Response of epoxy oversized models of strands to axial and torsional loads

As part of an extensive investigation on strand and cable properties, epoxy oversized models of strands have been manufactured using a newly developed technique. Axial and torsional loadings have been applied to the models. Strains, stresses and displacements have been determined using mechanical and electrical strain gages, dial gages and brittle coatings. The results obtained are compared with calculations using a previously developed theory. The response of a reference structure in which each wire is assumed to act independently is also compared with the response of the strand. Several discrepancies with theory are pointed out. It is believed that these are the first systematic measurements taken on strands.     

Development of a tyre traction testing facility

An experimental setup comprising up of an indoor soil bin, a single wheel tester (SWT), a soil processing trolley, a drawbar pull loading device and an instrumentation unit was developed to perform traction tests in the soil bin to study the effect of soil, tyre and system parameters on the performance of tyres. The design of the single wheel tester was such that the dynamic weight reaction force is equal to that measured statically. It is a simple wheeled device, capable of testing tyres of up to 1.5 m in diameter, vertical force up to 19 kN, net pull up to 7.2 kN, torque up to 5.5 kN m, and speed up to 3.5 km/h.     

Analytical model of longitudinal tire traction in snow

An analytical model to estimate longitudinal traction of a tire in snow was developed and verified to have good predictability in comparison with measurements. Snow traction of a tire is composed of four kinds of forces in this model: braking force attributable to snow compression, shear force of snow in void (space between tread blocks), frictional force, and digging force (edge effect generated by sipes and blocks). The mechanical characteristics of snow were considered in the prediction of braking force and shear force, but were not considered in the prediction of other forces. The contribution of shear force of snow in void and the frictional force was large in static traction (traction just before a tire slips). On the other hand, the contributions of digging force and frictional force were large in situations involving high slip ratios.     

Flexural vibration analysis of an eccentric annular Mindlin plate

A weak-form quadrature element method is presented to study the flexural vibrations of an eccentric annular Mindlin plate. Typical combinations of boundary conditions are considered and the natural frequencies are obtained for both thin and moderately thick plates. All results are verified using the commercial computer code ANSYS. Excellent agreement is reached in all cases. Comparison of the present predictions with other available results for thin plates is also made.     

爆炸荷载下碳纤维布加固混凝土板的抗弯性能研究

为研究碳纤维布加固混凝土板的抗爆能力,用混凝土HJC动力本构模型,建立了混凝土板、炸药及考虑空气介质影响的流固耦合有限元计算模型.用动力分析软件ANSYS/LS-DYNA,对在爆炸荷载作用下未粘贴碳纤维布以及用碳纤维布加固下的混凝土板的跨中位移及受力性能进行了数值分析.研究结果表明:混凝土板用碳纤维布粘贴加固后抗爆炸冲击能力明显提高,且碳纤维布粘贴在一定层数以内时,其抗爆炸冲击能力与加固层数成正比,继续增加层数时抗爆能力提高不明显,甚至有相反的变化趋势.     

Distinctive features of the transonic flow behind the trailing corner edge of an oversized cone-cylinder body

The results of an experimental study of the transonic flow behind the trailing corner edges of oversized cone-cylinder bodies of different dimensions are presented. Emphasis is placed on the induced transonic flow restructuring and the local aerodynamic forces accompanying the process, both steady and unsteady. The restructuring that occurs with increase in the freestream Mach number is studied.     

Evaluation of an empirical traction equation for forestry tires

Variable load test data were used to evaluate the applicability of an existing forestry tire traction model for a new forestry tire and a worn tire of the same size with and without tire chains in a range of soil conditions. The clay and sandy soils ranged in moisture content from 17 to 28%. Soil bulk density varied between 1.1 and 1.4g cm⁻³ with cone index values between 297 and 1418 kPa for a depth of 140 mm. Two of the clay soils had surface cover or vegetation, the other clay soil and the sandy soil had no surface cover. Tractive performance data were collected in soil bins using a single tire test vehicle with the tire running at 20% slip. A non-linear curve fitting technique was used to optimize the model by fitting it to collected input torque data by modifying the coefficients of the traction model equations. Generally, this procedure resulted in improved prediction of input torque, gross traction ratio and net traction ratio. The predicted tractive performance using the optimized coefficients showed that the model worked reasonably well on bare, uniform soils with the new tire. The model was flexible and could be modified to predict tractive performance of the worn tire with and without chains on the bare homogeneous soils. The model was not adequate for predicting tractive performance on less uniform soils with a surface cover for any of the tire treatments.     

Flexural vibrations of a thin circular elastic inclusion in an unbounded body under the action of a plane harmonic wave

The interaction of a plane harmonic longitudinal wave with a thin circular elastic inclusion is considered. The wave front is assumed to be parallel to the inclusion plane. Since the inclusion is thin, the matrix-inclusion interface conditions (perfect bonding) are formulated on the mid-plane of the inclusion. The bending displacements of the inclusion are determined from the bending equation for a thin plate. The problem is solved using discontinuous Lamé solutions for harmonic vibrations. Therefore, the problem can be reduced to the Fredholm equation of the second kind for a function associated with the discontinuity of normal stresses on the inclusion. The equation obtained is solved by the method of mechanical quadratures using Gaussian quadrature formulas. Approximate formulas for the stress intensity factors are derived. Results from a numerical analysis of the dependence of the SIFs on the dimensionless wave number and the stiffness of the inclusion are presented __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 16–21, May 2008.     

Maximization of entropy for an elastic body free of surface traction

Communicated by C. Dafermos     

Interlaminar fracture toughness of graphite/epoxy composite under mixed-mode deformations

An antisymmetric test fixture is employed to investigate interlaminar fracture behavior in graphite/epoxy composite material under mixed-mode deformations. Finite correction factors for the graphite/epoxy fracture specimen with various crack lengths are used to determine the interlaminar fracture toughness by finite-element stress analysis. Interlaminar fracture characteristics of graphite/epoxy composite material under mode-I, mode-II and mixed-mode deformations are evaluated experimentally. A mixed-mode fracture criterion is also investigated to obtain information on mixedmode interlaminar fracture behavior of graphite/epoxy composite material.Paper was presented at the 1988 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics held in Portland, OR on June 5–10.     

Behavior of graphite/epoxy plates with holes under biaxial loading

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial tensile loading of quasiisotropic graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40 cm×40 cm (16 in.×16 in.) laminates of [0/±45/90] _s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings. Equal biaxial loading was introduced by means fo four whiffle-tree grip linkages and controlled with a servohyraulic system. Initially, the circumferential strain is uniform around the boundary of the hole. Subsequently, with increasing load, regions of high strain concentration with nonlinear response develop at eight characteristic locations 22.5 deg off the fiber axes. Failure in the form of cracking and delamination initiates at these points. Maximum strains at failure on the hole boundary reach values up to twice the ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate. The effect of hole diameter on strength was described satisfactorily using an average biaxial-stress criterion. Good correlation was also obtained with theoretical predictions based on a tensor-polynomial failure criterion for the lamina and a progressive degradation model.     

Modal testing of an avlb bridge

Experimental Techniques -     

Performance and robustness analysis of a Hardware In the Loop full-scale roller-rig for railway braking and traction testing

Traditionally, braking and traction on-board subsystems, such as traction systems, braking plants and safety subsystems (e.g. WSP devices) can be tested and verified through fullscale roller-rigs, to avoid expensive on-track tests. In this work the authors investigate the test-rig built in the research center “Centro di Dinamica Sperimentale Osmannoro-Firenze (CDSO)” by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), in which the braking and traction systems are tested using an innovative Hardware In the Loop (HIL) architecture able to perform the simulation of a known wheel-rail adhesion pattern (in particular degraded adhesion condition). The objective of this work is to study, starting from the knowledge of the system characteristics, the performances and the robustness of the HIL architecture during a simulation of braking and traction phases under degraded adhesion conditions. This work has been developed in collaboration with Italcertifer S.p.a. and Trenitalia S.p.a. that provided the technical data of the test rig and the considered railway vehicle (the E464 locomotive).     

弯曲波在含非圆孔洞无限压电薄板中的散射

基于线性压电动力学理论,采用波函数展开法、保角映射以及复变函数,对含非圆孔洞无限大压电薄板弹性波的散射及动应力集中问题进行了分析,给出了其动弯矩集中系数(DMCF)的解析表达式.为说明问题,以PZT-4为例,讨论了外加电场、椭圆孔长短半轴比、椭圆孔倾角以及入射波频率对含圆孔和椭圆孔无限大压电薄板弹性波散射的影响,并分别给出了无限压电薄板开圆孔和椭圆孔动弯矩集中系数的数值结果.     

Plane-stress fracture testing of finite sheets under biaxial loads

A procedure which combines the Williams series-type stress- and displacement-field expressions at the crack-tip neighborhood with a suitable numerical scheme away from the crack-tip was employed in the determination of the plane-stress fracture properties of four finite 7076-T6 aluminum sheets containing cracks emanating from a circular hole under four biaxial loads. The compatibility of the analytical and numerical displacements at the nodal points along the boundary of the crack-tip neighborhood was utilized in formulating displacement-continuity expressions containing some undetermined constants which solution depends on the nature of the boundary loading conditions. By linear superposition of the displacement due to remote uniaxial load and the displacements due to remotely applied transverse load in the neighborhood of the crack-tip, biaxial-displacement-continuity expressions containing these important fracture properties—namely, the opening Mode I stress-intensity factorK, the nonsingular stress term associated with the stresses in the direction parallel to the plane of cracksA and the integration termB associated with the displacement in this direction—were evaluated. Because no known biaxial testing of this geometry had been reported prior to this research, the analytical procedure was used to select the optimum geometry required in a biaxial fracture test of a finite-sheet specimen containing cracks emanating from a circular hole. This geometric optimization of the specimen guaranteed uniformity of stress all over the volume of specimen and also made the alteration of the existing MTS test fixtures unnecessary. Four square sheets of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy containing a central hole with two collinear cracks emanating radially at the edge of the hole were then fabricated in accordance with the analytically determined geometric requirements. The biaxial fracture test was then conducted under four biaxial load factors (λ) of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5. The fracture toughness obtained in this research was compared with those reported for uniaxial loading of large panels. It was found that there is a good correlation between the reported fracture toughness and this work.     

Biaxial testing of [O2/±45] s graphite/epoxy plates with holes

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial-tensile loading of [O₂/±45] _s graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40-cm×40-cm (16-in.×16-in.) graphite/epoxy plates of [O₂/±45] _s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings. Biaxial tension in a 2∶1 ratio was applied by means of four whiffle-tree grip linkages and controlled with a servohydraulic system. Stress and strain redistributions occur around the hole at a stress level corresponding to localized failure around the 67.5-deg location and nonlinear strain response at the 0-deg location. Maximum measured strains at failure on the hole boundary are higher (approximately 0.016) than the highest ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate (0.010). Two basic patterns of failure were observed: (a) horizontal cracking initiating at points off the horizontal axis and accompanied by extensive delamination of the subsurface ±45 deg plies, and (b) vertical cracking along vertical tangents to the hole and accompanied by delamination of the outer 0-deg plies. The strength reduction ratios are lower than corresponding values for uniaxial loading by approximately 16 percent, although the stress-concentration factor under biaxial loading is lower.