equations. This may lead to dynamical wetting and dewetting transitions, that is, to a change of the contact angle from a finite to a zero value or conversely. The dynamical wetting transition has been observed in liquids flowing down a plate (see Blake and Ruschak, Nature 282 (1979) 489–491) cusps on the contact line appear when it recedes faster than the speed of transition. Similar ideas account well also for the known sensitivity of contact line mobility to vapor pressure. To cite this article: Y. Pomeau, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 207–222.     

On the relation between the global modes and the spectra of drag and lift in periodic wake flowsSur la relation entre les modes globaux et les spectres des forces hydrodynamiques dans un sillage périodique

In this Note we are interested in the relation between the symmetry properties of the global mode envelopes in wake flows and the spectra of the drag and lift forces. We consider the “impulse” formula for the hydrodynamic force and show that the drag force consists of contributions from the even harmonics, and the lift force of contributions from the odd harmonics, only. Our argument explains this well-known empirical fact and is also supported by the computational evidence we provide. Finally, we identify the unsteady wake flows, both controlled and uncontrolled, as belonging to a broader family of “streaming flows”. To cite this article: B. Protas, J.E. Wesfreid, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

A dissipation-based control method for the multi-scale modelling of quasi-brittle materials

Multi-scale models based on computational homogenisation are nowadays developed for the simulation of complex material behaviour. The use of homogenisation techniques on finite-sized representative volume elements in the presence of quasi-brittle damage may lead to the presence of snap-backs in the macroscopic material response. A methodology to simulate this type of response in the multi-scale technique is proposed, based on the control of the dissipation at the mesoscopic scale. To cite this article: T.J. Massart et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

On the selective silica application to improve welding performance of the tungsten arc process for a plain carbon steel and for aluminiumAmélioration des performances du procédé de soudage TIG sur un acier au carbone et un alliage d'aluminium par dépôt de silice

This Note presents ways to improve the weld penetration potential of TIG process by optimising silica application around the joints in a plain carbon steel and an aluminium alloy 5086. Whereas for plain carbon steels, full coverage of joint improves penetration, the presence of a blank zone around the joint in the flux coating on aluminium 5086 using AC-TIG seems to be the best solution for cosmetic and deep welds. To cite this article: S. Sire, S. Marya, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 83–89.     

On the Planck scale and properties of matter

Invariant and long-lived physical properties and structures of matter are modeled by intrinsic rotations in three and four degrees of freedom. The rotations are quantized starting from the Planck scale by using a nonlinear 1/r potential and period doubling—a common property of nonlinear dynamical systems. The absolute values given by the scale-independent model fit closely with observations in a wide range of scales. A comparison is made between the values calculated from the model and the properties of the basic elementary particles, particle processes, planetary systems, and other physical phenomena. The model also shows that the perceived forces can be divided into two categories: (1) force is always attractive, like in gravitation and (2) force is attractive or repulsive, like in electrostatics. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Une méthode de calcul des coefficients de réflexion et de transmission d'une houle bidimensionnelle en milieu confinéA new method for the calculation of transmission and reflection coefficients for water waves in a small basin

This paper presents a method to estimate reflected and transmitted wave amplitude spectra in a bounded domain such as a wave tank, when available data signals must be shortened due to interferences and wall effects. This paper extends the well known Goda and Suzuki two-probe method to three probes. The paper also suggests solutions to compute reliable transmission and reflection coefficients in spite of problems linked to higher harmonics and to the interference between different wave trains propagating in the tank. To cite this article: G. Duclos, A.H. Clément, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

First order models and closure of the mass conservation equation in the mathematical theory of vehicular traffic flow

This article deals with a review and critical analysis of first order hydrodynamic models of vehicular traffic flow obtained by the closure of the mass conservation equation. The closure is obtained by phenomenological models suitable to relate the local mean velocity to local density profiles. Various models are described and critically analyzed in the deterministic and stochastic case. The analysis is developed in view of applications of the models to traffic flow simulations for networks of roads. Some research perspectives are derived from the above analysis and proposed in the last part of the paper. To cite this article: N. Bellomo, V. Coscia, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Asymptotics at infinity of solutions to the Neumann problem in a sieve-type layerComportement asymptotique à l'infini d'un problème de Neumann dans une couche perforée

The Neumann problem is considered in a domain $\text{Ω}$, which can differ from a periodic layer inside a compact set. We prove the Fredholm property of the corresponding operator in step-weighted Sobolev spaces and determine its kernel and cokernel. All these results are based on the obtained asymptotic representation of solutions at infinity. To cite this article: S.A. Nazarov, G. Thäter, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

An adaptation of the low Mach number approximation for supercritical fluid buoyant flows

This Note describes an acoustic filtering of the equations governing the supercritical fluid buoyant flow driven by a weak heating. The resulting low Mach number approximation takes into account the compressibility of the fluid with respect to the hydrostatic pressure. Using the direct numerical simulation of a supercritical fluid flow in the Rayleigh–Bénard configuration, we show that the density stratification may be taken into account without further numerical effort and is fundamental for the prediction of the convective instability threshold induced by a weak heating. To cite this article: G. Accary et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

On the stability of a Bingham fluid flow in an annular channelSur la stabilité de l'écoulement d'un fluide de Bingham dans une conduite annulaire

Linear stability of a fully developed Bingham fluid flow between two coaxial cylinders subject to infinitesimal axisymetric perturbations is investigated. The analysis leads to two uncoupled Orr–Sommerfeld equations with appropriate boundary conditions. The numerical solution is obtained using fourth order finite difference scheme. The computations were performed for various plug flow dimensions and radii ratios. Within the range of the parameters considered in this paper, the Poiseuille flow of Bingham fluid is found to be linearly stable. To cite this article: N. Kabouya, C. Nouar, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

A heat transfer measurement of jet impingement with high injection temperature

Local heat transfer from an impinging high temperature jet is studied using a method based on the heat thin foil technique and on the infrared thermography. Heat thin foil technique is used to impose several heat fluxes. For each flux, the temperature distribution is recorded using infrared imaging. Local heat transfer coefficients and adiabatic wall temperatures are determined by means of a linear regression method. This procedure is validated for a single round jet impinging on a flat plate for a range of injection temperatures. To cite this article: M. Fénot et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Influence of iterated Gram–Schmidt orthonormalization in the asymptotic numerical methodInfluence de l'orthonormalisation itérative de Gram–Schmidt dans la méthode asymptotique numérique

In this paper we discuss the influence of Gram–Schmidt orthonormalization for the computation of the rational representation in the asymptotic numerical method. Classical, modified and iterated Gram–Schmidt algorithms are compared using the ordinary and the mass scalar products. The accuracy of the proposed algorithms are tested on elastic shells. To cite this article: R. Jamai, N. Damil, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

Amortissement visqueux d'un résonateur mécanique en environnement gazeuxViscous damping of a mechanical resonator in a gaseous environment

We study dissipation phenomena due to the presence of a gaseous environment, leading to the damping of the oscillations in vibrating systems such as mechanical resonators. In the so-called “viscous” pressure region (p ranging between 10^?3 mbar and 1 bar), we suggest a simple model allowing an order of magnitude analysis of the dissipation mechanisms. This model, based on the classical form of the energy conservation equation in fluid mechanics, leads to a p^1/2 variation scale for the dissipation. In addition, we present experimental results that are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the model. To cite this article: D. Perret et al., C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

On the slow motion of a cluster of bubbles under the combined action of gravity and thermocapillarity

The slow migration of N spherical bubbles under combined buoyancy and thermocapillarity effects is investigated by appealing solely to $3N+1$ boundary-integral equations. In addition to the theory and the associated implementation strategy, preliminary numerical results are both presented and discussed for a few clusters involving 2, 3, 4 or 5 bubbles with a special attention paid to the case of rigid configurations. To cite this article: A. Sellier, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Bifurcation condition of crack pattern in the periodic rectangular array

Bifurcation condition of crack pattern in the periodic rectangular array plays an important role in determining the final failure pattern of rock material. An approximation for the critical crack size/spacing ratio is established for a uniformly growing periodic rectangular array yields to a non-uniform growing pattern of crack growth. Numerical results show that the critical crack size/spacing ratio λ_cr depends on the number of cracks, the crack spacing, the perpendicular distance between two adjacent rows, as well as the loading conditions. In general, λ_cr increases with the number of lines. It is observed that the critical crack size/spacing ratio λ_cr for the periodic rectangular array decreases with an increase in the perpendicular distance between two adjacent rows. It is clear that the critical crack size/spacing ratio λ_cr for the periodic rectangular array under shear stress increases with increasing the crack spacing.     

Effets des forces de Coriolis sur le seuil convectif stationnaire d'une couche liquide confinée en cellule de Hele–Shaw annulaire en rotationEffects of the Coriolis forces on the stationary convectif threshold of a liquid layer confined in an annular Hele–Shaw Cell in rotation

The convective instability of a horizontal liquid layer confined in an annular Hele–Shaw cell subject to a constant rotation and submitted to a centrifugal gradient of temperature is investigated. Using a linear stability analysis, we study the effects of both Coriolis forces and curvature aspect on the stationary convective threshold when the Prandtl number is of the order of unity or larger than unity. We show that the Coriolis forces have a stabilizing effect, and the wave number is independent of these forces. However, a multicellular regime in the radial direction is observed for small Ekman numbers. The results related to the influence of the curvature are also shown. To cite this article: S. Ramezani et al., C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 633–640.     

Truth: non-additive measures for the determination of relative density of sands using CPT measurements

In this Note, a fuzzy-integral based approach is developed for aggregating some of the available correlations that are commonly used for determining relative density $D_r$, from cone penetration test (CPT) data, in which non-additive measures are used as fuzzy measures to relate the actual compressibility measured by the friction ratio of sands to the base correlations. The results of the case studied show that fuzzy measures and the fuzzy integral can be utilized for a new approach in geo-technical engineering. To cite this article: C. Tran, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).