Meter-Scale Thin-Walled Structure with Lattice Infill for Fuel Tank Supporting Component of Satellite:Multiscale Design and Experimental Verification

Lightweight thin-walled structures with lattice infill are widely desired in satellite for their high stiffness-to-weight ratio and superior buckling strength resulting fromthe sandwich effect.Such structures can be fabricated bymetallic additive manufacturing technique,such as selective laser melting(SLM).However,the maximum dimensions of actual structures are usually in a sub-meter scale,which results in restrictions on their appliance in aerospace and other fields.In this work,a meter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill is designed for the fuel tank supporting component of the satellite by integrating a self-supporting lattice into the thickness optimization of the thin-wall.The designed structure is fabricated by SLM of AlSi10Mg and cold metal transfer welding technique.Quasi-static mechanical tests and vibration tests are both conducted to verify the mechanical strength of the designed large-scale lattice thin-walled structure.The experimental results indicate that themeter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill could meet the dimension and lightweight requirements of most spacecrafts.

Energy-absorption forecast of thin-walled structure by GA-BP hybrid algorithm

In order to analyze the influence rule of experimental parameters on the energy-absorption characteristics and effectively forecast energy-absorption characteristic of thin-walled structure, the forecast model of GA-BP hybrid algorithm was presented by uniting respective applicability of back-propagation artificial neural network （BP-ANN） and genetic algorithm （GA）. The detailed process was as follows. Firstly, the GA trained the best weights and thresholds as the initial values of BP-ANN to initialize the neural network. Then, the BP-ANN after initialization was trained until the errors converged to the required precision. Finally, the network model, which met the requirements after being examined by the test samples, was applied to energy-absorption forecast of thin-walled cylindrical structure impacting. After example analysis, the GA-BP network model was trained until getting the desired network error only by 46 steps, while the single BP-ANN model achieved the same network error by 992 steps, which obviously shows that the GA-BP hybrid algorithm has faster convergence rate. The average relative forecast error （ARE） of the SEA predictive results obtained by GA-BP hybrid algorithm is 1.543%, while the ARE of the SEA predictive results obtained by BP-ANN is 2.950%, which clearly indicates that the forecast precision of the GA-BP hybrid algorithm is higher than that of the BP-ANN.

Boundary Element Analysis forModeⅢCrack Problems of Thin-Walled Structures from Micro-to Nano-Scales

This paper develops a new numerical framework for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures by integrating multiple advanced techniques in the boundary element literature.The details of special crack-tip elements for displacement and stress are derived.An exponential transformation technique is introduced to accurately calculate the nearly singular integral,which is the key task of the boundary element simulation of thin-walled structures.Three numerical experiments with different types of cracks are provided to verify the performance of the present numerical framework.Numerical results demonstrate that the present scheme is valid for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures with the thickness-to-length ratio in the microscale,even nanoscale,regime.

LOCALIZED ANALYSIS OF THIN-WALLED STRUCTURE’S BUCKLING/INITIAL POST-BUCKLING AND ITS ACCURACY

A method of localization is proposed to lower the high order of equations in FEM calcula- tion for the stability of a complex thin-walled structure.The localized analysis enables us to obtain both the upper and lower limits for the bifurcating point in a whole linear elastic structural system,as well as an ap- proximate solution to asymptotic post-buckling problem.Some numerical examples are included.

Transformation Matrix for Combined Loads Applied to Thin-Walled Structures

This paper transforms combined loads, applied at an arbitrary point of a thin-walled open section beam, to the shear centre of the cross-section of the beam. Therein, a generalized transformation matrix for loads with respect to the shear centre is derived, this accounting for the bimoments that develop due to the way the combined loads are applied. This and the authors’ earlier paper (World Journal of Mechanics 2021, 11, 205-236) provide a full solution to the theory of thin-walled, open-section structures bearing combined loading. The earlier work identified arbitrary loading with the section’s area properties that are necessary to axial and shear stress calculations within the structure’s thin walls. In the previous paper attention is paid to the relevant axes of loading and to the transformations of loading required between axes for stress calculations arising from tension/compression, bending, torsion and shear. The derivation of the general transformation matrix applies to all types of loadings including, axial tensile and compression forces, transverse shear, longitudinal bending. One application, representing all these load cases, is given of a simple channel cantilever with an eccentrically located end load.

Dynamic stiffness for thin-walled structures by power series

The dynamic stiffness method is introduced to analyze thin-walled structures including thin-walled straight beams and spatial twisted helix beam. A dynamic stiffness matrix is formed by using frequency dependent shape functions which are exact solutions of the governing differential equations. With the obtained thin-walled beam dynamic stiffness matrices, the thin-walled frame dynamic stiffness matrix can also be formulated by satisfying the required displacements compatibility and forces equilib-rium, a method which is similar to the finite element method (FEM). Then the thin-walled structure natural frequencies can be found by equating the determinant of the system dynamic stiffness matrix to zero. By this way, just one element and several elements can exactly predict many modes of a thin-walled beam and a spatial thin-walled frame, respectively. Several cases are studied and the results are compared with the existing solutions of other methods. The natural frequencies and buckling loads of these thin-walled structures are computed.

Crashworthiness Design and Multi-Objective Optimization for Bio-Inspired Hierarchical Thin-Walled Structures

Thin-walled structures have been used in many fields due to their superior mechanical properties.In this paper,two types of hierarchical multi-cell tubes,inspired by the self-similarity of Pinus sylvestris,are proposed to enhance structural energy absorption performance.The finite element models of the hierarchical structures are established to validate the crashworthiness performance under axial dynamic load.The theoreticalmodel of themean crushing force is also derived based on the simplified super folded element theory.The finite element results demonstrate that the energy absorption characteristics and deformation mode of the bionic hierarchical thin-walled tubes are further improved with the increase of hierarchical sub-structures.It can be also obtained that the energy absorption performance of corner self-similar tubes is better than edge self-similar tubes.Furthermore,multiobjective optimization of the hierarchical tubes is constructed by employing the response surface method and genetic algorithm,and the corresponding Pareto front diagram is obtained.This research provides a new idea for the crashworthiness design of thin-walled structures.

Elastoplastic analysis of thin-walled structures in reservoir area

In the structural design of the high pier,in order to analyze the strength and structure stability,the pier was often considered a thin-walled structure.Elastoplastic incremental theory was used to establish the model of elastoplastic stability of high pier.By considering the combined action of pile,soil and pier together,the destabilization bearing capacity was calculated by using 3-D finite element method(3-D FEM) for piers with different pile and section height.Meanwhile,the equivalent stress in different sections of pier was computed and the processor of destabilization was discussed.When the pier is lower,the bearing capacity under mutual effect of pile,soil and pier is less than the situation when mutual effect is not considered;when the pier is higher,their differences are not conspicuous.Along with the increase of the cross-sectional height,the direction of destabilization bearing capacity is varied and the ultimate capacity is buildup.The results of a stability analysis example are almost identical with the practice.

Contrastive analysis and crashworthiness optimization of two composite thin-walled structures

For the safety protection of passengers when train crashes occur, special structures are crucially needed as a kind of indispensable energy absorbing device. With the help of the structures, crash kinetic-energy can be completely absorbed or dissipated for the aim of safety. Two composite structures(circumscribed circle structure and inscribed circle structure) were constructed. In addition, comparison and optimization of the crashworthy characteristic of the two structures were carried out based on the method of explicit finite element analysis(FEA) and Kriging surrogate model. According to the result of Kriging surrogate model, conclusions can be safely drawn that the specific energy absorption(SEA) and ratio of specific energy absorption to initial peak force(REAF) of circumscribed circle structure are lager than those of inscribed circle structure under the same design parameters. In other words, circumscribed circle structure has better performances with higher energy-absorbing ability and lower initial peak force. Besides, error analysis was adopted and the result of which indicates that the Kriging surrogate model has high nonlinear fitting precision. What is more, the SEA and REAF optimum values of the two structures have been obtained through analysis, and the crushing results have been illustrated when the two structures reach optimum SEA and REAF.

ON SOME PROBLEMS IN DYNAMIC COMPUTATION FOR THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES

This article discusses the problems of the dynamic computation for thin-walled structures such as thin plates and thin shells under impact load to find the dynamic factor mainly. In calculation we take into account the effect of the mass of the striking object and the system of thin-walled structures to be struck and transform the distributed mass of thin-walled structures into only one concentrated 'equivalent mass' by the method of reduced mass. Accordingly we derive the dynamic factor for the system of thin-walled structures under impact load.

Vibration signal-based chatter identification for milling of thin-walled structure

In high speed milling aeronautical part,tool condition monitoring(TCM)is very important,because it is prone to get a chatter owing to the low stiffness of thin-walled structures.And the TCM is key technology for automated machining.In this paper,aiming to chatter monitoring in thin-walled structure milling,a variational mode decomposition–energy distribution(VMD-ED)method is proposed to improve the identification accuracy.And a moving average root mean square–mean value(MARMS-MV)identification method and a variational mode decomposition–energy entropy(VMD-EE)identification method are also tested.Identification accuracy and computing time of the three methods are compared.The vibration signals collected from the spindle and worktable are also contrasted.The conducted experimental study shows that,the proposed VMD-ED method offers an identification method for chatter monitoring with greater sensitivity,better stability and less computing time,and mounting the vibration sensor on worktable is better than spindle for a chatter monitoring system.

Stiffeners layout design of thin-walled structures with constraints on multi-fastener joint loads

The purpose of this paper is to present an extended topology optimization method for the stiffeners layout design of aircraft assembled structures. Multi-fastener joint loads and manufacturing constraints are considered simultaneously. On one hand, the joint loads are calculated and constrained within a limited value to avoid the failure of fasteners. On the other hand, the manufacturing constraints of the material distribution in the machining directions of stiffeners are implemented by an improved piecewise interpolation based on a beveled cut-surface. It is proven that the objective function is strictly continuous and differentiable with respect to the piecewise interpolation. The effects of the extended method with two different constraints are highlighted by typical numerical examples. Compared with the standard topology optimization, the final designs have clearly shown the layout of stiffeners and the joint loads have been perfectly constrained to a satisfying level.

Study of Impact Resistance Based on Porcupine Quills Bionic Thin-walled Structure

Using an electron microscope to observe the microstructure of a porcupine quills cross-section and a bionic method,a new bionic structure was proposed.The performance of the structure in terms of energy absorption,maximum impact force withstood,and impact force efficiency was evaluated using Ansys finite element simulation software to simulate the structure's impact.To examine the impact of ribs on the structural performance of the bionic porcupine quills,a control structure was developed.According to the results of the finite element simulation,the presence of ribs in the Bionic porcupine quills structure can transfer stress uniformly to the overall structure and share stress for some of the rupture-prone regions.Ribs reduce stress concentration in specific areas and increase the impact force efficiency of the structure.The SEA and IFE values of bionic porcupine quills were 30.01 kJ/kg and 84.22%,respectively.The structure is then optimized for parameter design in order to find the optimal structure by response surface in order to improve the structure's SEA and decrease its MIF.In order to evaluate the precision of the response surface,the optimal structure predicted is validated using finite element simulation.

Estimation method for random sonic fatigue life of thin-walled structure of a combustor liner based on stress probability distribution

As to the sonic fatigue problem of an aero-engine combustor liner structure under the random acoustic loadings,an effective method for predicting the fatigue life of a structure under random loadings was studied.Firstly,the probability distribution of Von Mises stress of thin-walled structure under random loadings was studied,analysis suggested that probability density function of Von Mises stress process accord approximately with two-parameter Weibull distribution.The formula for calculating Weibull parameters were given.Based on the Miner linear theory,the method for predicting the random sonic fatigue life based on the stress probability density was developed,and the model for fatigue life prediction was constructed.As an example,an aero-engine combustor liner structure was considered.The power spectrum density(PSD) of the vibrational stress response was calculated by using the coupled FEM/BEM(finite element method/boundary element method) model,the fatigue life was estimated by using the constructed model.And considering the influence of the wide frequency band,the calculated results were modified.Comparetive analysis shows that the estimated results of sonic fatigue of the combustor liner structure by using Weibull distribution of Von Mises stress are more conservative than using Dirlik distribution to some extend.The results show that the methods presented in this paper are practical for the random fatigue life analysis of the aeronautical thin-walled structures.

Geometric Accuracy and Energy Absorption Characteristics of 3D Printed Continuous Ramie Fiber Reinforced Thin-Walled Composite Structures

The application of continuous natural fibers as reinforcement in composite thin-walled structures offers a feasible approach to achieve light weight and high strength while remaining environmentally friendly.In addition,additive manufacturing technology provides a favorable process foundation for its realization.In this study,the printability and energy absorption properties of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced thin-walled structures with different configurations were investigated.The results suggested that a low printing speed and a proper layer thickness would mitigate the printing defects within the structures.The printing geometry accuracy of the structures could be further improved by rounding the sharp corners with appropriate radii.This study successfully fabricated structures with vari-ous configurations characterized by high geometric accuracy through printing parameters optimization and path smoothing.Moreover,the compressive property and energy absorption characteristics of the structures under quasi-static axial compression were evaluated and compared.It was found that all studied thin-walled structures exhibited progressive folding deformation patterns during compression.In particular,energy absorption process was achieved through the combined damage modes of plastic deformation,fiber pullout and delamination.Furthermore,the com-parison results showed that the hexagonal structure exhibited the best energy absorption performance.The study revealed the structure-mechanical property relationship of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced composite thin-walled structures through the analysis of multiscale failure characteristics and load response,which is valuable for broadening their applications.

Emerging Challenges for Numerical Simulations of Quasi-Static Collision Experiments on Laser-Welded Thin-Walled Steel Structures

This paper re-evaluates recently published quasi-static tests on laser-welded thin-walled steel structures in order to discuss the fundamental challenges in collision simulations based on finite element analysis.Clamped square panels were considered,with spherical indenter positioned at the mid-span of the stiffeners and moved along this centerline in order to change the load-carrying mechanism of the panels.Furthermore,the use of panels with single-sided flat bar stiffening and web-core sandwich panels enabled the investigation of the effect of structural topology on structural behavior and strength.The changes in loading position and panel topology resulted in different loading,structural and material gradients.In web-core panels,these three gradients occur at the same locations making the panel global responses sensitive for statistical variations and the failure process time-dependent.In stiffened panel with reduced structural gradient,this sensitivity and time-dependency in failure process is not observed.These observations set challenges to numerical simulations due to spatial and temporal discretization as well as the observed microrotation,which is beyond the currently used assumptions of classical continuum mechanics.Therefore,finally,we discuss the potential of non-classical continuum mechanics as remedy to deal with these phenomena and provide a base for necessary development for future.

Viscosity and structure relationship with equimolar substitution of CaO with MgO in the CaO–MgO–Al_(2)O_(3)–SiO_(2)slag melts

Currently,the Al_(2)O_(3)content in the high-alumina slag systems within blast furnaces is generally limited to 16wt%–18.5wt%,making it challenging to overcome this limitation.Unlike most studies that concentrated on managing the MgO/Al_(2)O_(3)ratio or basicity,this paper explored the effect of equimolar substitution of MgO for CaO on the viscosity and structure of a high-alumina CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)slag system,providing theoretical guidance and data to facilitate the application of high-alumina ores.The results revealed that the viscosity first decreased and then increased with higher MgO substitution,reaching a minimum at 15mol%MgO concentration.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)results found that the depths of the troughs representing[SiO_(4)]tetrahedra,[AlO_(4)]tetrahedra,and Si-O-Al bending became progressively deeper with increased MgO substitution.Deconvolution of the Raman spectra showed that the average number of bridging oxygens per Si atom and the X_(Q^(3))/X_(Q^(2))(X_(Q^(i))is the molar fraction of Q^(i) unit,and i is the number of bridging oxygens in a[SiO_(4)]tetrahedral unit)ratio increased from 2.30 and 1.02 to 2.52 and 2.14,respectively,indicating a progressive polymerization of the silicate structure.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)results highlighted that non-bridging oxygen content decreased from 77.97mol% to 63.41mol% with increasing MgO concentration,whereas bridging oxygen and free oxygen contents increased.Structural analysis demonstrated a gradual increase in the polymerization degree of the tetrahedral structure with the increase in MgO substitution.However,bond strength is another important factor affecting the slag viscosity.The occurrence of a viscosity minimum can be attributed to the complex evolution of bond strengths of non-bridging oxygens generated during depolymerization of the[SiO_(4)]and[AlO_(4)]tetrahedral structures by CaO and MgO.

Advanced Functional Electromagnetic Shielding Materials:A Review Based on Micro‑Nano Structure Interface Control of Biomass Cell Walls

Research efforts on electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding materials have begun to converge on green and sustainable biomass materials.These materials offer numerous advantages such as being lightweight,porous,and hierarchical.Due to their porous nature,interfacial compatibility,and electrical conductivity,biomass materials hold significant potential as EMI shielding materials.Despite concerted efforts on the EMI shielding of biomass materials have been reported,this research area is still relatively new compared to traditional EMI shielding materials.In particular,a more comprehensive study and summary of the factors influencing biomass EMI shielding materials including the pore structure adjustment,preparation process,and micro-control would be valuable.The preparation methods and characteristics of wood,bamboo,cellulose and lignin in EMI shielding field are critically discussed in this paper,and similar biomass EMI materials are summarized and analyzed.The composite methods and fillers of various biomass materials were reviewed.this paper also highlights the mechanism of EMI shielding as well as existing prospects and challenges for development trends in this field.

Emerging structures and dynamic mechanisms ofγ-secretase for Alzheimer’s disease

γ-Secretase,called“the proteasome of the membrane,”is a membrane-embedded protease complex that cleaves 150+peptide substrates with central roles in biology and medicine,including amyloid precursor protein and the Notch family of cell-surface receptors.Mutations inγ-secretase and amyloid precursor protein lead to early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.γ-Secretase has thus served as a critical drug target for treating familial Alzheimer’s disease and the more common late-onset Alzheimer’s disease as well.However,critical gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms of processive proteolysis of substrates,the effects of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations,and allosteric modulation of substrate cleavage byγ-secretase.In this review,we focus on recent studies of structural dynamic mechanisms ofγ-secretase.Different mechanisms,including the“Fit-Stay-Trim,”“Sliding-Unwinding,”and“Tilting-Unwinding,”have been proposed for substrate proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein byγ-secretase based on all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.While an incorrect registry of the Notch1 substrate was identified in the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Notch1-boundγ-secretase,molecular dynamics simulations on a resolved model of Notch1-boundγ-secretase that was reconstructed using the amyloid precursor protein-boundγ-secretase as a template successfully capturedγ-secretase activation for proper cleavages of both wildtype and mutant Notch,being consistent with biochemical experimental findings.The approach could be potentially applied to decipher the processing mechanisms of various substrates byγ-secretase.In addition,controversy over the effects of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations,particularly the issue of whether they stabilize or destabilizeγ-secretase-substrate complexes,is discussed.Finally,an outlook is provided for future studies ofγ-secretase,including pathways of substrate binding and product release,effects of modulators on familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations of theγ-secretase-substrate complexes.Comprehensive understanding of the functional mechanisms ofγ-secretase will greatly facilitate the rational design of effective drug molecules for treating familial Alzheimer’s disease and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease in general.

Designing Electronic Structures of Multiscale Helical Converters for Tailored Ultrabroad Electromagnetic Absorption

Atomic-scale doping strategies and structure design play pivotal roles in tailoring the electronic structure and physicochemical property of electromagnetic wave absorption(EMWA)materials.However,the relationship between configuration and electromagnetic(EM)loss mechanism has remained elusive.Herein,drawing inspiration from the DNA transcription process,we report the successful synthesis of novel in situ Mn/N co-doped helical carbon nanotubes with ultrabroad EMWA capability.Theoretical calculation and EM simulation confirm that the orbital coupling and spin polarization of the Mn–N4–C configuration,along with cross polarization generated by the helical structure,endow the helical converters with enhanced EM loss.As a result,HMC-8 demonstrates outstanding EMWA performance,achieving a minimum reflection loss of−63.13 dB at an ultralow thickness of 1.29 mm.Through precise tuning of the graphite domain size,HMC-7 achieves an effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 6.08 GHz at 2.02 mm thickness.Furthermore,constructing macroscale gradient metamaterials enables an ultrabroadband EAB of 12.16 GHz at a thickness of only 5.00 mm,with the maximum radar cross section reduction value reaching 36.4 dB m2.This innovative approach not only advances the understanding of metal–nonmetal co-doping but also realizes broadband EMWA,thus contributing to the development of EMWA mechanisms and applications.