Elastic–plastic cube model for ultrasonic friction reduction via Poisson's effect

Ultrasonic friction reduction has been studied experimentally and theoretically. This paper presents a new elastic–plastic cube model which can be applied to various ultrasonic lubrication cases. A cube is used to represent all the contacting asperities of two surfaces. Friction force is considered as the product of the tangential contact stiffness and the deformation of the cube. Ultrasonic vibrations are projected onto three orthogonal directions, separately changing contact parameters and deformations. Hence, the overall change of friction forces. Experiments are conducted to examine ultrasonic friction reduction using different materials under normal loads that vary from 40 N to 240 N. Ultrasonic vibrations are generated both in longitudinal and vertical (out-of-plane) directions by way of the Poisson effect. The tests show up to 60% friction reduction; model simulations describe the trends observed experimentally.     

Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part II—Considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone

The present paper presents the researches succeeding the first part of the paper [Y.B. Zhang, Analytical Solution to A Mode of Mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with Mixed Contact Regimes: Part I—Without Consideration of Contact Adhering Layer in the Inlet Zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol.117, (10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.006)], which analyzed one mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes for the relatively heavy load and low rolling speed which make the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication occur in the inlet zone while make the physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication occur in the Hertzian zone, based on the Newtonian fluid model. The present paper presents analysis to other two modes of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes for relatively heavy loads, low rolling speeds and Newtonian fluids, where the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication, physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication and oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication can simultaneously occur in the inlet zone while the oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication or the fresh metal-oxidized chemical boundary layer dry contact occur in the Hertzian zone, considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone. The present analysis is also extended to the first mode of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes as analyzed in Part I [Y.B. Zhang, Analytical Solution to A Mode of Mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with Mixed Contact Regimes: Part I—Without Consideration of Contact Adhering Layer in the Inlet Zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol.117, (10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.006)] when the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone is considered. Results of contact pressures, film thicknesses, load partitions in the contact and characteristic rolling speeds for approaching to zero averaged hydrodynamic film thickness in the Hertzian zone are obtained from this analysis respectively as functions of the contact adhering layer thickness in the inlet zone. The results show that the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone in the present EHL is reduced with the increase of load; At large loads, this effect may be negligible; At small loads, it may be very significant. The results also show that at low rolling speeds, when the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone is considered, the load-carrying capacity of the present EHL contact is increased especially for small loads. This means that at low rolling speeds the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone may reduce the elastohydrodynamic lubrication deviation from classical EHL theory predictions especially for small loads.     

Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part I. Without consideration of contact adhering layer in the inlet zone

In 2005, Zhang presented a Grubin-like inlet zone analysis to the isothermal line contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication under relatively heavy loads when the hydrodynamic film thickness in the Hertzian zone approaches zero and the EHL fluid is Newtonian [Zhang, Y.B. A justification of the load-carrying capacity of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film based on the Newtonian fluid model. Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, 2005, Vol. 57, pp. 224–232]. His results showed that in this EHL, when the rolling speed is lower than the characteristic rolling speed (U_ch =) 0.0372W^1.50/G, the Hertzian zone is in physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication while the inlet zone is in conventional hydrodynamic lubrication. This mode of EHL represents a mode of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes, where hydrodynamic films with different rheological behaviors occur in different areas of the contact. The present paper presents an analysis to this mode of mixed EHL by using the Grubin type method when the contact adhering layer in the inlet zone is neglected. Pressures, film thicknesses and load partition in the contact are obtained from this analysis. It is also found that the formula for the characteristic rolling speed U_ch = 0.0372W^1.50/G obtained by Zhang [Zhang, Y.B. A justification of the load-carrying capacity of elastohydrodynamic lubrication film based on the Newtonian fluid model. Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, 2005, Vol. 57, pp. 224–232] may be valid for the dimensionless load W > 1.0E−7, while it may be invalid for the dimensionless load W < 1.0E−8. In part II [Zhang, Y.B. Analytical solution to a mode of mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication with mixed contact regimes: Part II. Considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2006, Vol. 117. (doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2006.04.007)] will be presented an analysis to other two modes of mixed EHL with mixed contact regimes for relatively heavy loads, low rolling speeds and Newtonian fluids, where the conventional hydrodynamic lubrication, physical adsorbed layer boundary lubrication and oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication can simultaneously occur in the inlet zone while the oxidized chemical layer boundary lubrication or the fresh metal-oxidized chemical boundary layer dry contact occur in the Hertzian zone, considering the contact adhering layer effect in the inlet zone.     

MAP kinase cascades regulating axon regeneration in C. elegans

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades are activated by diverse stimuli such as growth factors, cytokines, neurotransmitters and various types of cellular stress. Our evolving understanding of these signal cascades has been facilitated by genetic analyses and physiological characterization in model organisms such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetic and biochemical studies in C. elegans have shed light on the physiological roles of MAPK cascades in the control of cell fate decision, neuronal function and immunity. Recently it was demonstrated that MAPK signaling is also important for axon regeneration in C. elegans, and the use of C. elegans as a model system has significantly advanced our understanding of the largely conserved molecular mechanisms underlying axon regeneration. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role and regulation of MAPK signaling in C. elegans axon regeneration.     

Structural optimization for the avoidance of self-excited vibrations based on analytical models

Self-excited vibrations are a severe problem in many technical applications. In many cases they are caused by friction as for example in disk and drum brakes, clutches, saws and paper calenders. The goal to suppress self-excited vibrations can be reached by active and passive techniques, the latter ones being preferable due to the lower costs. Among design engineers it is known that breaking the symmetries of structures is sometimes helpful to avoid self-excited vibrations. This has been verified from an analytical point of view in a recent paper. The goal of the present paper is to use this analytical insight for a systematic structural optimization of rotors in frictional contact. The first system investigated is a simple discrete model of a rotor in frictional contact. As a continuous example a rotating beam in frictional contact is considered and optimized with respect to its bending stiffness. Finally a brake disk is optimized giving some attention to the feasibility of the modifications for the production process.     

Immunochemistry of pathogenic yeast, Candida species, focusing on mannan

This review describes recent findings based on structural and immunochemical analyses of the cell wall mannan of Candida albicans, and other medically important Candida species. Mannan has been shown to consist of α-1,2-, α-1,3-, α-1,6-, and β-1,2-linked mannopyranose units with few phosphate groups. Each Candida species has a unique mannan structure biosynthesized by sequential collaboration between species-specific mannosyltransferases. In particular, the β-1,2-linked mannose units have been shown to comprise a characteristic oligomannosyl side chain that is strongly antigenic. For these pathogenic Candida species, cell-surface mannan was also found to participate in the adhesion to the epithelial cells, recognition by innate immune receptors and development of pathogenicity. Therefore, clarification of the precise chemical structure of Candida mannan is indispensable for understanding the mechanism of pathogenicity, and for development of new antifungal drugs and immunotherapeutic procedures.     

Contact ratio of rough surfaces with multiple asperities in mixed lubrication at high pressures

Relative optical intensity interference was used to measure the lubrication film thickness when four kinds of polyalphaolefin (PAO) were used as lubricants confined between a smooth sapphire disc surface and a rough steel ball surface. Maximum Hertz contact pressure up to 3 GPa was applied in the central part of the contact region in mixed lubrication. It was found that the contact ratio (the ratio of real contact region to the whole nominal contact region) is related to the film thickness, the applied pressure, the surface roughness and the rolling speed, and so on. Contact ratio evidently reduces as lubrication film thickness or rolling speed increases. Quantitative relationship between the contact ratio and the influence factors was summarized based on the nonlinear fitting of experimental measurements. A formula was put forward to calculate the contact ratio at high pressure conditions according to the current experimental results.     

固体表面液滴铺展与润湿接触线的移动分析

液滴在固体表面上的铺展行为与润湿特性对许多工业生产过程的研究具有重要意义.根据液滴在光滑表面上的受力情况,建立了液滴平壁铺展的动力学模型.应用润滑近似方法和二维Navier-Stokes方程,建立了液滴沿理想表面铺展的动量和连续性方程.根据建立的方程,应用数值解法求解并详细分析了液滴在铺展过程中膜厚、接触线铺展半径以及铺展速度随时间的变化关系.研究结果表明:液滴的铺展过程可分为扩展和收缩两个阶段,铺展过程伴随着表面能、动能以及各种势能的相互转化,液滴最终的铺展半径大小由固体基面固有的润湿特性所决定;液滴在铺展过程中出现的"坍塌效应"与弯曲液面处的Laplace压力差有关;铺展半径随时间变化的标定律近似满足"1/7"次方标度律.     

Torsional vibrations of non-uniform rotating blades with attachment flexibility

The torsional vibrations of non-uniform pretwisted rotating blades are studied by using finite element methods based on both the Rayleigh-Ritz and Galerkin formulations. The apparent differences between the matrices obtained from these formulations are explained and, as obtained by using three different orders of elements, results are presented for blades with flexibly attached roots and for a non-uniform blade representative of a bearingless rotor. A parametric study is carried out to resolve a controversy regarding the relative importance of certain terms in the equations of motion of pretwisted rotating blades. In Appendix I, an exact solution is presented for the torsional vibrations of flexibly attached rotating blades with piecewise constant inertia and elastic properties, which serves as a benchmark solution for the finite element results.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of friction-induced vibration of a beam-on-beam in contact with friction

The vibrations generated by friction are responsible for various noises such as squealing, squeaking and chatter. Although these phenomena have been studied for a long time, it is not well-understood. In this study, an experimental and numerical study of friction-induced vibrations of a system composed of two beams in contact is proposed. The experimental system exhibits periodic steady state vibrations of different types. To model and understand this experimental vibratory phenomenon, complex eigenvalue and dynamic transient analyses are performed. In the linear complex eigenvalue analysis, flutter instability occurs via the coalescence of two eigenmodes of the system. This linear study provides an accurate value of the experimental frequency of vibration. To understand what happens physically during friction-induced instability, a dynamic transient analysis that takes account of the non-linear aspect of a frictional contact is performed. In this analysis, friction-induced instability is characterized by self-sustained vibrations and by stick, slip and separation zones occurring at the surface of the contact. The results stemming from this analysis show that good correlation between numerical and experimental vibrations can be obtained (in time and frequency domains). Moreover, time domain simulations permit understanding the physical phenomena involved in two different vibratory behaviours observed experimentally.     

Wave pattern motion and stick-slip limit cycle oscillation of a disc brake

This paper examines the dynamic response of a rotating squealing disc brake subject to distributed nonlinear contact stresses where two brake pads are assumed to be stationary and rigid. The friction stresses produce high-frequency vibrations that exhibit standing or traveling waves on the disc surface. The wave pattern resulting from the binary flutter mechanism of one transverse doublet mode pair is studied here. The results show that the wave pattern is associated with mode-coupling character. For a steady-squealing mode, the stick zone of the contact area is determined by a smooth friction-velocity curve having both negative and positive slopes.     

四角对称晶场中4B1(3d3)态离子的磁相互作用及其自旋哈密顿参量研究

基于完全对角化方法，研究了⁴B₁(3d³)态 离子在四角对称晶场中的磁相互作用，分析了自旋哈密顿参量(b⁰₂, g_∥, g_⊥ , Δg)的微观起源.结果表明 ：在被考虑的大部分晶场区域，人们通常考虑的SO(spin-orbit)磁相互作用的贡献最为重要 ；然而，对于零场分裂参量b⁰₂而言，来自其他机理(包 括SS(spin-orbit)，SOO(sp in-other-orbit)，SO-SS-SOO)的贡献在大部分晶场区域超过了20％；在部分晶场区域，其 他机理的贡献甚至超过SO机理的贡献.详细地分析了Macfarlane 零场分裂参量b^{0₂ 近似三阶微扰理论的收敛性，结果表明：该理论在大部分晶场区域收敛性较差.讨论了3d3}态离子第一激发态²E_g分裂的微观起源.并利用 群论方法解 释了在C_4v和C_3v对称晶场中²E_{g< /sub>态分裂的不同机理. 关键词： 4B1(3d³)态离子')" href="#">⁴B1(3d³)态离子 磁相互作用 自旋哈密 顿参量 完全对角化方法(CDM) 微扰理论方法(PTM)}     

Chaotic torsional vibration of imbalanced shaft driven by a limited power supply

In this paper, torsional vibrations of imbalanced shaft driven by a limited power supply are studied. It is shown that mutual interaction of shaft and power supply may in particular result in chaotic self-oscillations that correspond to the strange attractors in the phase space of the coupled dynamical system “shaft–power supply”. In this particular model, strange attractors represent classical Lorenz and Feigenbaum attractors. Rotation characteristic of the power supply and resonance characteristic of the shaft rotational motion in one of the resonance zones are studied. It is shown that at certain intervals, these characteristics may be non-unique, which corresponds to the case of chaotic dynamics. Such non-trivial properties of the coupled system “shaft–power supply” could be used for a better understanding of complex vibrational phenomena in real applied systems such as problems related to the damping of the torsional vibrations.     

Integrated receiver architectures for board-to-board free-space optical interconnects

In many computer and server communications copper cables and wires are currently being used for data transmission and interconnects. However, due to significant shortcomings, such as long transmission time, high noise level, unstable electrical properties, and high power consumption for cooling, researchers are increasingly turning their research interests toward alternatives, such as fiber optic interconnects and free-space optical communication technologies. In this paper, we present design considerations for an integrated receiver for high-speed free-space line-of-sight optical interconnects for distortion-free data transmission in an environment with mechanical vibrations and air turbulences. The receiver consists of an array of high-speed photodiodes for data communication and an array of quadrant photodiodes for real-time beam tracking in order to compensate for the beam misalignment caused by vibrations in servers. Different configurations for spatially positioning the quadrant and data photodiodes are discussed for 4×4 and 9×9 multielement optical detector arrays. We also introduce a new beam tracking device, termed the strip quadrant photodiodes, in order to accurately track highly focused optical beams with very small beam diameter.     

Non-linear control of torsional and bending vibrations of oilwell drillstrings

Drillstring dynamics is highly non-linear in nature and its model can only be described by a set of non-linear differential equations. In addition to this complexity, the drillstring dynamics are not linearly controllable and thus linear control methods are not suitable for suppressing the coupled torsional and lateral vibrations of a rotating drillstring. In this paper a non-linear dynamic inversion control design method is used to suppress the lateral and the torsional vibrations of a non-linear drillstring. It was found that the designed controller is effective in suppressing the torsional vibrations and reducing the lateral vibrations significantly.     

Molecular and genomic characterization of pathogenic traits of group A Streptococcus pyogenes

Group A streptococcus (GAS) or Streptococcus pyogenes causes various diseases ranging from self-limiting sore throat to deadly invasive diseases. The genome size of GAS is 1.85–1.9 Mb, and genomic rearrangement has been demonstrated. GAS possesses various surface-associated substances such as hyaluronic capsule, M proteins, and fibronectin/laminin/immunoglobulin-binding proteins. These are related to the virulence and play multifaceted and mutually reflected roles in the pathogenesis of GAS infections. Invasion of GAS into epithelial cells and deeper tissues provokes immune and non-immune defense or inflammatory responses including the recruitment of neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells in hosts. GAS frequently evades host defense mechanisms by using its virulence factors. Extracellular products of GAS may perturb cellular and subcellular functions and degrade tissues enzymatically, which leads to the aggravation of local and/or systemic disorders in the host. In this review, we summarize some important cellular and extracellular substances that may affect pathogenic processes during GAS infections, and the host responses to these.     

Bifurcations and chaos in register transitions of excised larynx experiments

Experimental data from an excised larynx are analyzed in the light of nonlinear dynamics. The excised larynx provides an experimental framework that enables artificial control and direct observation of the vocal fold vibrations. Of particular interest in this experiment is the coexistence of two distinct vibration patterns, which closely resemble chest and falsetto registers of the human voice. Abrupt transitions between the two registers are typically accompanied by irregular vibrations. Two approaches are presented for the modeling of the excised larynx experiment; one is the nonlinear predictive modeling of the experimental time series and the other is the biomechanical modeling (three-mass model) that takes into account basic mechanisms of the vocal fold vibrations. The two approaches show that the chest and falsetto vibrations correspond to two coexisting limit cycles, which jump to each other with a change in the bifurcation parameter. Irregular vibrations observed at the register jumps are due to chaos that exists near the two limit cycles. This provides an alternative mechanism to generate chaotic vibrations in excised larynx experiment, which is different from the conventionally known mechanisms such as strong asymmetry between the left and right vocal folds or excessively high subglottal pressure.     

Investigating generation mechanisms of tyre/road noise by speed exponent analysis

The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of air-pumping related noise sources on typical tyre/road noise. The aim is to increase the understanding of noise generation mechanisms and catalyse the development of existing tyre/road noise simulation tools. The speed dependency of measured and simulated tyre/road noise is analysed and the results show that a large part of the noise can be explained by a high speed exponent traditionally connected with air-pumping mechanisms. Surprisingly, this is also the case for rough road surfaces which are expected to mainly generate noise by tyre vibrations. It is also found that vehicle wind noise may have a strong influence on the pass-by noise and care must be taken when analysing measurement data of quiet tyre/road combinations. Even simulated tyre/road noise shows higher speed exponents than what is anticipated without the inclusion of any type of air-pumping mechanism in the model. It is concluded that it is unfeasible to separate noise created by tyre vibrations from noise created by air-pumping with a speed exponent analysis due to the overlap in the speed exponents connected with the different generation mechanisms.     

A method for determining the contribution of an individual source to the vibrational and acoustic field of complex mechanical structures

A calculation-experimental method is presented for determining the contribution of individual mechanisms to the vibrational and acoustic field of complex structures. The method is based on measuring vibrations in a set of points on the vibration energy propagation path from an operating mechanism, as well as on the subsequent calculation of the dynamic forces and external field using a numerical model of the structure. Experimental implementation of the method has shown that the contribution of an individual mechanism can be evaluated with high accuracy, including in the presence of vibrations at its base induced by external sources, the magnitude of which may significantly exceed the eigenvibrations of the mechanism.