Application Study of Fractal Theory in Mechanical Transmission

Mechanical transmissions are applied widely in various electrical and mechanical products, but some qualities of some high-end products can＇t meet people＇s demand, and need to be improved with some new methods or theories. The fractal theory is a new mathematic tool, which provides a new approach for the further study in the area of the mechanical transmission, and helps to solve some problems. The basic contents of the fractal theory are introduced firstly, especially the two important concepts, the self-similar fractal and the fractal dimension. Then, the deferent application of the fractal theory in this area are given to display how to further the study and improve some important characteristics of the mechanical transmission, such as contact surfaces, manufacturing precise, friction and wear, stiffness, strength, dynamics, fault diagnosis, etc. Finally, the problems of the fractal theory and its application are discussed, and some weaknesses, such as the calculation capacity of the fractal theory is not strong, are pointed out. Some new solutions are suggested, such as combining the fractal theory with the fuzzy theory, the chaos theory and so on. The new application fields of the fractal theory in the area of the mechanical transmission are proposed.

Elastoplastic Contact Mechanics Model of Rough Surface Based on Fractal Theory

Because the result of the MB fractal model contradicts with the classical contact mechanics, a revised elastoplastic contact model of a single asperity is developed based on fractal theory. The critical areas of a single asperity are scale dependent, with an increase in the contact load and contact area, a transition from elastic, elastoplastic to full plastic deformation takes place in this order. In considering the size distribution function, analytic expression between the total contact load and the real contact area on the contact surface is obtained. The elastic, elastoplastic and full plastic contact load are obtained by the critical elastic contact area of the biggest asperity and maximun contact area of a single asperity. The results show that a rough surface is firstly in elastic deformation. As the load increases, elastoplastic or full plastic deformation takes place. For constant characteristic length scale G, the slope of load-area relation is proportional to fractal dimension D. For constant fractal dimension D, the slope of load-area relation is inversely proportional to G. For constant D and G, the slope of load-area relation is inversely proportional to property of the material ~b, namely with the same load, the material of rough surface is softer, and the total contact area is larger. The contact mechanics model provides a foundation for study of the friction, wear and seal performance of rough surfaces.

Use of digital image analysis combined with fractal theory to determine particle morphology and surface texture of quartz sands

The particle morphology and surface texture play a major role in influencing mechanical and hydraulic behaviors of sandy soils. This paper presents the use of digital image analysis combined with fractal theory as a tool to quantify the particle morphology and surface texture of two types of quartz sands widely used in the region of Vitória, Espírito Santo, southeast of Brazil. The two investigated sands are sampled from different locations. The purpose of this paper is to present a simple, straightforward,reliable and reproducible methodology that can identify representative sandy soil texture parameters.The test results of the soil samples of the two sands separated by sieving into six size fractions are presented and discussed. The main advantages of the adopted methodology are its simplicity, reliability of the results, and relatively low cost. The results show that sands from the coastal spit(BS) have a greater degree of roundness and a smoother surface texture than river sands(RS). The values obtained in the test are statistically analyzed, and again it is confirmed that the BS sand has a slightly greater degree of sphericity than that of the RS sand. Moreover, the RS sand with rough surface texture has larger specific surface area values than the similar BS sand, which agree with the obtained roughness fractal dimensions. The consistent experimental results demonstrate that image analysis combined with fractal theory is an accurate and efficient method to quantify the differences in particle morphology and surface texture of quartz sands.

Application of the fractal theory for evaluating effects of coal comminution by waterjet

Comminution of coal to ultrafine sizes by high-pressure waterjet provides a novel method for preparation of coal-water fuels for next generation,near-zero emission electric power generation.The particle size distribution(PSD)of ground coal is a key parameter in the preparation of slurries as it determines the settling behavior of the particles and viscosity of the coal-water mixture.There are several methods available for representation and evaluation of particle size analysis data.However,fractal theory provides a means by which the entire PSD of comminuted materials can be quantified by using of a specific and exact value.In this paper,a volume-based fractal model was deduced to characterize the PSD of the coal which is ground in a specially designed comminution cell.During the size reduction process,the inlet pressures up to 276 MPa were used.

Dynamic development model for long gap discharge streamer-leader system based on fractal theory

Establishing a long air gap discharge model considering the streamer-leader transition and randomness of the discharge path is of great signiflcance to improve the accuracy of discharge characteristic prediction and optimize external insulation design.Based on fractal theory and thermal ionization theory of streamer-leader transition,this work establishes a dynamic development model for the long air gap discharge streamer-leader system,which includes streamer inception,streamer development,leader inception,development of streamer-leader system and flnal jump.The positive discharge process of a 3 m rod plate is simulated to obtain the fractal distribution of the discharge path and the law of leader development for comparison with the discharge test results.The results show that the simulation model is similar to test results in the development characteristics of leader path distribution,each stage time and leader velocity.Finally,a simulation calculation of a 50%breakdown voltage of the rod-plate gap and ball-plate gap is carried out,with results fairly consistent with test data,proving the effectiveness and practicality of the model.

Contact Model of Revolute Joint with Clearance Based on Fractal Theory

The contact sti ness of a mechanical bonding surface is an important parameter in determining the normal and radial contact force. To improve the calculation accuracy of the contact force model, the surface roughness of the bonding surface and the energy loss that necessarily occurs during the impact process should be considered com?prehensively. To study the normal contact force of a revolute joint with clearance more accurately in the case of dry friction, a nonlinear sti ness coe cient model considering the surface roughness was established based on fractal theory, which considers the elastic, elastic?plastic, and plastic deformations of the asperities of the contact surface during the contact process. On this basis, a modified nonlinear spring damping model was established based on the Lankarani–Nikravesh contact force model. The laws influencing the surface roughness, recovery coe cient, initial velocity, and clearance size on the impact force were revealed, and were compared with the Lankarani–Nikravesh model and a hybrid model using MATLAB. The maximum impact force was obtained using a modified contact force model under di erent initial velocities, di erent clearances, and di erent degrees of surface roughness, and the calculated results were then compared with the experiment results. This study indicates that the modified model can be used more widely than other models, and is suitable for both large and small clearances. In particular, the modified model is more accurate when calculating the contact force of a revolute joint with a small clearance.

Novel welding image processing method based on fractal theory

Computer vision has come into used in the fields of welding process control and automation. In order to improve precision and rapidity of welding image processing, a novel method based on fractal theory has been put forward in this paper. Compared with traditional methods, the image is preliminarily processed in the macroscopic regions then thoroughly analyzed in the microscopic regions in the new method. With which, an image is divided up to some regions according to the different fractal characters of image edge, and the fuzzy regions including image edges are detected out, then image edges are identified with Sobel operator and curved by LSM (Lease Square Method). Since the data to be processed have been decreased and the noise of image has been reduced, it has been testified through experiments that edges of weld seam or weld pool could be recognized correctly and quickly.

Application of Fractal Theory in Simulation of Ferromagnetic Elements' Hysteresis Loop in Transformer

The simulation of the transformer transient is one of the indispensable qualifications for improving the performance of transformer protection, the key technique of the transformer's transient simulation is the treatment of ferromagnetic elements' loop. Thus the shapes of the primary hysteresis loop and each internal secondary hysteresis loop in the identical magnetism conducting are analyzed, and then it is proposed that there are some fractal characteristics in the relation between them. The fractal phenomenon of the ferromagnetic elements' hysteresis loop in the transformer's transient simulation is first brought forward, the mutuality between the ferromagnetic elements' primary hysteresis loop and its secondary hysteresis loops is revealed in mechanism by using the fractal theory. According to the iterated function system of fractal theory, the secondary hysteresis loops can be generated by the iterative calculation of the primary loop. The simulation results show the validity of this idea.

A semi-analytical model for coupled flow in stress-sensitive multi-scale shale reservoirs with fractal characteristics

A large number of nanopores and complex fracture structures in shale reservoirs results in multi-scale flow of oil. With the development of shale oil reservoirs, the permeability of multi-scale media undergoes changes due to stress sensitivity, which plays a crucial role in controlling pressure propagation and oil flow. This paper proposes a multi-scale coupled flow mathematical model of matrix nanopores, induced fractures, and hydraulic fractures. In this model, the micro-scale effects of shale oil flow in fractal nanopores, fractal induced fracture network, and stress sensitivity of multi-scale media are considered. We solved the model iteratively using Pedrosa transform, semi-analytic Segmented Bessel function, Laplace transform. The results of this model exhibit good agreement with the numerical solution and field production data, confirming the high accuracy of the model. As well, the influence of stress sensitivity on permeability, pressure and production is analyzed. It is shown that the permeability and production decrease significantly when induced fractures are weakly supported. Closed induced fractures can inhibit interporosity flow in the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). It has been shown in sensitivity analysis that hydraulic fractures are beneficial to early production, and induced fractures in SRV are beneficial to middle production. The model can characterize multi-scale flow characteristics of shale oil, providing theoretical guidance for rapid productivity evaluation.

MULTI-SCALE NUMERICAL MODEL FOR SIMULATING CONCRETE MATERIAL BASED ON FRACTAL THEORY

A new multi-scale numerical model is presented using the fractal theory and adopting FEM to simulate the failure of concrete.The relation between the fractal box dimension in large scale and the damage to concrete in small scale is deduced.And the evolutionary process of elastic modulus and strength in small scale is given.Consequently,the multi-scale numerical model is proposed to describe the constitutive relation of concrete between small scale and large scale.A two-dimensional static analysis of a concrete block is performed by using this model and the calculation result is discussed.The propagation of cracks of the concrete block is also studied.

Comments on "Reexamination of Correlations for Nucleate Site Distribution on Boiling Surface by Fractal Theory

In recently published paper by Yang Chunxin[1], I reexamined the paper. On page 128, the paper 'pointed out that the size and spatial distribution density of nucleation sites presented on real boiling surface can be described by the normalized fractal distribution function, and the physical meaning of parameters involved in some experimental correlations proposed by early investigations are identified according to fractal distribution'. However, the definition on fractal dimension given by Yang[1] is highly questionable, and the results obtained by Yang are contradictory to the basic fractal theory. Here are my comments:

Multi-scale pore fractal characteristics of differently ranked coal and its impact on gas adsorption

Well-developed pores and cracks in coal reservoirs are the main venues for gas storage and migration.To investigate the multi-scale pore fractal characteristics,six coal samples of different rankings were studied using high-pressure mercury injection(HPMI),low-pressure nitrogen adsorption(LPGA-N2),and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)test methods.Based on the Frankel,Halsey and Hill(FHH)fractal theory,the Menger sponge model,Pores and Cracks Analysis System(PCAS),pore volume complexity(D_(v)),coal surface irregularity(Ds)and pore distribution heterogeneity(D_(p))were studied and evaluated,respectively.The effect of three fractal dimensions on the gas adsorption ability was also analyzed with high-pressure isothermal gas adsorption experiments.Results show that pore structures within these coal samples have obvious fractal characteristics.A noticeable segmentation effect appears in the Dv1and Dv2fitting process,with the boundary size ranging from 36.00 to 182.95 nm,which helps differentiate diffusion pores and seepage fractures.The D values show an asymmetric U-shaped trend as the coal metamorphism increases,demonstrating that coalification greatly affects the pore fractal dimensions.The three fractal dimensions can characterize the difference in coal microstructure and reflect their influence on gas adsorption ability.Langmuir volume(V_(L))has an evident and positive correlation with Dsvalues,whereas Langmuir pressure(P_(L))is mainly affected by the combined action of Dvand Dp.This study will provide valuable knowledge for the appraisal of coal seam gas reservoirs of differently ranked coals.

Pressure transient analysis of multiple fractured horizontal wells in naturally fractured unconventional reservoirs based on fractal theory and fractional calculus

Currently,most models for multiple fractured horizontal wells(MFHWs)in naturally fractured unconventional reservoirs(NFURs)are based on classical Euclidean models which implicitly assume a uniform distribution of natural fractures and that all fractures are homogeneous.While fractal theory provides a powerful method to describe the disorder,heterogeneity,uncertainty and complexity of the NFURs.In this paper,a fractally fractional diffusion model(FFDM)for MFHWs in NFURs is established based on fractal theory and fractional calculus.Particularly,fractal theory is used to describe the heterogeneous,complex fracture network,with consideration of anomalous behavior of diffusion process in NFURs by employing fractional calculus.The Laplace transformation,line source function,dispersion method,and superposition principle are used to solve this new model.The pressure responses in the real time domain are obtained with Stehfest numerical inversion algorithms.The type curves of MFHW with three different outer boundaries are plotted.Sensitivity analysis of some related parameters are discussed as well.This new model provides the relatively more accurate and appropriate evaluation results for pressure transient analysis for MFHWs in NFURs,which could be applied to accurately interpret the real pressure data of an MFHW in field.

Application of Fractal Contact Model in Dynamic Performance Analysis of Gas Face Seals

Fractal theory provides scale?independent asperity contact loads and assumes variable curvature radii in the contact analyses of rough surfaces, the current research for which mainly focuses on the mechanism study. The present study introduces the fractal theory into the dynamic research of gas face seals under face?contacting conditions. Structure?Function method is adopted to handle the surface profiles of typical carbon?graphite rings, proving the fractal con?tact model can be used in the field of gas face seals. Using a numerical model established for the dynamic analyses of a spiral groove gas face seal with a flexibly mounted stator, a comparison of dynamic performance between the Majumdar?Bhushan(MB) fractal model and the Chang?Etsion?Bogy(CEB) statistical model is performed. The result shows that the two approaches induce differences in terms of the occurrence and the level of face contact. Although the approach distinctions in film thickness and leakage rate can be tiny, the distinctions in contact mechanism and end face damage are obvious. An investigation of fractal parameters D and G shows that a proper D(nearly 1.5) and a small G are helpful in raising the proportion of elastic deformation to weaken the adhesive wear in the sealing dynamic performance. The proposed research provides a fractal approach to design gas face seals.

Improve Fractal Compression Encoding Speed Using Feature Extraction and Self-organization Network

Image compression consists of two main parts: encoding and decoding. One of the important problems of the fractal theory is the long encoding implementation time, which hindered the acceptance of fractal image compression as a practical method. The long encoding time results from the need to perform a large number of domain-range matches, the total encoding time is the product of the number of matches and the time to perform each match. In order to improve encoding speed, a hybrid method combining features extraction and self-organization network has been provided, which is based on the feature extraction approach the comparison pixels by pixels between the feature of range blocks and domains blocks. The efficiency of the new method was been proved by examples.

Two Phase Flow Simulation of Fractal Oil Reservoir Based on Meshless Method

The reservoir is the networked rock skeleton of an oil and gas trap,as well as the generic term for the fluid contained within pore fractures and karst caves.Heterogeneity and a complex internal pore structure characterize the reservoir rock.By introducing the fractal permeability formula,this paper establishes a fractal mathematical model of oil-water two-phase flow in an oil reservoir with heterogeneity characteristics and numerically solves the mathematical model using the weighted least squares meshless method.Additionally,the method’s correctness is verified by comparison to the exact solution.The numerical results demonstrate that the fractal oil-water two-phase flow mathematical model developed using the meshless method is capable of more accurately and efficiently describing the flow characteristics of the oil-water two-phase migration process.In comparison to the conventional numerical model,this method achieves a greater degree of convergence and stability.This paper examines the effect of varying the initial viscosity of the oil,the initial formation pressure,and the production and injection ratios on daily oil production per well,water cut in the block,and accumulated oil in the block.For 10 and 60 cp initial crude oil viscosities,the water cut can be 0.62 and 0.80,with 3100 and 1900 m^(3)cumulative oil production.Initial pressures have little effect on production.In this case,the daily oil production of well PRO1 is 1.7 m^(3)at 7 and 10 MPa initial pressure.Block cumulative oil production is 3465.4 and 2149.9m^(3)when the production injection ratio is 1.4 and 0.8.The two-phase meshless method described in this paper is essential for a rational and effective study of production dynamics patterns in complex reservoirs and the development of reservoir simulations of oil-water flow in heterogeneous reservoirs.

The Theory of Biomedical Knowledge Integration (Ⅶ)──The Non-Euclid Macro-Micro Transform Law

This article continued to do the scholastic pursuits on some profound mechanisms in the life systems, which are believed to be related to the further development of Medical Informatics. It discussed at first the structural nature of things, then probed a principle which is a basis for both of the fractal theory and the wavelet analysis, being called the shape-constancy law of the basic constructors at the different scale levels. And the paper also ventured the equivalency between the shape of wave and matrix, thus presented a new concept "shaped-number", being expected to work in the operations of some bio-medical functions or shapes.

Research and experimental analysis of precision degradation method based on the ball screw mechanism

As a key transmission component in computer numerical control(CNC) machine tools,the ball screw mechanism(BSM) is usually investigated under working load conditions. Its accuracy degradation process is relatively long,which is not conducive to the design and development of new products. In this paper,the normal wear depth of the BSM nut raceway is calculated under the variable speed operation condition using the fractal wear analysis method and the BSM’s accelerated degradation proportional wear model. Parameters of the acceleration degradation model of the double-nut preloaded ball screw pair are calculated based on the physical simulation results. The accelerated degradation test platform of the BSM is designed and manufactured to calculate the raceway wear model when the lubrication condition is broken under the variable-speed inertial load and the boundary lubrication condition under the uniform speed state. Three load forces and two samples are selected for the accelerated degradation test of the BSM. The measured friction torque of the BSM is employed as the evaluation index of the accuracy degradation test. In addition,the life cycle of the accuracy retention is accurately calculated by employing the parameters of the physical simulation model of the BSM. The calculations mentioned above can be used to estimate BSM’s accuracy performance degradation law under normal operating conditions. The application of the proposed model provides a new research method for researching the precision retention of the BSM.

Leakage Prediction Method for Contacting Mechanical Seals with Parallel Faces

Since the beginning of the 20th century, many researches on the sealing characteristic of mechanical seals were carried out broadly and in depth by various methods and some leakage models were built. But due to the lack of the way to characterize the main factors of influence on the leakage, most of the early researches were based on the assumptions that the seal faces topography and the frictional conditions were invariant. In the early built models, the effect of the surface topography change of the seal face on the leakage rate was neglected. Based on the fractal theory, the contact of end faces of the rotary and stationary rings was simplified to be the contact of a rough surface and an ideal rigid smooth surface, and the contact interface＇s cavity size-distribution function as well as the fractal characteristic of the cavity profile curve was discussed. By analyzing the influence of abrasion on the seal face topography and the leakage channel, the time-correlation leakage prediction model of mechanical seals based on the fractal theory was established and the method for predicting the leakage rate of mechanical seals with parallel plane was proposed. The values of the leakage rate predicted theoretically are similar to the measured values of the leakage rate in the model test and in situ test. The experimental results indicate that the leakage rate of mechanical seals is a transient value. The surface topography of the end faces of the seal tings and its change during the frictional wear of mechanical seals can be accurately characterized by the fractal parameters. Under the work conditions of changeless frictional mechanism, the fractal parameters measured or calculated based on the accelerated testing equation can be used to predict the leakage rate of mechanical seal in service. The proposed research provides the basis for determining the leakage state and predicting working life of mechanical seal.

Prediction of petroleum exploration risk and subterranean spatial distribution of hydrocarbon accumulations

Investigation of spatial distribution of oil and gas resource and accurate prediction of the geographic location of its undiscovered resource is significant for reducing exploration risk and improving exploration benefit.A new method for predicting spatial distribution of oil resource is discussed in this paper.It consists of prediction of risk probability in petroleum exploration and simulation of hydrocarbon abundance. Exploration risk probability is predicted by multivariate statistics,fuzzy mathematics and information processing techniques.A spatial attribute database for sample wells was set up and the Mahalanobis distance and Fuzzy value of given samples were obtained.Then,the Bayesian formula was used to calculate the hydrocarbon-bearing probability at the area of exploration wells.Finally,a hydrocarbon probability template is formed and used to forecast the probability of the unknown area. The hydrocarbon abundance is simulated based on Fourier integrals,frequency spectrum synthesis and fractal theory.Firstly,the fast Fourier transformation（FFT） is used to transform the known hydrocarbon abundance from the spatial domain to the frequency domain,then,frequency spectrum synthesis is used to produce the fractal frequency spectrum,and FFT is applied to get the phase information of hydrocarbon-bearing probability.Finally,the frequency spectrum simulation is used to calculate the renewed hydrocarbon abundance in the play. This method is used to predict the abundance and possible locations of the undiscovered petroleum accumulations in the Nanpu Sag of the Bohai Bay Basin,China.The prediction results for the well-explored onshore area of the northern Nanpu Sag agree well with the actual situations.For the less-explored offshore areas in the southern Nanpu Sag,the prediction results suggest high hydrocarbon abundance in Nanpu-1 and Nanpu-2,providing a useful guiding for future exploration.