Removal of an obstruction from a tube by a collapsing bubble

The use of a collapsing bubble to clear an obstruction (in the form of a steel ball) near a tube, submerged in water, is studied with high speed photography. Tubes in horizontal and vertical configurations are studied. The bubble is generated via an electric spark discharge. The flow in the tubes resulting from the expansion of the bubble, or the high speed jet from the collapsing bubble pushes the ball away from the tubes and therefore clears the obstructions. In a case where airbacked tube is used, the bubble jets away from the tube. The resulting water plum at the hole (water-air interface) removes the blockage. The speed of the ball can be as high as 1 m/s shortly after the collapse of the bubble. Further studies are required to translate the phenomena observed to clinical applications such as the removal of blood clots in vessels or the clearing of blocked transplanted tubes..http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84282/1/CAV2009-final98.pd

Multi-stage metal forming: Variation and transformation

During precision forming of metal parts made of metastable austenitic stainless steels, the relationship between the scatter on the initial parameters like the strip thickness, yield stress, etc. on the product accuracy need to be known. This becomes complex if the material is instable, i.e. martensite forms very easily. The transformation rate depends on the stress state, which is related to friction. It also depends on the temperature, which is related to deformation heat. A greater understanding of these phenomena is obtained by doing a process window study, using design and analysis of computer experiments (DACE). This paper demonstrates how to perform a DACE study on a three-stage metal forming process, using distributed computing. The study focuses on:\ud \ud •Hardening due to strain-induced and stress-assisted transformation.\ud •The influence of metal forming parameters on the product accuracy