Surface energies of metals in both liquid and solid states

Although during the last years one has seen a number of systematic studies of the surface energies of metals, the aim and the scientific meaning of this research is to establish a simple and a straightforward theoretical model to calculate accurately the mechanical and the thermodynamic properties of metal surfaces due to their important application in materials processes and in the understanding of a wide range of surface phenomena. Through extensive theoretical calculations of the surface tension of most of the liquid metals, we found that the fraction of broken bonds in liquid metals (f) is constant which is equal to 0.287. Using our estimated f value, the surface tension (γ_m), surface energy (γ_SV), surface excess entropy (−dγ/dT), surface excess enthalpy (H_s), coefficient of thermal expansion (α_m and α_b), sound velocity (c_m) and its temperature coefficient (−dc/dT) have been calculated for more than sixty metals. The results of the calculated quantities agree well with available experimental data.     

Single-element ultrasonic transducer modeling using a hybrid FD–PSTD method

In a recent publication [E. Filoux, S. Callé, D. Certon, M. Lethiecq, F. Levassort, Modeling of piezoelectric transducers with combined pseudospectral and finite-difference methods, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123 (6) (2008) 4165–4173], a new finite-difference/pseudospectral time-domain (FD–PSTD) algorithm was presented and used to model the generation of acoustic waves by a piezoelectric resonator and their propagation in the structure and the surrounding water. In this paper, the model has been extended to simulate the two-dimensional behaviour of a complete single-element transducer, composed of the resonator, a backing and a front matching layer. This further version of the model takes into account the mechanical loss in materials, and enables the calculation of electrical impedance, which is a characteristic of high interest to optimize the performance of ultrasonic transducers. The impedance curves of a PZT [URL: http://www.ferroperm-piezo.com (last viewed 04/2008); B. Jaffe, R.S. Roth, S. Marzullo, Piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate-lead titanate solid-solution ceramics, J. Appl. Phys. 25 (1954) 809–810] plate-based high-frequency transducer, with a 50 MHz thickness resonant frequency, were compared to those of a KLM model [R. Krimholtz, D.A. Leedom, G.L. Matthei, New equivalent circuit for elementary piezoelectric transducers, Electron. Lett. 6 (1970) 398–399] in the one-dimensional case. The acoustical properties were also found to be in good agreement with those obtained using the finite element (FE) method of ATILA^® software in two-dimensional configuration.     

Assessment of filtered gas–solid momentum transfer models via a linear wave propagation speed test

The propagation speeds of linear waves in gas–solid suspensions depend strongly on the solids volume fraction and the wave frequency. The latter is due to gas–solid momentum transfer and allows a simple test on filtered gas–solid momentum transfer models. Such models may predict linear wave propagation speeds different from those obtained with the non-filtered model at wave frequencies higher than the filter frequency, but not at wave frequencies lower than the filter frequency.     

Non-linear Heat and Mass Transfer During Convective Drying of Kaolin Cylinder Under Non-steady Conditions

The self-consistent model of heat and mass transfer during convective drying of capillary porous media describing both the first and the second periods of drying is presented in Musielak (Wydawnictwo Politechniki Poznańskiej, seria Rozprawy, nr 386 (2004a); Chem. Process Eng. 25, 393–409 (2004b)). The results of simulations of processes in steady conditions are shown (Musielak Wydawnictwo Politechniki Poznańskiej, seria Rozprawy, nr 386 (2004a); Chem. Process Eng. 25, 393–409 (2004b)). The main aim of the present work is to compare experimental results with those from numerical simulations. Three convective drying processes have been performed experimentally. The first and the second periods of drying are considered, during which the humidity of air in the dryer changes due to evaporation. The first process is used to establish drying parameters, whereafter the two remaining processes are simulated. Good agreement between experimental and simulation results is found, both qualitative and quantitative.     

Modeling fluid and heat transport in the reactive, porous bed of downdraft (biomass) gasifier

A fluid flow and heat transfer model has been developed for the reactive, porous bed of the biomass gasifier to simulate pressure drop, temperature profile in the bed and flow rates. The conservation equations, momentum equation and energy equation are used to describe fluid and heat transport in porous gasifier bed. The model accounted for drag at wall, and the effect of radial as well as axial variation in bed porosity to predict pressure drop in bed. Heat transfer has been modeled using effective thermal conductivity approach. Model predictions are validated against the experiments, while effective thermal conductivity values are tested qualitatively using models available in literature. Parametric analysis has been carried out to investigate the effect of various parameters on bed temperature profile and pressure drop through the gasifier. The temperature profile is found to be very sensitive to gas flow rate, and heat generation in oxidation zone, while high bed temperature, gas flow rate and the reduction in feedstock particle size are found to cause a marked increase in pressure drop through the gasifier. The temperatures of the down stream zones are more sensitive to any change in heat generation in the bed as compared to upstream zone. Author recommends that the size of preheating zone may be extended up to pyrolysis zone in order to enhance preheating of input air, while thermal insulation should not be less than 15 cm.     

The reference shrinkage curve of clay soil

The objective of this work is to develop and validate a model that predicts the reference soil shrinkage curve, that is one without crack volume contribution, as a necessary preliminary step in future estimation of soil crack volume from soil shrinkage data. Current soil shrinkage models are based on the approximation of soil shrinkage data by some a priori taken mathematical expressions and justified by the fitting of their parameters to the data. However, the crack volume entering the data is not single valued and depends on shrinkage conditions. Unlike that the reference shrinkage curve is single valued. For soils with sufficiently high clay content when there are no large pores (lacunar pores) inside the intra-aggregate clay, the reference shrinkage curve is derived from the assumption of the rigid superficial (interface) layer of aggregates with changed pore-size range and distribution compared with the intra-aggregate matrix. This consideration is based on accounting for contributions of the interface aggregate layer and intra-aggregate matrix to the soil volume and water content during shrinkage. The reference shrinkage curve is predicted by eight fundamental physical immediately measured parameters of (i) the intra-aggregate matrix (including clay content); (ii) the aggregate structure; and (iii) the mean silt-sand grain size or mean interface layer thickness. The model was validated using the data for eight soils. In addition to the major potential application for estimating a soil crack volume, the model explains differences between the observed shrinkage curves of soil and pure clay, and it can have other numerous applications.     

降雨条件下固体废弃物边坡变形及破坏模式试验研究

利用室内模型试验及稳定性分析的手段 ,研究在降雨作用下高速公路通过的城市固体废弃物路堑边坡变形特征及破坏模式 ,分析了边坡各部位在降雨作用下变形量的变化规律 ,得出变形过程的 5个阶段 ,给出了固体废弃物边坡主要以溜坍或滑塌、坡面冲刷及滑坡 3种破坏形式 ,并提出了治理建议     

Modeling of a magnetorheological damper by recursive lazy learning

Nowadays dampers based on magnetorheological (MR) fluids are receiving significant attention specially for control of structural vibration and automotive suspensions systems. In most cases, it is necessary to develop an appropriate control strategy which is practically implementable when a suitable model for MR dampers is available. It is not a trivial task to model the dynamic of MR dampers because of their inherent non-linear and hysteretic dynamics. In this paper, a recursive lazy learning method based on neural networks is considered to model the MR damper behavior. The proposed method is validated by comparison with experimental obtained responses. Results show the estimated model correlates very well with the data obtained experimentally. The method proposed learns quickly that it is only necessarily a learning cycle, it can learn on-line and it is easy to select the network structure and calculate the model parameters.     

Cyclic multiaxial and shear finite deformation responses of OFHC Cu. Part II: An extension to the KHL model and simulations

In this part, the Khan–Huang–Liang (KHL) constitutive model was extended to account for kinematic hardening characteristic behavior of materials. The extended model is then generalized and used to simulate experimental response of oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper under cyclic shear straining and biaxial tension–torsion (multiaxial ratchetting) experiments presented in Part I (Khan et al., 2007). In addition, a new modification for the non-linear kinematic hardening rule of Karim–Ohno (Abdel-Karim and Ohno, 2000) is proposed to simulate multiaxial ratchetting behaviors. Although, the kinematic hardening contributes the most to the response, it is shown that, the loading rate effect, and a coupled isotropic and kinematic hardening effect should also be considered while simulating the multiaxial ratchetting behavior of OFHC copper. Furthermore, the newly modified kinematic hardening rules is able to fairly well simulate the multiaxial ratchetting experiments under different loading conditions, irrespective of the value of applied axial tensile stress, shear strain amplitude, pre-cyclic hardening and/or loading sequence.     

Modeling adiabatic shear failure from energy considerations

The numerical simulation of dynamic structural failure by localized shear is quite complex in terms of constitutive models and choice of adequate failure criteria, along with a pronounced mesh-sensitivity. As a result, the existing numerical procedures are usually quite sophisticated, so that their application for design purposes is still limited. This study is based on the implementation of a simple energy-based criterion, which was developed on experimental considerations (Rittel et al., 2006), and uses a minimal number of adjustable parameters. According to this criterion, a material point starts to fail when the total strain energy density reaches a critical value. Thereafter, the strength of the element decreases gradually to zero to mimic the actual structural behavior. The criterion was embedded into commercial finite element software and tested by simulating numerically four typical high-rate experiments. The first is the dynamic torsion test of a tubular specimen. The second concerns the failure mode transition in mode II fracture of an edge crack in plain strain. The last two involve dynamic shear localization under high rate compression of a cylindrical and a shear compression specimen. A very good adequation was found both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitatively, in terms of failure path selection, and quantitatively, in terms of local strains, temperatures and critical impact velocity. The proposed approach is enticing from an engineering perspective aimed at predicting the onset and propagation of dynamic shear localization in actual structures.