Sound transmission from stiffened double laminated composite plates

An analytical model is developed to investigate the sound transmission loss from orthogonally rib-stiffened double laminated composite plates structure under a plane sound wave excitation, in which first order shear deformation theory is presented for laminated composite plates. By using the space harmonic approach and virtual work principle, the sound transmission loss is described analytically. The validity and feasibility of the model are verified by comparing the present theoretical predictions with numerical results published previously. The influences of structure geometrical parameters on sound transmission loss are subsequently presented. Through numerical results, it can be concluded that the proposed analytical model is accurate and simple in solving the vibroacoustic behavior of an orthogonally rib-stiffened double laminated composite plates.     

Acoustic topology optimization of sound power using mapped acoustic radiation modes

An efficient approach for acoustic topology optimization to minimize the radiated sound power from a vibrating structure is described. The topology optimization is implemented by modifying the local stiffness at discrete locations on the surface of the structure. The radiated sound power level from the structure is directly chosen as the objective function to be minimized. A sensitivity analysis is then implemented to further optimize the layout of the locations of the modified local stiffness. To speed up the computational process, the radiated sound power is computed based on mapped acoustic radiation modes. To demonstrate the acoustic topology optimization using mapped acoustic radiation modes, the radiated sound power of a compressor housing is examined. Based on results from the numerical model, the local stiffness of a compressor housing was experimentally modified. Good agreement in sound power reduction obtained both numerically and experimentally was observed for the overall trend for the sound power levels as a function of one-third octave frequency bands.     

Numerical simulation of transonic limit cycle oscillations using high-order low-diffusion schemes

This paper simulates the NLR7301 airfoil limit cycle oscillation (LCO) caused by fluid–structure interaction (FSI) using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) coupled with Spalart–Allmaras (S–A) one-equation turbulence model. A low diffusion E-CUSP (LDE) scheme with 5th order weighted essentially nonoscillatory scheme (WENO) is employed to calculate the inviscid fluxes. A fully conservative 4th order central differencing is used for the viscous terms. A fully coupled fluid–structural interaction model is employed. For the case computed in this paper, the predicted LCO frequency, amplitudes, averaged lift and moment, all agree excellently with the experiment performed by Schewe et al. The solutions appear to have bifurcation and are dependent on the initial fields or initial perturbation. The developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/computational structure dynamics (CSD) simulation is able to capture the LCO with very small amplitudes measured in the experiment. This is attributed to the high order low diffusion schemes, fully coupled FSI model, and the turbulence model used. This research appears to be the first time that a numerical simulation of LCO matches the experiment. The simulation confirms several observations of the experiment.     

Falling cards and flapping flags: understanding fluid–solid interactions using an unsteady point vortex model

A reduced-order model for the two-dimensional interaction of a sharp-edged solid body and a high-Reynolds number flow is presented, based on the inviscid representation of the solid’s wake as point vortices with unsteady intensity. This model is applied to the fall of a rigid card in a fluid and to the flapping instability of a flexible membrane forced by a parallel flow.     

Deterministic-statistical analysis of a structural-acoustic system

The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient approach for vibro-acoustic analysis. Being simple and representative, an exited plate-acoustic system is selected as a validation case for the vibro-acoustic analysis as the system presents one two-dimensional statistical component (modal dense structure panel—plate) connected to the other component (deterministic acoustic volume—cavity) through the area junction over a surface domain, rather than at a line boundary. Potential industrial applications of the system vibro-acoustic analysis would be in acoustic modelling of vehicle body panels such as the cabin roof panel, and door panels for the boom noise analysis.A new deterministic-statistical analysis approach is proposed from a combination or hybrid of deterministic analysis and statistical energy analysis (SEA) approaches. General theory of the new deterministic-statistical analysis approach is introduced. The main advantage of the new deterministic-statistical analysis approach is its possibility in place of the time consuming Monte Carlo simulation. In order to illustrate and validate the new deterministic-statistical analysis approach, three approaches of the deterministic analysis, the statistical energy analysis and the new deterministic-statistical analysis are then applied to conduct the plate-acoustic system modelling, and their results will be compared. The vibro-acoustic energy coupling characteristic of the plate-acoustic system will be studied. The most suitable frequency range for the new approach will be identified in consideration of computational accuracy, information and speed.     

Time domain topology optimization of 3D nanophotonic devices

We present an efficient parallel topology optimization framework for design of large scale 3D nanophotonic devices. The code shows excellent scalability and is demonstrated for optimization of broadband frequency splitter, waveguide intersection, photonic crystal-based waveguide and nanowire-based waveguide. The obtained results are compared to simplified 2D studies and we demonstrate that 3D topology optimization may lead to significant performance improvements.     

Influence of applied in-plane strain on transverse thermal conductivity of 0°/90° and plain weave ceramic matrix composites

A computationally economic finite-element-based stress analysis model, developed previously by the authors, has been extended to predict the thermal behaviour of ceramic matrix composites with strain-induced damage. The finite element analysis utilises a solid element to represent a homogenised orthotropic medium of a heterogeneous uni-directional tow. The non-linear multi-axial strain dependent thermal behaviour has been discretised by multi-linear curves, which have been implemented by a user defined subroutine, USDFLD, in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS. The model has been used to study the performance of two CMC composites: a SiC (Nicalon) fibre-calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) matrix, 0°/90° cross-ply laminate Nicalon-CAS; and, carbon fibre-dual carbon-SiC matrix (C/C-SiC), plain weave laminate DLR-XT. The global through-thickness thermal conductivity degradation with composite uni-axial strain has been predicted. Comparisons have been made between the predictions and experimental data for both materials, and good agreement has been achieved. For the Nicalon-CAS 0°/90° cross-ply the dominant mechanism of thermal conductivity degradation is combined fibre failure and associated wake debonding; and, for the DLR-XT plain weave the same mechanisms act in combination with out-of-plane shear failure.     

Elastic wedge impact onto a liquid surface: Wagner's solution and approximate models

The problem of elastic wedge impact onto the free surface of an ideal incompressible liquid of infinite depth is considered. The liquid flow is two-dimensional, symmetric and potential. The side walls of the wedge are modelled as Euler beams, which are either simply supported or connected to the main structure by linear springs. The liquid flow, the deflection of wedge walls and the size of wetted region are determined simultaneously within the Wagner theory of water impact. We are concerned with the impact conditions of strong coupling between the hydrodynamic loads and the structural response. The coupling is well pronounced for elastic wedges with small deadrise angles. This is the case when the fully nonlinear models fail and approximate models based on the Wagner approach are used. In contrast to the existing approximate models, we do not use any further simplifications within the Wagner theory. Calculations of the velocity potential are reduced to analytical evaluation of the added-mass matrix. Hydrodynamic pressures are not evaluated in the present analysis. In order to estimate the maximum bending stresses, both stages when the wedge surface is partially and totally wetted are considered.Three approximate models of water impact, which are frequently used in practical computations, are examined and their predictions are tested against the present numerical solution obtained by the normal mode method within the Wagner theory. It is shown that the decoupled model of elastic wedge impact, which does not account for the beam inertia, provides a useful formula for estimating the maximum bending stress in thick wedge platings.