Phase field simulation of grain refinement in silver-based filler metal

Numerical simulation is one of the important auxiliary methods for studying materials-related problems. In this study, phase field simulation was employed to investigate the refinement behavior of BAg55CuZn-x B brazing alloys. Simulation and experimental studies were conducted for B contents ranging from 0 wt.% to 0.2 wt.%. The results demonstrated that the addition of 0.05 wt.% B in the brazing alloy leads to a significant refinement effect. As the B content increases, the grain size further reduces, and a refinement stagnation phenomenon occurs after exceeding 0.15 wt.%. The solidification process of brazing alloys with different B content was predicted by simulation, and the simulation results showed that with the increase of B content, the initial number of nucleation increased, and the radius of the dendrite tip decreased. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental findings, providing further evidence of the refining effect of the B element and the reliable predictive capability of the phase field model.

Coherency matrix-based proper orthogonal decomposition with application to wind field simulation

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition （POD） provides a powerful modal transformation tool for stochastic dynamics. In this paper, coherency matrix-based proper orthogonal decomposition （CPOD） is presented as an innovative form of the POD based on cross power spectral density matrices. By introducing a discretizing scheme, the CPOD-based spectral representation method is obtained for use in stochastic simulation. Moreover, some criteria are proposed that allow the truncation order of CPOD to be conveniently determined. A numerical example to illustrate the application of the proposed method for the simulation of a wind velocity field is provided.

Unconventional phase field simulations of transforming materials with evolving microstructures

Transforming materials with evolving microstructures is one of the most important classes of smart materials that have many potential technological applications, and an unconventional phase field approach based on the characteristic functions of transforming variants has been developed to simulate the formation and evolution of their microstructures. This approach is advantageous in its explicit material symmetry and energy well structure, minimal number of ma- terial coefficients, and easiness in coupling multiple physical processes and order parameters, and has been applied successfully to study the microstructures and macroscopic prop- erties of shape memory alloys, ferroelectrics, ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, and multiferroic magnetoelectric crys- tals and films with increased complexity. In this topical re- view, the formulation of this unconventional phase field approach will be introduced in details, and its applications to various transforming materials will be discussed. Some ex- amples of specific microstructures will also be presented.

Phase field simulation of the 180°domain-switching process in PbTiO_3 single crystal under an antiparallel electric field

The process of 180°domain switching in PbTiO_3 single crystal under an antiparallel electric field was investigated by the three-dimensional phase field simulation,especially the effect of electric field on the type and duration of domain switching.It is found that the polarization reversal of domains takes place under an antiparallel electric field in PbTiO_3 single crystal.The results of the phase field simulation indicate that there is only 90°domain switching under a weak electric field.With the rise of the electric field,180°domain switching appears.If the electric field is strengthened further,90°domain switching disappears and the duration of domain switching is shortened.

Non-Gaussian Lagrangian Stochastic Model for Wind Field Simulation in the Surface Layer

Wind field simulation in the surface layer is often used to manage natural resources in terms of air quality,gene flow(through pollen drift),and plant disease transmission(spore dispersion).Although Lagrangian stochastic(LS)models describe stochastic wind behaviors,such models assume that wind velocities follow Gaussian distributions.However,measured surface-layer wind velocities show a strong skewness and kurtosis.This paper presents an improved model,a non-Gaussian LS model,which incorporates controllable non-Gaussian random variables to simulate the targeted non-Gaussian velocity distribution with more accurate skewness and kurtosis.Wind velocity statistics generated by the non-Gaussian model are evaluated by using the field data from the Cooperative Atmospheric Surface Exchange Study,October 1999 experimental dataset and comparing the data with statistics from the original Gaussian model.Results show that the non-Gaussian model improves the wind trajectory simulation by stably producing precise skewness and kurtosis in simulated wind velocities without sacrificing other features of the traditional Gaussian LS model,such as the accuracy in the mean and variance of simulated velocities.This improvement also leads to better accuracy in friction velocity(i.e.,a coupling of three-dimensional velocities).The model can also accommodate various non-Gaussian wind fields and a wide range of skewness–kurtosis combinations.Moreover,improved skewness and kurtosis in the simulated velocity will result in a significantly different dispersion for wind/particle simulations.Thus,the non-Gaussian model is worth applying to wind field simulation in the surface layer.

Dynamic self-adaptive ANP algorithm and its application to electric field simulation of aluminum reduction cell

Region partition(RP) is the key technique to the finite element parallel computing(FEPC),and its performance has a decisive influence on the entire process of analysis and computation.The performance evaluation index of RP method for the three-dimensional finite element model(FEM) has been given.By taking the electric field of aluminum reduction cell(ARC) as the research object,the performance of two classical RP methods,which are Al-NASRA and NGUYEN partition(ANP) algorithm and the multi-level partition(MLP) method,has been analyzed and compared.The comparison results indicate a sound performance of ANP algorithm,but to large-scale models,the computing time of ANP algorithm increases notably.This is because the ANP algorithm determines only one node based on the minimum weight and just adds the elements connected to the node into the sub-region during each iteration.To obtain the satisfied speed and the precision,an improved dynamic self-adaptive ANP(DSA-ANP) algorithm has been proposed.With consideration of model scale,complexity and sub-RP stage,the improved algorithm adaptively determines the number of nodes and selects those nodes with small enough weight,and then dynamically adds these connected elements.The proposed algorithm has been applied to the finite element analysis(FEA) of the electric field simulation of ARC.Compared with the traditional ANP algorithm,the computational efficiency of the proposed algorithm has been shortened approximately from 260 s to 13 s.This proves the superiority of the improved algorithm on computing time performance.

Analysis of flowout gas field simulations and ignition methods for sulphuric gas wells

To avoid potential human casualties and environmental pollution,flowout gas from sulphuric gas wells showing high concentrations of volatile gas must be neutralized by controlled ignition.Simulation model is built by using CFD software for flowout gas,and ignition methods are analyzed.The simulation results indicate that the optimal ignition zone is located between 150mm and 570mm above the gas flowout device.Two ignition methods,electronical and chemical,are developed.12 and 6 experimental tests are performed respectively for these two methods.Results from the above tests verify that both approaches are successful in igniting the gas promptly and safely.In addition,our experience proves that the former way is more suitable for the fixed position ignition case,while the latter is more suitable for the long-distance or emergent ignition case.These two approaches can potentially be applied to a wide range of situations other than the fixed position ignition case and long distance ignition case.

Research on buffer structure and flow field simulation of swash plate plunger type hydraulic transformer

In order to solve the problem of excessive noise and vibration during the operation of the hydraulic transformer,an optimization method of valve plate damping hole structure is proposed to alleviate the phenomenon of pressure shock.Firstly,the mathematical model of oil pressure gradient in the plunger cavity is established,and the incremental equation of pressure change is derived.Secondly,a kind of buffering structure is proposed,the corresponding relationship between the pressure change and the envelopment angle of the buffering hole and the aperture size is determined by analyzing the oil pressure change curve in the plunger cavity.Finally,the flow field models with buffering holes are established,and the transient simulation of the pressure change process under the optimal solution is carried out with ANSYS software and the flow field pressure distribution contours are obtained.Through the analysis of simulation results,it is concluded that the optimal envelope angle of the three buffer holes ofA-T-B-Ais 5°,and the optimal aperture is 1.8 mm,1.6 mm,and 1.7 mm,respectively.The buffer hole can achieve a better-buffering effect in the range of variable pressure angle[0°,101°].The buffer hole structure can effectively alleviate the pressure shock and reduce the noise level,which lays a foundation for the design and theoretical research of hydraulic transformers.

Three-Dimensional Phase Field Simulations of Hysteresis and Butterfly Loops by the Finite Volume Method

Three-dimensional simulations of ferroelectric hysteresis and butterfly loops are carried out based on solving the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations using a finite volume method. The influence of externally mechanical loadings with a tensile strain and a compressive strain on the hysteresis and butterfly loops is studied numerically. Different from the traditional finite element and finite difference methods, the finite volume method is applicable to simulate the ferroelectric phase transitions and properties of ferroelectric materials even for more realistic and physical problems.

Solvent Property Induced Morphological Changes of ABA Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymer Micelles in Dilute Solution: A Self-consistent Field Simulation Study

The morphological changes of ABA amphiphilic triblock copolymer micelles in dilute solution were systematically studied by tuning the solvent property using self-consistent field simulation. The solvent property was tuned by changing the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters between each type of blocks and solvent, respectively. The simulation results show that by changing the solvent properties, a series of micelle morphologies such as vesicle, cage-like, ring-shaped, rod-like and spherical micelle morphologies can be obtained. Variations of the free energy of the solution system and the surface area of micelles with the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters were calculated to better understand the effect of solvent property on micelle morphologies. In addition, a phase diagram showing the morphological changes of micelles with the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters is provided.

Simulation and analysis of point-source surface wave fields

The complexity of near surface intensifies the diversity of seismic wave fields, which makes study on near surface wavefields important in many aspects. The strong absorption of low velocity layer can affect the resolution of seismic data, and free boundary can cause surface wave. Considering the above problems, we focus on the Rayleigh wavefields simulation using finite-difference wave equation of higher-order staggered grids and PML boundary conditions. Free boundary, buried source and overlying low velocity layer are taken into consideration and point explosion source is adopted. Through some numerical simulation with different parameters, we quantitatively analyze relationship between wave intensity and source depth, as well as the energy variation with propagation and obtain some practical knowledge and conclusions.

Flow field fusion simulation method based on model features and its application in CRDM

The control rod drive mechanism(CRDM)is an essential part of the control and safety protection system of pressurized water reactors.Current CRDM simulations are mostly performed collectively using a single method,ignoring the influence of multiple motion units and the differences in various features among them,which strongly affect the efficiency and accuracy of the simulations.In this study,we constructed a flow field fusion simulation method based on model features by combining key motion unit analysis and various simulation methods and then applied the method to the CRDM simulation process.CRDM performs motion unit decomposition through the structural hierarchy of function-movement-action method,and the key meta-actions are identified as the nodes in the flow field simulation.We established a fused feature-based multimethod simulation process and processed the simulation methods and data according to the features of the fluid domain space and the structural complexity to obtain the fusion simulation results.Compared to traditional simulation methods and real measurements,the simulation method provides advantages in terms of simulation efficiency and accuracy.

Simulation of phased array S-scan acoustic field in FSW joint of aluminum alloy extrudate with complex shape

The shape of aluminum alloy extrudate used in high-speed train is complex, structural noises from the surfaces of the extrudate will be received when using ultrasonic phased array to detect the flaws in FSW. To solve this problem, ultrasonic phased array acoustic field model and propagation simulation of acoustic waves were introduced to simulate the acoustic pressure distribution and the propagation of the acoustic waves. With the methods above, the detection parameters can be optimized and as a result, the experimental process can be simplified and the detection efficiency can be improved. Meanwhile, the echoes in the S-scan images can be predicted, which can help analyze the detection results and judge the defects.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TEMPERATURE FIELDS FOR WELD METAL SOLIDIFICATION CRACKING IN STAINLESS STEELS

This paper has analyzed the influences of the heat input of welding arc, the latent heat of solidifica- tion,fluid flow of liquid metal on the heat conductivity pertaining to welding solidification crack of stainless steels. As a result,two - dimensional heat conduction models with prescribed heat flux mov- ing along the the have been developed that can simulate welding arc, convection and radiation heat loss from top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece. Finally, the finite element model was used to ana- lyze and calculate the temperature field.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL FLOW FIELD OF WAGON-SHAPED CAR AT THE MOMENT OF PASSING

In the course of studying on aerodynamic change and its effect on steering stability and controllability of an automobile in passing, because of multi interaction streams, it is difficult to use traditional methods, such as wind tunnel test and road test. If the passing process of an automobile is divided into many time segments, so as to avoid the use of moving mesh which takes large calculation resource and CPU processing time in calculating, the segments are simulated with computational fluid dynamics （CFD） method, then the approximate computational results about external flow field will be obtained. On the basis of the idea, the change of external flow field of wagon-shaped car at the moment of passing is simulated through solving three-dimensional, steady and uncompressible N-S equations with finite volume method. Numerical simulation analysis of side force coefficient, stream lines, body surface pressure distribution of wagon-shaped car are presented and a preliminary discussion of aerodynamic characteristics of correlative situations is obtained. Finally, the C3 -x/l curve of side force coefficient（C3） of car following relative distance （x/l） between cars is obtained. By comparison, the curve is coincident well with the experimental data, which shows creditability of numerical simulation methods presented.

The mesoscale numerical simulation of the flow field of the Hainan Island and the Leizhou Peninsula

The flow field over Hainan Island and the Leizhou Peninsula in summer and winter is discussed with three-dimensional mesoscale model developed in the University of Virginia and using the representative meteorological data of January and July.Simulation results indicate that the local weather characteristics over the Hainan Island are distinctly influenced by theWuzhi Mountain terrain. The cloudy or rainfall weather over the northeast of the Wuzhi Mountain occurs easily, under proper large-scale conditions of flow, temperature and humidity. while west wind prevails. The overcast or rainfall weather is often induced by strong convection in the afternoon over west of the Hainan Island under easterly prevailing wind.

Application of FLUENT on fine-scale simulation of wind field over complex terrain

The state-of-art Computational Fluid Dynamics （CFD） codes FLUENT is applied in a fine-scale simulation of the wind field over a complex terrain. Several numerical tests are performed to validate the capability of FLUENT on describing the wind field details over a complex terrain. The results of the numerical tests show that FLUENT can simulate the wind field over extremely complex terrain, which cannot be simulated by mesoscale models. The reason why FLUENT can cope with extremely complex terrain, which can not be coped with by mesoscale models, relies on some particular techniques adopted by FLUENT, such as computer-aided design （CAD） technique, unstructured grid technique and finite volume method. Compared with mesoscale models, FLUENT can describe terrain in much more accurate details and can provide wind simulation results with higher resolution and more accuracy.

Simulation of scenario earthquake influenced field by using GIS

The method for estimating the site effect on groundmotion specified by Borcherdt (1994a, 1994b) is briefly introducedin the paper. This method and the detail geological data and site classification data in San Francisco bay area ofCalifornia, the United States. are applied to simulate the influenced field of scenario earthquake by GIS technology,and the software for simulating has been drawn up. The paper is a partial result of cooperative research project betweenChina Seismological Bureau and US Geological Survey.

Numerical Simulation of Temperature Field of Die Casting Dies

In this study, the Solidworks was used as pre-processor, which performed the three- dimensional solid construction and automatic enmeshment. The COSMOS was adopted as post- processor to display the temperature distribution and further to simulate the thermal stress distribution of dies. A software package for three-dimensional temperature fields of complicated die casting and its dies was developed and the temperature distributions of a fan cover casting were simulated by the software.