Elastic-viscoplastic field at mixed-mode interface crack-tip under compression and shear

For a compression-shear mixed mode interface crack, it is difficult to solve the stress and strain fields considering the material viscosity, the crack-tip singularity, the frictional effect, and the mixed loading level. In this paper, a mechanical model of the dynamic propagation interface crack for the compression-shear mixed mode is proposed using an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive model. The governing equations of propagation crack interface at the crack-tip are given. The numerical analysis is performed for the interface crack of the compression-shear mixed mode by introducing a displacement function and some boundary conditions. The distributed regularities of stress field of the interface crack-tip are discussed with several special parameters. The final results show that the viscosity effect and the frictional contact effect on the crack surface and the mixed-load parameter are important factors in studying the mixed mode interface crack- tip fields. These fields are controlled by the viscosity coefficient, the Mach number, and the singularity exponent.

Designer uniform Li plating/stripping through lithium–cobalt alloying hierarchical scaffolds for scalable high-performance lithium-metal anodes

Lithium metal anodes are of great interest for advanced high-energy density batteries such as lithiumair, lithium-sulfur and solid-state batteries, due to their low electrode potential and ultra-high theoretical capacity. There are, however, several challenges limiting their practical applications, which include low coulombic efficiency, the uncontrollable growth of dendrites and poor rate capability. Here, a rational design of 3D structured lithium metal anodes comprising of in-situ growth of cobalt-decorated nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes on continuous carbon nanofibers is demonstrated via electrospinning.The porous and free-standing scaffold can enhance the tolerance to stresses resulting from the intrinsic volume change during Li plating/stripping, delivering a significant boost in both charge/discharge rates and stable cycling performance. A binary Co-Li alloying phase was generated at the initial discharge process, creating more active sites for the Li nucleation and uniform deposition. Characterization and density functional theory calculations show that the conductive and uniformly distributed cobalt-decorated carbon nanotubes with hierarchical structure can effectively reduce the local current density and more easily absorb Li atoms, leading to more uniform Li nucleation during plating. The current work presents an advance on scalable and cost-effective strategies for novel electrode materials with 3D hierarchical microstructures and mechanical flexibility for lithium metal anodes.

Total loads modeling and geological adaptability analysis for mixed soil-rock tunnel boring machines

Rock-soil interface mixed ground(RSI)is often encountered in tunnel construction.The excavation loads of tunnel boring machines(TBMs)are controlled by the interaction characteristics between TBM and rock/soil layers.The different properties of rock and soil cause the varying interaction range and stress distribution.Currently,there have been several studies available to estimate excavation loads under RSI,and the conclusion is that the total loads increase with increasing the rock layer proportion in the excavation face.However,the previous studies cannot take the difference of rock/soil properties into account,except for the calculation of cutters loads.Therefore,the interaction characteristics between RSI and TBM is unclear.This paper analyzes the interaction characteristics between TBM’s main components and complex geological conditions(e.g.,layered soil,layered rock,and RSI condition).A model is proposed to calculate the total thrust and total torque assuming quasi-static equilibrium of the tunneling equipment.The rationality and applicability of the model are discussed and verified by two typical projects.Furthermore,the geological adaptability is discussed in terms of the excavation difficulty and the matching relationship between total torque and total thrust.The results indicate that when the rock layer proportion in the excavation face increases,the reduction of overall extrusion and friction loads is 1.5 times higher than the increase of disc cutters breaking load.The total loads and the ratio of the total torque to total thrust decrease approximately linearly.There is a power function relationship between the excavation difficulty index and the penetration depth.The results of this study provide an important reference for the total loads design of equipment propulsion systems and the parameter adjustment during tunnel construction.