Effect of Nanosized Filler on Matrix Dominated Properties of Fiber Reinforced Epoxy

In this study, a high-intensity ultrasonic liquid processor was used to obtain a homogeneous molecular mixture of epoxy resin and carbon nano fiber. The carbon nano fibers were infused into the part A of SC-15 (diglycidylether of Bisphenol A) through sonic cavitations and then mixed with part B of SC-15 (cycloaliphatic amine hardener) using a high-speed mechanical agitator. The trapped air and reaction volatiles were removed from the mixture using high vacuum. Nanophased epoxy with 2 wt.% CNF was then utilized in a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) set up with carbon fabric to fabricate laminated composites. The effectiveness of CNF addition on matrix dominated properties of composites has been evaluated by compression, open hole compression and inter-laminar shear. The compression strength, open hole compression strength and ILS were improved by 21%, 23% and 15%, respectively as compared to the neat composite.

Optimization of Phononic Crystals for the Simultaneous Attenuation of Out-of-Plane and In-Plane Waves

The topological distribution of the material phases inside the unit cell composing a phononic crystal has a significant effect on its dispersion characteristics. This topology can be engineered to produce application-specific requirements. In this paper, a specialized genetic-algorithm-based topology optimization methodology for the design of two-dimensional phononic crystals is presented. Specifically the target is the opening and maximization of band gap size for (i) out-of-plane waves, (ii) in-plane waves and (iii) both out-of-plane and in-plane waves simultaneously. The methodology as well as the resulting designs are presented.

Experimental and Numerical Characterization of an Orifice Type Cryogenic Pulse Tube Refrigerator

An orifice type pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR) was designed, built and operated to provide cryogenic cooling. The OTPR is a travelling wave thermoacoustic refrigerator that operates on a modified reverse Stirling cycle. We consider a system that is comprised of a pressure wave generator (a linear motor), an aftercooler heat-exchanger, a regenerator (comprising of a porous structure for energy separation), a pulse tube (in lieu of a displacer piston as found in Stirling refrigerators) with a cold and a warm heat-exchanger at its two ends, a needle-type orifice valve, an inertance tube and a buffer volume. The experimental characterization is done at various values of mean pressure of helium (∼ 0.35 MPa–2.2 MPa), amplitude of pressure oscillations, frequency of operation and size of orifice opening. A detailed time-dependent axisymmetric computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the OPTR is simulated to predict the performance of the OPTR. In the CFD model, the continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved for both the refrigerant gas (helium) and the porous media regions (the regenerator and the three heat-exchangers) in the OPTR. An accurate representation of heat transfer in the porous media is achieved by employing a thermal non-equilibrium model to couple the gas and solid (porous media) energy equations. In the future, a validated computational model can be used for system improvement and optimization.

Phase Transitions of Granular Systems: Between Brazilian Nut Effect and its Reversed Mode

Granular particles with diameters 3mm, 6mm and 0.6mm, of the same density 0.9g/cm3 and the same total weight 100g in vertically vibrating systems were studied. The transition processes of granular systems from Reversed Brazilian Nut (RBN) Effect to Brazilian Nut (BN) Effect at varied conditions, including different vibrating frequencies, amplitudes, and particles sizes, together with computer simulations were investigated. We have observed experimentally that BN Effect or RBN Effect was appeared at certain particle parameters and vibrating conditions, and discussed in five aspects: dynamic equilibrium, separation mode, convection modes, mass distribution and resonance frequency. The results indicate that the upsurge of granular convection and resonance behavior during the processes plays an important role in phase transitions.

Evaluating Performance of Composite Materials for MHK Applications

Montana State University (MSU) has a compilation of material systems, environmental chambers, and mechanical testing equipment to determine composite materials performance and failure characteristics. Mechanical characterization of composite systems will provide direct quantification of the materials under consideration for Marine Hydro Kinetic (MHK) designs that were initially developed for the wind turbine industry. The work presented herein represents the testing protocol development and initial results to support investigations on the effect of sea water absorption on material strength. A testing protocol for environmental effects has been developed for the resin infused in-house fabricated laminates. Unidirectional ([0] and [90]) test samples of 2-mm and 6-mm thickness were be submerged for 1000 hours in synthetic sea water at 40°C with the weight recorded at time intervals over the entire period. After 1000 hours of conditioning, coupons were placed in the synthetic sea water at 20°C until testing. Static compressive and tensile strength properties at temperatures of 5°C, 20°C and 40°C were collected. These initial results show trends of reduced tensile and compressive strength with increasing moisture and temperature in the 0° (longitudinal) direction. In the 90° (transverse) direction, compression strength decreases but tensile strength is little affected as temperature and moisture increase. Elastic modulus (E) is little affected in the longitudinal direction but decreases in the transverse direction.

Modeling of Microstructures Actuation by the Knudsen Thermal Force

Heated microscale objects immersed in a gas ambient are subject to thermal Knudsen forces generated by the non-equilibrium energy exchange between gas molecules and solid surfaces. Knudsen forces are significant when the length scale of a temperature gradient is comparable to the gas molecular mean free path. This can occur for very low gas pressures or at extremely small length scales. The overall goal of this work is to study the feasibility of using Knudsen force as an alternative actuation mechanism for N/MEMS. The kinetic solution of Boltzmann equation using the discrete ordinate/finite volume discretization in the high-dimensional phase space is circumventing difficulties associated with traditional stochastic DSMC approach in dealing with the slow bulk motion. The comparison to measurements by (Passian et al, PRL, 2003) shows that Knudsen force is well reproduced by simulations assuming full momentum accommodation for nitrogen and argon gas and an incomplete accommodation for helium. It provides a pathway for design and analysis of devices taking advantage of the benign mechanism of the Knudsen forces, in particular, the absence of high electric fields. The analysis shows that the Knudsen force results in an impact velocity of only 0.9 cm/s whereas electrostatic forces with low voltages below 0.5V result in impact velocity in the range of 6–20 cm/s. We further discuss how Knudsen force can be used for low impact velocity actuation and also to overcome the stiction problem.

The Optimization of Vibration Induced by a V6 Engine Cooling Module

The engine cooling module consists of condenser, radiator and fan (CRFM), which has long been recognized as a main source of sound and vibration in the automotive industry. As the engine becomes increasingly compact and powerful, customers gradually have higher expectations for automobile NVH performance than ever before. Thus the reduction of noise and vibration induced by CRFM becomes critical, which can greatly influence overall NVH performance. Combined with experimental and numerical methods, this paper focuses on the identification and optimization of steering wheel (SW) vibration induced by CRFM for a vehicle with V6 engine while engine idling. The numerical model established in this paper, based on Matlab and taking chassis vibration into account, can predict and optimize the vibration of CRFM under specific working condition with the help of energy decoupling and Newmark-Beta methodology. The optimization design of CRFM mainly involves the stiffness, position and angle of isolators. The numerical simulation results are validated experimentally, which can help further design of CRFM.

Localization Effects in Bammann-Chiesa-Johnson Metals With Damage Delocalization

The presence of softening in the Bammann-Chiesa-Johnson (BCJ) material model presents a major physical drawback: the unlimited localization of strain which results in spurious zero dissipated energy at failure. This difficulty resolves when the BCJ model is modified to incorporate a nonlocal evolution equation for the damage, as proposed by Pijaudier-Cabot and Bazant (1987). The objective of this work is to theoretically assess the ability of such a modified BCJ model to prevent unlimited localization of the strain. To that end, we investigate two localization problems in nonlocal BCJ metals: appearance of a spatial discontinuity of the velocity gradient in a finite, inhomogeneous body, and localization into finite bands. We show that in spite of the softening arising from the damage, no spatial discontinuity occurs in the velocity gradient. Also, we find that the dissipation energy is continuously distributed in nonlocal BCJ metals and therefore can not localize into zones of vanishing volume. As a result, the appearance of any vanishing width adiabatic shear band is impossible in a nonlocal BCJ metal. Finally, we study the finite element (FE) solution of shear banding in a rectangular mesh, deformed in plane strain tension and containing an imperfection, thereby illustrating the effects of imperfections on the localization of the strain.

Multiscale Modeling of Random Lattices: Critical Issues on Continuum Approximation

In this work, we are concerned that transmission of various boundary conditions through irregular lattices. The boundary conditions are parameterized using trigonometric Fourier series, and it is shown that, under certain conditions, transmission through irregular lattices can be well approximated by that through classical continuum. It is determined that such transmission must involve the wavelength of at least 12 lattice spacings; for smaller wavelength classical continuum approximations become increasingly inaccurate.