Utilization of a Genetic Algorithm to Identify Optimal Geometric Shapes for a Seismic Protective Barrier

The utilization of seismic barriers for protection against the hazardous impact of natural or technogenic waves is an extremely promising emerging technology to secure buildings, structures and entire areas against earthquake-generated seismic waves, high-speed-transport-induced vibrations, etc. The current research is targeted at studying the effect of seismic-barrier shape on the reduction of seismic-wave magnitudes within the protected region. The analytical solution of Lamb’s problem was used to verify the adopted numerical approach. It was demonstrated that the addition of complementary geometric features to a simple barrier shape provides the possibility of significantly increasing the resulting seismic protection. A simple genetic algorithm was employed to evaluate the nontrivial but extremely effective geometry of the seismic barrier. The developed approach can be used in various problems requiring optimization of non-parameterizable geometric shapes. The applicability of genetic algorithms and other generative algorithms to discover optimal (or close to optimal) geometric configurations for the essentially multiscale problems of the interaction of mechanical waves with inclusions is discussed

Elastodynamics of a coated half-space under a sliding contact

The paper deals with elastic wave propagating in a layer on a half-space induced by a vertical force. The focus is on the effect of a sliding contact along the interface and its comparative study with a perfect one. The effective boundary conditions substituting the presence of the layer are derived. The leading order term in these conditions corresponds to vertical inertia of the layer, whereas next order correction involves the effect of plate waves in the coating. Analysis of the associated dispersion relation confirms the existence of a Rayleigh-type wave, along with extensional and shear plate waves. An asymptotic hyperbolic-elliptic formulation for surface wave field is also presented. This includes a hyperbolic equation singularly perturbed by a pseudo-differential operator playing a role of a boundary condition for the elliptic equation governing decay over the interior. The sign of the coefficient at the pseudo-differential operator is demonstrated to be always negative, corresponding to a local maximum of the phase speed at zero wave number, and consequently to a distinct receding type of the Rayleigh-type wave quasi-front induced by an impulse load

Experimental and numerical analyses of microstructure evolution of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys during severe plastic deformation

We have performed a constitutive experimental, FEM and discrete complex based studies for two copper alloys subjected to ECAP and MDF deformation processes. This combination of methods allows for recognising complementary microstructural effects, such as micro- and macrolocalization phenomena, coupled dislocation cells and grains evolution, inhomogeneities of triple junction network and ultrafine grain emergenc

Numerical simulation of ZrO2(Y2O3) ceramic plate penetration by cylindrical plunger

In this paper dynamic fracture process due to high-speed impact of steel plunger into ceramic sample is simulated. The developed numerical model is based on finite element method and a concept of incubation time criterion, which is proven to be applicable in order to predict brittle fracture under high-rate deformation. Simulations were performed for ZrO2(Y2O3) ceramic plates. To characterize fracture process quantitatively fracture surface area parameter is introduced and controlled. This parameter gives area of new surface created during dynamic fracture of a sample and is essentially connected to energetic peculiarities of fracture process. Multiple simulations with various parameters made it possible to explore dependencies of fracture area on plunger velocity and material properties. Energy required to create unit of fracture area at fracture initiation (dynamic analogue of Griffith's surface energy) was evaluated and was found to be an order of magnitude higher as comparing to its static value

Numerical simulation of ZrO2(Y2O3) ceramic plate penetration by cylindrical plunger

In this paper dynamic fracture process due to high-speed impact of steel plunger into ceramic sample is simulated. The developed numerical model is based on finite element method and a concept of incubation time criterion, which is proven to be applicable in order to predict brittle fracture under high-rate deformation. Simulations were performed for ZrO2(Y2O3) ceramic plates. To characterize fracture process quantitatively fracture surface area parameter is introduced and controlled. This parameter gives area of new surface created during dynamic fracture of a sample and is essentially connected to energetic peculiarities of fracture process. Multiple simulations with various parameters made it possible to explore dependencies of fracture area on plunger velocity and material properties. Energy required to create unit of fracture area at fracture initiation (dynamic analogue of Griffith's surface energy) was evaluated and was found to be an order of magnitude higher as comparing to its static value