Thermomechanical properties of amorphous metallic tungsten-oxygen and tungsten-oxide coatings

In this work, we investigate the correlation between morphology, composition, and the mechanical properties of metallic amorphous tungsten-oxygen and amorphous tungsten-oxide films deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition. This correlation is investigated by the combined use of Brillouin Spectroscopy and the substrate curvature method. The stiffness of the films is strongly affected by both the oxygen content and the mass density. The elastic moduli show a decreasing trend as the mass density decreases and the oxygen-tungsten ratio increases. A plateaux region is detected in correspondence of the transition between metallic and oxide films. The compressive residual stresses, moderate stiffness and high local ductility that characterize compact amorphous tungsten-oxide films make them promising for applications involving thermal or mechanical loads. The coefficient of thermal expansion is quite high (i.e. 8.9 $\cdot$ 10$^{-6}$ K$^{-1}$), being strictly correlated to the amorphous structure and stoichiometry of the films. Under thermal treatments they show a quite low relaxation temperature (i.e. 450 K). They crystallize into the $\gamma$ monoclinic phase of WO$_3$ starting from 670 K, inducing an increase by about 70\% of material stiffness.Comment: The research leading to these results has also received funding from the European Research Council Consolidator Grant ENSURE (ERC-2014-CoG No. 647554). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commissio

Coefficient of thermal expansion of nanostructured tungsten based coatings assessed by thermally induced substrate curvature method

The in plane coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and the residual stress of nanostructured W based coatings are extensively investigated. The CTE and the residual stresses are derived by means of an optimized ad-hoc developed experimental setup based on the detection of the substrate curvature by a laser system. The nanostructured coatings are deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition. Thanks to its versatility, nanocrystalline W metallic coatings, ultra-nano-crystalline pure W and W-Tantalum coatings and amorphous-like W coatings are obtained. The correlation between the nanostructure, the residual stress and the CTE of the coatings are thus elucidated. We find that all the samples show a compressive state of stress that decreases as the structure goes from columnar nanocrystalline to amorphous-like. The CTE of all the coatings is higher than the one of the corresponding bulk W form. In particular, as the grain size shrinks, the CTE increases from 5.1 10$^{-6}$ K$^{-1}$ for nanocrystalline W to 6.6 10$^{-6}$ K$^{-1}$ in the ultra-nano-crystalline region. When dealing with amorphous W, the further increase of the CTE is attributed to a higher porosity degree of the samples. The CTE trend is also investigated as function of materials stiffness. In this case, as W coatings become softer, the easier they thermally expand.Comment: The research leading to these results has also received funding from the European Research Council Consolidator Grant ENSURE (ERC-2014-CoG No. 647554

A new large-eddy simulation near-wall treatment

Two different types of instantaneous wall boundary conditions have been proposed for resolved large scale simulations that extend inside the viscous sublayer. These conditions transfer the physical no-slip and impermeability/permeability information,which can only be rigorously applied to the unfiltered variables,to the filtered variables. The first condition is universal,while the second one specifies the wall stress and relevant distribution and can be used to treat inverse flow problems. The filter scale close to the wall is a function which varies according to its position and thus the problem of the noncommutation of the filter and differentiation operators arises. Used together with the explicit noncommutation procedure by Iovieno and Tordella,these boundary conditions constitute a wall treatment which could improve the use of the large-eddy methodology in relation to aspects that are independent of the modeling of the subgrid scale motion. When applied in the test case of the plane periodic channel,intentionally using the most crude subgrid scale model (Smagorinsky,with no dynamic procedure or wall damping function) to prove its efficacy,the proposed near-wall treatment yielded resolved large-eddy simulations which compare well with both direct numerical simulations and with experimental data. The effects of the Reynolds number on the structure of the flow are retained. Distributions of the noncommutation error on the turbulent solution are also reported

PMUTs Arrays for Structural Health Monitoring of Bolted-Joints

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have enabled new techniques for the miniaturization of sensors suitable for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications. In this study, MEMS-based sensors, specifically Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUT), are used to evaluate and monitor the pre-tensioning of a bolted joint structural system. For bolted joints to function properly, it is essential to maintain a suitable level of pre-tensioning. In this work, an array of PMUTs attached to the head and to the end of a bolt, serve as transmitter and receiver, respectively, in a pitch-catch Ultrasonic Testing (UT) scenario. The primary objective is to detect the Change in Time of Flight (CTOF) of the acoustic wave generated by the PMUT array and propagating along the bolt’s axis between a non-loaded bolt and a bolt in service. To model the pre-tensioning of bolted joints and the transmission of the acoustic wave to and from a group of PMUTs through the bolt, a set of numerical models is created. The CTOF is found to be linearly related to the amount of pre-tensioning. The numerical model is validated through comparisons with the results of a preliminary experimental campaign

Uav Photogrammetry: Block Triangulation Comparisons

UAVs systems represent a flexible technology able to collect a big amount of high resolution information, both for metric and interpretation uses. In the frame of experimental tests carried out at Dept. ICA of Politecnico di Milano to validate vector-sensor systems and to assess metric accuracies of images acquired by UAVs, a block of photos taken by a fixed wing system is triangulated with several software. The test field is a rural area included in an Italian Park ("Parco Adda Nord"), useful to study flight and imagery performances on buildings, roads, cultivated and uncultivated vegetation. The UAV SenseFly, equipped with a camera Canon Ixus 220HS, flew autonomously over the area at a height of 130 m yielding a block of 49 images divided in 5 strips. Sixteen pre-signalized Ground Control Points, surveyed in the area through GPS (NRTK survey), allowed the referencing of the block and accuracy analyses. Approximate values for exterior orientation parameters (positions and attitudes) were recorded by the flight control system. The block was processed with several software: Erdas-LPS, EyeDEA (Univ. of Parma), Agisoft Photoscan, Pix4UAV, in assisted or automatic way. Results comparisons are given in terms of differences among digital surface models, differences in orientation parameters and accuracies, when available. Moreover, image and ground point coordinates obtained by the various software were independently used as initial values in a comparative adjustment made by scientific in-house software, which can apply constraints to evaluate the effectiveness of different methods of point extraction and accuracies on ground check points

Identifying key denning habitat to conserve brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Croatia

CONTEXT: The preservation of denning habitat is paramount to the recovery of threatened bear populations because of the effect that den site disturbance can have on cub mortality. Understanding habitat suitability for denning can allow management efforts to be directed towards the regions where conservation interventions would be most effective. AIM: We sought to identify the environmental and anthropogenic habitat variables associated with the presence of Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos) den sites in Croatia. Based on these associations, in order to inform future conservation decisions, we also sought to identify regions of high suitability for denning across Croatia. METHODS: Using the locations of 91 dens inhabited by bears between 1982 and 2011, we opted for the presence-only modelling option in software Maxent to determine the most important predictors of den presence, and thus predict the distribution of high-value denning habitat across Croatia. KEY RESULTS: We found that structural elements were the most important predictors, with ruggedness and elevation both relating positively to den presence. However, distance to nearest settlement was also positively associated with den presence. CONCLUSION: We determine that there is considerable denning habitat value in areas with high and rugged terrain as well as areas with limited human activity. We suspect that high and rugged terrain contains a greater concentration of the karstic formations used for denning than lower-lying regions. IMPLICATIONS: Our study presents the first habitat suitability model for brown bears in Croatia, and identifies core areas suitable for denning both within and outside the species’ current range. As such, it provides useful evidence for conservation decision making and the development of scientifically-based management plans. Our results also support the need for finer spatial scale studies that can reveal specific denning preferences of subpopulations

Ultrasonographic findings in primary umbilical endometriosis

Primary cutaneous endometriosis is a rare condition. It appears without a prior history of surgical procedure and the umbilicus is the most frequently involved area. Primary umbilical endometriosis, or Villar\u2019s nodule, usually presents as a painful nodule. Its differential diagnosis may be challenging. Although histopathological assessment represents the gold standard for diagnosis, cutaneous ultrasonography may be useful in guiding the surgical treatment. Ultrasonographic features of cutaneous endometriosis have not yet been fully explored in the literature. Hence, we report peculiar ultrasonographic findings of primary umbilical endometriosis