Finite element simulation of noise radiation through shear layers

Predicting sound propagation through the jet exhaust of an aero-engine presents the specific difficulty of representing the refraction effect of the mean flow shear. This is described in full in the linearised Euler equations but this model remains rather expensive to solve numerically. The other model commonly used in industry, the linearised potential theory, is faster to solve but needs to be modified to represent a shear layer. This paper presents a way to describe a vortex sheet in a finite element model based on the linearised potential theory. The key issues to address are the continuity of pressure and displacement that have to be enforced across the vortex sheet, as well as the implementation of the Kutta condition at the nozzle lip. Validation results are presented by comparison with analytical results. It is shown that the discretization of the continuity conditions is crucial to obtain a robust and accurate numerical model

Growth of Large KDP Crystals in the Form of Plates

ABSTRACT This paper suggests a new technique of growth-oriented KDP crystals in the form of plates. The technique includes: using small oriented seeds spaced between two parallel platforms with a rapid growth of crystals between these two platforms, in a tank containing a KDP solution. As a result, crystals in the form of plates can be obtained. The thickness of the crystal plate depends on the distance between platforms. The horizontal dimensions of the plate depend on the volume of solution and the diameter of the platforms. The orientation of the plates are defined by the orientation of the seed. KDP crystals in the form of plates of two orientations are grown. The peculiarities of morphology and some characteristics of crystals are discussed

A comparison of high-order finite elements method and wave-based discontinuous Galerkin method for Helmholtz problems

In this paper, we compare the performance of the wave-based discontinuous Galerkin method against the polynomial high-order finite element method (FEM) for Helmholtz problems. Previous studies demonstrate that both methods lead to a control of the dispersion error associated with low-order FEM at high frequency. Common belief is that compared to polynomial methods, physics-based methods can provide a significant improvement in performance, at the expense of a deterioration of the conditioning. However, the results presented in this paper indicate that the differences in accuracy, efficiency and conditioning between the two approaches are more nuanced than generally assumed

Analysis of high-order finite elements for convected wave propagation

In this paper, we examine the performance of high-order finite element methods (FEM) for aeroacoustic propagation, based on the convected Helmholtz equation. A methodology is presented to measure the dispersion and amplitude errors of the p-FEM, including non-interpolating shape functions, such as ‘bubble’ shape functions. A series of simple test cases are also presented to support the results of the dispersion analysis. The main conclusion is that the properties of p-FEM that make its strength for standard acoustics (e.g., exponential p-convergence, low dispersion error) remain present for flow acoustics as well. However, the flow has a noticeable effect on the accuracy of the numerical solution, even when the change in wavelength due to the mean flow is accounted for, and an approximation of the dispersion error is proposed to describe the influence of the mean flow. Also discussed is the so-called aliasing effect, which can reduce the accuracy of the solution in the case of downstream propagation. This can be avoided by an appropriate choice of mesh resolution

An automatic PML for acoustic finite element simulations in convex domains of general shape

International audienceThis article addresses the efficient finite element solution of exterior acoustic problems with truncated computational domains surrounded by perfectly matched layers (PMLs). The PML is a popular nonreflecting technique that combines accuracy, computational efficiency, and geometric flexibility. Unfortunately, the effective implementation of the PML for convex domains of general shape is tricky because of the geometric parameters that are required to define the PML medium. In this work, a comprehensive implementation strategy is proposed. This approach, which we call the automatically matched layer (AML) implementation, is versatile and fully automatic for the end‐user. With the AML approach, the mesh of the layer is extruded, the required geometric parameters are automatically obtained during the extrusion step, and the practical implementation relies on a simple modification of the Jacobian matrix in the elementwise integrals. The AML implementation is validated and compared with other implementation strategies using numerical benchmarks in two and three dimensions, considering computational domains with regular and nonregular boundaries. A three‐dimensional application with a generally shaped domain generated using a convex hull is proposed to illustrate the interest of the AML approach for realistic industrial cases

Growth of large KDP crystals in the form of plates

This paper suggests a new technique of growth-oriented KDP crystals in the form of plates. The technique includes: using small oriented seeds spaced between two parallel platforms with a rapid growth of crystals between these two platforms, in a tank containing a KDP solution. As a result, crystals in the form of plates can be obtained. The thickness of the crystal plate depends on the distance between platforms. The horizontal dimensions of the plate depend on the volume of solution and the diameter of the platforms. The orientation of the plates are defined by the orientation of the seed. KDP crystals in the form of plates of two orientations are grown. The peculiarities of morphology and some characteristics of crystals are discussed

Microplastics: a review of policies and responses

Although (micro)plastic contamination is a worldwide concern, most scientific literature only restates that issue rather than presenting strategies to cope with it. This critical review assembles the current knowledge on policies and responses to tackle plastic pollution, including peer-reviewed scientific literature, gray literature and relevant reports to provide: (1) a timeline of policies directly or indirectly addressing microplastics; (2) the most up-to-date upstream responses to prevent microplastics pollution, such as circular economy, behavioral change, development of bio-based polymers and market-based instruments as well as source-specific strategies, focusing on the clothing industry, tire and road wear particles, antifouling paints and recreational activities; (3) a set of downstream responses tackling microplastics, such as waste to energy, degradation, water treatment plants and litter clean-up strategies; and examples of (4) multifaceted responses focused on both mitigating and preventing microplastics pollution, e.g., approaches implemented in fisheries and aquaculture facilities. Preventive strategies and multifaceted responses are postulated as pivotal to handling the exacerbated release of microplastics in the environment, while downstream responses stand out as auxiliary strategies to the chief upstream responses. The information gathered here bridges the knowledge gaps on (micro)plastic pollution by providing a synthesized baseline material for further studies addressing this environmental issue

Plant-microbe eco-evolutionary dynamics in a changing world

Both plants and their associated microbiomes can respond strongly to anthropogenic environmental changes. These responses can be both ecological (e.g. a global change affecting plant demography or microbial community composition) and evolutionary (e.g. a global change altering natural selection on plant or microbial populations). As a result, global changes can catalyse eco-evolutionary feedbacks. Here, we take a plant-focused perspective to discuss how microbes mediate plant ecological responses to global change and how these ecological effects can influence plant evolutionary response to global change. We argue that the strong and functionally important relationships between plants and their associated microbes are particularly likely to result in eco-evolutionary feedbacks when perturbed by global changes and discuss how improved understanding of plant-microbe eco-evolutionary dynamics could inform conservation or even agriculture.</p

Stable Perfectly Matched Layers with Lorentz transformation for the convected Helmholtz equation

International audiencePerfectly Matched Layers (PMLs) appear as a popular alternative to non-reflecting boundary conditions for wave-type problems. The core idea is to extend the computational domain by a fictitious layer with specific absorption properties such that the wave amplitude decays significantly and does not produce back reflections. In the context of convected acoustics, it is well-known that PMLs are exposed to stability issues in the frequency and time domain. It is caused by a mismatch between the phase velocity on which the PML acts, and the group velocity which carries the energy of the wave. The objective of this study is to take advantage of the Lorentz transformation in order to design stable perfectly matched layers for generally shaped convex domains in a uniform mean flow of arbitrary orientation. We aim at presenting a pedagogical approach to tackle the stability issue. The robustness of the approach is also demonstrated through several two-dimensional high-order finite element simulations of increasing complexity

Microplastics in agroecosystems: A review of effects on soil biota and key soil functions

Contamination of soils in agroecosystems with microplastics (MPs) is of increasing concern. The contamination of the environment/farmland soils with MPs (1 µm to 5 mm sized particles) and nanoplastics (NPs; <1 µm sized particles) is causing numerous effects on ecological soil functions and human health. MPs enter the soil via several sources, either from intentional plastic use (e.g., plastic mulch, plastic greenhouses, plastic-coated products) or indirectly from the input of sewage sludge, compost, or irrigation water that is contaminated with plastic. Once in the soil, plastic debris can have various impacts such as changes in soil functions and physicochemical properties and it affects soil organisms due to its toxic behavior. This review paper describes the different effects of plastic waste to understand the consequences for agricultural productivity. Furthermore, we identify knowledge gaps and highlight the required approaches, indicating future research directions on sources, transport, and fate of MPs in soils to improve our understanding of various unspecified abiotic and biotic impacts of MP pollution in agroecosystems