Near-microscale modelling of dry woven fabrics under in-plane shear loading

This article proposes a near micro-scale modelling technique to predict nonlinear shear behaviour of dry woven fabrics in a picture frame test using the digital element method. In the proposed model, the fabric yarns are modelled as bundles of virtual fibres that are then modelled by the truss elements in finite element code. Additionally, our finite element analysis was performed in a repeated unit cell and the contact friction among the fibres is explicitly considered. Especially, we proposed so-called enhanced periodic boundary conditions to capture the mechanical behaviour of fabrics both in the small and large shear angle regimes

Mesoscale finite element analysis of cracked composite laminates under out-of-plane loads using 3D periodic boundary conditions

The behavior of composite materials under out-of-plane loads is strongly affected by the presence of transverse ply cracks. The cracks perturb the distribution of stresses leading to large out-of-plane shear stiffness reductions. It is crucial to include these effects in the damage material models to improve their accuracy. Therefore, the stress transfer and stiffness reduction in cracked laminates have been studied with a mesoscale finite element model (FEM) under general in-plane, out-of-plane normal and shear loads. A symmetric laminate containing ply cracks in a single orientation has been considered under the hypothesis of periodicity using a novel relaxed three-dimensional formulation of Periodic Boundary Conditions (PBCs). The local stresses have been verified versus different analytical and numerical methods. In addition, the degraded effective thermo-elastic constants involving out-of-plane properties have been calculated as a function of crack density. Both uniform and non-uniform distributions of cracks have been considered for different lay-ups including angle-ply and unbalanced laminates. The effect of contact between the crack surfaces has been studied for specific loading conditions. It is shown that a single formulation based on three-dimensional periodic boundary conditions is sufficient to determine the interfacial stresses and the complete thermo-elastic constants under in-plane and out-of-plane loads accurately

How heterogeneous are the determinants of total factor productivity in manufacturing sectors? Panel-data evidence from vietnam

One of the remaining challenges in explaining differences in total factor productivity is heterogeneity between sectors and within a specific sector in terms of labor and capital. This paper employs the generalized method of moments (GMM) to identify factors that affect total factor productivity across 21 manufacturing sectors and to clarify the heterogeneous determinants of total factor productivity within manufacturing sectors for the period 2010–2015. Our estimations show that large firms have significantly greater total factor productivity levels than small firms in some fragmentations of firms in terms of both labor and total capital and in some manufacturing sectors. It is suggested that firm characteristics should be considered by the government in establishing relevant policies for enhancing firm productivity

Multiscale fatigue modelling of additively manufactured metallic components

Additively manufactured metallic components have been used in medical and aerospace applications. In these components, surface roughness and porosity are integral features that might significantly reduce their fatigue lives, especially in the high cycle fatigue regime. Thus, to precisely estimate the fatigue life of an additively manufactured component, these defective features are incorporated into our proposed fatigue model. To capture the local plasticity caused by the defects, a nonlinear isotropic-kinematic hardening elasto-plasticity model is employed in our finite element (FE) models. Additionally, the gas-entrapped pores are modeled as circles whilst the surface topography, which was measured using stylus-based profilometer, is explicitly mo deled in the FE models. The finite element results are post-processed by our in-house software to extract the Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) fatigue indicator parameter. This parameter is calculated at each element centroid of the FE mesh, i.e., the local indicator. Afterward, an average value of the SWT parameter over a so-called critical area whose center is located at the considered centroid is also calculated, i.e., the nonlocal indicator. The results show that the local SWT indicator is too conservative in predicting the fatigue life of the componentwhile the nonlocal SWT one can provide good results

Factors affecting green food purchase intention in Ho Chi Minh City

This study adopts Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to measure factors affecting green food purchase intention in Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC). The survey data was collected from 197 students during the period of 1st to 20th September, 2017. Testing the conceptual model by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we find that perceived usefulness of green food and perceived ease of purchase impact on attitudes towards green food purchase. We also find that subjective norm, perceived usefulness of green food, attitudes towards green food purchase are positively associated with green food purchase intention. From the research findings, some recommendations are proposed accordingly