Optimizing design of lattice materials based on finite element simulation

The optimized design of simple cross-truss and column lattice structures was carried out by the SolidWorks simulation module.The effective density of the structure was calculated according to the weight reduction requirements proposed by the project.Then,the vari-ation curve between the maximum bearing stress of the unit structure and the structural variables was obtained by simulation.Meanwhile,the mathematical equation between the maximum bearing stress and the structural variables could be obtained through MATLAB fitting.The results indicated that with the decrease in the number of cells,the compressive strength of the prepared column lattice increased(400 to 4 cells,compressive strength 29 MPa to 160 MPa).However,the yield strength increased with the number of cells.The compression strength of the simple cross-truss lattice samples indicated an increase trend with the decrease of the pillar size(an increase of the number of units),reaching 91 MPa(pillar diameter 0.52 mm,number of units 25).While the yield strength increased with the increasing of the number of units.In addition,the additive manufacturing processes of simple cubic lattice and simple cross-pillar lattice were investigated using selective laser melting.The compression performance obtained from the experiment is compared with the simulation results,which are in good agreement.The results of this paper can provide an important reference for optimizing design of lattice materials.

Simulation-based Estimation of Thermal Behavior of Direct Feed Drive Mechanism with Updated Finite Element Model

Linear motors generate high heat and cause significant deformation in high speed direct feed drive mechanisms.It is relevant to estimate their deformation behavior to improve their application in precision machine tools.This paper describes a method to estimate its thermal deformation based on updated finite element（FE）model methods.Firstly,a FE model is established for a linear motor drive test rig that includes the correlation between temperature rise and its resulting deformation.The relationship between the input and output variables of the FE model is identified with a modified multivariate input/output least square support vector regression machine.Additionally,the temperature rise and displacements at some critical points on the mechanism are obtained experimentally by a system of thermocouples and an interferometer.The FE model is updated through intelligent comparison between the experimentally measured values and the results from the regression machine.The experiments for testing thermal behavior along with the updated FE model simulations is conducted on the test rig in reciprocating cycle drive conditions.The results show that the intelligently updated FE model can be implemented to analyze the temperature variation distribution of the mechanism and to estimate its thermal behavior.The accuracy of the thermal behavior estimation with the optimally updated method can be more than double that of the initial theoretical FE model.This paper provides a simulation method that is effective to estimate the thermal behavior of the direct feed drive mechanism with high accuracy.

Finite element simulation for mechanical response of surface mounted solder joints under different temperature cycling

Nonlinear finite element simulation for mechanical response of surface mounted solder joint under different temperature cycling was carried out. Seven sets of parameters were used in order to evaluate the influence of temperature cycling profile parameters. The results show that temperature cycling history has significant effect on the stress response of the solder joint. Based on the concept of relative damage stress proposed by the authors, it is found that enough high temperature holding time is necessary for designing the temperature cycling profile in accelerated thermal fatigue test.

Finite element simulation of inertia friction welding of superalloy bars

A thermo-mechanical coupling.finite element model was built to investigate the inertia friction welding of GH4169 bars. The remeshing and map solution techniques were adopted. Ttle whole welding process was investigated by adopting an innovative heat generation model and the flywheel rotational speed measured via the experiment. The simulated evolution of axial shortening shows a good agreement with the experiment. In addition, extensive .strain concentration presents in the interface and flash, and the largest ,strain exists near the flash root. Moreover, an intere.sting thermal reflux phenomenon during the cooling stage was found.

Nonlinear simulation of arch dam cracking with mixed finite element method

This paper proposes a new, simple and efficient method for nonlinear simulation of arch dam cracking from the construction period to the operation period, which takes into account the arch dam construction process and temperature loads. In the calculation mesh, the contact surface of pair nodes is located at places on the arch dam where cracking is possible. A new effective iterative method, the mixed finite element method for friction-contact problems, is improved and used for nonlinear simulation of the cracking process. The forces acting on the structure are divided into two parts： external forces and contact forces. The displacement of the structure is chosen as the basic variable and the nodal contact force in the possible contact region of the local coordinate system is chosen as the iterative variable, so that the nonlinear iterative process is only limited within the possible contact surface and is much more economical. This method was used to simulate the cracking process of the Shuanghe Arch Dam in Southwest China. In order to prove the validity and accuracy of this method and to study the effect of thermal stress on arch dam cracking, three schemes were designed for calculation. Numerical results agree with actual measured data, proving that it is feasible to use this method to simulate the entire process of nonlinear arch dam cracking.

A method for 3D simulation of internal gas effects on thermal-mechanical behaviors in nuclear fuel elements

A new method for three-dimensional simulation of the interaction between the gas and the solid around is developed.The effects of the gas on the thermal-mechanical behaviors within the surrounded solid are performed by replacing the internal gas with an equivalent solid in the modeling,which can make it convenient to simulate the thermal-mechanical coupling effects in the solid research objects with gases in them.The applied thermal expansion coefficient,Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the equivalent solid material are derived.A series of tests have been conducted;and the proposed equivalent solid method to simulate the gas effects is validated.

Analysis and Design of Thermally Actuated Micro-Cantilevers for High Frequency Vibrations Using Finite Element Method

Vibrational behavior of thermally actuated cantilever micro-beams and their mechanical response at moderately high frequency under a non-harmonic periodic loading is studied in this paper. Two different configurations are considered: 1) a straight beam with two actuation layers on top and bottom which utilizes the bimorph effect to induce bending;2) a uniform beam with base excitation, where the beam is mounted on an actuator which moves it periodically at its base perpendicular to its axis. Generally, vibrating micro-cantilevers are required to oscillate at a specified frequency. In order to increase the efficiency of the system, and achieve deflections with low power consumption, geometrical features of the beams can be quantified so that the required vibrating frequency matches the natural frequencies of the beam. A parametric modal analysis is conducted on two configurations of micro-cantilever and the first natural frequency of the cantilevers as a function of geometrical parameters is extracted. To evaluate vibrational behavior and thermo-mechanical efficiency of micro-cantilevers as a function of their geometrical parameters and input power, a case study with a specified vibrating frequency is considered. Due to significant complexities in the loading conditions and thermo-mechanical behavior, this task can only be tackled via numerical methods. Selecting the geometrical parameters in order to induce resonance at the nominal frequency, non-linear time-history (transient) thermo-mechanical finite element analysis (using ANSYS) is run on each configuration to study its response to the periodic heating input. Approaches to improve the effectiveness of actuators in each configuration based on their implementation are investigated.

A MULTI-COUPLED FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING PROCESS

A two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is developed to analyze the transient thermal and mechanical behaviors of the Resistance Spot Welding （RSW） process using commercial software ANSYS. Firstly a direct-coupled electrical-thermal Finite Element Analysis （FEA） is performed to analyze the transient thermal characteristics of the RSW process. Then based on the thermal results a sequential coupled thermo-elastic-plastic analysis is conducted to determine the mechanical features of the RSW process. The thermal history of the whole process and the temperature distribution of the weldment are obtained through the analysis. The mechanical features, including the distributions of the contact pressure at both the faying surface and the electrode-workpiece interface, the stress and strain distributions in the weldment and their changes during the RSW process, the deformation of the weldment and the electrode displacement are also calculated.

Simulation of the effects of different substrates, temperature,and substrate roughness on the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 coating as tritium penetration barrier

Residual thermal stress in the system is a serious problem that affects the application of tritium permeation barrier coatings in fusion reactors. The stress not only determines the adhesion between coating and substrate, but also changes the properties of the material. In this study,finite element analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the residual thermal stress and the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 tritium penetration barrier systems. Moreover, the residual thermal stress influenced by factors such as different substrates, temperature, and substrate roughness was also analyzed. The calculation showed that the hardness and elastic modulus increased with increasing compressive stress. However, the hardness and elastic modulus decreased with increasing tensile stress. The systems composed of Al_2O_3 coatings and different substrates exhibited different trends in mechanical properties. As the temperature increased, the hardness and the elastic modulus increased in an Al_2O_3/316 L stainless steel system; the trend was opposite in an Al_2O_3/Si system.Apart from this, the roughness of the substrate surface in the system could magnify the change in hardness and elastic modulus of the coating. Results showed that all these factors led to variation in the mechanical properties of Al_2O_3 tritium permeation barrier systems. Thus, thedetailed reasons for the changes in mechanical properties of these materials need to be analyzed.

Dynamic Finite Element Analysis for Interaction between Two Phase Saturated Soil Foundation and Platform

In this paper, the foundation soil of offshore structure is simulated as a two phase saturated porous medium. The dynamic equations of porous medium and finite element formulation are given. For structural analysis, the technique of multilevel substructure is used, and the saturated soil analysis is set in the highest level substructure model. Based on these theories a dynamic finite element analysis program DIASS for the analysis of interaction between two phase ocean soil foundation and platform structures has been developed. A numerical example is given here to illustrate the influence of the pore water in soil on the structural response of an ocean platform.

SIMULATIONS OF MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF POLYCRYSTALLINE COPPER WITH NANO-TWINS

Mechanical behavior and microstructure evolution of polycrystalline copper with nano-twins were investigated in the present work by finite element simulations. The fracture of grain boundaries are described by a cohesive interface constitutive model based on the strain gradient plasticity theory. A systematic study of the strength and ductility for different grain sizes and twin lamellae distributions is performed. The results show that the material strength and ductility strongly depend on the grain size and the distribution of twin lamellae microstructures in the polycrystalline copper.

Numerical Simulation of Mechanical Characteristics of a Metal Net for Deep-Sea Aquaculture

The investigation on hydrodynamic characteristics of a cage is important for its application in the deep-sea aquaculture in our country.With finite element method,the beam element is used to simulate a three-dimensional metal chain net,and the connector element is introduced as the interaction between metal net lines.A mechanical model for the metal net is constructed to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a metal net subjected to fluid current forces.The static simulation results show that the relative errors of the displacements are 2.13%,4.19%,6.64%,and 11.35% compared with static concentrated load tests under concentrated forces of 20,40,60,and 80 N,respectively.Both the transient hydrodynamic deformations and drag forces of the netting structures under different current velocities are obtained by solving the hydrodynamic equation of the netting structure.The average relative error of the current forces obtained by numerical simulations shows an 8.13%deviation from the drag tests of the metal nets in the tank under five current velocities.The effectiveness and precision of the simulation approach are verified by static and dynamic tests.The proposed simulation approach will provide a good foundation for the further investigation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of deep-sea aquaculture metal cages and the parameter design for the safety of such cage systems.

Review of Numerical Simulation of TGO Growth in Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermally grown oxide(TGO)is a critical factor for the service life of thermal barrier coatings(TBC).Numerical simulations of the growth process of TGO have become an effective means of comprehensively understanding the progressive damage of the TBC system.At present,technologies of numerical simulation to TGO growth include two categories:coupled chemical-mechanical methods and mechanical equivalent methods.The former is based on the diffusion analysis of oxidizing elements,which can describe the influence of bond coat(BC)consumption and phase transformation in the growth process of TGO on the mechanical behavior of each layer of TBC,and has high accuracy for the thickness evolution of TGO,but they cannot describe the lateral growth of TGO and the rumpling phenomenon induced.The latter focuses on describing the final stress and strain state after the growth of a specific TGO rather than the complete growth processes of TGO.Based on the measured TGO thickness growth curve,simulations of thickening and lateral growth can be achieved by directly applying anisotropic volumetric strain to oxidized elements and switching elements properties from the BC to the TGO.

Study on Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Al-Mg-Si Alloy

The dynamic mechanical behavior of Al-Mg-Si alloy was investigated under different strain rates by mechanical property and microstructure characterization,constitutive behavior analysis and numerical simulation in the present study.As the strain rate increases,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation increase first,then remain almost constant,and finally increase.The alloy always exhibits a typical ductile fracture mode,not depending on the strain rate.However,as the strain rate increases,the number of dimples gradually increases.Tensile deformation can refine grains,however,the grain structure is slightly affected by the strain rate.An optimized Johnson-Cook constitutive equation was used to describe the mechanical behavior and obtained by fitting the true stress-strain curves.The parameter C was described by a function related to the strain rate.The fitting true stress-strain curves by the JC model agree very well with the experimental true stress-strain curves.The true stress-strain curves calculated by the finite element numerical simulation agree well with the experimental true stress-strain curves.

Numerical simulation of thermo-mechanical fatigue properties for particulate reinforced composites

In this paper, a two dimensional Voronoi cell element, formulated with creep, thermal and plastic strain, is applied for the numerical simulation of thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior for particulate reinforced composites. The relation between mechanical fatigue phases and thermal fatigue phases influences the thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior and cyclic creep damage. The topological features of micro-structure in particulate reinforced composites, such as the orientation, depth-width ratio, distribution and volume fraction of inclusions, have a great influence on thermo-mechanical behavior. Some related conclusions are obtained by examples of numerical simulation.

Sintering zone prediction in direct metal laser sintering by finite element method

A three-dimensional finite element thermal model in direct metal laser sintering(DMLS) including the effect of powder-to-solid transition were established to predict sintering zone, which benefited the determination of suitable process parameters in DMLS. The nonlinear transient model of the metals thermal conductivity for powder-to-solid transition was developed. The model uses solid thermal properties of material in liquid-phase zone, transitional ones in sintering or sintered zone and powder ones in unsintered zones of powder bed to predict, respectively. Sintering zone boundary was estimated by maximum temperature history profile. Experiments were carried out using multi-component Cu-based metal powder. Compared experimental and predicted results, the mean error of sintering depth and width are 7.8% and 14.4%, respectively, which confirms the accuracy of the FEM prediction.

An AMR Capable Finite Element Diffusion Solver for ALE Hydrocodes

We present a novel method for the solution of the diffusion equation on a composite AMR mesh. This approach is suitable for including diffusion based physics modules to hydrocodes that support ALE and AMR capabilities. To illustrate, we proffer our implementations of diffu- sion based radiation transport and heat conduction in a hydrocode called ALE-AMR. Numerical experiments conducted with the diffusion solver and associated physics packages yield 2nd order convergence in the L2 norm.

Numerical Investigation of Thermal Behavior of CNC Machine Tool and Its Effects on Dimensional Accuracy of Machined Parts

The dimensional accuracy of machined parts is strongly influenced by the thermal behavior of machine tools (MT). Minimizing this influence represents a key objective for any modern manufacturing industry. Thermally induced positioning error compensation remains the most effective and practical method in this context. However, the efficiency of the compensation process depends on the quality of the model used to predict the thermal errors. The model should consistently reflect the relationships between temperature distribution in the MT structure and thermally induced positioning errors. A judicious choice of the number and location of temperature sensitive points to represent heat distribution is a key factor for robust thermal error modeling. Therefore, in this paper, the temperature sensitive points are selected following a structured thermomechanical analysis carried out to evaluate the effects of various temperature gradients on MT structure deformation intensity. The MT thermal behavior is first modeled using finite element method and validated by various experimentally measured temperature fields using temperature sensors and thermal imaging. MT Thermal behavior validation shows a maximum error of less than 10% when comparing the numerical estimations with the experimental results even under changing operation conditions. The numerical model is used through several series of simulations carried out using varied working condition to explore possible relationships between temperature distribution and thermal deformation characteristics to select the most appropriate temperature sensitive points that will be considered for building an empirical prediction model for thermal errors as function of MT thermal state. Validation tests achieved using an artificial neural network based simplified model confirmed the efficiency of the proposed temperature sensitive points allowing the prediction of the thermally induced errors with an accuracy greater than 90%.

Simulation optimal design of a compliant mechanism with circular notch flexure hinges based on the equivalent beam methodology

This paper presents an in-depth study of Equivalent beam model (EBM).Firstly three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA) model for circular flexure hinge developed by Zettl et al.was verified by the comparison with Smith's experimental results and the 3D FEA model was feasible within 5.5% error.Then the accuracy of Timoshenko short-beam due to shear force was verified based on finite element method.The results showed that the EBM has good accuracy within 5% error for 1≤r/t≤3.Finally the EBM methodology was applied for the simulation optimal design of a bridge-type compliant mechanism.The results showed that the EBM methodology has very high numerical efficiency and satisfactory accuracy for simulation optimal design of planar compliant mechanism with flexure hinges.