Analysis of One-Dimensional Consolidation for Unsaturated Soils under Piecewise Cyclic Loading

This paper studies the one-dimensional (1D) consolidation behavior for unsaturated stratum subjected to piecewise cyclic loading. Combined with the widely accepted consolidation theory of unsaturated soils, a semianalytical method was employed to investigate the consolidation of unsaturated foundation considering piecewise cyclic loading in the Laplace domain. Furthermore, the reduced solutions were produced to perform the verification work accompanied by the results in the existing literature. Finally, a case study was conducted to explore the consolidation characteristics under piecewise cyclic loading (i.e., triangular and trapezoidal cyclic loadings). Parametric studies were carried out by variations of excess pore pressures and settlement against the ratio of air-water permeability coefficients, depth, and loading parameters. The research proposed in this paper can provide theoretical basis for the ground treatment of unsaturated soils, especially for rationally accelerating consolidation or avoiding sudden settlement.

Measuring the Pollutants in a System of Three Interconnecting Lakes by the Semianalytical Method

Pollution has become an intense danger to our environment. The lake pollution model is formulated into the three-dimensional system of differential equations with three instances of input. In the present study, the new iterative method (NIM) was applied to the lake pollution model with three cases called impulse input, step input, and sinusoidal input for a longer time span. The main feature of the NIM is that the procedure is very simple, and it does not need to calculate any special type of polynomial or multipliers such as Adomian polynomials and Lagrange’s multipliers. Comparisons with the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) and the well-known purely numerical fourth-order Runge-Kutta method (RK4) suggest that the NIM is a powerful alternative for differential equations providing more realistic series solutions that converge very rapidly in real physical problems.

New frequency-dependent trigonometric interpolation functions for the dynamic finite element analysis of thin rectangular plates

The Dynamic Finite Element (DFE) formulation is a superconvergent, semianalytical method used to perform vibration analysis of structural components during the early stages of design. It was presented as an alternative to analytical and numerical methods that exhibit various drawbacks, which limit their applicability during the preliminary design stages. The DFE method, originally developed by the second author, has been exploited heavily to study the modal behaviour of beams in the past. Results from these studies have shown that the DFE method is capable of arriving at highly accurate results with a coarse mesh, thus, making it an ideal choice for preliminary stage modal analysis and design of structural components. However, the DFE method has not yet been extended to study the vibration behaviour of plates. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a set of frequency-dependent, trigonometric shape functions for a 4-noded, 4-DOF per node element as a basis for developing a DFE method for thin rectangular plates. To this end, the authors exploit a distinct quasi-exact solution to the plate governing equation and this solution is then used to derive the new, trigonometric basis and shape functions, based on which the DFE method would be developed.

New frequency-dependent trigonometric interpolation functions for the dynamic finite element analysis of thin rectangular plates

The Dynamic Finite Element (DFE) formulation is a superconvergent, semianalytical method used to perform vibration analysis of structural components during the early stages of design. It was presented as an alternative to analytical and numerical methods that exhibit various drawbacks, which limit their applicability during the preliminary design stages. The DFE method, originally developed by the second author, has been exploited heavily to study the modal behaviour of beams in the past. Results from these studies have shown that the DFE method is capable of arriving at highly accurate results with a coarse mesh, thus, making it an ideal choice for preliminary stage modal analysis and design of structural components. However, the DFE method has not yet been extended to study the vibration behaviour of plates. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a set of frequency-dependent, trigonometric shape functions for a 4-noded, 4-DOF per node element as a basis for developing a DFE method for thin rectangular plates. To this end, the authors exploit a distinct quasi-exact solution to the plate governing equation and this solution is then used to derive the new, trigonometric basis and shape functions, based on which the DFE method would be developed.

An Efficient Semianalytical Modal Analysis of Rectangular Waveguides Containing Metamaterials with Graded Inhomogeneity

Rectangular waveguides containing inhomogeneous metamaterials with graded refractive-index profiles have potential applications in bending waveguides and radiation-enhanced antennas, and accurate eigenvalue solutions are prerequisite. Commonly used commercial electromagnetic solvers such as HFSS, COMSOL, and CST could not efficiently calculate the eigenvalues of waveguides containing graded refractive-index dielectrics. In this paper, an accurate and efficient semianalytical method based on the modal expansion has been proposed to solve these waveguides. The proposed method has been employed to calculate the eigenvalues, including the cutoff wavenumbers and dispersion relations, for metamaterials with various graded refractive-index profiles. Calculated results are then validated by comparison, using commercial solver HFSS, which indicates the superiority of the proposed method in accuracy and efficiency. Below-cutoff backward wave propagation is observed in waveguides filled with graded refractive-index metamaterials, which provides a new approach for waveguide miniaturization.

Influence of Swept Blades on Low-Order Acoustic Prediction for Axial Fans

The low-speed fans used for automotive engine cooling contribute to a significant part of the global noise emitted by the vehicle. A low-order sound-prediction methodology is developed considering the blade sweep-angle effect on the acoustic predictions of the turbulence-impingement and the trailing-edge noise-generating mechanisms. We modeled these through the application of a semianalytical method based on Amiet’s airfoil theory, appropriately adapted via a strip-theory approach accounting for rotation and modified to include the blades forward curvature. Sweep was already shown in the literature to reduce the noise emitted by isolated airfoils, but its effect on rotating machines was not yet well understood. In this study, we show that the effect of the sweep-angle is to globally reduce the emitted noise by the fan and to change the sound distribution of the sources along the blade span. Thus, the sweep-angle must be considered not only because it yields a better comparison with experimental results but also because wrong conclusions on the dominating noise-generating mechanisms can be drawn when this effect is not taken into account. The investigation is finally complemented by a sensitivity analysis focusing on some of the key parameters characterizing the acoustic prediction.