Elastodynamic analysis of low tension cables using a new curved beam element

AbstractIn this paper, we address and overcome the difficulties associated with the use of the classic cable theory to treat low tension cables by developing a new three-noded locking-free nonlinear curved beam element. Based upon nonlinear generalized curved beam theory, large deformations and rotations in the new element are formulated in terms of Updated Lagrangian framework. Consistently coupled polynomial displacement fields are used to satisfy the membrane locking-free condition and the requirement of being able to recover the inextensible bending modes. Quintic transverse displacement interpolation functions are used to represent the bending deformation of the beam, while the axial and torsional displacement fields are derived by integration of the presumably linear membrane and torsional shear strain fields, which are coupled with the transverse displacement fields. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the superior accuracy and the high convergence rate of the newly developed curved beam element. The stability and accuracy of the new element are further validated by experiments of an instrumented free-swinging steel cable experiencing slack and low tension. Good agreements in cable position and tension are observed between the experimental results and the finite element predictions

Specific surface area and neutron scattering analysis of water’s glass transition and micropore collapse in amorphous solid water

Physico-chemical instability is commonly associated with the amorphous state, and the understanding of instability mechanisms (e.g. the glass transition) involved is essential in designing pharmaceutical products. The glass transition of bulk water might occur at 210 K [Oguni et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 115 (2011) 14023] but it was recently proposed the glass transition of water could happen around 121 K [C. R. Hill et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (2016) 215501]. Note that molecular self-inclusions in a glassy water show relaxation features that are characteristically different from those observed in thermodynamically stable, crystalline solids with inclusions. Here we point out some doubtful results and calculations in Hill et al.?s work [C. R. Hill et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (2016) 215501] which was based on the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. We also made some remarks about the possible mistakes in their previous works [C. Mitterdorfer, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16 (2014) 16013] considering the calculation of the specific surface area. The latter is crucial to the doubtful fixing of the glass transition temperature in Hill et al.?s work [C. R. Hill et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (2016) 215501]

Second harmonic generation and birefringence of some ternary pnictide semiconductors

A first-principles study of the birefringence and the frequency dependent second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients of the ternary pnictide semiconductors with formula ABC$_2$ (A = Zn, Cd; B = Si, Ge; C = As, P) with the chalcopyrite structures was carried out. We show that a simple empirical observation that a smaller value of the gap is correlated with larger value of SHG is qualitatively true. However, simple inverse power scaling laws between gaps and SHG were not found. Instead, the real value of the nonlinear response is a result of a very delicate balance between different intraband and interband terms.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

New rosette tools for developing rotational vibration-assisted incremental sheet forming

A major limitation of the incremental sheet forming (ISF) is its difficulties to manufacture hard-to-form materials. The existing ISF process variants require additional systems or devices, which compromises the process flexibility and simplicity, the unique advantages of the ISF. In this study, a novel type of rosette tools is proposed for developing a new ISF process to improve material formability, named as Rotational Vibration-assisted ISF (RV-ISF). A hard-to-form material, magnesium alloy AZ31B, has been successfully formed in the RV-ISF experiment by creating low-frequency and low-amplitude vibrations, and elevated temperatures at the local forming zone in the range of 250–450 °C. By developing the new RV-ISF, it has achieved a 60% increase in fracture depth than that by friction-stir ISF and more than 46% reduction in forming force than that by the conventional ISF. Experimental evaluation and analytical prediction of temperature increase, forming force and flow-stress reduction have concluded that the combined thermal effect and vibration softening is the key mechanism leading to the significant formability enhancement. The results show that both the rosette tool design and tool rotational speed are critical factors determining heat generation and transfer as well as vibration frequency and amplitude. Investigation on microstructural evolution has revealed that the low-frequency and low-amplitude vibrations created by the rosette tool have activated dislocations and dynamic recrystallization, and produced refined grains and increased micro hardness. The new RV-ISF developed has potentials to manufacture other hard-to-form materials and complex geometries of sheet products, overcoming the formability limitation of the current ISF technology

Dynamics of the self-interacting chameleon cosmology

In this article we study the properties of the flat FRW chameleon cosmology in which the cosmic expansion of the Universe is affected by the chameleon field and dark energy. In particular, we perform a detailed examination of the model in the light of numerical analysis. The results illustrate that the interacting chameleon filed plays an important role in late time universe acceleration and phantom crossing.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Sc

Fabrication of CuO nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method

Here we report a very simple method to convert conventional CuO powders to nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method. CuO is dissolved into aqueous ammonia, and the solution is diluted by alcohol and dip coating onto a glass substrate. Drying at 80 °C, the nanostructures with bunchy nanoparticles of Cu(OH)2can be formed. After the substrate immerges into the solution and we vaporize the solution, hollow microspheres can be formed onto the substrate. There are three phases in the as-prepared samples, monoclinic tenorite CuO, orthorhombic Cu(OH)2, and monoclinic carbonatodiamminecopper(II) (Cu(NH3)2CO3). After annealing at 150 °C, the products convert to CuO completely. At annealing temperature above 350 °C, the hollow microspheres became nanoparticle interlinked cages

Hydrogen implanted 1.3 {micro}m vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers with dielectric and wafer-boned GaAs/AlAs mirrors

A 1.3 {micro}m wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) containing proton implanted isolation regions and a dielectric top mirror and a wafer-bonded GaAs/AlAs bottom mirror was fabricated. A room temperature pulsed threshold current density of 1.13 kA/cm{sup 2} and a threshold current of 2 mA have been demonstrated

The Deformable Universe

The concept of smooth deformations of a Riemannian manifolds, recently evidenced by the solution of the Poincar\'e conjecture, is applied to Einstein's gravitational theory and in particular to the standard FLRW cosmology. We present a brief review of the deformation of Riemannian geometry, showing how such deformations can be derived from the Einstein-Hilbert dynamical principle. We show that such deformations of space-times of general relativity produce observable effects that can be measured by four-dimensional observers. In the case of the FLRW cosmology, one such observable effect is shown to be consistent with the accelerated expansion of the universe.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, 3 figure

A mathematical analysis of the evolution of perturbations in a modified Chaplygin gas model

One approach in modern cosmology consists in supposing that dark matter and dark energy are different manifestations of a single `quartessential' fluid. Following such idea, this work presents a study of the evolution of perturbations of density in a flat cosmological model with a modified Chaplygin gas acting as a single component. Our goal is to obtain properties of the model which can be used to distinguish it from another cosmological models which have the same solutions for the general evolution of the scale factor of the universe, without the construction of the power spectrum. Our analytical results, which alone can be used to uniquely characterize the specific model studied in our work, show that the evolution of the density contrast can be seen, at least in one particular case, as composed by a spheroidal wave function. We also present a numerical analysis which clearly indicates as one interesting feature of the model the appearence of peaks in the evolution of the density constrast.Comment: 21 pages, accepted for publication in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Influence of the starting composition on the structural and superconducting properties of MgB2 phase

We report the preparation of Mg$_{1-x}$B$_{2}$ (0$\le$x$\le$0.5) compounds with the nominal compositions. Single phase MgB$_{2}$ was obtained for x=0 sample. For 0$<$x$\le$0.5, MgB$_{4}$ coexists with "MgB$_{2}$" and the amount of MgB$_{4}$ increases with x. With the increase of x, the lattice parameter ${\it c}$ of "MgB$_{2}$" increases and the lattice parameter ${\it a}$ decreases, correspondingly T$_{c}$ of Mg$_{1-x}$B$_{2}$ decreases. The results were discussed in terms of the presence of Mg vacancies or B interstitials in the MgB$_{2}$ structure. This work is helpful to the understanding of the MgB$_{2}$ films with different T$_{c}$, as well as the Mg site doping effect for MgB$_{2}$.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure