A Variable-Order Fractional Constitutive Model to Characterize the Rate-Dependent Mechanical Behavior of Soft Materials

Building an accurate constitutive model for soft materials is essential for better understanding its rate-dependent deformation characteristics and improving the design of soft material devices. To establish a concise constitutive model with few parameters and clear physical meaning, a variable-order fractional model is proposed to accurately describe and predict the rate-dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials. In this work, the discrete variable-order fractional operator enables the predicted stress response to be entirely consistent with the whole stress history and the fractional order’s path-dependent values. The proposed model is further implemented in a numerical form and applied to predict several typical soft materials’ tensile and compressive deformation behavior. Our research indicates that the proposed variable-order fractional constitutive model is capable of predicting the nonlinear rate-dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials with high accuracy and more convinced reliability in comparison with the existing fractional models, where the fractional order contains a constant initial order to depict the initial elastic response and a linear variable-order function to account for the strain hardening behavior after acrossing the yield point

A Variable-Order Fractional Constitutive Model to Characterize the Rate-Dependent Mechanical Behavior of Soft Materials

Building an accurate constitutive model for soft materials is essential for better understanding its rate-dependent deformation characteristics and improving the design of soft material devices. To establish a concise constitutive model with few parameters and clear physical meaning, a variable-order fractional model is proposed to accurately describe and predict the rate-dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials. In this work, the discrete variable-order fractional operator enables the predicted stress response to be entirely consistent with the whole stress history and the fractional order’s path-dependent values. The proposed model is further implemented in a numerical form and applied to predict several typical soft materials’ tensile and compressive deformation behavior. Our research indicates that the proposed variable-order fractional constitutive model is capable of predicting the nonlinear rate-dependent mechanical behavior of soft materials with high accuracy and more convinced reliability in comparison with the existing fractional models, where the fractional order contains a constant initial order to depict the initial elastic response and a linear variable-order function to account for the strain hardening behavior after acrossing the yield point

Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of roughness and turbulence on LUT airfoil performance

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have been widely used in urban environments, which contain dust and experience strong turbulence. However, airfoils for VAWTs in urban environments have received considerably less research attention than those for horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). In this study, the sensitivity of a new VAWT airfoil developed at the Lanzhou University of Technology (LUT) to roughness was investigated via a wind tunnel experiment. The results show that the LUT airfoil is less sensitive to roughness at a roughness height of < 0.35 mm. Moreover, the drag bucket of the LUT airfoil decreases with increasing roughness height. Furthermore, the loads on the LUT airfoil during dynamic stall were studied at different turbulence intensities using a numerical method at a tip-speed ratio of 2. Before the stall, the turbulence intensity did not considerably affect the normal or tangential force coefficients of the LUT airfoil. However, after the stall, the normal force coefficient varied obviously at low turbulence intensity. Moreover, as the turbulence intensity increased, the normal and tangential force coefficients decreased rapidly, particularly in the downwind region of the VAWT

Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of roughness and turbulence on LUT airfoil performance

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have been widely used in urban environments, which contain dust and experience strong turbulence. However, airfoils for VAWTs in urban environments have received considerably less research attention than those for horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). In this study, the sensitivity of a new VAWT airfoil developed at the Lanzhou University of Technology (LUT) to roughness was investigated via a wind tunnel experiment. The results show that the LUT airfoil is less sensitive to roughness at a roughness height of < 0.35 mm. Moreover, the drag bucket of the LUT airfoil decreases with increasing roughness height. Furthermore, the loads on the LUT airfoil during dynamic stall were studied at different turbulence intensities using a numerical method at a tip-speed ratio of 2. Before the stall, the turbulence intensity did not considerably affect the normal or tangential force coefficients of the LUT airfoil. However, after the stall, the normal force coefficient varied obviously at low turbulence intensity. Moreover, as the turbulence intensity increased, the normal and tangential force coefficients decreased rapidly, particularly in the downwind region of the VAWT

Genetic connection between mud shale lithofacies and shale oil enrichment in Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin

By using microscope, argon ion polishing technology, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy, and hydrocarbon generation and expulsion simulation, reservoir properties, oiliness and shale oil mobility of different mud shale lithofacies were examined with the mud shale in Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin as the example. The relationship between lithofacies type and shale oil enrichment was analyzed. Based on the rock composition, sedimentary structures and abundance of organic matter, a mud shale lithofacies classification standard for the upper submember of the 4th Member to the lower submember of the 3rd Member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Es4s-Es3x) was established. Six lithofacies are developed in the target formation, in which the laminar organic-rich lithofacies formed in the alternating mechanical transportation deposition and chemical deposition, not only has the highest TOC, S1, oil saturation, movable oil saturation, content of low-carbon light components and oil generation and expulsion rate, but also has various types of reservoir space, abundant pores, and organic network system and interlayer micro-fracture system which can serve as high-speed channels for shale oil and gas migration, so this lithofacies is favorable for shale oil enrichment. Key words: mud shale, shale oil, lithofacies, oiliness, reservoir properties, organic network, microcracks, Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basi