The quaternion beam model for hard-magnetic flexible cantilevers

The recently developed hard-magnetic soft(HMS)materials manufactured by embedding high-coercivity micro-particles into soft matrices have received considerable attention from researchers in diverse fields,e.g.,soft robotics,flexible electronics,and biomedicine.Theoretical investigations on large deformations of HMS structures are significant foundations of their applications.This work is devoted to developing a powerful theoretical tool for modeling and computing the complicated nonplanar deformations of flexible beams.A so-called quaternion beam model is proposed to break the singularity limitation of the existing geometrically exact(GE)beam model.The singularity-free governing equations for the three-dimensional(3D)large deformations of an HMS beam are first derived,and then solved with the Galerkin discretization method and the trustregion-dogleg iterative algorithm.The correctness of this new model and the utilized algorithms is verified by comparing the present results with the previous ones.The superiority of a quaternion beam model in calculating the complicated large deformations of a flexible beam is shown through several benchmark examples.It is found that the purpose of the HMS beam deformation is to eliminate the direction deviation between the residual magnetization and the applied magnetic field.The proposed new model and the revealed mechanism are supposed to be useful for guiding the engineering applications of flexible structures.

Surface and thermal effects on vibration of embedded alumina nanobeams based on novel Timoshenko beam model

This paper deals with the free vibration analysis of circular alumina （Al2O3） nanobeams in the presence of surface and thermal effects resting on a Pasternak foun- dation. The system of motion equations is derived using Hamilton＇s principle under the assumptions of the classical Timoshenko beam theory. The effects of the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are also considered within the framework of the mentioned theory. The separation of variables approach is employed to discretize the governing equa- tions which are then solved by an analytical method to obtain the natural frequencies of the alumina nanobeams. The results show that the surface effects lead to an increase in the natural frequency of nanobeams as compared with the classical Timoshenko beam model. In addition, for nanobeams with large diameters, the surface effects may increase the natural frequencies by increasing the thermal effects. Moreover, with regard to the Pasternak elastic foundation, the natural frequencies are increased slightly. The results of the present model are compared with the literature, showing that the present model can capture correctly the surface effects in thermal vibration of nanobeams.

Timoshenko beam model for chiral materials

Natural and artificial chiral materials such as deoxyribonucleic acid （DNA）, chromatin fibers, flagellar filaments, chiral nanotubes, and chiral lattice materials widely exist. Due to the chirality of intricately helical or twisted microstructures, such materials hold great promise for use in diverse applications in smart sensors and actuators, force probes in biomedical engineering, structural elements for absorption of microwaves and elastic waves, etc. In this paper, a Timoshenko beam model for chiral materials is developed based on noncentrosymmetric micropolar elasticity theory. The governing equations and boundary conditions for a chiral beam problem are derived using the variational method and Hamilton＇s principle. The static bending and free vibration problem of a chiral beam are investigated using the proposed model. It is found that chirality can significantly affect the mechanical behavior of beams, making materials more flexible compared with nonchiral counterparts, inducing coupled twisting deformation, relatively larger deflection, and lower natural frequency. This study is helpful not only for understanding the mechanical behavior of chiral materials such as DNA and chromatin fibers and characterizing their mechanical properties, but also for the design of hierarchically structured chiral materials.

SHEAR BEAM MODEL FOR INTERFACE FAILURE UNDER ANTIPLANE SHEAR(Ⅱ)—INSTABILITY

Based on the (Ⅰ) of the present work, the behavior of shear beam model at crack initiation stage and at instable propagation stage was studied. The prime results include: 1) discriminant equation which clarifies the mode of instability, snap_back or snap_through, was established; 2) analytical solution was given out for the double shear beam and the load_displacement diagram for monotonic loading was presented for a full process; and 3) the problem of the energy release induced by instability was discussed.

Four-Beam Model for Vibration Analysis of a Cantilever Beam with an Embedded Horizontal Crack

As one of the main failure modes, embedded cracks occur in beam structures due to periodic loads. Hence it is useful to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a beam structure with an embedded crack for early crack detection and diagnosis. A new four-beam model with local flexibilities at crack tips is developed to investigate the transverse vibration of a cantilever beam with an embedded horizontal crack; two separate beam segments are used to model the crack region to allow opening of crack surfaces. Each beam segment is considered as an Euler-Bernoulli beam. The governing equations and the matching and boundary conditions of the four-beam model are derived using Hamilton＇s principle. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the four-beam model are calculated using the transfer matrix method. The effects of the crack length, depth, and location on the first three natural frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked cantilever beam are investigated. A continuous wavelet transform method is used to analyze the mode shapes of the cracked cantilever beam. It is shown that sudden changes in spatial variations of the wavelet coefficients of the mode shapes can be used to identify the length and location of an embedded horizontal crack. The first three natural frequencies and mode shapes of a cantilever beam with an embedded crack from the finite element method and an experimental investigation are used to validate the proposed model. Local deformations in the vicinity of the crack tips can be described by the proposed four-beam model, which cannot be captured by previous methods.

SHEAR BEAM MODEL FOR INTERFACE FAILURE UNDER ANTIPLANE SHEAR(Ⅰ)—FUNDAMENTAL BEHAVIOR

The propagation of interlayer cracks and the resulting failure of the interface is a typical mode occurring in rock engineering and masonry structure. On the basis of the theory of elasto^plasticity and fracture mechanics, the shear beam model for the solution of interface failure was presented. The concept of `cohesive crack' was adopted to describe the constitutive behavior of the cohesive interfacial layer. Related fundamental equations such as equilibrium equation, constitutive equations were presented. The behavior of a double shear beam bonded through cohesive layer was analytically calculated. The stable propagation of interface crack and process zone was investigated.

Establishing an Initial Electron Beam Model with Monte Carlo Simulation for a Single 6 MV X-ray Medical Linac Based on Particle Dynamics Characteristics

Objective:In this study,we try to establish an initial electron beam model by combining Monte Carlo simulation method with particle dynamic calculation(TRSV)for the single 6 MV X-ray accelerating waveguide of BJ-6 medical linac.Methods and Materials:1.We adapted the treatment head configuration of BJ-6 medical linac made by Beijing Medical Equipment Institute(BMEI)as the radiation system for this study.2.Use particle dynamics calculation code called TRSV to drive out the initial electron beam parameters of the energy spectrum,the spatial intensity distribution,and the beam incidence angle.3.Analyze the 6 MV X-ray beam characteristics of PDDc,OARc in a water phantom by using Monte Carlo simulation(BEAMnrc,DOSXYZnrc)for a preset of the initial electron beam parameters which have been determined by TRSV,do the comparisons of the measured results of PDDm,OARm in a real water phantom,and then use the deviations of calculated and measured results to slightly modify the initial electron beam model back and forth until the deviations meet the error less than 2%.Results:The deviations between the Monte Carlo simulation results of percentage depth doses at PDDc and off-axis ratios OARc and the measured results of PDDm and OARm in a water phantom were within 2%.Conclusion:When doing the Monte Carlo simulation to determine the parameters of an initial electron beam for a particular medical linac like BJ-6,modifying some parameters based on the particle dynamics calculation code would give some more reasonable and more acceptable results.

Verification of Beam Models for Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Actuator

Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC) can work as an actuator by applying a few voltages.A thick IPMC actuator,where Nafion-117 membrane was synthesized with polypyrrole/alumina composite filler,was analyzed to verify the equivalent beam and equivalent bimorph beam models.The blocking force and tip displacement of the IPMC actuator were measured with a DC power supply and Young's modulus of the IPMC strip was measured by bending and tensile tests respectively.The calculated maximum tip displacement and the Young's modulus by the equivalent beam model were almost identical to the corresponding measured data.Finite element analysis with thermal analogy technique was utilized in the equivalent bimorph beam model to numerically reproduce the force-displacement relationship of the IPMC actuator.The results by the equivalent bimorph beam model agreed well with the force-displacement relationship acquired by the measured data.It is confirmed that the equivalent beam and equivalent bimorph beam models are practically and effectively suitable for predicting the tip displacement,blocking force and Young's modulus of IPMC actuators with different thickness and different composite of ionic polymer membrane.

Finite Element Model Updating of Complicated Beam-Type Structures Based on Reduced Super Beam Model

A finite element model updating technique for complicated beam-type structures is presented in this study.Firstly, a complicated beam-type structure is reduced to a reduced super beam model with a much smaller degree of freedom by using the reduced super beam method, which is based on the classic plane cross-section assumption and displacement interpolation function of beam theory.Then based on the reduced super beam, the analysis of eigensolutions and eigensensitivities from the reduced eigenequation are processed for model updating, which will greatly reduce the computational effort when compared to the traditional model updating methods performed on the global model.Optimization techniques are adopted for updating the difference of modal dynamic properties, resulting in optimal values of the structural parameters.Finally, a complicated stiffened cylindrical shell model and a practical missile structure, served as the illustrative examples, are employed for model updating application, which demonstrate that the reduced super beam-based method is both effective and highly efficient.

A Non-Stationary Beam-Enabled Stochastic Channel Model and Characterization over Non-Reciprocal Beam Patterns

The multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO)-enabled beamforming technology offers great data rate and channel quality for next-generation communication.In this paper,we propose a beam channel model and enable it with time-varying simulation capability by adopting the stochastic geometry theory.First,clusters are generated located within transceivers'beam ranges based on the Mate?rn hardcore Poisson cluster process.The line-of-sight,singlebounce,and double-bounce components are calculated when generating the complex channel impulse response.Furthermore,we elaborate on the expressions of channel links based on the propagation-graph theory.A birth-death process consisting of the effects of beams and cluster velocities is also formulated.Numerical simulation results prove that the proposed model can capture the channel non-stationarity.Besides,the non-reciprocal beam patterns yield severe channel dispersion compared to the reciprocal patterns.

Auto-parametric resonance of a continuous-beam-bridge model under two-point periodic excitation:an experimental investigation and stability analysis

The auto-parametric resonance of a continuous-beam bridge model subjected to a two-point periodic excitation is experimentally and numerically investigated in this study.An auto-parametric resonance experiment of the test model is conducted to observe and measure the auto-parametric resonance of a continuous beam under a two-point excitation on columns.The parametric vibration equation is established for the test model using the finite-element method.The auto-parametric resonance stability of the structure is analyzed by using Newmark's method and the energy-growth exponent method.The effects of the phase difference of the two-point excitation on the stability boundaries of auto-parametric resonance are studied for the test model.Compared with the experiment,the numerical instability predictions of auto-parametric resonance are consistent with the test phenomena,and the numerical stability boundaries of auto-parametric resonance agree with the experimental ones.For a continuous beam bridge,when the ratio of multipoint excitation frequency(applied to the columns)to natural frequency of the continuous girder is approximately equal to 2,the continuous beam may undergo a strong auto-parametric resonance.Combined with the present experiment and analysis,a hypothesis of Volgograd Bridge's serpentine vibration is discussed.

An improved equivalent beam model of large periodic beam-like space truss structures

Space truss structures are essential components for space-based remote sensing loads with high spatial and temporal resolutions.To achieve high-precision vibration control,an accurate and efficient dynamics model is essential.In addition to the current equivalent beam model(EBM)based on the classical continuum theory,an improved equivalent beam model(IEBM)is proposed that considers the impact of the distinction between trusses and beams on torsional and shear deformations,as well as the impact of shear deformation on flexural rigidity.According to the displacement expressions of spatial beams,torsional,shear,and bending correction coefficients are introduced to derive expressions of strain energy and kinetic energy.The energy equivalence principle is then utilized to calculate the elasticity and inertia matrices,and dynamics equations are established using the finite element method.Subsequently,an IEBM is constructed by employing the particle swarm optimization approach to determine the correction coefficients with the truss natural frequency as the optimization target.The natural vibration characteristics of the structure are estimated for various material properties.Compared with the full-scale finite element model,the EBM reaches a maximum error of 80%for a low modulus of elasticity,while the maximum error of the IEBM is less than 2%for any given parameters,indicating its superior accuracy to the EBM.

Enhanced elastic beam model with BADS integrated for settlement assessment of immersed tunnels

Excessive settlement may induce structural damage and water leakage in immersed tunnels,seriously threatening the tunnels’safety.However,making accurate assessment of the settlement in immersed tunnels is difficult due to the incomplete knowledge of the geotechnical parameters and the inadequacy of the model itself.This paper proposes an effective method to accurately assess the settlement in immersed tunnels.An enhanced beam on elastic foundation model(E-BEFM)is developed for the settlement assessment,with the Bayesian adaptive direct search algorithm adopted to estimate unknown model parameters based on previous observations.The proposed method is applied to a field case of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao immersed tunnel.The original BEFM is used for comparison to highlight the better assessment performance of E-BEFM,particularly for joints’differential settlement.Results show that the proposed method can provide accurate predictions of the total settlement,angular distortion(a representation of tubes’relatively differential settlement),and joints’differential settlement,which consequently supports the associated maintenance decision-making and potential risk prevention for immersed tunnels in service.

Propagation of Gaussian Schell-Model Array Beams through a Jet Engine Exhaust

Here a Gaussian Shell Model Array (GSMA) beam is used to investigate the propagation characteristics in the jet engine exhaust region. It has great significance to improve various optical systems for wide application in trapping cold atoms, creating gratings, and atmospheric optical communication. We calculate analytical formulas for the spectral density (SD) and the propagation factors Mx2 and My2 of a GSMA beam. The influence of inner scale of turbulence in the jet engine exhaust region on its power spectrum has been also analyzed. According to these results, the influence of turbulence in a jet engine exhaust on a GSMA beam has been reduced by changing the parameters of light source and turbulence. For example, it is an excellent tool for mitigation of the jet engine exhaust-induced anisotropy of turbulence to increase the source coherence length, the root-mean-squared (rms) beam width, the wavelength or reduce the outer scale of turbulence.

A new Timoshenko beam model for simulation of mechanical system with large deformation

Beam model has been used widely in computer aided engineering for mechanical systems and the simulation results largely depend on the beam model, there are great demand for beam model with high accuracy and efficiency in simulating the mechanical system with large deformation. In this work, a new model of Timoshenko beam for large deformations is proposed to improve the accuracy and efficiency. Absolute nodal coordinate formulation and geometrically-exact beam formulation, which make the model very suitable to simulate large deformation mechanical system, are first combined in the new beam model, the governing equations are then discrete by finite element methods and numerical difficulties are well solved by applying the shape function strategy. The new beam model is then applied to simulate the mechanical systems with large deformation and the simulations based on the traditional beam model and hexahedron element were also carried out to verify the results. The results show that good precision and efficiency in simulating the mechanical systems with large deformation can be obtained by the new Timoshenko beam model at the same time. The presented new method also serves as a good foundation for other simulation of mechanical systems.

Assessment of Timoshenko Beam Models for Vibrational Behavior of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes using Molecular Dynamics

In this paper,we study the flexural vibration behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs)for the assessment of Timoshenko beam models.Extensive molecular dynamics(MD)simulations based on second-generation reactive empirical bond-order(REBO)potential and Timoshenko beam modeling are performed to determine the vibration frequencies for SWCNTs with various length-todiameter ratios,boundary conditions,chiral angles and initial strain.The effectiveness of the local and nonlocal Timoshenko beam models in the vibration analysis is assessed using the vibration frequencies of MD simulations as the benchmark.It is shown herein that the Timoshenko beam models with properly chosen parameters are applicable for the vibration analysis of SWCNTs.The simulation results show that the fundamental frequencies are independent of the chiral angles,but the chirality has an appreciable effect on higher vibration frequencies.The SWCNTs is very sensitive to the initial strain even if the strain is extremely small.

Influence of moderate-to-strong anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulence on intensity fluctuations of a Gaussian–Schell model beam in marine atmosphere

The scintillation index（SI） of a Gaussian–Schell model（GSM） beam in a moderate-to-strong anisotropic nonKolmogorov turbulent atmosphere is developed based on the extended Rytov theory. The on-axis SI in a marine atmosphere is higher than that in a terrestrial atmosphere, but the off-axis SI exhibits the opposite trend. The on-axis SI first increases and then begins to decrease and saturate as the turbulence strength increases. Turbulence inner and outer scales have different effects on the on-axis SI in different turbulent fluctuation regions. The anisotropy characteristic of atmospheric turbulence leads to the decline in the on-axis SI, and the rise in the off-axis SI. The on-axis SI can be lowered by increasing the anisotropy of turbulence, wavelength, and source partial coherence before entering the saturation attenuation region. The developed model may be useful for evaluating ship-to-ship/shore free-space optical communication system performance.

Conversion between solid and beam element solutions of finite element method based on meta-modeling theory:development and application to a ramp tunnel structure

In this study, a new method for conversion of solid finite element solution to beam finite element solution is developed based on the meta-modeling theory which constructs a model consistent with continuum mechanics. The proposed method is rigorous and efficient compared to a typical conversion method which merely computes surface integration of solid element nodal stresses to obtain cross-sectional forces. The meta-modeling theory ensures the rigorousness of proposed method by defining a proper distance between beam element and solid element solutions in a function space of continuum mechanics. Results of numerical verification test that is conducted with a simple cantilever beam are used to find the proper distance function for this conversion. Time history analysis of the main tunnel structure of a real ramp tunnel is considered as a numerical example for the proposed conversion method. It is shown that cross-sectional forces are readily computed for solid element solution of the main tunnel structure when it is converted to a beam element solution using the proposed method. Further, envelopes of resultant forces which are of primary importance for the purpose of design, are developed for a given ground motion at the end.

Analytical modeling for rapid design of bistable buckled beams

Double-clamped bistable buckled beams demonstrate great versatility in various fields such as robotics,energy harvesting,and microelectromechanical system(MEMS).However,their design often requires time-consuming and expensive computations.In this work,we present a method to easily and rapidly design bistable buckled beams subjected to a transverse point force.Based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory,we establish a theoretical model of bistable buckled beams to characterize their snapthrough properties.This model is verified against the results from a finite element analysis(FEA)model,with maximum discrepancy less than 7%.By analyzing and simplifying our theoretical model,we derive explicit analytical expressions for critical behavioral values on the force-displacement curve of the beam.These behavioral values include critical force,critical displacement,and travel,which are generally sufficient for characterizing the snapthrough properties of a bistable buckled beam.Based on these analytical formulas,we investigate the influence of a bistable buckled beam's key design parameters,including its actuation position and precompression,on its critical behavioral values,with our results validated by FEA simulations.Our analytical method enables fast and computationally inexpensive design of bistable buckled beams and can guide the design of complicated systems that incorporate bistable mechanisms.

Long-distance propagation of pseudo-partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model beams in atmospheric turbulence

Propagation properties of spatially pseudo-partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model beams through the atmo- spheric turbulence over a long-distance uplink path are studied by numerical simulation. A linear coordination trans- formation is introduced to overcome the window effect and the loss-of-resolution problem. The beam spreading, beam wandering, and intensity scintillation as functions of turbulence strength, source correlation length, and change fre- quency of random phase that models the partial coherence of the source are analyzed. It is found that the beam spreading and the intensity scintillation of the partially coherent beam are less affected by the turbulence than those of the coherent one, but it suffers from a more severe diffractive effect, and the change frequency of random phase has no evident influence on it. The beam wandering is insensitive to the variation of source correlation length, and decreases firstly then goes to a fixed value as the change frequency increases.