Radial dynamics of an encapsulated microbubble with interface energy

In this work a mathematical model based on interface energy is proposed within the framework of surface continuum mechanics to study the dynamics of encapsulated bubbles. The interface model naturally induces a residual stress field into the bulk of the bubble, with possible expansion or shrinkage from a stress-free configuration to a natural equilibrium configuration. The significant influence of interface area strain and the coupled effect of stretch and curvature is observed in the numerical simulations based on constrained optimization. Due to the bending rigidity related to additional terms, the dynamic interface tension can become negative, but not due to the interface area strain. The coupled effect of interface strain and curvature term observed is new and plays a dominant role in the dominant compression behaviour of encapsulated bubbles observed in the experiments. The present model is validated by fitting the experimental data of $1.7\,\mathrm {\mu }$ m, $1.4\,\mathrm {\mu }$ m and $1\,\mathrm {\mu }$ m radii bubbles by calculating the optimized parameters. This work also highlights the role of interface parameters and natural configuration gas pressure in estimating the size-independent viscoelastic material properties of encapsulated bubbles with interesting future developments.

Estimating the Ultimate Bearing Capacity for Strip Footing Near and within Slopes Using AI (GP, ANN, and EPR) Techniques

Numerical and computational analyses surrounding the behavior of the bearing capacity of soils near or adjacent to slopes have been of great importance in earthwork constructions around the globe due to its unique nature. This phenomenon is encountered on pavement vertical curves, drainages, and vertical infrastructure foundations. In this work, multiple data were collected on the soil and footing interface parameters, which included width of footing, depth of foundation, distance of slope from the footing edge, soil bulk density, slope and frictional angles, and bearing capacity factors of cohesion and overburden pressure determined for the case of a foundation on or adjacent to a slope. The genetic programming (GP), evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR), and artificial neural network (ANN) intelligent techniques were employed to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of footing on or adjacent to a slope. The performance of the models was evaluated as well as compared their accuracy and robustness with the findings of Prandtl. The results were observed to show the superiority of GP, EPR, and ANN techniques over the computational works of Prandtl. In addition, the ANN outclassed the other artificial intelligence methods in the exercise.

Identification of Pre-Tightening Torque Dependent Parameters for Empirical Modeling of Bolted Joints

The vibration characteristics of bolted structures are crucially affected by the pre-tightening torque. An approach for identifying the pre-tightening torque dependent stiffness parameters of bolted joints is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the interface of the bolted joint is characterized by the thin layer element with the isotropic material property, and the parameter value of the property is assigned relative to the distance from the center of the bolt; the influence of the bolt is ignored. Secondly, the model updating method is adopted to identify the parameters of thin layer elements using experimental data, and modal data under different values of pre-tightening torque in the range of 2 N·m~22 N·m are obtained; the torque wrench is used to determine the pre-tightening torque in the modal test. Finally, after identifying the material parameters using partial experimental data on pre-tightening torque range, the empirical equation of the interface parameters with the pre-tightening torque parameter is obtained by curve fitting and the rest of the experimental data are used to verify the accuracy of the fitted empirical equations. It is concluded that this method can obtain all the parameters of the equivalent thin layer elements within a certain range of pre-tightening torque, which can provide a reference for the empirical modeling of bolted structures, improve modeling efficiency and reflect the characteristic performance of real structural dynamics.

Analysis of friction and cutting parameters when milling honeycomb composite structures

In machining, tool/workpiece interface parameters are complicated to estimate by experimental means alone. Numerical methods can then give critical solutions to predict and analyze the parameters influencing the machining. The friction between the tool and the cutter has a direct influence on the milling parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the friction mechanism between the tool and the workpiece to estimate the milling parameters of Nomex honeycomb structures correctly. This work aims to present a 3D Finite Element numerical model allowing the prediction of the cutting forces correctly, the morphology of the chips, and the surface quality generated during the milling of this type of structure. These studies were obtained using the commercial software ABAQUS/Explicit. It has been demonstrated that the coupling between the isotropic elastoplastic approach and the Coulomb friction law can easily simulate the milling of Nomex honeycomb structures and gives excellent results in comparison with those obtained experimentally.

Homogenization of Composites with Extended General interfaces: Comprehensive Review and Unified Modeling

Interphase regions that form in heterogeneous materials through various underlying mechanisms such as poor mechanical or chemical adherence, roughness, and coating, play a crucial role in the response of the medium. A well- established strategy to capture a finite-thickness interphase behavior is to replace it with a zero-thickness interface model characterized by its own displacement and/or traction jumps, resulting in different interface models. The contributions to date dealing with interfaces commonly assume that the interface is located in the middle of its corresponding interphase. We revisit this assumption and introduce a universal interface model, wherein a unifying approach to the homogenization of heterogeneous materials embedding interfaces between their constituents is developed. The proposed novel interface model is universal in the sense that it can recover any of the classical interface models. Next, via incorporating this universal interface model into homogenization, we develop bounds and estimates for the overall moduli of fiber-reinforced and particle-reinforced composites as functions of the interface position and properties. Furthermore, we elaborate on the computational implications of this interface model. Finally, we carry out a comprehensive numerical study to highlight the influence of interface position, stiffness ratio and interface parameters on the overall properties of composites, where an excellent agreement between the analytical and computational results is observed. The developed interface-enhanced homogenization framework also successfully captures size effects, which are immediately relevant to emerging applications of nano-composites due their pronounced interface effects at small scales.

On the Choice of Interface Parameters in Robin–Robin Loosely Coupled Schemes for Fluid–Structure Interaction

We consider two loosely coupled schemes for the solution of the fluid–structure interaction problem in the presence of large added mass effect. In particular, we introduce the Robin–Robin and Robin–Neumann explicit schemes where suitable interface conditions of Robin type are used. For the estimate of interface Robin parameters which guarantee stability of the numerical solution, we propose a new strategy based on the optimization of the reduction factor of the corresponding strongly coupled (implicit) scheme, by means of the optimized Schwarz method. To check the suitability of our proposals, we show numerical results both in an ideal cylindrical domain and in a real human carotid. Our results showed the effectiveness of our proposal for the calibration of interface parameters, which leads to stable results and shows how the explicit solution tends to the implicit one for decreasing values of the time discretization parameter.

A review on the interfaces of orbital replacement unit: Great efforts for modular spacecraft

Over the past decades, the development of single spacecraft for outer space exploration requires more complicated design and higher investment. From the modular design ideas of the International Space Station on-orbit service, an interface design for orbital replacement unit (ORU) provides a path to develop modular spacecraft with reduction of design period and cost for satellites. A review on the ORU interfaces has been made in order to summarize the development of grabbing interfaces, mechanical docking interfaces, and multifunctional docking interfaces of ORUs in the recent 30 years. The interface parameters for both grabbing and mechanical docking processes have been summarized and compared based on the design features of ORUs. The characteristics of mechanical, power, data, thermal flow, and fluid interfaces of the ORUs are discussed as well. The future direction, challenges, and applications of the ORU interfaces have been investigated, and advanced technologies such as target recognition and precise measurement and control are suggested for the development of autonomous and intelligent interfaces. This work provides fundamental knowledge and guidelines for the development of ORU interfaces.