铁路道砟破碎特性的离散元分析

为降低有砟铁路轨道维护成本并提高乘客舒适度,对铁路道砟材料破碎机理深入研究具有重要作用。本文设计并开展了测量铁路道砟材料特征强度的试验,对道砟受压破碎过程的力和位移等数据加以分析;同时,通过三维激光扫描系统获取道砟三角网格多面体边界,依此采用颗粒平行粘结方式构造具有不规则真实外观的铁路道砟,并采用离散单元方法(DEM)数值模拟道砟径向加载破碎过程,分析应力应变曲线和粘结断裂数等数据以分析颗粒破碎机制。通过对多个道砟颗粒加载试验及数值模拟计算发现,随着道砟尺寸的增加,其有效压缩强度逐渐减小。道砟颗粒的有效压缩强度符合威布尔概率分布函数,并确定了其残存概率的平均强度和威布尔参量,试验和数值模拟结果相吻合。     

单轴压缩下页岩类脆性材料细观损伤演化的离散元分析

了解广泛存在的类似页岩的脆性材料各向异性对工程安全具有重要意义。本研究将页岩视为粘结颗粒材料,基于离散单元方法研究了横观各向同性脆性页岩的损伤演化。再现了不同层理角的页岩试样的破坏模式,并对比了实验和数值模拟的抗压强度和弹性模量。引入微裂纹的概念,通过定义裂纹密度函数,系统地研究了单轴压缩条件下,页岩层理角对细观结构的影响。此外基于平均配位数建立了配位数变化与细观损伤的联系,并根据配位数的变化与裂纹数量将加载过程分为三个阶段,分析了不同阶段配位数与裂纹数量的对应变化关系。研究表明,页岩的裂纹密度随着层理角的增加而增加,而试样的平均配位数在加载过程中先上升后剧烈下降,颗粒集合体在单轴压缩条件下的应力应变及裂纹数量曲线与平均配位数曲线有良好的一致性。该研究揭示了横观各向同性脆性岩石的破坏过程和内在机理,将为页岩类脆性材料的工程应用提供理论指导。     

砖石古塔模型振动台试验的离散元模拟分析

砖石古塔块体间黏结强度较低,受地震作用易产生裂缝后发生破坏,为研究砖石古塔在地震作用下开裂及裂缝发展机制,以玄奘塔1/8缩尺模型结构为对象,建立离散元模型,计算了地震波激励下结构的加速度及位移反应,与振动台试验结果进行对比,分析了塔体开裂破坏全过程。结果表明,数值计算所得结构的加速度及位移反应与振动台试验结果一致,当地震烈度较低时,两者顶层位移变化曲线基本一致;烈度提高后,塔体开裂导致结构动力响应的计算值与试验结果出现差异,但两者的变化规律相同。在地震波激励下,塔体首层先开裂,随地震烈度的提高延伸至中部塔层,块体第2层出现阶梯状错动,模型损伤过程与试验裂缝发展状况基本吻合。研究结果为砖石古塔地震损伤及破坏过程分析提供了参考。     

Discrete element modelling for wheel-soil interaction and the analysis of the effect of gravity

The discrete element method (DEM) is widely seen as one of the more accurate, albeit more computationally demanding approaches for terramechanics modelling. Part of its appeal is its explicit consideration of gravity in the formulation, making it easily applicable to the study of soil in reduced gravity environments. The parallel particles (P²) approach to terramechanics modelling is an alternate approach to traditional DEM that is computationally more efficient at the cost of some assumptions. Thus far, this method has mostly been applied to soil excavation maneuvers. The goal of this work is to implement and validate the P² approach on a single wheel driving over soil in order to evaluate the applicability of the method to the study of wheel-soil interaction. In particular, the work studies how well the method captures the effect of gravity on wheel-soil behaviour. This was done by building a model and first tuning numerical simulation parameters to determine the critical simulation frequency required for stable simulation behaviour and then tuning the physical simulation parameters to obtain physically accurate results. The former were tuned via the convergence of particle settling energy plots for various frequencies. The latter were tuned via comparison to drawbar pull and wheel sinkage data collected from experiments carried out on a single wheel testbed with a martian soil simulant in a reduced gravity environment. Sensitivity of the simulation to model parameters was also analyzed. Simulations produced promising data when compared to experiments as far as predicting experimentally observable trends in drawbar pull and sinkage, but also showed limitations in predicting the exact numerical values of the measured forces.     

Modal analysis of cantilever plate flutter

This study illustrates the mechanism of modal coupling in cantilever plate flutter using the full Theodorsen airfoil theory within the linear framework. An accurate, pseudo-spectral method is employed to calculate the fluid loading and the eigenvalue problem is solved numerically following the Galerkin procedure. For plates with a structure-to-fluid mass ratio around unity, the first two in vacuo modes are dominant and the Kutta condition at the trailing edge plays a central role in the flutter mechanism. The fluid loading induced by the first mode excites significant second and higher order modes. The fluid loading on the second mode is coupled strongly with the structural vibration velocity of the first mode, which is identified as the main mechanism of energy transfer from flow to plate. It is demonstrated that the response of the second mode is suppressed and the plate is stabilized when a concentrated mass is added near the middle of the plate length. Theoretical prediction is supported by experimental data although the latter is affected by many practical factors that are difficult to model precisely.     

风沙影响下铁路道碴变形模量的离散元数值分析

针对风沙区有碴铁路道床的结构特性,对其在细沙贯入下的有效变形模量研究有助于理解风沙影响下的道床动力特性。采用离散单元模型对道碴碎石和细沙颗粒进行数值建模,并对不同含沙率γ下的有效变形模量进行了数值分析。结果表明,在低含沙率下(γ<30%)沙石混合体的变形模量基本保持不变,在高含沙率下(γ>30%),变形模量随含沙率的增加呈线性降低,以上变形模量随含沙量的变化规律与试验结果相一致。基于离散单元模型的数值模拟,在细观尺度上对沙石混合体的力链强度、空间分布及配位数进行了分析,揭示了沙石混合体有效变形模量随含沙量变化的内在机理。本文工作对风沙区有碴铁路道床力学行为的研究具有一定的借鉴意义,有助于促进风沙影响下有碴铁路道床的结构设计和沙害治理。     

Free vibration characteristics of sectioned unidirectional/bidirectional functionally graded material cantilever beams based on finite element analysis

Advancements in manufacturing technology, including the rapid development of additive manufacturing (AM), allow the fabrication of complex functionally graded material (FGM) sectioned beams. Portions of these beams may be made from different materials with possibly different gradients of material properties. The present work proposes models to investigate the free vibration of FGM sectioned beams based on onedimensional (1D) finite element analysis. For this purpose, a sample beam is divided into discrete elements, and the total energy stored in each element during vibration is computed by considering either the Timoshenko or Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. Then, Hamilton's principle is used to derive the equations of motion for the beam. The effects of material properties and dimensions of FGM sections on the beam's natural frequencies and their corresponding mode shapes are then investigated based on a dynamic Timoshenko model (TM). The presented model is validated by comparison with three-dimensional (3D) finite element simulations of the first three mode shapes of the beam.     

Discrete element analysis of the mechanical properties of deep-sea methane hydrate-bearing soils considering interparticle bond thickness

Due to increasing global energy demands, research is being conducted on the mechanical properties of methane hydrate-bearing soils (MHBSs), from which methane hydrate (MH) will be explored. This paper presents a numerical approach to study the mechanical properties of MHBSs. The relationship between the level of MH saturation and the interparticle bond thickness is first obtained by analyzing the scanning electron microscope images of MHBS samples, in which is the bridge connecting the micromechanical behavior captured by the DEM with the macroscopic properties of MHBSs. A simplified thermal-hydromechanical (THM) bond model that considers the different bond thicknesses is then proposed to describe the contact behavior between the soil particles and those incorporated into the discrete element method (DEM). Finally, a series of biaxial compression tests are carried out with different MH saturations under different effective confining pressures to analyze the mechanical properties of deep-sea MHBSs. The results of the DEM numerical simulation are also compared with the findings from triaxial compression tests. The results show that the macromechanical properties of deep-sea MHBSs can be qualitatively captured by the proposed DEM. The shear strength, cohesion, and volumetric contraction of deep-sea MHBSs increase with increasing MH saturation, although its influence on the internal friction angle is obscure. The shear strength and volumetric contraction increase with increasing effective confining pressure. The peak shear strength and the dilation of MHBSs increase as the critical bond thickness increases, while the residual deviator stress largely remains the same at a larger axial strain. With increasing the axial strain, the percentage of broken bonds increases, along with the expansion of the shear band.     

Vibro-impact analysis of two adjacent cantilever beams

Nonlinear Dynamics - This study analyzes the vibro-impact behavior of two adjacent cantilever beams subjected to vibration generated by applying harmonic excitation to their rigid base. For the...     

Discrete element modeling of acoustic emission in rock fracture

The acoustic emission (AE) features in rock fracture are simulated numerically with discrete element model (DEM). The specimen is constructed by using spherical particles bonded via the parallel bond model. As a result of the heterogeneity in rock specimen, the failure criterion of bonded particle is coupled by the shear and tensile strengths, which follow a normal probability distribution. The Kaiser effect is simulated in the fracture process, for a cubic rock specimen under uniaxial compression with a constant rate. The AE number is estimated with breakages of bonded particles using a pair of parameters, in the temporal and spatial scale, respectively. It is found that the AE numbers and the elastic energy release curves coincide. The range for the Kaiser effect from the AE number and the elastic energy release are the same. Furthermore, the frequency-magnitude relation of the AE number shows that the value of B determined with DEM is consistent with the experimental data.     

Discrete element method analysis of single wheel performance for a small lunar rover on sloped terrain

The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance of a lugged wheel for a lunar micro rover on sloped terrain by a 2D discrete element method (DEM), which was initially developed for horizontal terrain. To confirm the applicability of DEM for sloped terrain locomotion, the relationships of slope angle with slip, wheel sinkage and wheel torque obtained by DEM, were compared with experimental results measured using a slope test bed consisting of a soil bin filled with lunar regolith simulant. Among the lug parameters investigated, a lugged wheel with rim diameter of 250 mm, width of 100 mm, lug height of 10 mm, lug thickness of 5 mm, and total lug number of 18 was found, on average, to perform excellently in terms of metrics, such as slope angle for 20% slip, power number for self-propelled point, power number for 15-degree slope and power number for 20% slip. The estimation of wheel performance over sloped lunar terrain showed an increase in wheel slip, and the possibility exists that the selected lugged wheel will not be able to move up a slope steeper than 20°.     

Discrete element study of viscous flow in magnetorheological fluids

Using discrete element simulations, we gain insight into the structure of a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) under shear. In simulations with flat walls, the particles arrange in chains, sheet-like structures, or columns along the magnetic field lines, depending on the strength of the applied external magnetic field. Corresponding to the structure formation, three different types of failure mechanisms can be identified. For the characterization of the different regimes, specific particle coordination numbers are introduced. The three structural regimes can be distinguished and described by means of these coordination numbers. To analyze the contact between the MRF particles and the walls of the shear cell, additional simulations with rough walls have been conducted. The resulting structure formation could be successfully classified by the introduced coordination numbers. Based on the analysis of the shear stress transmission both in the case of flat and rough walls, possibilities for shear stress enhancement for technological applications are discussed.     

Discrete element method simulations of Mars Exploration Rover wheel performance

Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) experienced mobility problems during traverses. Three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) simulations of MER wheel mobility tests for wheel slips of i = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, and 0.99 were done to examine high wheel slip mobility to improve the ARTEMIS MER traverse planning tool. Simulations of wheel drawbar pull and sinkage MIT data for i ⩽ 0.5 were used to determine DEM particle packing density (0.62) and contact friction (0.8) to represent the simulant used in mobility tests. The DEM simulations are in good agreement with MIT data for i = 0.5 and 0.7, with reasonable but less agreement at lower wheel slip. Three mobility stages include low slip (i < 0.3) controlled by soil strength, intermediate slip (i ∼ 0.3–0.6) controlled by residual soil strength, and high slip (i > 0.6) controlled by residual soil strength and wheel sinkage depth. Equilibrium sinkage occurred for i < 0.9, but continuously increased for i = 0.99. Improved DEM simulation accuracy of low-slip mobility can be achieved using polyhedral particles, rather than tri-sphere particles, to represent soil. The DEM simulations of MER wheel mobility can improve ARTEMIS accuracy.     

Discrete element simulation of shock wave propagation in polycrystalline copper

The implementation of the characteristic of compressive plasticity into the Discrete Element Code, DM2, while maintaining its quasi-molecular scheme, is described. The code is used to simulate the shock compression of polycrystalline copper at 3.35 and 11.0 GPa. The model polycrystal has a normal distribution of grain sizes, with mean diameter 14 μm, and three distinct grain orientations are permitted with respect to the shock direction; 〈1 0 0〉, 〈1 1 0〉, and 〈1 1 1〉. Particle velocity dispersion (PVD) is present in the shock-induced flow, attaining its maximum magnitude at the plastic wave rise. PVD normalised to the average particle velocity of and are yielded for the 3.35 and 11.0 GPa shocks, respectively, and are of the same order as those seen in the experiment. Non-planar elastic and plastic wave fronts are present, the distribution in shock front position increasing with propagation distance. The rate of increase of the spread in shock front positions is found to be significantly smaller than that seen in probabilistic calculations on nickel polycrystals, and this difference is attributed, in the main, to grain interaction. Reflections at free surfaces yield a region of tension near to the target free surface. Due to the dispersive nature of the shock particle velocity and the non-planarity of the shock front, the tensile pressure is distributed. This may have implications for the spall strength, which are discussed. Simulations reveal a transient shear stress distribution behind the shock front. Such a distribution agrees with that put forward by Lipkin and Asay to explain the quasi-elastic reloading phenomenon. Simulation of reloading shocks show that the shear stress distribution can give rise to quasi-elastic reloading on the grain scale.     

Discrete element modelling of large soil deformations under heavy vehicles

This paper addresses the challenges of creating realistic models of soil for simulations of heavy vehicles on weak terrain. We modelled dense soils using the discrete element method with variable parameters for surface friction, normal cohesion, and rolling resistance. To find out what type of soils can be represented, we measured the internal friction and bulk cohesion of over 100 different virtual samples. To test the model, we simulated rut formation from a heavy vehicle with different loads and soil strengths. We conclude that the relevant space of dense frictional and frictional-cohesive soils can be represented and that the model is applicable for simulation of large deformations induced by heavy vehicles on weak terrain.     

砌体结构破坏倒塌过程的离散单元模拟

基于传统颗粒离散单元模型（DEM）,开发了一种绑定式离散单元模型（BTDEM）用于砌体结构崩塌机制的研究,并对一个典型砌体结构的破坏倒塌过程进行数值模拟。结果证实BTDEM方法能够详细地模拟出砌体建筑结构的崩塌过程,同时还可以模拟出砌块的破碎,是一种普适性较强的模拟砌体结构建筑的高效数值方法。BTDEM方法具有计算速度...     

Discrete element method for high-temperature spread in compacted powder systems

The discrete element method is applied to investigate high-temperature spread in compacted metallic particle systems formed by high-velocity compaction. Assuming that heat transfer only occurs at contact zone between particles, a discrete equation based on continuum mechanics is proposed to investigate the heat flux. Heat generated internally by friction between moving particles is determined by kinetic equations. For the proposed model, numerical results are obtained by a particle-flow-code-based program. Temperature profiles are determined at different locations and times. At a fixed location, the increase in temperature shows a logarithmic relationship with time. Investigation of three different systems indicates that the geometric distribution of the particulate material is one of the main influencing factors for the heat conduction process. Higher temperature is generated for denser packing, and vice versa. For smaller uniform particles, heat transfers more rapidly.     

Discrete element modeling of inherently anisotropic granular assemblies with polygonal particles

In the present article, we study the effect of inherent anisotropy, i.e., initial bedding angle of particles and associated voids on macroscopic mechanical behavior of granular materials, by numerical simulation of several biaxial compression tests using the discrete element method (DEM). Particle shape is considered to be irregular convex-polygonal. The effect of inherent anisotropy is investigated by following the evolution of mobilized shear strength and volume change during loading. As experimental tests have already shown, numerical simulations also indicate that initial anisotropic condition has a great influence on the strength and deformational behavior of granular assemblies. Comparison of simulations with tests using oval particles, shows that angularity influences both the mobilized shear strength and the volume change regime, which originates from the interlocking resistance between particles.