Functionally graded materials for impedance matching in elastic media

When functionally graded material layers are inserted between two impedance mismatching media, passbands with extremely large bandwidths can appear in these layered systems. An accurate and effective iterative method is developed to deal with these layered systems with extremely large layer number.     

The propagation of ultrasound in porous media

The equations of Ying and Truell, and Waterman and Truell, describing the propagation of ultrasound in two-phase materials are solved numerically for porous solids, and are found to give unphysical results for high porosity. A new self-consistent theory, which can be solved analytically, is presented and is shown to have reasonable behaviour at high porosity.     

Guided wave propagation in multilayered piezoelectric structures

A general formulation of the method of the reverberation-ray matrix (MRRM) based on the state space formalism and plane wave expansion technique is presented for the analysis of guided waves in multilayered piezoelectric structures. Each layer of the structure is made of an arbitrarily anisotropic piezoelectric material. Since the state equation of each layer is derived from the three-dimensional theory of linear piezoelectricity, all wave modes are included in the formulation. Within the framework of the MRRM, the phase relation is properly established by excluding exponentially growing functions, while the scattering relation is also appropriately set up by avoiding matrix inversion operation. Consequently, the present MRRM is unconditionally numerically stable and free from computational limitations to the total number of layers, the thickness of individual layers, and the frequency range. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the good performance of the proposed formulation for the analysis of the dispersion characteristic of waves in layered piezoelectric structures. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10725210 and 10832009), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (Grant No. 20060335107), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2009CB623204), and the Scientific Research Foundation for Tsuiying Talents of Lanzhou University     

Multiscale finite-volume method for parabolic problems arising from compressible multiphase flow in porous media

The multiscale finite-volume (MSFV) method was originally developed for the solution of heterogeneous elliptic problems with reduced computational cost. Recently, some extensions of this method for parabolic problems have been proposed. These extensions proved effective for many cases, however, they are neither general nor completely satisfactory. For instance, they are not suitable for correctly capturing the transient behavior described by the parabolic pressure equation. In this paper, we present a general multiscale finite-volume method for parabolic problems arising, for example, from compressible multiphase flow in porous media. Opposed to previous methods, here, the basis and correction functions are solutions of full parabolic governing equations in localized domains. At the same time, to enhance the computational efficiency of the scheme, the basis functions are kept pressure independent and do not have to be recalculated as pressure evolves. This general approach requires no additional assumptions and its good efficiency and high accuracy is demonstrated for various challenging test cases. Finally, to improve the quality of the results and also to extend the scheme for highly anisotropic heterogeneous problems, it is combined with the iterative MSFV (i-MSFV) method for parabolic problems. As one iterates, the i-MSFV solutions of compressible multiphase problems (parabolic problems) converge to the corresponding fine-scale reference solutions in the same way as demonstrated recently for incompressible cases (elliptic problems). Therefore, the proposed MSFV method can also be regarded as an efficient linear solver for parabolic problems and studies of its efficiency are presented for many test cases.     

Transition in the propagation mechanism during flame acceleration in porous media

The combustion of stoichiometric hydrogen-air at various initial pressures was investigated in a 7.62 cm square cross-section channel filled with 1.27 cm diameter beads. The flame time-of-arrival and pressure time history along the channel were obtained by ionization probes and piezoelectric pressure transducers. Flame acceleration was found to be very rapid, e.g. at an initial pressure of 45 kPa the flame achieves a velocity of over 600 m/s in roughly 0.3 m. It was determined that at this high speed a well defined planar shock wave precedes a thick reaction zone. It was also shown that there is a transition in the flame propagation mechanism, similar to that observed in an obstacle laden channel [G. Ciccarelli and C. Johansen, The role of shock-flame interactions on flame acceleration in an obstacle laden channel, Proc. 22nd International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Minsk, 2009]. By varying the initial pressure of the mixture, changes in the axial location of the transition between combustion propagation regimes was also observed. A soot foil technique was used to identify the transition in the propagation mechanism, as well as to provide information concerning the local flow field around the beads and the overall average flow direction.     

Stochastic model in microwave propagation

Further experimental results of delay time in microwave propagation are reported in the presence of a lossy medium (wood). The measurements show that the presence of a lossy medium makes the propagation slightly superluminal. The results are interpreted on the basis of a stochastic (or path integral) model, showing how this model is able to describe each kind of physical system in which multi-path trajectories are present.     

Nonlinear pulse propagation in periodic media with and without defects

The influence of single defects within a periodic structure on the nonlinear transmission of optical pulses through the structure is investigated numerically. A stack of alternating linear and cubically nonlinear layers of submicron thicknesses is considered. The simulations are based on a modified equation for the pulse envelope. Diffraction of the pulse has been taken into account, too. The results of simulations have been demonstrated as an essential influence of defects within the periodic structure on the nonlinear propagation of optical pulses, when the carrier frequency is chosen within the stop band of the structure with the defect.     

Radiation propagation in random media: From positive to negative correlations in high-frequency fluctuations

We survey research on radiation propagation or ballistic particle motion through media with randomly variable material density, and we investigate the topic with an emphasis on very high spatial frequencies. Our new results are based on a specific variability model consisting of a zero-mean Gaussian scaling noise riding on a constant value that is large enough with respect to the amplitude of the noise to yield overwhelmingly non-negative density. We first generalize known results about sub-exponential transmission from regular functions, which are almost everywhere continuous, to merely “measurable” ones, which are almost everywhere discontinuous (akin to statistically stationary noises), with positively correlated fluctuations. We then use the generalized measure-theoretic formulation to address negatively correlated stochastic media without leaving the framework of conventional (continuum-limit) transport theory. We thus resolve a controversy about recent claims that only discrete-point process approaches can accommodate negative correlations, i.e., anti-clustering of the material particles. We obtain in this case the predicted super-exponential behavior, but it is rather weak. Physically, and much like the alternative discrete-point process approach, the new model applies most naturally to scales commensurate with the inter-particle distance in the material, i.e., when the notion of particle density breaks down due to Poissonian—or maybe not-so-Poissonian—number-count fluctuations occur in the sample volume. At the same time, the noisy structure must prevail up to scales commensurate with the mean-free-path to be of practical significance. Possible applications are discussed.     

Time domain numerical modeling of wave propagation in 2D heterogeneous porous media

This paper deals with the numerical modeling of wave propagation in porous media described by Biot’s theory. The viscous efforts between the fluid and the elastic skeleton are assumed to be a linear function of the relative velocity, which is valid in the low-frequency range. The coexistence of propagating fast compressional wave and shear wave, and of a diffusive slow compressional wave, makes numerical modeling tricky. To avoid restrictions on the time step, the Biot’s system is splitted into two parts: the propagative part is discretized by a fourth-order ADER scheme, while the diffusive part is solved analytically. Near the material interfaces, a space–time mesh refinement is implemented to capture the small spatial scales related to the slow compressional wave. The jump conditions along the interfaces are discretized by an immersed interface method. Numerical experiments and comparisons with exact solutions confirm the accuracy of the numerical modeling. The efficiency of the approach is illustrated by simulations of multiple scattering.     

A method to identify acoustic reverberation in multilayered homogeneous media

The presence of reverberation is a source of artifacts that can hinder the analysis of ultrasound signals and images. Besides compromising image generation, these artifacts can introduce errors in the quantitative parameter estimation in fields such as material and biological tissue characterization. A method that allows the separation between the first reflection on an interface and all the other reflections from the same interface (reverberation) could improve the quality of these images as well as the precision and accuracy in quantitative results. This work presents an algorithm for the identification of reverberating echoes in multilayered media, based on the comparison of their power spectra (estimated via FFT), through a least mean square approach, and on the temporal relationship among them. It considers that the global effect from attenuation, reflection and transmission coefficients for each layer causes spectral differences that could differentiate echoes that pass through one layer or another. The results of 10 simulations and of 60 experiments, carried out with 6 different phantoms (10 experiments with each one) are presented and discussed. It was found that the algorithm provided a correct identification for 85% of the simulated and 86.6% of the experimental echoes collected from the 60 experiments.     

Development of a finite element model for coupled radiative and conductive heat transfer in participating media

Considering the geometrical applicability, a finite element model (FEM) for coupled radiative-conductive heat transfer has been developed which is applicable to enclosures of arbitrary geometry in present research. The present work provides a solution of coupled heat transfer in a rectangular, cylindrical or annulus enclosure with black or gray walls containing an absorbing-emitting-scattering medium. It is also applied to study the influence of conductive/radiation coefficient, albedo and wall emissivity on the temperature distribution in the medium. Compared with the results available in other references, the present FEM has no limitation with respect to geometry and can predict the coupled radiative-conductive heat transfer in participating media accurately.     

A hierarchical model for random walks in random media

We show that the random walk generated by a hierarchical Laplacian in ^d has standard diffusive behavior. Moreover, we show that this behavior is stable under a class of random perturbations that resemble an off-diagonal disordered lattice Laplacian. The density of states and its asymptotic behavior around zero energy are computed: singularities appear in one and two dimensions.     

An adaptive emission model for Monte Carlo simulations in highly inhomogeneous media represented by stochastic particle fields

Traditional Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) methods for continuous participating media are not applicable in media represented by point masses (or stochastic particles) frequently encountered in combustion modeling. In the authors’ previous work several ray models and particle models have been proposed for radiation simulations in such media. In the present paper an efficient emission scheme is developed for MCRT in highly inhomogeneous media represented by particle fields. Ray energies are limited to a narrow range to reduce statistical error, by having particles emit numbers of photons proportional to their emissive power (including combination of weak particles). A method to evaluate the radiative heat source, required by the overall energy equation, is also developed. A particle field representing the highly inhomogeneous medium in a turbulent jet flame is employed to test the proposed methods.     

Beam propagation factor of partially coherent beams in gain or absorbing media

The definition of second-order intensity moments in the spatial domain and spatial frequency domain has been generalized for the case that the linear gain or absorbing media are included, where the wave number is generally complex. The formula for beam propagation M²-factor of partially coherent beams in linear gain or absorbing media has been given. The partially coherent flat-topped Schell-model beam is taken as an example. The closed-form expression for the beam propagation M²-factor of partially coherent flat-topped beam in gain or absorbing media has been derived. The changes of the M²-factor in media have been discussed with numerical examples. It can be shown that the M²-factor of flat-topped Schell-model beams in gain or absorbing media depends on the coherent parameter β, the coherent length σ₀, the beam order M, the propagation distance B, the imaginary part of the wave number K_i, as well as the real part of the wave number K_r.     

A hierarchical fracture model for the iterative multiscale finite volume method

An iterative multiscale finite volume (i-MSFV) method is devised for the simulation of multiphase flow in fractured porous media in the context of a hierarchical fracture modeling framework. Motivated by the small pressure change inside highly conductive fractures, the fully coupled system is split into smaller systems, which are then sequentially solved. This splitting technique results in only one additional degree of freedom for each connected fracture network appearing in the matrix system. It can be interpreted as an agglomeration of highly connected cells; similar as in algebraic multigrid methods. For the solution of the resulting algebraic system, an i-MSFV method is introduced. In addition to the local basis and correction functions, which were previously developed in this framework, local fracture functions are introduced to accurately capture the fractures at the coarse scale. In this multiscale approach there exists one fracture function per network and local domain, and in the coarse scale problem there appears only one additional degree of freedom per connected fracture network. Numerical results are presented for validation and verification of this new iterative multiscale approach for fractured porous media, and to investigate its computational efficiency. Finally, it is demonstrated that the new method is an effective multiscale approach for simulations of realistic multiphase flows in fractured heterogeneous porous media.     

A difference-fractal model for the permeability of fibrous porous media

In this Letter, a difference-fractal model for the permeability of viscous flow through fibrous porous media is proposed. Since fractal objects have well-defined geometric properties, and are discrete and discontinuous, we apply the difference approach to developing the fractal model. The model of non-dimensional permeability is expressed as a function of porosity and fractal dimension. To verify the validity of the proposed model, the predicted permeability values are compared with those of experimental measurements. A good agreement between the prediction of the fractal model and the existing experimental data from the literature is found.     

Surface solitons at the interface between semi-infinite linear and thermal nonlinear optical media

We investigate numerically surface-wave solitons occurring at the interface between semi-infinite linear and thermal nonlinear optical media, with the refractive index of the linear medium being greater than that of the nonlinear medium (in the absence of light). We find that the threshold energy flows of the existence of the surface solitons depend on the linear refractive index difference of the two media. Their fitting empirical formula has been obtained. Furthermore, we elucidate that the optical beams propagating in thermal nonlinear optical media, either as a single surface soliton or as a dipole surface soliton, can be attracted to the surface, even when launched from far away.     

A random field model for anomalous diffusion in heterogeneous porous media

Heterogeneity, as it occurs in porous media, is characterized in terms of a scaling exponent, or fractal dimension. A feature of primary interest for two-phase flow is the mixing length. This paper determines the relation between the scaling exponent for the heterogeneity and the scaling exponent which governs the mixing length. The analysis assumes a linear transport equation and uses random fields first in the characterization of the heterogeneity and second in the solution of the flow problem, in order to determine the mixing exponents. The scaling behavior changes from long-length-scale dominated to short-length-scale dominated at a critical value of the scaling exponent of the rock heterogeneity. The long-length-scale-dominated diffusion is anomalous.     

Finite element analysis of concurrent radiation and conduction in participating media

A method is proposed to calculate temperature, conductive and radiative heat flux distributions in a participating medium. The method is based on the simultaneous solution of two non-linear and mutually conjugated equations describing distribution of both temperature and the so-called radiation function in the medium. In the case of isotropic scattering, the latter quantity, is proportional to the local energy density of radiation. The solution of the coupled non-linear equations is based on the finite element spatial discretization combined with the iterative technique.