Prediction of elastic properties of heterogeneous materials with complex microstructures

The phase-field microelasticity (PFM) is adapted into a homogenization process to predict all the effective elastic constants of three-dimensional heterogeneous materials with complex microstructures. Comparison between the PFM approach and the Hashin-Shtrikman variational approach is also given. Using 3D images of two-phase heterogeneous media with regular and irregular microstructures, results indicate that the PFM approach can accurately take into account the effects of both elastic anisotropy and inhomogeneity of materials with arbitrary microstructure geometry, such as complex porous media with suspended inclusions.     

Thermal analysis of the roll in the strip casting process

Coiled strip can be directly produced through the twin-roll strip casting process from the melt by incorporating casting and hot rolling together into a single step. In this unique process, the strip formation from the molten metal critically relies upon the casting rolls. Thus, the design of the rolls is extremely essential. The coupled heat transfer and deformation analysis of the casting roll is carried out in a two-dimensional numerical model, using a finite element program (MARC) to examine the thermal stress and displacement. The effects of several factors such as the nickel overlay thickness on the roll surface, the casting speed, and the roll diameter on thermal characteristics are investigated.     

Fatigue crack growth behavior of Al7050-T7451 attachment lugs under flight spectrum variation

This paper discusses an analytical and experimental investigations of the fatigue crack growth behavior in attachment lugs subjected to a randomized flight-by-flight spectrum. In the analysis, the stress intensity factors for through-the-thickness cracks initiating from lug holes were compared by weight function method, boundary element method (BEM), the interpolation of Brussat’s solution. The stress intensity factors of a corner crack at a transition region were obtained using two parameter weight function method and correction factors. Fatigue life under a load spectrum was predicted using stress intensity factors and Willenborg retardation model considering the effects of a tensile overload. Experiments were performed under a load spectrum and compared with the fatigue life prediction using the stress intensity factors by different methods. Changes of fatigue life and aspect ratio according to the clipping level of the spectrum were discussed through experiment and prediction. Effect of the spectrum clipping level on the fatigue life was experimentally evaluated by using beach marks of fractured surface.     

Formation, structure, and evolution of boiling nucleus and interfacial tension between bulk liquid phase and nucleus

In this paper, the concept of the molecular free path is introduced to derive a criterion distinguishing active molecules from inactive molecules in liquid phase. A concept of the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of active molecules is proposed to describe the physical configuration before the formation of a nucleus during vapor–liquid phase transition. All active molecules exist as monomers when the concentration of active molecules is lower than CAC, while the active molecules will generate aggregation once the concentration of the active molecules reaches CAC. However, these aggregates with aggregation number, N, smaller than five can steadily exist in bulk phase. The other excess active molecules can only produce infinite aggregation and form a critical nucleus of vapor–liquid phase transition. Without any outer perturbation the state point of CAC corresponds to the critical superheated or supercooled state. Meanwhile, a model of two-region structure of a nucleus is proposed to describe nucleus evolution. The interfacial tension between bulk liquid phase and nucleus is dependent of the density gradient in the transition region and varies with the structure change of the transition region. With the interfacial tension calculated using this model, the predicted nucleation rate is very close to the experimental measurement. Furthermore, this model and associated analysis provides solid theoretical evidences to clarify the definition of nucleation rate and understand nucleation phenomenon with the insight into the physical nature.     

Influence of age-hardening and strain-rate on confined compression and shear behaviour of snow

The problem of assessing mobility performance of tracked or wheeled vehicles over snow is addressed in terms of the capability of the snow to provide flotation and traction capabilities. To obtain input into analyses for energy transfer from the traction element to the supporting snow cover, it is necessary to describe confined compression and shear performances of the snow—recognizing that a large density increase occurs under initial attack of the vehicle traction element. This study provides experimental input and diagrams of energy surfaces describing confined compressive and shear effects related to snow age and initial density.     

Instability of a layer op lightly ionized plasma in crossed electric and magnetic fields

In a lightly ionized plasma, charged-particle drift due to collisions with neutral atoms occurs at different velocities: $$\begin{array}{*{20}c} {v_{Ea} = \mp \frac{{b_a E}}{{1 + (\omega _a \tau _a )^2 }},v_{ \bot a} = \frac{{b_a E(\omega _a \tau _a )}}{{1 + (\omega _a \tau _a )^2 }}} \\ {\left( {b_a = \frac{{|e|\tau _a }}{{m_a }},\omega _a = \frac{{|e|\tau _a }}{{m_a }}} \right),} \\ \end{array} $$ where b_a is the mobility of particles of the type a;ω_a is the Larmor frequency; the upper sign refers to electrons and the lower sign to ions. A difference in the charged-particle drift velocities can cause instability of an inhomogeneous lightly ionized plasma. Let us consider the following example. Assume that in the initial state of the plasma there is a concentration gradient along the x-axis, that the external electric field is directed along the x-axis, and that the magnetic field coincides with the z-axis. In this system, under the influence of a Lorentz force the charged particles will move in a direction opposite to the y-axis. Since electrons have a higher velocity than ions, an electric field is induced in this direction. This electric field, together with the magnetic field, causes particle drift in the negative direction of the x-axis. Consequently, if the concentration gradient in the initial state is directed opposite to the x-axis this state cannot be stable. Instability of this kind has been examined by Simon [1]. On the basis of studies by Kadomtsev and Nedospasov [2], as well as by Rosenbluth and Longmire [3], Simon developed a theory of instability of a lightly ionized plasma in crossed fields with an inhomogeneous density distribution in the direction of the external electric field. Somewhat later, Simon's theory was developed [4]. In devices with inhomogeneous plasma flow in which the plasma (conducting) layers alternate with nonconducting layers, the external electric field and concentration are normal to one another. We shall bear this case in mind below and shall examine the instability of a lightly ionized plasma in crossed fields when the concentration inhomogeneity is in a direction perpendicular to the external electric field.     

About the basic integral variants of holonomic nonconservative dynamical systems

In this paper, we prove that for holonomic nonconservative dynamical system the Poincaré and Poincaré-Cartan integral invariants do not exist. Instead of them, we introduce the integral variants of Poincaré-Cartan's type and of Poincare's type for holonomic nonconservative dynamical systems, and use these variants to solve the problem of nonlinear vibration. We also prove that the integral invariants introduced in references [1] and [2] are merely the basic integral variants given by this paper. Project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Axisymmetric impingement of a hot jet on a flat plate: equilibrium flow analysis of high-temperature air

The flow structure of an underexpanded supersonic jet with high reservoir temperature impinging on a flat plate has been numerically investigated using a Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme. When the temperature of the flow field is high enough to cause chemical reaction, the specific heat ratio,, is no longer equal to 1.4, nor constant. This explains the difference found in the literature between the flow properties of the calorically perfect gas and that of the chemically reacting flow. Under the equilibrium flow assumption the effect of high temperature gas on the impinging jet has been taken into account in the present paper by using specific heat ratio and speed of sound given by correlation polynomials of thermodynamic variables. The limiting case of cold jet calculation in the present numerical results agreed well with the existing experimental data. For the equilibrium jet with high reservoir temperature,T _o=1000K, qualitative support of the present result has been provided by means of the approximation theory.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

Quantum Key Agreement Via Non-maximally Entangled Cluster States

International Journal of Theoretical Physics - In this paper, we present a quantum key agreement (QKA) protocol with non-maximally entangled four-qubit cluster states. In our scheme, each...