scholarly journals LMGC90: a Contact Dynamics open source code for the simulation of granular asteroid with realistic regolith shapes. Application to the accretion process

2021 ◽  
Vol 249 ◽  
pp. 14007
Author(s):  
Paul Sánchez ◽  
Mathieu Renouf ◽  
Emilien Azéma ◽  
Rémy Mozul
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Contact Stiffness ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Contact Dynamics ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Polyhedral Particles ◽  
Accretion Process ◽  
Particles Size Distribution ◽  
Self Gravity

Granular asteroids are naturally occurring gravitational aggregates (rubble piles) bound together by gravitational forces. For this reason, it is reasonable to use the theoretical concepts and numerical tools developed for granular media to study them. In this paper, we extend the field of applicability of the Contact Dynamic (CD) method, a class of non smooth discrete element approach, for the simulation of three dimensional granular asteroids. The CD method is particularly relevant to address the study of dense granular assemblies of a large number of particles of complex shape and broad particles size distribution, since it does not introduces numerical artefacts due to contact stiffness. We describe how the open source software LMGC90, interfaced with an external library for the calculation of self-gravity, is used to model the accretion process of spherical and irregular polyhedral particles.

An Analysis of the Strength of Anisotropic Granular Assemblies via Discrete Methods

2014 ◽  
Vol 553 ◽  
pp. 525-530
Author(s):  
Sergio Andres Galindo-Torres ◽  
Dorival Pedroso ◽  
David Williams ◽  
Hans Mühlhaus
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Triaxial Tests ◽  
True Triaxial ◽  
Polyhedral Particles ◽  
Granular Assemblies ◽  
Mean Pressure ◽  
Confining Pressures

This paper presents a study on the macroscopic strength characteristics of granular assemblies with three-dimensional complex-shaped particles. Different assemblies are considered, with both isotropic and anisotropic particle geometries. The study is conducted using the Discrete Element Method (DEM), with so-called sphero-polyhedral particles, and simulations of mechanical true triaxial tests for a range of Lode angles and confining pressures. The observed mathematical failure envelopes are investigated in the Haigh-Westergaard stress space, as well as on the deviatoric-mean pressure plane. It is verified that the DEM with non-spherical particles produces results that are qualitatively similar to experimental data and previous numerical results obtained with spherical elements. The simulations reproduce quite well the shear strength of assemblies of granular media, such as higher strength during compression than during extension. In contrast, by introducing anisotropy at the particle level, the shear strength parameters are greatly affected, and an isotropic failure criterion is no longer valid. It is observed that the strength of the anisotropic assembly depends on the direction of loading, as observed for real soils.

scholarly journals Independence of shear strength with particle size dispersity still valid in polyhedral particle assemblies

2021 ◽  
Vol 249 ◽  
pp. 06009
Author(s):  
Emilien Azéma ◽  
David Cantor ◽  
Itthichai Preechawuttipong
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Shear Strength ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Strength Properties ◽  
Contact Dynamics ◽  
Complex Case ◽  
Spatial Correlations ◽  
Compensation Mechanisms

A very staggering result that has been constantly highlighted in granular media is that the shear strength of granular assemblies is independent of the particle size dispersity. In other words, a packing composed of monodisperse particles has similar strength properties to those of polydisperse systems. This has been shown numerically for the simplified case of disc and polygon assemblies in 2D and spheres in 3D. In this paper, we use three-dimensional contact dynamics simulations to revisit these results for the more complex case of assemblies composed of highly polydisperse rigid polyhedra. Although non-spherical shapes induce more intricated spatial correlations than spherical shapes because of the multiple contact types (i.e., vertex-face, edge-edge, edge-face, face-face), our numerical data provide evidence that the shear strength independence as the particle size dispersity increases still holds up for assemblies of polyhedra. We explain this finding from compensation mechanisms at the micro-scale between geometrical and mechanical anisotropies developed within the assemblies.

scholarly journals Under pressure: Hydrogel swelling in a granular medium

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. eabd2711
Author(s):  
Jean-François Louf ◽  
Nancy B. Lu ◽  
Margaret G. O’Connell ◽  
H. Jeremy Cho ◽  
Sujit S. Datta
Keyword(s):  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Granular Medium ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Osmotic Swelling ◽  
Widespread Adoption ◽  
Dry Soil ◽  
Hydrogel Swelling

Hydrogels hold promise in agriculture as reservoirs of water in dry soil, potentially alleviating the burden of irrigation. However, confinement in soil can markedly reduce the ability of hydrogels to absorb water and swell, limiting their widespread adoption. Unfortunately, the underlying reason remains unknown. By directly visualizing the swelling of hydrogels confined in three-dimensional granular media, we demonstrate that the extent of hydrogel swelling is determined by the competition between the force exerted by the hydrogel due to osmotic swelling and the confining force transmitted by the surrounding grains. Furthermore, the medium can itself be restructured by hydrogel swelling, as set by the balance between the osmotic swelling force, the confining force, and intergrain friction. Together, our results provide quantitative principles to predict how hydrogels behave in confinement, potentially improving their use in agriculture as well as informing other applications such as oil recovery, construction, mechanobiology, and filtration.

scholarly journals Turbulent structure and star formation in a stratified, supernova-driven, interstellar medium

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S237) ◽  
pp. 358-362
Author(s):  
M. K. Ryan Joung ◽  
Mordecai-Mark Mac Low
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Interstellar Medium ◽  
Adaptive Mesh Refinement ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Adaptive Mesh ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Initial Mass Function ◽  
Interstellar Turbulence ◽  
Self Gravity

AbstractWe report on a study of interstellar turbulence driven by both correlated and isolated supernova explosions. We use three-dimensional hydrodynamic models of a vertically stratified interstellar medium run with the adaptive mesh refinement code Flash at a maximum resolution of 2 pc, with a grid size of 0.5 × 0.5 × 10 kpc. Cold dense clouds form even in the absence of self-gravity due to the collective action of thermal instability and supersonic turbulence. Studying these clouds, we show that it can be misleading to predict physical properties such as the star formation rate or the stellar initial mass function using numerical simulations that do not include self-gravity of the gas. Even if all the gas in turbulently Jeans unstable regions in our simulation is assumed to collapse and form stars in local freefall times, the resulting total collapse rate is significantly lower than the value consistent with the input supernova rate. The amount of mass available for collapse depends on scale, suggesting a simple translation from the density PDF to the stellar IMF may be questionable. Even though the supernova-driven turbulence does produce compressed clouds, it also opposes global collapse. The net effect of supernova-driven turbulence is to inhibit star formation globally by decreasing the amount of mass unstable to gravitational collapse.

scholarly journals Design of a Didactical Activity for the Analysis of Uncertainties in Thermography through the Use of Robust Statistics as Teacher-Oriented Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 402
Author(s):  
Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez ◽  
Manuel Rodríguez-Martín
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Robust Statistics ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Institutional Learning ◽  
Thermographic Image ◽  
Visualization Techniques ◽  
Free Open Source

The thermography as a methodology to quantitative data acquisition is not usually addressed in the degrees of university programs. The present manuscript proposes a novel approach for the acquisition of advanced competences in engineering courses associated with the use of thermographic images via free/open-source software solutions. This strategy is established from a research based on the statistical and three-dimensional visualization techniques over thermographic imagery to improve the interpretation and comprehension of the different sources of error affecting the measurements and, thereby, the conclusions and analysis arising from them. The novelty is focused on the detection of non-normalities in thermographic images, which is illustrates in the experimental section. Additionally, the specific workflow for the generation of learning material related with this aim is raised for asynchronous and e-learning programs. These virtual materials can be easily deployed in an institutional learning management system, allowing the students to work with the models by means of free/open-source solutions easily. Subsequently, the present approach will give new tools to improve the application of professional techniques, will improve the students’ critical sense to know how to interpret the uncertainties in thermography using a single thermographic image, therefore they will be better prepared to face future challenges with more critical thinking.

scholarly journals PhytoSFDM version 1.0.0: Phytoplankton Size and Functional Diversity Model

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 4071-4085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Acevedo-Trejos ◽  
Gunnar Brandt ◽  
S. Lan Smith ◽  
Agostino Merico
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Natural Complexity

Abstract. Biodiversity is one of the key mechanisms that facilitate the adaptive response of planktonic communities to a fluctuating environment. How to allow for such a flexible response in marine ecosystem models is, however, not entirely clear. One particular way is to resolve the natural complexity of phytoplankton communities by explicitly incorporating a large number of species or plankton functional types. Alternatively, models of aggregate community properties focus on macroecological quantities such as total biomass, mean trait, and trait variance (or functional trait diversity), thus reducing the observed natural complexity to a few mathematical expressions. We developed the PhytoSFDM modelling tool, which can resolve species discretely and can capture aggregate community properties. The tool also provides a set of methods for treating diversity under realistic oceanographic settings. This model is coded in Python and is distributed as open-source software. PhytoSFDM is implemented in a zero-dimensional physical scheme and can be applied to any location of the global ocean. We show that aggregate community models reduce computational complexity while preserving relevant macroecological features of phytoplankton communities. Compared to species-explicit models, aggregate models are more manageable in terms of number of equations and have faster computational times. Further developments of this tool should address the caveats associated with the assumptions of aggregate community models and about implementations into spatially resolved physical settings (one-dimensional and three-dimensional). With PhytoSFDM we embrace the idea of promoting open-source software and encourage scientists to build on this modelling tool to further improve our understanding of the role that biodiversity plays in shaping marine ecosystems.

scholarly journals 3-D Printable Polymer Pelletizer Chopper for Fused Granular Fabrication-Based Additive Manufacturing

Inventions ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey Woern ◽  
Joshua Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Tolerance ◽  
Entire Process ◽  
Composite Fabrication ◽  
The Us ◽  
Color Mixing ◽  
Returns On Investment

Although distributed additive manufacturing can provide high returns on investment, the current markup on commercial filament over base polymers limits deployment. These cost barriers can be surmounted by eliminating the entire process of fusing filament by three-dimensional (3-D) printing products directly from polymer granules. Fused granular fabrication (FGF) (or fused particle fabrication (FPF)) is being held back in part by the accessibility of low-cost pelletizers and choppers. An open-source 3-D printable invention disclosed here allows for precisely controlled pelletizing of both single thermopolymers as well as composites for 3-D printing. The system is designed, built, and tested for its ability to provide high-tolerance thermopolymer pellets with a number of sizes capable of being used in an FGF printer. In addition, the chopping pelletizer is tested for its ability to chop multi-materials simultaneously for color mixing and composite fabrication as well as precise fractional measuring back to filament. The US$185 open-source 3-D printable pelletizer chopper system was successfully fabricated and has a 0.5 kg/h throughput with one motor, and 1.0 kg/h throughput with two motors using only 0.24 kWh/kg during the chopping process. Pellets were successfully printed directly via FGF as well as indirectly after being converted into high-tolerance filament in a recyclebot.

scholarly journals Epifluorescence-based three-dimensional traction force microscopy

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Hazlett ◽  
Alexander K. Landauer ◽  
Mohak Patel ◽  
Hadley A. Witt ◽  
Jin Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Single Particle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Traction Force ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Epifluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Traction Force Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Out Of Plane

Abstract We introduce a novel method to compute three-dimensional (3D) displacements and both in-plane and out-of-plane tractions on nominally planar transparent materials using standard epifluorescence microscopy. Despite the importance of out-of-plane components to fully understanding cell behavior, epifluorescence images are generally not used for 3D traction force microscopy (TFM) experiments due to limitations in spatial resolution and measuring out-of-plane motion. To extend an epifluorescence-based technique to 3D, we employ a topology-based single particle tracking algorithm to reconstruct high spatial-frequency 3D motion fields from densely seeded single-particle layer images. Using an open-source finite element (FE) based solver, we then compute the 3D full-field stress and strain and surface traction fields. We demonstrate this technique by measuring tractions generated by both single human neutrophils and multicellular monolayers of Madin–Darby canine kidney cells, highlighting its acuity in reconstructing both individual and collective cellular tractions. In summary, this represents a new, easily accessible method for calculating fully three-dimensional displacement and 3D surface tractions at high spatial frequency from epifluorescence images. We released and support the complete technique as a free and open-source code package.

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