Water rise in a cellulose foam: By capillary or diffusional flow?

Critical experiments and predictive models reveal that water rise through a cellulose foam is initially by capillary rise, followed by non-linear diffusion in the presence of trapping sites. Classical ideas on capillary rise are supported by observations that the Washburn law is obeyed up to the Jurin height. However, water rise continues beyond the Jurin height, and this subsequent phase is diffusion-controlled according to the following evidence: the nature of the quantitative dependence of water rise upon time, the insensitivity of water rise to the direction of gravity, and the fact that the water front continues to rise in the foam after the water reservoir has been removed. Water diffusion occurs through the cellulose fibre network, along with trapping/de-trapping at molecular sites. The diffusion equations are solved numerically, and, upon comparing the predictions with the observed response, values are obtained for the diffusion constant and for the ratio of trap density to lattice density. The diffusion model explains why the drying of a damp foam is a slow process: the emptying of filled traps requires diffusion through an adjacent lattice of low water content.ERC H2020 GA-66976

A Microstructure-Sensitive Model for Simulating the Impact Response of a High-Manganese Austenitic Steel

Microstructurally informed macroscopic impact response of a high-manganese austenitic steel was modeled through incorporation of the viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) crystal plasticity model into the ANSYS LS-DYNA nonlinear explicit finite-element (FE) frame. Voce hardening flow rule, capable of modeling plastic anisotropy in microstructures, was utilized in the VPSC crystal plasticity model to predict the micromechanical response of the material, which was calibrated based on experimentally measured quasi-static uniaxial tensile deformation response and initially measured textures. Specifically, hiring calibrated Voce parameters in VPSC, a modified material response was predicted employing local velocity gradient tensors obtained from the initial FE analyses as a new boundary condition for loading state. The updated micromechanical response of the material was then integrated into the macroscale material model by calibrating the Johnson-Cook (JC) constitutive relationship and the corresponding damage parameters. Consequently, we demonstrate the role of geometrically necessary multi-axial stress state for proper modeling of the impact response of polycrystalline metals and validate the presented approach by experimentally and numerically analyzing the deformation response of the Hadfield steel (HS) under impact loading

Fatigue crack growth and life prediction of a single interference fitted holed plate

To understand the different aspects of fatigue behaviour of complex structural joints it will be much helpful if the effects of different parameters are studied separately. In this article, to study the isolated effect of interference fit on fatigue life a pined hole specimen is investigated. This specimen is a single-holed plate with an oversized pin which force fitted to the hole. The investigation was carried out both experimentally and numerically. In the experimental part, interference fitted specimens along with open hole specimens were fatigue tested to study the experimental effect of the interference fit. In the numerical part, three-dimensional finite element (FE) simulations have been performed in order to obtain the created stresses due to interference fit and subsequent applied longitudinal load at the holed plate. The stress distribution obtained from FE simulation around the hole was used to predict crack initiation life using Smith-Watson-Topper method and fatigue crack growth life using the NASGRO equation with applying the AFGROW computer code. The predicted fatigue life obtained from the numerical methods show a good agreement with the experimental fatigue life. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

The effect of interference-fit on fretting fatigue crack initiation and ΔK of a single pinned plate in 7075 Al-alloy

The effect of interference-fit on fretting fatigue crack initiation and ΔK was studied numerically for available experimental results in a single pinned plate in Al-alloy 7075-T6. The role of interference ratio was investigated alongside friction coefficient through finite element. Cyclic stress distributions in the plate ligament and fretting stresses on the contact interface were evaluated using 3-D elastic-plastic finite element models. Additionally a 3-D elastic finite element model was utilized to discuss ΔK of cracks emanating from interference fitted holes. Results demonstrate that fretting was the main reason for crack nucleation, and furthermore, the location was precisely predicted and fatigue life enhancement was explained. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd

The swelling of cellulose foams due to liquid transport

Cellulose-based foams are available commercially in a dry pre-compressed state, but can swell upon infiltration by a suitable liquid. A series of experiments reveal that pre-compressed foams can swell in one direction by an order of magnitude when infiltrated by water or glycerol; in contrast, no swelling accompanies infiltration by ethanol. The kinetics (and underlying mechanisms) of infiltration and of swelling are quantified by a series of critical experiments on both pre-compressed foam and pre-expanded foam, using water, glycerol and ethanol. Infiltration is driven by capillarity, cell wall diffusion and by opening of capillaries during swelling of the foam. Ethanol-infiltration of pre-expanded foam or of pre-compressed foam occurs by a combination of capillary action and diffusion without swelling of the foam. Water induces swelling of the pre-compressed foam on a time scale of 1 s, whereas glycerol swells the foam progressively over 105 s, after an initial incubation period of 103 s. When the foam is in the pre-expanded state, water and glycerol seep horizontally into the foam by capillary action; in contrast, water-rise and glycerol-rise in the vertical direction is initially by capillary action and then, once the Jurin height has been attained, diffusion leads to a much slower rate of seepage. Confirmation of the existence of a Jurin height for the vertical rise of water into pre-compressed foam or pre-expanded foam is obtained by X-ray computer tomography. Infiltration into pre-compressed foam by water or by glycerol involves the propagation of a swelling front, with liquid feeding first by capillary flow and then by diffusion within the cell walls. An understanding of liquid infiltration and the resultant swelling of foams is the first step in the design of actuating multi-scale lattices made from pre-compressed foam

Effect of hole lubrication on the fretting fatigue life of double shear lap joints: An experimental and numerical study

In this research the affect that lubrication at a hole and pin connection has on the fatigue life of a double shear lap joint is studied both experimentally and numerically. The study focuses on the joint middle plate item, which is connected via a central hole to the outer plates by means of a clearance fitting pin, thereby placing the hole in double shear. In the experimental work three identical batches of fatigue specimens, which are made from aluminum alloy 2024-T3, were fatigue tested. In the first batch the surface of the fastener hole was not lubricated whilst the hole in the other two batches was lubricated - each batch using a different lubricant. The three batches of double shear lap joint specimens were fatigue tested and their S-N curves established. The results show that the specimens in which the holes were lubricated have better fatigue lives than the non-lubricated hole specimens. In the numerical study, FE simulations were performed to include hole lubrication effect on the stress distribution by using different friction coefficient at the interface of the hole and its fastener (pin). The FE results have helped to gain an understanding of the reasons for fatigue life improvement and also have helped to quantify the level of improvement. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Experimental and numerical investigations into the effect of an interference fit on the fatigue life of double shear lap joints

In this research the effect of bolt interference fit on the fatigue life of lap joints in double shear was investigated by conducting experimental fatigue tests and also analytically by FE simulation. In the experimental part, fatigue tests were carried out on specimens made from aluminium alloy 2024-T3 plates joined together as double lap joints and secured using bolts having fits ranging from zero clearance to different levels of interference. The results demonstrate how the failure is affected using different levels of interference fit. In the numerical study, 3-D FE models were used to simulate the different pin in hole fits considered and the results have been used to help explain the trends which were observed in the experimentally obtained S-N curve behaviour. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Water rise in a cellulose foam: By capillary or diffusional flow?

Critical experiments and predictive models reveal that water rise through a cellulose foam is initially by capillary rise, followed by non-linear diffusion in the presence of trapping sites. Classical ideas on capillary rise are supported by observations that the Washburn law is obeyed up to the Jurin height. However, water rise continues beyond the Jurin height, and this subsequent phase is diffusion-controlled according to the following evidence: the nature of the quantitative dependence of water rise upon time, the insensitivity of water rise to the direction of gravity, and the fact that the water front continues to rise in the foam after the water reservoir has been removed. Water diffusion occurs through the cellulose fibre network, along with trapping/de-trapping at molecular sites. The diffusion equations are solved numerically, and, upon comparing the predictions with the observed response, values are obtained for the diffusion constant and for the ratio of trap density to lattice density. The diffusion model explains why the drying of a damp foam is a slow process: the emptying of filled traps requires diffusion through an adjacent lattice of low water content

An investigation about interference fit effect on improving fatigue life of a holed single plate in joints

In this article, the effect of interference fit on fatigue life of holed plate of mechanical joints was investigated both experimentally and numerically. In the experimental part, fatigue tests were carried out on the holed specimens of Al 7075-T6 alloy in which oversized steel pins were force fitted to them. These fatigue tests were conducted on open hole specimen and specimens with 1, 1.5, 2 and 4% nominal interference fit sizes at different cyclic longitudinal loads. From these tests the stress-life (S-N) data for different interference fit sizes were obtained. The results show that interference fit increases fatigue life compared to open hole specimens. In the numerical part of the investigation, 3D finite element simulations have been performed to obtain stress (or strain) histories and distributions around the hole due to interference fit and subsequent cyclic longitudinal loading using FEM package. The stress history from finite element (FE) simulation was used to explain the reason for fatigue life improvement in the interference fitted specimens. © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved