Structural modelling and testing of failed high energy pipe runs: 2D and 3D pipe whip

Copyright @ 2011 ElsevierThe sudden rupture of a high energy piping system is a safety-related issue and has been the subject of extensive study and discussed in several industrial reports (e.g. [2], [3] and [4]). The dynamic plastic response of the deforming pipe segment under the blow-down force of the escaping liquid is termed pipe whip. Because of the potential damage that such an event could cause, various geometric and kinematic features of this phenomenon have been modelled from the point of view of dynamic structural plasticity. After a comprehensive summary of the behaviour of in-plane deformation of pipe runs [9] and [10] that deform in 2D in a plane, the more complicated case of 3D out-of-plane deformation is discussed. Both experimental studies and modelling using analytical and FE methods have been carried out and they show that, for a good estimate of the “hazard zone” when unconstrained pipe whip motion could occur, a large displacement analysis is essential. The classical, rigid plastic, small deflection analysis (e.g. see [2] and [8]), is valid for estimating the initial failure mechanisms, however it is insufficient for describing the details and consequences of large deflection behaviour

Simple model of bouncing ball dynamics. Displacement of the limiter assumed as a cubic function of time

Nonlinear dynamics of a bouncing ball moving vertically in a gravitational field and colliding with a moving limiter is considered and the Poincare map, describing evolution from an impact to the next impact, is described. Displacement of the limiter is assumed as periodic, cubic function of time. Due to simplicity of this function analytical computations are possible. Several dynamical modes, such as fixed points, 2 - cycles and chaotic bands are studied analytically and numerically. It is shown that chaotic bands are created from fixed points after first period doubling in a corner-type bifurcation. Equation for the time of the next impact is solved exactly for the case of two subsequent impacts occurring in the same period of limiter's motion making analysis of chattering possible.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, presented at the DSTA 2011 conference, Lodz, Polan

Simple model of bouncing ball dynamics: displacement of the table assumed as quadratic function of time

Nonlinear dynamics of a bouncing ball moving in gravitational field and colliding with a moving limiter is considered. Displacement of the limiter is a quadratic function of time. Several dynamical modes, such as fixed points, 2 - cycles and chaotic bands are studied analytically and numerically. It is shown that chaotic bands appear due to homoclinic structures created from unstable 2 - cycles in a corner-type bifurcation.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Platforming Equality: Policy Challenges for the Digital Economy

This is the final version. Available from Autonomy via the link in this recordWelcome to Autonomy’s ‘Platforming Equality’ document: a collection of papers on the challenges that the digital economy poses to policymakers, activists and researchers. We’ve invited a range of contributors to probe deeper into under-examined topics in the digital economy and to shed light on how they operate. Another aim of the collection is to explore policy options for alleviating a range of new challenges that have emerged within the digital economy. Contributors move beyond theoretical discussion of the problems themselves and turn towards an analysis of responses that are open to activists, municipal authorities and government policy makers. Articles suggest a range of policy recommendations and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Each contributor examines a specific issue based on their own research and an analysis of the existing literature. They then provide their own perspective on the policies and approaches that would be most suitable to tackling the issue

Dynamic buckling and fragmentation in brittle rods

We present experiments on the dynamic buckling and fragmentation of slender rods axially impacted by a projectile. By combining the results of Saint-Venant and elastic beam theory, we derive a preferred wavelength lambda for the buckling instability, and experimentally verify the resulting scaling law for a range of materials including teflon, dry pasta, glass, and steel. For brittle materials, buckling leads to the fragmentation of the rod. Measured fragment length distributions show two clear peaks near lambda/2 and lambda/4. The non-monotonic nature of the distributions reflect the influence of the deterministic buckling process on the more random fragmentation processes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Impact testing to determine the mechanical properties of articular cartilage in isolation and on bone

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comNon peer reviewedPostprin

Simulation for the oblique impact of a lattice system

The oblique collision between an elastic disk and an elastic wall is numerically studied. We investigate the dependency of the tangential coefficient of restitution on the incident angle of impact. From the results of simulation, our model reproduces experimental results and can be explained by a phenomenological theory of the oblique impact.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Japa

Teacher evaluation in Portugal: persisting challenges and perceived effects

This paper reports on findings from a broader piece of research aimed at investigating the ways in which head teachers experience a new teacher evaluation policy in Portugal, particularly in regard to the challenges and perceived effects of the policy on school and on teacher development. Data were collected through a questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions. In total, 134 head teachers participated in the study. Findings suggest a number of tensions and problems, most of which are related to the key features of the model of teacher evaluation itself. Others issues pertain to the lack of recognition of the appraisers and to the emergence of tensions amongst staff leading to the deterioration of the school climate. Persisting challenges to policy implementation, perceived effects on teachers and schools as well as the dilemmas of head teachers are analysed. The article concludes with the discussion of ways forward.Financial Support by CIEC (Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho; FCT R&D unit 317, Portugal) by the Strategic Project UID/CED/00317/2013, with financial support of National Funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-financed by European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) through the COMPETE 2020 - Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (POCI) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00756

Simulation of cohesive head-on collisions of thermally activated nanoclusters

Impact phenomena of nanoclusters subject to thermal fluctuations are numerically investigated. From the molecular dynamics simulation for colliding two identical clusters, it is found that the restitution coefficient for head-on collisions has a peak at a colliding speed due to the competition between the cohesive interaction and the repulsive interaction of colliding clusters. Some aspects of the collisions can be understood by the theory by Brilliantov {\it et al.} (Phys. Rev. E {\bf 76}, 051302 (2007)), but many new aspects are found from the simulation. In particular, we find that there are some anomalous rebounds in which the restitution coefficient is larger than unity. The phase diagrams of rebound processes against impact speed and the cohesive parameter can be understood by a simple phenomenology.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to PRE; revised content and added reference

Speaking with things: Encoded researchers, social data, and other posthuman concoctions

We apply our heuristics for ‘interviewing’ nonhuman research participants (Adams and Thompson 2011) to the digital things of qualitative research itself: recording devices, data analysis software, and other sociomaterial concoctions recruited at different stages of contemporary research projects. We suggest that these ‘inorganic organized’ entities participate as co-researchers that inevitably extend but also disrupt research practice and knowledge construction, introducing new tensions and contradictions. Counterpointing phenomenology and Actor Network Theory, we usher some of the hidden and coded materialities of research practice into view, and glimpse unexpected realities co-enacted. Such immersive entanglements raise ethical questions about the posthumanist fluencies now demanded in social science research practice and we outline several considerations