The analysis of functionally graded shallow and non-shallow shell panels with piezoelectric layers under dynamic load and electrostatic excitation based on elasticity

Elasticity solution is presented for finitely long, simply-supported, functionally graded shallow and non-shallow shell panel with two piezoelectric layers under pressure and electrostatic excitation. The functionally graded panel is assumed to be made of many sub panels. Each sub panel is considered as an isotropic layer. Material’s properties in each layer are constant and functionally graded properties are resulted by suitable arrangement of layers in multilayer panel. In each interface between two layers, stress and displacement continuities are satisfied. The highly coupled partial differential equations (p.d.e.) are reduced to ordinary differential equations (o.d.e.) with variable coefficients for non-shallow panel and constant coefficients for shallow shell panel by means of trigonometric function expansion in circumferential and longitudinal directions. The resulting ordinary differential equations are solved by Galerkin finite element method and Newmark method is used to march in time. Numerical examples are presented for functionally graded shell panel with a piezoelectric layer as an actuator in external surface and a piezoelectric layer as a sensor in internal surface and the results of the shallow and non-shallow panels are discussed.     

A New Algorithm for Estimating Three-Phase Relative Permeability from Unsteady-State Core Experiments

We present a new history matching method based on a Genetic Algorithm to estimate three-phase k _r (relative permeability) from unsteady-state coreflood experiments. In this method, relative permeabilities (k _r) are represented by quadratic B-Spline functions. Adjustable coefficients in k _r functions are changed in an iterative process to minimize an objective function. The objective function is defined as the difference between the measures and simulated values of the pressure drop across the core and fluids recovery during the experiment. One of the main features of this approach is that water and gas relative permeabilities (k _rw and k _rg) are assumed to be functions of two independent saturations as opposed to most of the existing empirical k _r models in which k _rw and k _rg are assumed to be only dependent of their own saturations. Another important aspect of this algorithm is that it considers inequality constrains to ensure that physically acceptable k _r curves are maintained throughout the iterative optimization process. A three-phase coreflood simulator has been developed based on this methodology that generates best k _r values by matching experimental data. The integrity of the developed software was first successfully verified by using two sets of experimental three-phase k _r data published in the literature. Then, the results of some three-phase coreflood experiments carried out in our laboratory were used to obtain three-phase k _r curves by this approach.     

Direct and indirect radiolytic effects in highly concentrated aqueous solutions of bromide

Highly concentrated aqueous solutions of bromide were used to examine the total radical yield in the direct decomposition of water by γ-rays. Bromide concentrations were varied up to 6 M at which almost all OH(?) radicals, H(?) atoms, and hydrated electrons produced in the picosecond range oxidize bromide to ultimately form Br(3)(-), a stable species that can easily be measured with a spectrometer. Considering only the decomposition of water in the presence of air and in acidic conditions, the apparent yield of oxidizing species is found to be around (10 ± 0.05) × 10(-7) mol J(-1). The absorption of irradiation dose by the solute at high concentration is discussed and quantitatively evaluated. At 6 M Br(-) solutions, 38% of the dose is absorbed by solutes and Br(-) is directly ionized. The optimal value for the initial yield of the radicals produced by direct radiolytic Br(-) ionization is found to be (9.6 ± 0.5) × 10(-7) mol J(-1).     

The effect of cyclodextrin mixtures on aqueous solubility of beclomethasone dipropionate

The aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of natural, synthetic cyclodextrins (CDs) and CD mixtures on aqueous solubility of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP). The phase solubility studies were done in the presence of 6 CDs. Furthermore, aqueous solubility of BDP was tested in the presence of CD mixtures. The solubility of BDP in water was increased by 30, 77, 155 and 30 folds in the solution containing 20%?w/v α-CD, hydroxylpropyl β-CD (HP-β-CD), hydroxypropyl γ-CD (HP-γ-CD) and sulphobutylether β-CD (SBE-β-CD), respectively. CD mixtures had remarkable effect on the aqueous solubility of BDP so that solubility in water increased between 200 and 1,500 times in the presence of different CD mixtures. Further addition of sodium acetate to the solubilisation medium reduced the aqueous solubility. In conclusion, CD complexation was able to improve the aqueous solubility of BDP. The synergistic effect of cyclodextrin mixture was observed.     

Synthesis and characterization of silica-supported Pd nanoparticles and its application in the Heck reaction

Well-dispersed palladium nanoparticles immobilized onto modified silica(SiO 2-pr-NH-cyanuric-SH) have been prepared in some facile steps.The catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity in the Heck reaction,and can be easily recovered and reused without significant loss of its activity in several runs.     

Dry reforming reaction over nickel catalysts supported on nanocrystalline calcium aluminates with different CaO/Al2O3 ratios

Nanocrystalline calcium aluminates with different CaO/Al2O3 ratios were prepared by a facile co-precipitation method using Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG, MW: 5800) as a surfactant. They were employed as catalyst support for nickel catalysts in methane reforming with carbon dioxide. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption (BET), temperature-programmed reduction and oxidation (TPR-TPO), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Catalysts showed a relatively high catalytic activity and stability. TPR analysis revealed that the catalysts with higher CaO content are more difficult to be reduced. TPO analysis showed that the 5 wt%Ni/CA and 5 wt%Ni/C12A7 catalysts with higher CaO amount were effective against coke deposition.     

A crystal plasticity framework based on the Continuum Dislocation Dynamics theory: relaxation of an idealized micropillar

The motion and interaction of dislocation lines are the physical basis of the plastic deformation of metals. Although ‘discrete dislocation dynamic’ (DDD) simulations are able to predict the kinematics of dislocation microstructure (i.e. the motion of dislocations in a given velocity field) and therefore the plastic behavior of crystals in small length scales, the computational cost makes DDD less feasible for systems larger than a few micro meters. To overcome this problem, the Continuum Dislocation Dynamics (CDD) theory was developed. CDD describes the kinematics of dislocation microstructure based on statistical averages of internal properties of dislocation systems. In this paper we present a crystal plasticity framework based on the CDD theory. It consists of two separate parts: a classical 3D elastic boundary value problem and the evolution of dislocation microstructure within slip planes according to the CDD constitutional equations. We demonstrate the evolution of dislocation density in a micropillar with a single slip plane. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Carbon dioxide detection by boron nitride nanotubes

The effect of gas molecule adsorption is investigated on the density of states of (9,0) zigzag boron nitride nanotube within a random tight-binding Hamiltonian model. The Green function approach and coherent potential approximation have been implemented. The results show that the adsorption of carbon dioxide gas molecules by boron atoms only leads to a donor type semiconductor while the adsorption by nitrogen atoms only leads to an acceptor. Since the gas molecules are adsorbed by both boron and nitrogen atoms, a reduction of the band gap is found. In all cases, increasing the gas concentration causes an increase in the height of the peaks in the band gap. This is due to an increasing charge carrier concentration induced by adsorbed gas molecules.     

Investigation of the near-grazing behavior in hard-impact oscillators using model-based TS fuzzy approach

An impact oscillator is a non-smooth dynamical system with discontinuous state jumps whose dynamical behavior illustrates a variety of non-linear phenomena including a grazing bifurcation. This specific phenomenon is difficult to analyze because it coincides with an infinite stretching of the phase space in the neighborhood of the grazing orbit, resulting in the well-known problem of the square-root singularity of the Jacobian of the discrete-time map. A?novel Takagi?CSugeno fuzzy model-based approach is presented in this paper to model a hard impacting system as a non-smooth dynamical system including discontinuous jumps. Employing non-smooth Lyapunov theory, the structural stability of the system is analyzed to predict the onset of the destabilizing chaotic behavior. The proposed stability results, formulated as a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) problem, demonstrate how the new method can detect the loss of stability just before the grazing bifurcation.     

Co-history Matching: A Way Forward for Estimating Representative Saturation Functions

Core-scale experiments and analyses would often lead to estimation of saturation functions (relative permeability and capillary pressure). However, despite previous attempts on developing analytical and numerical methods, the estimated flow functions may not be representative of coreflood experiments when it comes to predicting similar experiments due to non-uniqueness issues of inverse problems. In this work, a novel approach was developed for estimation of relative permeability and capillary pressure simultaneously using the results of “multiple” corefloods together, which is called “co-history matching.” To examine this methodology, a synthetic (numerical) model was considered using core properties obtained from pore network model. The outcome was satisfactorily similar to original saturation functions. Also, two real coreflood experiments were performed where water at high and low rates were injected under reservoir conditions (live fluid systems) using a carbonate reservoir core. The results indicated that the profiles of oil recovery and differential pressure (dP) would be significantly affected by injection rate scenarios in non-water wet systems. The outcome of co-history matching could indicate that, one set of relative permeability and capillary pressure curves can reproduce the experimental data for all corefloods.