On accurate boundary conditions for a shape sensitivity equation method

This paper studies the application of the continuous sensitivity equation method (CSEM) for the Navier–Stokes equations in the particular case of shape parameters. Boundary conditions for shape parameters involve flow derivatives at the boundary. Thus, accurate flow gradients are critical to the success of the CSEM. A new approach is presented to extract accurate flow derivatives at the boundary. High order Taylor series expansions are used on layered patches in conjunction with a constrained least‐squares procedure to evaluate accurate first and second derivatives of the flow variables at the boundary, required for Dirichlet and Neumann sensitivity boundary conditions. The flow and sensitivity fields are solved using an adaptive finite‐element method. The proposed methodology is first verified on a problem with a closed form solution obtained by the Method of Manufactured Solutions. The ability of the proposed method to provide accurate sensitivity fields for realistic problems is then demonstrated. The flow and sensitivity fields for a NACA 0012 airfoil are used for fast evaluation of the nearby flow over an airfoil of different thickness (NACA 0015). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of plane and axisymmetric flows of incompressible fluids with the stream tube method: Numerical simulation by trust-region optimization algorithm

New concepts for the study of incompressible plane or axisymmetric flows are analysed by the stream tube method. Flows without eddies and pure vortex flows are considered in a transformed domain where the mapped streamlines are rectilinear or circular. The transformation between the physical domain and the computational domain is an unknown of the problem. In order to solve the non-linear set of relevant equations, we present a new algorithm based on a trust region technique which is effective for non-convex optimization problems. Experimental results show that the new algorithm is more robust compared to the Newton-Raphson method.     

A note on an SOR-like method for augmented systems

Golub et al. (2001, BIT, 41, 71–85) gave a generalizedsuccessive over-relaxation method for the augmented systems.In this paper, the connection between the SOR-like method andthe preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) method for the augmentedsystems is investigated. It is shown that the PCG method isat least as accurate (fast) as the SOR-like method. Numericalexamples demonstrate that the PCG method is much faster thanthe SOR-like method.     

Chelate polymers: II. Some novel transition metals complexes with azomethine‐containing siloxanes and their polyesters

New Schiff bases of 2,4‐dihydroxybenzaldehyde with siloxane‐α,ω‐diamines having different numbers of siloxane units in the chain have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy, elemental and thermal analyses. These azomethines were found to form complexes readily with copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), cadmium(II) and zinc(II). From IR and UV–Vis studies, the phenolic oxygen and imine nitrogen of the ligand were found to be the coordination sites. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data indicate the chelates to be more stable than the corresponding ligands. The melting points increase with shortening of the siloxane segment from azomethine, as well as the result of complexation. The chelates obtained were covalently inserted in polymeric linear structures by polycondensation through the OH‐difunctionalized ligand with 1,3‐bis(carboxypropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane. Direct polycondensation, assisted either by acetic anhydride or N,N′‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as dehydrating agent and the complex 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridinium 4‐toluenesulfonate as catalyst, was used for the synthesis of these compound types. The structures of the polymers obtained were confirmed by IR, UV and ¹H NMR. Characterization was undertaken by TGA, solubility tests and viscosity measurements. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple four-node quadrilateral finite element for plates

A simple and accurate four-node quadrilateral finite element based on the Mindlin plate theory and Kirchhoff constraints is presented for general thin plate bending applications. The derivation of the element stiffness properties is straightforward, starting with a specified eight-node interpolation; usual discrete Kirchhoff (DK) constraints are employed to constrain out the four midside nodes of the element. The present resulting DK element passes patch tests with elements of arbitrary and even highly distorted mesh types. Numerical studies of the element convergence behaviours are undertaken for various plate bending problems so far investigated. It is indicated from comparative examples that fairly good convergence characteristics have been achieved.     

Formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber blends: Effects of preparation method,composition, and thermal condition

The effects of preparation method, composition, and thermal condition on formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber (iPP/EPR) blends were studied using modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC), wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and phase contrast microscopy (PCM). It was found that the α‐iPP and β‐iPP can simultaneity form in the melt‐blended samples, whereas only α‐iPP exists in the solution‐blended samples. The results show that the formation of β‐iPP in the melt‐blended samples is related to the crystallization temperature and the β‐iPP generally diminishes and finally vanishes when the crystallization temperature moves far from 125 °C. The phenomena that the lower critical temperature of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR obviously increases to 114 °C and the upper critical temperature decreases to 134 °C indicate the narrowing of temperature interval, facilitating the formation of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR. Furthermore, it was found that the amount of β‐iPP in melt‐blended iPP/EPR samples is dependent on the composition and the maximum amount of β‐iPP formed when the composition of iPP/EPR blends is 85:15 in weight. The results through examining the effect of annealing for iPP/EPR samples at melt state indicate that this annealing may eliminate the susceptibility to β‐crystallization of iPP. However, only α‐iPP can be observed in solution‐blended samples subjected to annealing for different time. The PCM images demonstrate that an obvious phase‐separation happens in both melt‐blended and solution‐blended iPP/EPR samples, implying that compared with the disperse degree of EPR in iPP, the preparation method plays a dominant role in formation of β‐iPP. It is suggested that the origin of formation of β‐iPP results from the thermomechanical history of the EPR component in iPP/EPR. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1704–1712, 2007     

Eigenvalues of the antiplane-shear crack problem for a power-law material

This paper discusses the problem of finding the eigenvalue spectrum in determining the stress and strain fields at the tip of an antiplane-shear crack in a power-law material. It is shown that the perturbation method provides an analytical dependence of the eigenvalue on the material nonlinearity parameter and the eigenvalue of the linear problem. Thus, it is possible to find the entire spectrum of eigenvalues and not only the eigenvalue of the Hutchinson-Rice-Rosengren problem. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 173–180, January–February, 2008.     

Identification of nonstationary axisymmetric load distributed along a cylindrical shell

The paper outlines a procedure to identify the space-and time-dependent external nonstationary load acting on a closed circular cylindrical shell of medium thickness. Time-dependent deflections at several points of the shell are used as input data to solve the inverse problem. Examples of numerical identification of various nonstationary loads, including moving ones are presented. The relationship between the external load and the stress-strain state of the shell is described by the Volterra equation of the first kind. The identification problem is solved using Tikhonov's regularization method and Apartsin's h-regularization method __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 91–100, July 2008.     

Stability analysis of abnormal multiplication of plankton using parameter identification technique

This paper presents the mathematical approach for the abnormal multiplication of plankton. An abnormal multiplication can be expressed as an unstable problem and the stability of the system is investigated by introducing eigenvalues of a mathematical equation. The stability of the system can be judged by an eigenvalue based on the Lyapunov's stability theory. In this paper, the Arnoldi‐QR method is used to obtain eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the system. The mode superposition method is employed to create spatial distribution needed to analyse the stability. To obtain the objective eigenvalue, the parameter identification technique is employed. The finite element method is used for the discretization in space. Lake Kasumigaura, which is located in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, is selected and actual data in 1975, 1976, 1991 and 2000 are used in order to investigate the stability of the specified lake in Japan. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.