Computer simulation of polymer brushes under shear

 Recently two different methods were used to simulate the stationary properties of polymer brushes under strong shear: stochastic dynamics of a multi-chain brush model, and self-consistent Brownian dynamics of a one-chain model. The former explicitly describes volume interactions (VI) between polymer segments but does not take into account hydrodynamic interactions (HI) inside the brush. In the latter the self-consistent molecular field method has been chosen to calculate VI, and HI were accounted for using the Brinkman equation. Despite a significant difference between models a collapse of the brush under shear was observed in both studies. In particular, the density profile changes from parabolic to step-like and the free ends of the chains become concentrated in a narrow region at the periphery of the brush. However, when HI are taken into account much higher shear rates are necessary to attain the same brush deformation because the shear flow only slightly penetrates into the brush in contrast to the free-draining case. The inner brush structure is also found to be different for the two models. In the first model all chains are inclined approximately at the same angle when shear is applied. In the second model chains with the free ends found in the inner sublayer of the brush do not feel the flow at all whereas those in the upper sublayer are stretched and inclined by the flow. Received: 24 June 1999 Accepted: 8 February 2000     

Optical phenomena in liquid crystals and their application in aerophysical studies

The present paper is devoted to optical phenomena in thermotropic liquid crystals and their application to temperature and shear-stress visualization. The main properties of liquid crystals (structure, texture, viscoelastic and optical characteristics) that are of interest for experimental aerophysics are discussed. The results of temperature and shear-stress visualization studies on a wing and corrugated channel wall are presented.     

Shear deformation effect in non-linear analysis of composite beams of variable cross section

In this paper the non-linear analysis of a composite Timoshenko beam with arbitrary variable cross section undergoing moderate large deflections under general boundary conditions is presented employing the analog equation method (AEM), a BEM-based method. The composite beam consists of materials in contact, each of which can surround a finite number of inclusions. The materials have different elasticity and shear moduli with same Poisson's ratio and are firmly bonded together. The beam is subjected in an arbitrarily concentrated or distributed variable axial loading, while the shear loading is applied at the shear center of the cross section, avoiding in this way the induction of a twisting moment. To account for shear deformations, the concept of shear deformation coefficients is used. Five boundary value problems are formulated with respect to the transverse displacements, the axial displacement and to two stress functions and solved using the AEM. Application of the boundary element technique yields a system of non-linear equations from which the transverse and axial displacements are computed by an iterative process. The evaluation of the shear deformation coefficients is accomplished from the aforementioned stress functions using only boundary integration. Numerical examples are worked out to illustrate the efficiency, the accuracy, the range of applications of the developed method and the influence of the shear deformation effect.     

节理抗剪强度综合评价的试验研究

选取不同吻合度自然节理试样,进行干燥状态和饱和状态的JRC-JCS模型和JRC-JMS模型试验研究。结果表明,在节理粗糙度系数的定向统计测量和尺寸效应分析,以及剪切过程衰减折减的基础上,运用JRC-JCS模型综合评价节理抗剪强度可靠性较好,考虑吻合度系数的JRC-JMC模型比JRC-JCS模型具更好的预测能力。     

Constitutive relations for the shear band evolution in granular matter under large strain

A so-called ＂split-bottom ring shear cell＂ leads to wide shear bands under slow, quasi-static deformation. Unlike normal cylindrical Couette shear cells or rheometers, the bottom plate is split such that the outer part of it can move with the outer wall, while the other part （inner disk） is immobile. From discrete element simulations （DEM）, several continuum fields like the density, velocity, deformation gradient and stress are computed and evaluated with the goal to formulate objective constitutive relations for the powder flow behavior. From a single simulation, by applying time- and （local） space-averaging, a non-linear yield surface is obtained with peculiar stress dependence. The anisotropy is always smaller than the macroscopic friction coefficient. However, the lower bound of anisotropy increases with the strain rate, approaching the maximum according to a stretched exponential with a specific rate that is consistent with a shear path of about one particle diameter.     

Constitutive relations for the shear band evolution in granular matter under large strain

A so-called "split-bottom ring shear cell" leads to wide shear bands under slow, quasi-static deformation. Unlike normal cylindrical Couette shear cells or rheometers, the bottom plate is split such that the outer part of it can move with the outer wail, while the other part (inner disk) is immobile. From discrete element simulations (DEM), several continuum fields like the density, velocity, deformation gradient and stress are computed and evaluated with the goal to formulate objective constitutive relations for the powder flow behavior. From a single simulation, by applying time-and (local) space-averaging, a non-linear yield surface is obtained with peculiar stress dependence.The anisotropy is always smaller than the macroscopic friction coefficient. However, the lower bound of anisotropy increases with the strain rate, approaching the maximum according to a stretched exponential with a specific rate that is consistent with a shear path of about one particle diameter.     

Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of development length of straight steel fiber in cementitious materials

In fiber-reinforced concrete, it is important to choose an appropriate length in each fiber to develop its full yield strength without a failure in the bond strength between the fiber and the concrete. This length is called the fiber development length, L_df. The bond capacity is evaluated between the fiber and the concrete using the pull-out tests. This test evaluates the bond capacity of various types of steel fiber surfaces relative to a specific embedded length. If the steel fiber is smooth and straight, the distribution of tensile stresses will be uniform around the fiber at a specific section and varies along the anchorage length of the fiber and at a radial distance from the surface of the fiber. Pull-out tests can be performed on an embedded straight steel fiber in concrete matrix, in this case, the tensile force, P, is increased gradually and the number of cracks and their spacings and widths is recorded. The bond stresses vary along the fiber length between the cracks. The strain in the steel fiber is maximum at the cracked section and decreases toward the middle section between cracks. If the embedded length of the straight steel fiber is greater than the development length, the steel fiber may yield, leaving some length of the fiber in the concrete. The linear elastic behavior of the fiber-matrix system is interrupted by interface debonding which occurs due to overall weak bonding between the concrete matrix and the surface of the steel fiber. This paper introduces new developed shear lag model and explains simplified method to find the development length of straight steel fiber in concrete matrix using finite element model and analysis of shear lag stresses, where the maximum tension force which is applied on the steel fiber is resisted by another internal force related with the ultimate average bond stress, steel fiber diameter and its yield strength.     

Notch sensitivity in nanoscale metallic glass specimens: Insights from continuum simulations

Recent experiments have shown that nano-sized metallic glass (MG) specimens subjected to tensile loading exhibit increased ductility and work hardening. Failure occurs by necking as opposed to shear banding which is seen in bulk samples. Also, the necking is generally observed at shallow notches present on the specimen surface. In this work, continuum finite element analysis of tensile loading of nano-sized notched MG specimens is conducted using a thermodynamically consistent non-local plasticity model to clearly understand the deformation behavior from a mechanics perspective. It is found that plastic zone size in front of the notch attains a saturation level at the stage when a dominant shear band forms extending across the specimen. This size scales with an intrinsic material length associated with the interaction stress between flow defects. A transition in deformation behavior from quasi-brittle to ductile becomes possible when this critical plastic zone size is larger than the uncracked ligament length. These observations corroborate with atomistic simulations and experimental results.     

A calculation method of track shoe thrust on soft ground for splayed grouser

Thrust of track shoes on soft ground is affected by soil moisture content, shear rate and structure parameters of track shoes. A lack of comprehensive consideration of these factors exists for normal calculation methods. A method to predict thrust for track shoes on soft ground with splayed grouser was established based on experimental results and theoretical derivations. Model track shoe traction experiments were conducted for verification and correction of the thrust formula. It was observed that the thrust for the track shoes decreased with the increase in moisture content of the soil. Increases in shear rate, grouser height, and grouser splayed angle resulted in greater tractions. Effect of grouser thickness and grouser draft angle on tractions was not obvious. A corrected thrust formula allowed accurate prediction of thrust for a single track shoe on soft ground.