Perforation process of a novel ceramic/composite panel including alumina-silicon carbide (Al2O3-SiC) nanocomposite as the front plate and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene laminated composite (Dyneema® HB25) as the back-up impacted by a tip tapered penetrator has been analyzed based on LS-Dyna and HyperMesh codes. In order to balance the competing requirements posed by thickness, weight, cost and performance, a finite element (FE) simulation has been developed with well-developed material models. A two-dimensional, dynamic-explicit and Lagrangian model has been considered. The perforation process has been investigated for three different thicknesses of the ceramic plate. The Johnson-Cook, Johnson-Holmquist and Orthotropic-Elastic material models have been used for the penetrator, ceramic, and composite, respectively. The FE results, which have a good agreement with available experimental data, show that with the increase in the ceramic thickness, ceramic's fracture conoid as well as elasto-plastic deformation of fibers increase while fiber breakage and dishing of the composite layers diminish. In addition to saving cost and time, the FE simulation results can be useful as a fairly accurate prediction tool for the designing of lightweight body protective panels with desired impact resistance performance and eligible blunt trauma of the back-up.

Vibration behavior of adaptive laminated composite beams integrated with magnetorheological (MR) fluid layer has been investigated using layerwise displacement theory. In most of the existing studies on the adaptive laminated beams with MR fluids, shear strain across the thickness of magnetorheological (MR) layer has been assumed a constant value, resulting in a constant shear stress in MR layer. However, due to the high shear deformation pattern inside MR layer, this assumption is not adequate to accurately describe the shear strain and stress in MR fluid layer. In this work a modified layerwise theory is employed to develop a Finite Element Model (FEM) formulation to simulate the laminated beams integrated with MR fluids. In the present model, each layer is modeled based on First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT). The inter-laminar stresses between face-layer and MR layer is estimated more precise so FEM results are more accurate. Standard test of ASTM E 756-98 was employed to develop an empirical relationship for the complex shear modulus of MR fluid. Numerical examples have been illustrated the effects of MR fluid layer on the vibration behavior of the laminated beam. An experimental setup has been (FSDT) fabricated for the verification of the results.

In the present study, thermo-mechanical vibration behavior of non-uniform beams made of functionally graded (FG) porous material are investigated under different thermal loadings for the first time. It is observed that during the fabrication of functionally graded materials (FGMs) porosities and micro-voids can be occured inside the material, thus in this study vibration analysis of FG beams by considering the effect of these imperfections is performed. Material properties of the FG beam are assumed to be temperature-dependent and vary continuously through thickness direction according to a power-law scheme which is modified to approximate material properties for both even and uneven distributions of the porosities. Different thermal environmental conditions, including uniform, linear and non-linear temperature changes through the thickness direction are considered. The motion equations are derived based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory through Hamilton's principle and they are solved applying the differential transformation method (DTM). In order to show the accuracy of the present analysis, comparisons are made with previous researches and an excellent agreement is observed. The obtained results are presented for the thermo-mechanical vibration characteristics of the FG beams such as the influences of various temperature rises, gradient index, porosity volume fraction, taper ratio and the boundary conditions in detail.

Nano-scale beams might not be considered uniform isotropic since the energy of the surface layer and microstructure of the bulk part highly affect the mechanical characteristics of the beams. Herein, the impact of the energy of the surface layer and the microstructure of the bulk on the mechanical stability of beam-type nanotweezers are investigated. A new bilayer continuum model has been developed which incorporates the strain energy of the surface atoms as well as the microstructure-dependent strain energy of the bulk material. The recently-developed consistent couple stress elasticity (CCSE) in combination with the Gurtin-Murdoch surface theory is applied to derive the governing equation. The nonlinear governing equation was solved using numerical generalized differential quadrature (GDQ). Effects of various parameters including characteristics of the surface layer, microstructure of the bulk and external forces on the static and dynamic stability threshold of the nanostructure are demonstrated.

The problem of plane elastic shear waves (SV waves) scattering from a circular nanoinclusion surrounded by an inhomogeneous interphase embedded in an elastic matrix is investigated analytically in this paper. An approach is introduced to account for the simultaneous effects of a graded interphase and surface/interface energy based on Gurtin-Murdoch's model of surface elasticity. Using the wave function expansion method, the Navier equation is solved for all three phases (nanofiber-interphase- matrix). Presenting the results in dimensionless manner, Dynamic Stress Concentration Factors (DSCF) for the present problem are obtained and the effects of several parameters on the results are studied in detail. It is understood that taking the effects of both surface/interface and interphase inhomogeneity into account leads to a significant influence on the DSCF results and consequently on the overall dynamic behavior of the nanocomposites.

In this paper, dynamic behavior of multi-layered viscoelastic nanobeams resting on a viscoelastic medium with a moving nanoparticle is studied. Eringens nonlocal theory is used to model the small scale effects. Layers are coupled by Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic medium model. Hamilton's principle, eigen-function technique and the Laplace transform method are employed to solve the governing differential equations. Analytical solutions for transverse displacements of double-layered is presented for both viscoelastic nanobeams embedded in a viscoelastic medium and without it while numerical solution is achieved for higher layered nanobeams. The influences of the nonlocal parameter, stiffness and damping parameter of medium, internal damping parameter and number of layers are studied while the nanoparticle passes through. Presented results can be useful in analysing and designing nanocars, nanotruck moving on surfaces, racing nanocars etc.

The present study deals with the affected behaviour of SH-wave propagation through a viscoelastic layer sandwiched between an anisotropic porous layer of finite thickness and an isotropic half space. The sandwiched viscoelastic layer is considered as heterogeneous medium of finite thickness and isotropic half-space is considered as initially stressed medium. The method of separation of variables has been applied to obtain the dispersion equation of SH-wave in their respective media. The obtained complex dispersion relation has been separated into real and imaginary parts. Moreover, the dispersion relation has been satisfied with the classical condition of Love waves. The effects of heterogeneity, attenuation constant, dissipation factor of viscoelasticity, initial stress (compressive), thickness ratio of two layers and porosity on the propagation of SH-waves have been shown by number of graphs. Graphs have been plotted for the dimensionless phase and damping velocity on the propagation of SH-waves with respect to the dimensionless real wave number. The results may be useful to explore the nature and peculiarity of SH-wave propagation in the viscoelastic structure.

The relative spatial position of each chain link and the phase angle of engaged tooth are not concerned in traditional sprocket designs. As such, the chain shifting might fail regularly. In this study, an optimized path of one chain for up-shifting is derived. Such path is formed by several bended chain links sustain yaw and roll. Empirically, appropriate bending, yaw and torsion angles for tooth chamfer, could be shorten the up-shifting distance and phase angle required, eventually facilitate not only more ascending points compactly arranged on sprocket but larger chain laterodeviation which curtails sprockets clearance and integrates the sprocket unit. Then again, the optimized shifting path promotes efficiency and decreases required movement yielded by derailleur tappet pressure.

Nonlinear formulation of isotropic piezoelectric Euler-Bernoulli nano-beam is developed based on consistent size-dependent piezoelectricity theory. By considering geometrically nonlinear and axial displacement of the centroid of beam sections, basic nonlinear equations of piezoelectric nanobeam are derived using Hamilton's principle and variational method. Afterwards, in the special case for the formulation derived, hinged-hinged piezoelectric nanobeam is studied, and static deflection as well as free vibrations of the nanobeam under mechanical loads is determined. In this case, results of the linear formulation of the size-dependent theory are compared to those of the linear and nonlinear classical continuum theory.

Thermal deformations in symmetric and antisymmetric cross-ply laminated beams subjected to partial heating are investigated. Some regions of the beam are subjected to thermal loads and the others are thermally unloaded (ΔT = 0). The thermal field is expressed in terms of Heaviside discontinuity functions. The state space approach along with Jordan canonical form is used to generate exact solutions for the thermoelastic response of beams for arbitrary boundary conditions. A first order shear deformation theory is used in the analysis. Deflections are computed for beams subjected to partial heating with various lamination schemes and boundary conditions undergoing uniform and linearly varying temperature through the thickness. Exact thermal deflection curves are presented for beams under step-wise varying temperature field. The solutions presented in this study can readily be used to investigate the thermoelastic behavior of narrow chip-substrate structure, laminated member in laser cutting, composite link in hypersonic vehicle, and etc.

This paper presents an analytical approach to analyze the vertical vibration of a simply supported beam subjected to pedestrian-induced loads. The loading time history of an individual footstep is simplified as a rectangular force pulse, and each identical footstep load acts at different locations along the beam depending on a step length. Although the loading model is very simple, it enables us to find analytical relations between the pacing parameters and the beam response. The results showed that the dependence of the pacing period, footstep contact duration, time delay of traveling between two pedestrians on the natural period of the beam as well as the step length can influence the dynamic response of the beam significantly.

The intricate 3D design of wind turbine blades has caused unwanted problems for blade designers and blade mold manufacturers. For example the cord length variation and twisting of airfoils, change of the airfoil type and the blade pre-bend can introduce major geometric complications. A novel method is suggested to improve 3D modeling of the blade mold surfaces as well as the required parting lines during the design process of the wind turbine blade. In the proposed algorithm, the blade leading edge surface is trimmed by parting lines calculated based on the blade silhouette while keeping G1 continuity of resulting surfaces. The Minimum Variation Surface (MVS) and strain energy fairing criteria approve that blade mold surfaces obtained by the developed method have better fairness compared to the surface created by the well-established design method. All programs are written in MATLAB and the final surfaces are converted into the standard IGES file format which is importable into any commercial CAD/CAM system.

Stability of bars, plates, shells, and other thin-walled structures in conditions of small physical nonlinearity is considered, when stresses exceed the proportionality limit, the amount of deformations being limited. Shanley's concept is used. The critical state is determined by means of some limit dependences. In a large number of cases, when creating efficient highly-stressed constructions, limited plastic deformations are allowed in them. When analysing stability in the critical state, the calculated stresses turn out to exceed the proportionality limit and the Young's modulus of elasticity turns out to be greater than the tangent modulus corresponding to the calculated stress on the diagram “deformation-stress”. The objective of this work is to show that stability calculation beyond the proportionality limit is reduced to the analysis of some limit dependences as well as to develop a general solution algorithm for similar problems.

This paper presents the feasibility of torsional surface wave propagation in an anisotropic layer sandwiched between two anisotropic inhomogeneous media. The anisotropy considered in the upper layer and the lower half-space is of transversely isotropic kind while the sandwiched anisotropic layer is a porous layer. The directional rigidities and density have been considered linearly and exponentially varying in the half-space and in the upper layer respectively, while it is taken as a variable in the sandwiched layer. The compact form of dispersion equation governing the propagation of the torsional surface wave has been derived by using the Whittaker function under appropriate boundary conditions. The dispersion of the torsional wave and the effects of inhomogeneity parameters, initial stress and poroelastic constant have been calculated numerically and demonstrated through graphs.

EVA foams, like all other polymers, also exhibit strain-rate effects and hysteresis. However, currently available approaches for predicting the mechanical response of polymeric foam subjected to an arbitrarily imposed loading history and strain-rate effect are highly limited. Especially, the strain rates in the intermediate rate domain (between 100 and 102 s–1) are extremely difficult to study. The use of data generated through the drop tower technique for implementation in constitutive equations or numerical models has not been considered in past studies. In this study, an experiment including a quasi-static compression test and drop impact tests with a high speed camera was conducted. An inverse analysis technique combined with a finite element model for material parameter identification was developed to determine the stress–strain behavior of foam at different specific strain rates. It was used in this study to simulate multiple loading and unloading cycles on foam specimens, and the results were compared with experimental measurements.

Fracture analysis is performed on a cylindrical composite consisting of an outer elastic layer, an inner rigid cylinder and an intermediate sliding interface. Interaction between the sliding interface and a parallel crack under in-plane shear is explored. An interesting phenomenon of oscillatory normal stress occurs on the local interfacial region near to the crack. It leads to local sliding-prevention and promotion effects, which constitute the mechanisms for the variations of stress intensity factors versus interfacial parameters. In addition, another interesting conclusion is that a crack near and parallel to a sliding interface never has the conventional anti-symmetry, even under pure in-plane shear loading.

The present paper examines the thermal buckling of nonlocal magneto-electro-thermo-elastic functionally graded (METE-FG) beams under various types of thermal loading namely uniform, linear and sinusoidal temperature rise and also heat conduction. The material properties of nanobeam are graded in the thickness direction according to the power-law distribution. Based on a higher order beam theory as well as Hamilton's principle, nonlocal governing equations for METE-FG nanobeam are derived and are solved using Navier type method. The small size effect is captured using Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory. The most beneficial feature of the present beam model is to provide a parabolic variation of the transverse shear strains across the thickness direction and satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam without using shear correction factors. Various numerical examples are presented investigating the influences of thermo-mechanical loadings, magnetic potential, external electric voltage, power-law index, nonlocal parameter and slenderness ratio on thermal buckling behavior of nanobeams made of METE-FG materials.

Hydrogenated diamond like Carbon (H-DLC) is a promising lubricious coating that attracted a great deal of interest in recent years mainly because of its outstanding tribological properties. In this study, the nano-mechanical and -tribological properties of a range of H-DLC films were investigated. Specifically, four kinds of H-DLC coatings were produced on Si substrates in pure acetylene, pure methane, 25% methane + 75% hydrogen, 50% methane + 50% hydrogen discharge plasmas using a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) system. Nano indentation was performed to measure the mechanical properties such as hardness and young's modulus and nanoscartching was performed to investigate the frictional behavior and wear mechanism of the H-DLC samples in open air. Moreover, Vickers indentation method was utilized to assess the fracture toughness of the samples. The results revealed that there is a strong correlation between the mechanical properties (hardness, young's modulus, fracture toughness) and the friction coefficient of DLC coatings and the source gas chemistry. Lower hydrogen to carbon ratio in source gas leads to higher hardness, young's modulus, fracture toughness and lower friction coefficient. Furthermore, lower wear volume of the coated materials was observed when the friction coefficient was lower. It was also confirmed that lower hydrogen content of the DLC coating leads to higher wear resistance under nanoscratch conditions.

Mechanical properties of the metals and their alloys are influenced by the material grain size at microscale. In the present study, the Johnson-Cook (JC) material model is modified to incorporate the effect of material's grain size along with the plasticity coupled damage model. 2D finite element (FE) simulations of turning process of an aerospace grade aluminium alloy 2024 (AA2024) were performed with different grain sizes using a commercial FE software, ABAQUS/Explicit. FE simulation results were compared with the published experimental data on turning process of AA2024. The proposed modified JC material model successfully simulated the increase in cutting force as a function of grain size refinement.

In-wheel motors offer a promising solution for novel drivetrain architectures that could penetrate into the automotive industry by locating the drive where it is required, directly inside the wheels. As obtainable literature mainly deals with optimization of electromagnetic active parts, the mechanical design of electromagnetically passive parts that indirectly influence motor performance should also be reviewed and characterized for its effect on performance. The following study uniquely evaluates the impact of mechanical design and its dimensional variations to air-gap consistency between on rotor glued magnets and on stator fitted winding, for the most commonly used layout of an in-wheel motor. To meet the optimal performance of an in-wheel motor, the mechanical design requires optimization of housing elements, thermal management, geometrical and a dimensional tolerance check, and proper hub bearing selection to assure consistent electromagnetic properties. This article covers the correlation between desired electromagnetic parameters and required geometrical limitations for ensuring functionality and high performance operation. Major mechanical contributors have been analyzed with analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and verified with different sets of measurements. The relative change of motor physical air-gap size, between the stator and rotor was correlated with electromagnetic flux density.