Control of the vortex flow around a cone with a spark discharge

A subsonic flow around a cone mounted at an angle of attack is considered. A separated flow is formed on the cone with formation of a pair of large-scale streamwise vortices arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically, depending on flow parameters. The possibility of controlling the vortex flow by means of an electric discharge is studied in experiments. It is demonstrated that the use of an electric discharge makes it possible both to transform an asymmetric flow to symmetric and to generate directed asymmetry. Controlling the flow asymmetry, in turn, allows the side force direction to be controlled.     

Model of a wavy flow in a falling film of a viscous liquid

A new model is developed for describing long-wave perturbations in a falling film of a viscous liquid. The model is based on an integral approach and an expansion of the velocity profile into a series in linearly independent basis functions of a boundary-value problem. A linear analysis of film flow stability is performed, and dispersion dependences are obtained. Results predicted by the new model are demonstrated to be in good agreement with available experimental data on the film flow over a gently sloping surface.     

Méthode couplée CVFE/BE pour les calculs acoustiques en domaine non borné

A new method based on the flux conservation for acoustic computations in unbounded domain is presented. The domain is divided in outer and inner regions by a fictitious boundary. The inner problem is solved by a control volume finite element method while the outer flow is treated with a boundary element method. The coupling of the two sub-domains is performed using an appropriate expression for the outgoing fluxes satisfying the Sommerfeld condition. A two-dimensional configuration with a circular interface is considered to show that the method is effective. Results of this method are compared to an analytical solution and to results from the literature.     

Load-bearing capacity of curvilinear ice plates reinforced by a rigid insert

A method is developed for determining the load-bearing capacity of ice plates, which are modeled by an ideal rigid-plastic plate located on an incompressible foundation. The plate with a simply supported or clamped arbitrary smooth curvilinear contour is subjected to a load uniformly distributed over an arbitrarily shaped reinforced local central region. An analytical expression for the ultimate load is derived. A plate shaped as an ellipse is considered as an example.     

A scattering light probe for the measurement of oceanic air bubble sizes

A new optical probe has been designed, tested, calibrated and used in a bubbly two-phase flow. The probe is based on the principle of light scattering at an angle of ninety degrees from an incident laser beam. The errors inherent in such a technique are reviewed and evaluated. The calibration curve shows that the output voltage is proportional to the square of the bubble diameter. A first test is presented in a real bubbly flow produced by the action of wave-breaking in an air-sea interaction simulating facility.     

On the characterization of the pressure-sinkage relationship of snow covers containing an ice layer

Based on an analysis performed by Meyerhof and on field data obtained in two snow covers, a method for estimating the bearing capacity of an ice layer in a snow cover is proposed. A procedure for characterizing the pressure-sinkage relationship of a snow cover containing an ice layer is suggested. The objective is to provide an improved characterization of the behaviour of snow-covered terrain for the prediction of vehicle mobility.     

On nonlocal rate-independent plasticity

A nonlocal rate-independent large strain theory for elastic-plastic bodies consistent with thermodynamic theory is derived. The theory is based on a strain space formulation, where plastic strain is regarded as a primitive variable, characterised by an appropriate constitutive equation for its rate. Stress and free energy are assumed to be functions of a set of nonlocal variables, constructed from a collection of basic state functions, constituted by strain, plastic strain and a scalar measure of strain hardening. A yield function is introduced depending on the same set of independent, nonlocal variables. Yield criteria, flow rules, and loading conditions are formulated. The consistency condition is not, as in local theory, expressed by an algebraic equation, but by an integral equation defined throughout the region of plastic loading.     

Active cancellation of artificially introduced Tollmien–Schlichting waves using plasma actuators

In the present work artificially excited Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves were cancelled using plasma actuators operated in pulsed mode. In order to achieve this a vibrating surface driven by an electromagnetic turbulator was flush mounted in a flat plate to excite the TS waves. These were amplified by an adverse pressure gradient induced by an insert on the upper wall of the test section. A control plasma actuator positioned downstream of the excitation actuator attenuates the waves by imparting an unsteady force into the boundary layer to counteract the oscillation. As a result the amplitude of the velocity fluctuations at the excitation frequency is reduced significantly depending on the distance from the wall. A parameter study was performed to identify the influence of several operation parameters of the control actuator.     

Modified boundary layer analysis of an electrode in an electrostrictive material

A thin electrode embedded in an electrostrictive material under electric loading is investigated. In order to obtain an asymptotic form of electric fields and elastic fields near the electrode edge, we consider a modified boundary layer problem of an electrode in an electrostrictive material under the small scale saturation condition. The exact electric solution for the electrode is obtained by using the complex function theory. It is found that the shape of the electric displacement saturation zone is sensitive to the transverse electric displacement. A perturbation solution of stress fields induced by incompatible electrostrictive strains for the small value of the transverse electric displacement is obtained. The influence of transverse electric displacement on a microcrack initiation from the electrode edge is also discussed.     

Two new optical techniques to measure strain

A grating engraved on the surface to be analyzed is utilized to measure strain. The grating is illuminated by a monochromatic, plane wavefront. A lens produces the diffraction spectrum of the grating, and an opaque screen is located in the plane of the spectrum. A window allows a single diffraction order to go through the screen. Two techniques are presented. In the point-by-point technique, the illuminating wavefront is reduced to a very small area. Behind the window a light sensor detects the changes of light intensity that are produced by loading the specimen. In the field technique, an image of the specimen is produced, and the light sensor is located in the image plane. In both cases, changes of light intensity are related to strains. Using crossed gratings, a rosette strain gage is obtained. Examples of application of both techniques are presented, showing a very good agreement between the strains measured by the proposed methods and by independent means.     

Non-Fourier heat conduction by axisymmetric thermal waves in an infinite solid medium

The non-stationary heat conduction in an infinite solid medium internally bounded by an infinitely long cylindrical surface is considered. A uniform and time- dependent temperature is prescribed on the boundary surface. An analytical solution of the hyperbolic heat conduction equation is obtained. The solution describes the wave nature of the temperature field in the geometry under consideration. A detailed analysis of the cases in which the temperature imposed on the boundary surface behaves as a square pulse or as an exponentially decaying pulse is provided. The evolution of the temperature field in the case of hyperbolic heat conduction is compared with that obtained by solving Fourier's equation. Received on 28 January 1998     

Interaction of an Ellipsoidal Inclusion with an Elliptic Crack in an Elastic Medium

An approach is considered to how to allow for the interaction between an ellipsoidal heterogeneity (inclusion) and an elliptic crack in an elastic medium. Using the superposition of perturbed stress states, the boundary conditions are satisfied on the ellipsoidal surface by the method of equivalent inclusion and on the crack surface by the least-squares method. A numerical analysis is carried out. Typical mechanical effects are revealed. In the calculations, the stress state near the ellipsoidal heterogeneity is approximated by a polynomial of the second degree in Cartesian coordinates, whereas the load on the crack surface is simulated by a polynomial of the fourth degree in Cartesian coordinates. In particular cases, the results are in good agreement with the data obtained by other authors     

Fluid trajectory evaluation based on an ensemble-averaged cross-correlation in time-resolved PIV

A novel multi-frame particle image velocimetry (PIV) method, able to evaluate a fluid trajectory by means of an ensemble-averaged cross-correlation, is introduced. The method integrates the advantages of the state-of-art time-resolved PIV (TR-PIV) methods to further enhance both robustness and dynamic range. The fluid trajectory follows a polynomial model with a prescribed order. A set of polynomial coefficients, which maximizes the ensemble-averaged cross-correlation value across the frames, is regarded as the most appropriate solution. To achieve a convergence of the trajectory in terms of polynomial coefficients, an ensemble-averaged cross-correlation map is constructed by sampling cross-correlation values near the predictor trajectory with respect to an imposed change of each polynomial coefficient. A relation between the given change and corresponding cross-correlation maps, which could be calculated from the ordinary cross-correlation, is derived. A disagreement between computational domain and corresponding physical domain is compensated by introducing the Jacobian matrix based on the image deformation scheme in accordance with the trajectory. An increased cost of the convergence calculation, associated with the nonlinearity of the fluid trajectory, is moderated by means of a V-cycle iteration. To validate enhancements of the present method, quantitative comparisons with the state-of-arts TR-PIV methods, e.g., the adaptive temporal interval, the multi-frame pyramid correlation and the fluid trajectory correlation, were carried out by using synthetically generated particle image sequences. The performances of the tested methods are discussed in algorithmic terms. A high-rate TR-PIV experiment of a flow over an airfoil demonstrates the effectiveness of the present method. It is shown that the present method is capable of reducing random errors in both velocity and material acceleration while suppressing spurious temporal fluctuations due to measurement noise.     

Direct 2D simulation of small gas bubble clusters: from the expansion step to the equilibrium state

A numerical strategy, based on an adaptive finite element method, is proposed for the direct two‐dimensional simulation of the expansion of small clusters of gas bubbles within a Newtonian liquid matrix. The velocity and pressure fields in the liquid are first defined through the Stokes equations and are subsequently extended to the gas bubbles. The liquid–gas coupling is imposed through the stress exerted on the liquid by gas pressure (ruled by an ideal gas law) and by surface tension. A level set method, combined with a mesh adaptation technique, is used to track liquid–gas interfaces. Many numerical simulations are presented. The single bubble case allows to compare the simulations to an analytical model. Simulations of the expansion of small clusters are then presented showing the interaction and evolution of the gas bubbles to an equilibrium state, involving topological rearrangements induced by Plateau's rule. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Problem of equilibrium of the timoshenko plate containing a crack on the boundary of an elastic inclusion with an infinite shear rigidity

A problem of equilibrium of a composite plate consisting of a matrix and an elastic inclusion with a through crack along the boundary of this inclusion is studied. The matrix deformation is described by the Timoshenko model, and the elastic inclusion deformation is described by the Kirchhoff-Love model. Conditions of mutual non-penetration of the crack edges are imposed on the curve that describes the crack. Unique solvability of the variational problem is proved. A system of boundary conditions on the curve bounding (in the mid-plane) the elastic inclusion is obtained. A differential formulation of the problem equivalent to the initial variational formulation is given.     

NON-INTERIOR SMOOTHING ALGORITHM FOR FRICTIONAL CONTACT PROBLEMS

A new algorithm for solving the three-dimensional elastic contact problem with friction is presented. The algorithm is a non-interior smoothing algorithm based on an NCP-function. The parametric variational principle and parametric quadratic programming method were applied to the analysis of three-dimensional frictional contact problem. The solution of the contact problem was finally reduced to a linear complementarity problem, which was reformulated as a system of nonsmooth equations via an NCP-function. A smoothing approximation to the nonsmooth equations was given by the aggregate function. A Newton method was used to solve the resulting smoothing nonlinear equations. The algorithm presented is easy to understand and implement. The reliability and efficiency of this algorithm are demonstrated both by the numerical experiments of LCP in mathematical way and the examples of contact problems in mechanics.     

A variational method for unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites with matrix creep

A variational method is developed for analyzing the matrix creep induced time-dependent change in fiber stress profiles in unidirectional composites. A functional of admissible profiles of fiber stress rate is presented by supposing a fiber broken in matrix as well as a fiber pulled out from matrix. The functional is shown to have the stationary function satisfying an incremental differential equation based on the shear lag assumption. Then, the stationary function is approximately determined by assuming bilinear profiles of fiber stress and a power law of matrix creep, leading to analytical solutions for the time-dependent change in fiber stress profiles. The solutions are verified on the basis of an energy balance equation and a finite difference computation. Moreover, it is shown that the solution for the fiber pull-out model agrees well with an experiment on a single carbon fiber/acrylic model composite if the initial slip at fiber/matrix interface is taken into account. In addition, the solution for the fiber breakage model is used for evaluating the characteristic time in long-term creep rupture of unidirectional composite.