Nature of the structural degradation of rail surfaces during operation

Patterns in the transformation of the structural and phase states and the defect substructure of rail surface layers up to 10 mm thick during long-term operation (gross transit tonnages of 500 and 1000 mln t) are found via optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. According to the nature of the fracture and the degree of defectiveness, three layers can be distinguished: a surface layer, a transition layer, and the base metal. It is shown that the operation of steel rails is accompanied by full fractures in surface layers up to 15 μm thick with lamellar pearlite grains and the formation of ferrite–carbide mixtures with nanosized particles. The deformation of steel increases the densities of scalar and excess dislocations, the curvature–torsion values of the crystal lattice, and the amplitudes of internal stress fields. Structural elements that can act as stress concentrators are identified.     

The effect of boundary conditions on guided wave propagation in two-dimensional models of healing bone

Guided wave propagation has recently drawn significant interest in the ultrasonic characterization of bone. In this work, we present a two-dimensional computational study of ultrasound propagation in healing bones aiming at monitoring the fracture healing process. In particular, we address the effect of fluid loading boundary conditions on the characteristics of guided wave propagation, using both time and time-frequency (t-f) signal analysis techniques, for three study cases. In the first case, the bone was assumed immersed in blood which occupied the semi-infinite spaces of the upper and lower surfaces of the plate. In the second case, the bone model was assumed to have the upper surface loaded by a 2mm thick layer of blood and the lower surface loaded by a semi-infinite fluid with properties close to those of bone marrow. The third case, involves a three-layer model in which the upper surface of the plate was again loaded by a layer of blood, whereas the lower surface was loaded by a 2mm layer of a fluid which simulated bone marrow. The callus tissue was modeled as an inhomogeneous material and fracture healing was simulated as a three-stage process. The results clearly indicate that the application of realistic boundary conditions has a significant effect on the dispersion of guided waves when compared to simplified models in which the bone's surfaces are assumed free.     

Real-time measurement of stress and damage evolution during initial lithiation of crystalline silicon

Crystalline to amorphous phase transformation during initial lithiation in (100) Si wafers is studied in an electrochemical cell with Li metal as the counter and reference electrode. During initial lithiation, a moving phase boundary advances into the wafer starting from the surface facing the lithium electrode, transforming crystalline Si into amorphous Li(x)Si. The resulting biaxial compressive stress in the amorphous layer is measured in situ, and it was observed to be ca. 0.5 GPa. High-resolution TEM images reveal a very sharp crystalline-amorphous phase boundary, with a thickness of ～1 nm. Upon delithiation, the stress rapidly reverses and becomes tensile, and the amorphous layer begins to deform plastically at around 0.5 GPa. With continued delithiation, the yield stress increases in magnitude, culminating in a sudden fracture of the amorphous layer into microfragments, and the cracks extend into the underlying crystalline Si.     

扩压叶栅端壁角区流动结构和紊流特性

三维激光多普勒测速技术测量了扩压叶栅叶片和端壁相交的角区中的流动结构和紊流特性。实验结果表明,角区中端壁附面层和叶面附面层的堆积使得叶面附面层变厚;角区内存在较强的通道涡,随流动向下游发展,通道涡核心远离叶面;在前缘产生的马蹄涡逐步消失;通道涡使得角区的紊流动能增加,并影响雷诺正应力的分布。     

Influence of the glass-to-plasma boundary layer in a t-tube on continuum radiation

A possible influence of a boundary layer between the plasma and a shock tube wall on the Paschen continuum intensities has been checked for a simple boundary-layer model. The results show that the measured continuum intensities, with a boundary layer thinner than 1 mm, may differ appreciably from intensities measured when the thickness of the boundary layer is negligible. It has also been shown that there is a temperature for every electron density when the continuum intensity is independent of the boundary-layer thickness provided it is small compared with the plasma radius.     

K9光学玻璃化学钢化技术研究

为提高K9光学玻璃在一些特殊应用领域（如高压、温度变化剧烈等）的力学性能,并保证其光学性能符合精密光学仪器要求,对K9光学玻璃进行了化学钢化技术研究。以脆性材料断裂过程微裂纹扩展理论为基础,导出化学钢化玻璃强度应力因子计算模型,分析化学钢化表面应力与表面微裂纹深度、韧性之间的关系,指出化学钢化工艺应注意的事项。通过实验研究,分析化学钢化温度和钢化时间对K9光学玻璃抗弯强度、表面应力及应力层厚度的影响,优化得出K9光学玻璃化学钢化温度为400 ℃、钢化时间为40 h。采用优化工艺,获得了表面应力为500 MPa、应力层厚度为50 μm量级及规格为220 mm×110 mm×22 mm的化学钢化K9光学玻璃样件。钢化后,样件抗弯强度提高了3.5倍以上,且表面疵病、光学鉴别率、透过率等光学性能指标未见明显变化。     

仿生射流孔形状减阻性能数值模拟及实验研究

针对横流中的侧向射流能够减小仿生射流表面摩擦阻力问题, 建立仿生射流表面模型, 利用SST k-ω湍模型对不同射流孔形状的仿生射流表面模型进行数值模拟, 并对数值模拟结果进行了实验验证. 结果表明: 当射流孔的流向长度和展向长度不变时, 3号模型的折线形射流孔减阻效果最好; 将折线形射流孔简化为圆弧形, 当r=3–5 mm时, 减阻率随着射流速度的增大而增大, 当r=4 mm时减阻效果最好, 最大减阻率为9.51%. 减阻原因: 通过射流孔向横向主流场中注入射流流体, 改变了射流表面附近边界层的流场结构, 使得边界层黏性底层厚度增加, 垂直于射流表面的法向速度梯度减小, 从而减小了壁面剪应力; 低速的射流流体被封锁在边界层内, 降低了高速流体对壁面的扫掠, 达到了减阻目的.     

Effect of T-Stress on Crack Growth Along an Interface Between Ductile and Elastic Solids

For crack growth along an interface joining an elastic-plastic solid to an elastic substrate the effect of a non-singular stress component in the crack growth direction in the elastic-plastic solid is investigated. Conditions of small scale yielding are assumed, and due to the mismatch of elastic properties across the interface the corresponding oscillating stress singularity fields are applied as boundary conditions on the outer edge of the region analysed. The fracture process is represented in terms of a cohesive zone model. It is shown that the interface fracture toughness is significantly increased by a negative T-stress in the elastic-plastic solid, while a positive T-stress in the elastic-plastic solid leads to a reduced fracture toughness.     

Stress generation during anisotropic lithiation in silicon nanopillar electrodes: A reactive force field study

Models that are developed to investigate lithiation-induced stress in high-volume-change electrodes are often based on continuum approaches with simplifying assumptions. In this work, we investigate stress generation during the first lithiation of crystalline silicon electrodes solely using atomistic simulations with chemo-mechanical fidelity. We use a 〈100〉-oriented silicon nanopillar as a model system and perform molecular statics simulations with a reactive force field. The simulation approach incorporates the key physical feature of the lithiation – anisotropic formation and migration of an atomistically-sharp phase boundary. The resulting stress fields show the development of hoop tension near the nanopillar surface, which drives surface fracture at angular sites between two adjacent {110} facets. This work links the atomic-level physics of the lithiation directly with the stress generation and accounts for the geometric effect of the sharp phase boundary.     

Visualizing shear stress in Görtler vortex flow

Shear stress distributions were obtained from velocity measurements in a concave surface boundary layer flow in the presence of Görtler vortices by means of a single hot-wire probe for several streamwise (x) locations. A set of vertical wires of 0.20 mm diameter were positioned at a distance of 10 mm upstream from the leading edge of a concave surface of radius of curvature R=1.0 m to pre-set the wavelength of the vortices so to obtain the most amplified wavelength Görtler vortices. Consequently, the wavelength of the vortices was set equal to the wire spacing and preserved downstream. In addition to the high shear regions near the wall, one positive peak at the head of the mushroom-like structures and two relatively weak negative peaks at the vicinity of the low-speed streaks are found in the iso-?u/?y contours. They are believed to be related to the formation of the inflectional point in the velocity profile across boundary layer. The occurrence of the inflection points in the spanwise distributions of streamwise velocity component u is associated with the appearance of the second peak of the ?u/?z shear near the boundary layer edge. The nonlinear effect of Görtler instability is to increase the wall shear stress, and further enhancement beyond the turbulent values is due to the presence of secondary instability.     

SiO2对多层GaN外延片热应力分布影响的仿真分析

为了研究SiO2对多层结构GaN外延片的热应力的影响,以直径d为40 mm的GaN外延片为研究对象,利用有限元分析法分别对蓝宝石/AlN/GaN和蓝宝石/SiO2/AlN/GaN这两种光阴极组件外延片表面热应力进行理论计算和仿真。在其他结构参数相同的情况下,分别分析了两种光阴极组件外延片径向和厚度方向的应力分布,分析了外延片热应力分布及影响因素。分析结果显示:在1 200 ℃的生长温度下,径向区域内的热应力分布比较均匀,厚度方向的热应力均在衬底和外延层的界面上发生突变。最后分析了外延片生长温度、蓝宝石衬底和GaN、AlN过渡层厚度对表面热应力的影响。     

On acoustic radiation by a rigid object in a fluid flow

A problem of sound radiation by an absolutely rigid object, moving with respect to the surrounding fluid, is considered on the basis of the Lighthill's equation for aerodynamic sound. An integral representation of the radiated acoustic field is utilized, where the field is characterized as the sum of three fields, generated by a volume distribution of monopoles and by distributions of monopoles and dipoles on the surface of the rigid object. It is shown that, due to a discontinuity of Lighthill's stress tensor on the rigid boundary, a layer of surface divergence of hydrodynamic stresses on the boundary must be taken into account when evaluating the volume integral over Lighthill's quadrupole sources. When the contribution of the surface divergence is included in the solution of Lighthill's equation, amplitudes of the monopole and dipole sound radiated by the rigid object are shown to depend on the potential components of the normal velocity and the pressure on the rigid surface. The obtained solution is compared with Curle's solution for this problem, which establishes that the sound radiation by a rigid object is determined by the force exerted by the object upon the fluid. Both solutions are applied to two known problems of sound scattering and radiation by a rigid sphere in variable pressure and velocity fields. It is shown that predictions based on the obtained solution are equivalent to the results known from literature, whereas Curle's solution gives predictions contradicting the known results. It is also shown that the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation, which coincides with Curle's equation for an immoveable rigid object, does not lead to the correct predictions as well.     

Reynolds number invariance of the structure inclination angle in wall turbulence

Cross correlations of the fluctuating wall-shear stress and the streamwise velocity in the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers are reported over 3 orders of magnitude change in Reynolds number. These results are obtained using hot-film and hot-wire anemometry in a wind tunnel facility, and sonic anemometers and a purpose-built wall-shear stress sensor in the near-neutral atmospheric surface layer on the salt flats of Utah's western desert. The direct measurement of fluctuating wall-shear stress in the atmospheric surface layer has not been available before. Structure inclination angles are inferred from the cross correlation results and are found to be invariant over the large range of Reynolds number. The findings justify the prior use of low Reynolds number experiments for obtaining structure angles for near-wall models in the large-eddy simulation of atmospheric surface layer flows.     

Single-phase Stefan problem in selectively absorbing medium

The thermal state of a translucent selectively absorbing medium was studied by the methods of numerical simulation at different values of the optical properties of boundaries and heat transfer from the left surface in approximation of one-phase Stefan problem. The temperature fields and densities of resultant radiation fluxes as well as the thermal state of the left boundary and dynamics of layer reduction in the melting process were analyzed. The processes of phase transition in a flat layer of selective and gray absorbing media and emitting media were compared, and their fundamental differences were shown.     

Crack–grain boundary interactions in zinc bicrystals

In polycrystalline materials that fail by transgranular cleavage, it is known that crystallographic misorientation of preferred fracture planes across grain boundaries can provide crack growth resistance; despite this, the micromechanisms associated with crack transmission across grain boundaries and their role in determining the overall fracture resistance are not well understood. Recent studies on diverse structural materials such as steels, aluminum alloys and intermetallics have shown a correlation between fracture resistance and the twist component of grain misorientation. However, the lack of control over the degree and type of misorientation in experimental studies, combined with a dearth of analytical and computational investigations that fully account for the three-dimensional nature of the problem, have precluded a systematic analysis of this phenomenon. In this study, this phenomenon was investigated through in situ crack propagation experiments across grain boundaries of controlled twist misorientation in zinc bicrystals. Extrinsic toughening mechanisms that activate upon crack stagnation at the grain boundary deter further crack propagation. The mechanical response and crack growth behavior were observed to be dependent on the twist angle, and several accommodation mechanisms such as twinning, strain localization and slip band blocking contribute to fracture resistance by competing with crack propagation. Three-dimensional finite element analyses incorporating crystal plasticity were performed on a stagnant crack at the grain boundary that provide insight into crack-tip stress and strain fields in the second grain. These analyses qualitatively capture the overall trends in mechanical response as well as strain localization around stagnant crack-tips.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of large-volume gradient-structure aluminium sheets fabricated by cyclic skin-pass rolling

Materials of a gradient structure have been shown to possess both high strength and high ductility. To date, materials of a gradient structure can only be produced in small quantities. In this paper, we report a novel ‘cyclic skin-pass rolling’ (CSPR) technique capable of producing sheets of gradient structure in large quantities. Both experimental and analytical/numerical investigations are reported. In the experiments on aluminium sheets, the outer layer was subjected to 40 passes of CSPR with a reduction ratio of 1% per pass. After CSPR, the sample surface shows an ultrafine-grained microstructure with a mean grain size of 206?nm, while the annealed microstructure is retained in the core of the sample. Compared with cold-rolled aluminium sheets fabricated with the same total reduction ratio, CSPR-processed aluminium sheets have the same yield stress but improved uniform elongation (2.4 times). The scanning electron microscopy was used to study the fracture surface, and The transmission electron microscopy to examine the microstructure near the fracture end, in order to analyse the improvement in ductility. In addition, the finite element method was used to simulate the roll-sample contact pressure and strain distribution as well as residual stress on the sheet surface during CSPR, and to better understand the mechanism leading to improvement of ductility of the sheets by the CSPR technique.     

Laser cutting silicon-glass double layer wafer with laser induced thermal-crack propagation

This study was aimed at introducing the laser induced thermal-crack propagation (LITP) technology to solve the silicon-glass double layer wafer dicing problems in the packaging procedure of silicon-glass device packaged by WLCSP technology, investigating the feasibility of this idea, and studying the crack propagation process of LITP cutting double layer wafer. In this paper, the physical process of the 1064 nm laser beam interact with the double layer wafer during the cutting process was studied theoretically. A mathematical model consists the volumetric heating source and the surface heating source has been established. The temperature and stress distribution was simulated by using finite element method (FEM) analysis software ABAQUS. The extended finite element method (XFEM) was added to the simulation as the supplementary features to simulate the crack propagation process and the crack propagation profile. The silicon-glass double layer wafer cutting verification experiment under typical parameters was conducted by using the 1064 nm semiconductor laser. The crack propagation profile on the fracture surface was examined by optical microscope and explained from the stress distribution and XFEM status. It was concluded that the quality of the finished fracture surface has been greatly improved, and the experiment results were well supported by the numerical simulation results.     

模拟的对流边界层光学湍流的特征尺度分析

边界层作为地面与自由大气的过渡带对人类活动影响很大。边界层湍流结构尤其是夹卷层的湍流特征,是边界层研究的一个重要方面,这对于加深对边界层的认识以及研究边界层参数化具有十分重要的意义。由于边界层上部位置较高,难以进行精细结构观测。在室内对流水槽(150cm×150cm×60cm)中模拟了大气对流边界层的发生发展。将准直光通过模拟对流边界层得到光斑图像数据。利用改进协方差法对光斑图像进行功率谱分析,找出功率谱密度最大值所对应的频率即峰值频率,峰值频率对应的波长为涡的特征尺度。研究结果表明,在混合层,峰值波长较小,说明此处混合比较均匀,小尺度结构占主导地位。而夹卷层的峰值波长较大。夹卷层的平均峰值波长与对流Richardson数存在一定的关系,这种关系受下垫面类型以及对流状况的双重影响。     

Using Auger electron spectroscopy to assess the effect of segregation on the interfacial characteristics of polycrystalline copper

The possibility of using AES data on the composition of a free surface to assess surface and grain boundary tensions, and the grain boundary strength of polycrystalline copper, is discussed. Using familiar theoretical models, it is shown that sulfur impurity segregation substantially reduces these characteristics, with the energy of grain boundary fracture lowered by 5–8%.     

The effect of surface stress on the propagation of Lamb waves

This work investigates the possibility of the propagation of Lamb waves in thin solid layers with external traction free surfaces, in the presence of surface elasticity, inertia and residual stress. It is demonstrated that such waves do exist and that their characteristics can be quite different from their classical counterparts. The governing equations with non-classical boundary conditions involving the bulk and surface stress are solved exactly in the frequency-wavenumber domain. This solution is utilized to compute the Lamb wave modes for different layer thicknesses. An efficient strategy to capture all the modes of Lamb waves within a given frequency window is outlined. It is shown that the effect of surface elasticity and inertia becomes significant with increasing frequency and decreasing layer thickness, where the number of modes participating within a given frequency window is more than that permitted by the classical theory. Further, it is observed that the nature of the Lamb wave modes (in terms of negative dispersion) in the presence of surface stress is similar to what predicted by the nonlocal theory and microstructure based continuum theory.