Development of an adaptive explicit algorithm for static simulation using the vector form intrinsic finite element method

The vector form intrinsic finite element (VFIFE) method is a solution technique for nonlinear structural problems, which describes a continuous body using a set of particles instead of a mathematical function. Thus, a dynamic particle equation can be established by Newton's law of motion, and a viscous or kinetic damping can be introduced to obtain the steady state of the structure. This paper focuses mainly on the development of a stability condition regarding the explicit central difference method used in VFIFE to guarantee the system's convergence. The process is established and evaluated in combination with a dynamic relaxation method with kinetic damping and discrete control theory. Four numerical examples of structure nonlinear problems are used to verify the accuracy, stability and efficiency of the method.

Analysis of the effect of oil inlet size on the static performance characteristics of non-Newtonian lubricated hole-entry hybrid journal bearings

In this study, the influence of inlet pocket size on the static performance of non-Newtonian lubricated hole-entry hybrid journal bearings is theoretically analyzed. The oil film of the bearing is discretized into a nonuniform mesh containing the geometric characteristics of the oil inlet pocket, and the inlet pocket is treated as a micro-oil recess. The Reynolds equation is solved by the finite element method based on Galerkin's techniques, and a new solution strategy to solve the recess/pocket pressure is proposed. The power-law model is used to introduce the non-Newtonian effect. The results show that the static performance characteristics of this type of bearing are greatly affected by the pocket size at both zero speed and high speed.

Vibration of rotating circular cylindrical shells with distributed springs

Free vibrations of rotating cylindrical shells with distributed springs were studied. Based on the Flügge shell theory, the governing equations of rotating cylindrical shells with distributed springs were derived under typical boundary conditions. Multicomponent modal functions were used to satisfy the distributed springs around the circumference. The natural responses were analyzed using the Galerkin method. The effects of parameters, rotation speed, stiffness, and ratios of thickness/radius and length/radius, on natural response were also examined.

An efficient approach to reliability-based topology optimization for the structural lightweight design of planar continuum structures

In order to solve the application restrictions of deterministic-based topology optimization methods arising from the omission of uncertainty factors in practice, and to realize the calculation cost control of reliability-based topology optimization. In consideration of the current reliability-based topology optimization methods of continuum structures mainly based on performance indexes model with a power filter function. An efficient probabilistic reliability-based topology optimization model that regards mass and displacement as an objective function and constraint is established based on the first-order reliability method and a modified economic indexes model with a composite exponential filter function in this study. The topology optimization results obtained by different models are discussed in relation to optimal structure and convergence efficiency. Through numerical examples, it can be seen that the optimal layouts obtained by reliability-based models have an increased amount of material and more support structures, which reveals the necessity of considering uncertainty in lightweight design. In addition, the reliability-based modified model not only can obtain lighter optimal structures compared with traditional economic indexes models in most circumstances, but also has a significant advantage in convergence efficiency, with an average increase of 44.59% and 64.76% compared with the other two reliability-based models. Furthermore, the impact of the reliability index on the results is explored, which verifies the validity of the established model. This study provides a theoretical reference for lightweight or innovative feature-integrated design in engineering applications.

The impact of drilling and slitting construction on damage field: evolution characteristics in low-permeability coal seam

ABSTRACT The fracture field of coal and rock mass is the main channel for gas migration and accumulation. Exploring the evolution law of fracture field of coal and rock mass under the condition of drilling and slitting construction has important theoretical significance for guiding efficient gas drainage. The generation and evolution process of coal and rock fissures is also the development and accumulation process of its damage. Therefore, based on damage mechanics and finite element theory, the mathematical model is established. The damage variable of coal mass is defined by effective strain, the elastoplastic damage constitutive equation is established and the secondary development of finite element program is completed by FORTRAN language. Using this program, the numerical simulation of drilling and slitting construction of the 15-14120 mining face of Pingdingshan No. 8 Mine is carried out, and the effects of different single borehole diameters, different kerf widths and different kerf heights on the distribution area of surrounding coal fracture field and the degree of damage are studied quantitatively. These provide a theoretical basis for the reasonable determination of the slitting and drilling arrangement parameters at the engineering site.

Dynamics of axially functionally graded conical pipes conveying fluid

In this paper, the dynamics of axially functionally graded (AFG) conical pipes conveying fluid are analyzed. The materials are distributed along the conical pipe axis as a volume fraction function. Either the elastic modulus or the density of the AFG conical pipe is assumed to vary from the inlet to the outlet. The governing equation of the AFG conical pipe is derived using the Hamiltonian principle and solved by the differential quadrature method. The effects of the volume fraction index, volume fraction function type and reduction factor on the natural frequency and critical velocity are analyzed. It is found that for a power function volume fraction type, the natural frequency and critical velocity increase with increasing volume fraction index and clearly increase when the volume fraction index is within the range (0, 10). For an exponential function volume fraction type, the natural frequency and critical velocity change rapidly within the range (−10, 10), besides the above range the relationship between the natural frequency, critical velocity and volume fraction index is approximate of little change. The natural frequency and critical velocity decrease linearly with increasing reduction factor.

Fluid–structure interaction simulation on flight performance of a dragonfly wing under different pterostigma weights

The dragonfly wings provide insights for designing an efficient biomimetic micro air vehicle (BMAV). In this regard, this study focuses on investigating the effect of the pterostigma weight loading and its spatial location on the forewings of dragonfly by using the fluid–structure interaction simulation. This study also investigates the effect of change in the wing elasticity and density on the wing performance. The forewing, which mimics the real dragonfly wing, is flat with a 47.5 mm span and a 0.4 mm thickness. The wing was set to cruise at 3 m/s with a constant flapping motion at a frequency of 25 Hz. This study shows that a small increase of pterostigma loading (11% of wing weight) at the tip of the wing significantly improves the lift to drag ratio, CL/CD, which has 129.16% increment in comparison with no loading. The lift to drag ratio depends on the pterostigma location, pterostigma loading, elastic modulus and density. The results of this study can be used as a reference in future BMAV wing optimization design.

Analysis of misaligned journal bearing lubrication performance considering the effect of lubricant couple stress and shear thinning

ABSTRACT This paper investigates journal bearings, and builds a lubrication model taking into account misalignment, the lubricant couple stress effect and shear thinning. In order to explore the sensitivity of couple stress fluid lubrication performance to oil film thickness, we introduce the critical oil film thickness coefficient. The results show that the sensitivity increases with the increase of the couple stress coefficient, and it is highest in the area of minimum oil film thickness. Compared with a parallel journal, increases in the misalignment angle strengthen the effect of couple stress. Shear thinning also plays an important role in bearing lubrication performance. For a low oil inlet temperature, the effect of shear thinning increases with the increase of the couple stress parameter. For a high oil inlet temperature, the influence is negligible. An increase in the misalignment angle will not further enhance the effect of shear thinning.

Unequal order T-spline meshes for fracture in poroelastic media

Spline-based meshes allow for a higher inter-element continuity. For coupled problems, e.g. poroelasticity, different meshes with different orders of interpolation are normally used for the various fields in order to avoid spurious oscillations. When including discontinuities in these meshes, there exist several options for the discretisation. Herein we will discuss two options which use T-splines, one aiming at a minimum number of degrees of freedom around the crack tip, the other trying to maximise this number. Both meshes retain a higher-order continuity along the fracture, but the mesh which maximises the number of degrees of freedom mesh introduces two additional degrees of freedom around the crack tip to allow for a sharper crack. The two discretisations are used to simulate a pressurised fracture inside a poroelastic material and the results are compared to results obtained using a Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) mesh. A comparison between the two discretisations shows the effect of including additional degrees of freedom close to the crack tip. However, both meshes yield similar results further away from the crack tip. It is shown that both T-spline meshes capture a fully closed discontinuity at the fracture tip, whereas the NURBS mesh retains a small opening due to the discontinuity which exists for the cracked as well as the intact elements. A fully closed fracture aperture results in T-splines with a lower discontinuity pressure compared to NURBS, making T-splines more suitable for simulations in which the fracture propagation is limited by the fluid transport within the fracture.

PIV test of the flow field of a centrifugal pump with four types of impeller blades

Flow fields for various impellers were measured using water and a two-phase liquid–solid mixture with a particle image velocimetry system in a centrifugal rotating frame in controlled conditions. After measuring absolute velocity vectors in impeller passages, the vectors were decomposed based on the triangle speed principle and the distribution of relative velocity vectors within the impeller was obtained. Then, the distribution of particles and their influence on the performance of different impellers were analyzed. The following conclusions were made from the comparison of relative velocity vector field: first, the wear on the outlet of blades can be mitigated effectively by reducing the outlet angle of impeller blades; second, the pump with a double-arc-shaped profile had a more uniform and stable flow field distribution and higher performance than that with a single-arc profile; and finally, the “jet–wake” structure can be improved significantly by using impellers with long and short blades, resulting in a remarkable reduction in energy loss and improvement in pump efficiency. We also found that solid particles were mainly distributed at the outlet of the impeller and volute wall, while the concentration distribution of large particles tended to match the pressure surface. This research can provide some theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of two-phase flow centrifugal pumps.