A new analytical model for thermal stresses in multi-phase materials and lifetime prediction methods

Based on the fundamental equations of the mechanics of solid continuum, the paper employs an analytical model for determination of elastic thermal stresses in isotropic continuum represented by periodically distributed spherical particles with different distributions in an infinite matrix, imaginarily divided into identical cells with dimensions equal to inter-particle distances, containing a central spherical particle with or without a spherical envelope on the particle surface. Consequently, the multi-particle-（envelope）- matrix system, as a model system regarding the analytical modelling, is applicable to four types of multi-phase materials. As functions of the particle volume fraction v, the inter-particle distances dl, d2, d3 along three mutually per- pendicular axes, and the particle and envelope radii, R1 and R2, respectively, the thermal stresses within the cell, are originated during a cooling process as a consequence of the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of phases rep- resented by the matrix, envelope and particle. Analytical-（experimental）-computational lifetime prediction methods for multi-phase materials are proposed, which can be used in engineering with appropriate values of parameters of real multi-phase materials.

THE RATE-INDEPENDENT CONSTITUTIVE MODELING FOR POROUS AND MULTI-PHASE NANOCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS

To determine the time-independent constitutive modeling for porous and multi- phase nanocrystalline materials and understand the effects of grain size and porosity on their mechanical behavior, each phase was treated as a mixture of grain interior and grain bound- ary, and pores were taken as a single phase, then Budiansky＇s self-consistent method was used to calculate the Young＇s modulus of porous, possible multi-phase, nanocrystalline materials, the prediction being in good agreement with the results in the literature. Further, the established method is extended to simulate the constitutive relations of porous and possible multi-phase nanocrystalline materials with small plastic deformation in conjunction with the secant-moduli approach and iso-strain assumption. Comparisons between the experimental grain size and porosity dependent mechanical data and the corresponding predictions using the established model show that it appears to be capable of describing the time-independent mechanical behaviors for porous and multi-phase nanocrystalline materials in a small plastic strain range. Further discussion on the modification factor, the advantages and limitations of the model developed were present.

GPU parallel computation of dendrite growth competition in forced convection using the multi-phase-field-lattice Boltzmann model

A graphics-processing-unit(GPU)-parallel-based computational scheme is developed to realize the competitive growth process of converging bi-crystal in two-dimensional states in the presence of forced convection conditions by coupling a multi-phase field model and a lattice Boltzmann model.The elimination mechanism in the evolution process is analyzed for the three conformational schemes constituting converging bi-crystals under pure diffusion and forced convection conditions,respectively,expanding the research of the competitive growth of columnar dendrites under melt convection conditions.The results show that the elimination mechanism for the competitive growth of converging bi-crystals of all three configurations under pure diffusion conditions follows the conventional Walton-Chalmers model.When there is forced convection with lateral flow in the liquid phase,the anomalous elimination phenomenon of unfavorable dendrites eliminating favorable dendrites occurs in the grain boundaries.In particular,the anomalous elimination phenomenon is relatively strong in conformation 1 and conformation 2 when the orientation angle of unfavorable dendrites is small,and relatively weak in conformation 3.Moreover,the presence of convection increases the tip growth rate of both favorable and unfavorable dendrites in the grain boundary.In addition,the parallelization of the multi-phase-field-lattice Boltzmann model is achieved by designing the parallel computation of the model on the GPU platform concerning the computerunified-device-architecture parallel technique,and the results show that the parallel computation of this model based on the GPU has absolute advantages,and the parallel acceleration is more obvious as the computation area increases.

Thermo-hydro-mechanical-air coupling finite element method and its application to multi-phase problems

In this paper, a finite element method （FEM）-based multi-phase problem based on a newly proposed thermal elastoplastic constitutive model for saturated/unsaturated geomaterial is discussed. A program of FEM named as SOFT, adopting unified field equations for thermo-hydro-mechanical-air （THMA） behavior of geomaterial and using finite element-finite difference （FE-FD） scheme for so/l-water-air three-phase coupling problem, is used in the numerical simulation. As an application of the newly proposed numerical method, two engineering problems, one for slope failure in unsaturated model ground and another for in situ heating test related to deep geological repository of high-level radioactive waste （HLRW）, are simulated. The model tests on slope failure in unsaturated Shirasu ground, carried out by Kitamura et al. （2007）, is simulated in the framework of soil-water-air three-phase coupling under the condition of constant temperature. While the in situ heating test reported by Munoz （2006） is simulated in the same framework under the conditions of variable temperature hut constant air pressure.

Multi-phase field simulation of competitive grain growth for directional solidification

The multi-phase field model of grain competitive growth during directional solidification of alloy is established.Solving multi-phase field models for thin interface layer thickness conditions,the grain boundary evolution and grain elimination during the competitive growth of SCN-0.24-wt%camphor model alloy bi-crystals are investigated.The effects of different crystal orientations and pulling velocities on grain boundary microstructure evolution are quantitatively analyzed.The obtained results are shown below.In the competitive growth of convergent bi-crystals,when favorably oriented dendrites are in the same direction as the heat flow and the pulling speed is too large,the orientation angle of the bi-crystal from small to large size is the normal elimination phenomenon of the favorably oriented dendrite,blocking the unfavorably oriented dendrite,and the grain boundary is along the growth direction of the favorably oriented dendrite.When the pulling speed becomes small,the grain boundary shows the anomalous elimination phenomenon of the unfavorably oriented dendrite,eliminating the favorably oriented dendrite.In the process of competitive growth of divergent bi-crystal,when the growth direction of favorably oriented dendrites is the same as the heat flow direction and the orientation angle of unfavorably oriented grains is small,the frequency of new spindles of favorably oriented grains is significantly higher than that of unfavorably oriented grains,and as the orientation angle of unfavorably oriented dendrites becomes larger,the unfavorably oriented grains are more likely to have stable secondary dendritic arms,which in turn develop new primary dendritic arms to occupy the liquid phase grain boundary space,but the grain boundary direction is still parallel to favorably oriented dendrites.In addition,the tertiary dendritic arms on the developed secondary dendritic arms may also be blocked by the surrounding lateral branches from further developing into nascent main axes,this blocking of the tertiary dendritic arms has a random nature,which can have aninfluence on the generation of nascent primary main axes in the grain boundaries.

Mechanical model study of relationship of molecular configuration and multiphase in liquid crystal materials

A mechanical model of liquid crystals （LCs） is applied to study the polymorphism of homologous series of terphenyl compounds. With a senti-experimental molecular orbit method, we calculate the moment of inertia which represents the rotation state to describe the phase transition temperature obtained from experimental data. We propose a novel explanation of the phase sequence or polymorphism of LC materials using the two key parameters, the moment of inertia and critical rotational velocity. The effect of molecular polarity on the appearance of liquid crystalline is also discussed.

Magnetic emission intensity enhancement for amorphous alloys by constructing a multi-phase structure withα-Fe nanocrystals

The perturbation in the magnetic field generated by the rotation or oscillation of magnetic domains in magnetic materials can emit low-frequency electromagnetic waves,which are expected to be used in low-frequency communications.However,the magnetic emission intensity,defined by the perturbation ability,of current commercially applied amorphous alloys,such as Metglas,cannot meet the application requirements for low-frequency antennas due to the domain motion energy loss.Herein,a multi-phase Metglas amorphous alloy was constructed by incorporatingα-Fe nanocrystals using rapid annealing to manipulate the domain movement.It was found that 3.89 times higher magnetic emission intensity is obtained compared to the pristine due to the synergism of the deformation and displacement mechanisms.Moreover,the low-frequency magnetic emission performance verification was carried out by preparing magnetoelectric composites as the antenna vibrator by assembling the alloy and macro piezoelectric fiber composites(MFC).Enhancements of magnetic emission intensity are found at 93.3%and 49.2%at the first and second harmonic frequencies compared with the unmodified alloy vibrator.Therefore,the approach leads to the development of high-performance communication with a novel standard for evaluation.

Crude oil wax:A review on formation,experimentation,prediction,and remediation techniques

Wax deposition during crude oil production,transportation,and processing has been a headache since the early days of oil utilization.It may lead to low mobility ratios,blockage of production tubing/pipelines as well as fouling of surface and processing facilities,among others.These snags cause massive financial constraints increasing projects’turnover.Decades of meticulous research have been dedicated to this problem that is worth a review.Thus,this paper reviews the mechanisms,experimentation,thermodynamic and kinetic modeling,prediction,and remediation techniques of wax deposition.An overall assessment suggests that available models are more accurate for single than multi-phase flows while the kind of remediation and deployment depend on the environment and severity level.In severe cases,both chemical and mechanical are synergistically deployed.Moreover,future prospective research areas that require attention are proposed.Generally,this review could be a valuable tool for novice researchers as well as a foundation for further research on this topic.

Wellbore drift flow relation suitable for full flow pattern domain and full dip range

Aiming at the simulation of multi-phase flow in the wellbore during the processes of gas kick and well killing of complex-structure wells(e.g.,directional wells,extended reach wells,etc.),a database including 3561 groups of experimental data from 32 different data sources is established.Considering the effects of fluid viscosity,pipe size,interfacial tension,fluid density,pipe inclination and other factors on multi-phase flow parameters,a new gas-liquid two-phase drift flow relation suitable for the full flow pattern and full dip range is established.The distribution coefficient and gas drift velocity models with a pipe inclination range of-90°–90°are established by means of theoretical analysis and data-driven.Compared with three existing models,the proposed models have the highest prediction accuracy and most stable performance.Using a well killing case with the backpressure method in the field,the applicability of the proposed model under the flow conditions with a pipe inclination range of-90°–80°is verified.The errors of the calculated shut in casing pressure,initial back casing pressure and casing pressure when adjusting the displacement are 2.58%,3.43%,5.35%,respectively.The calculated results of the model are in good agreement with the field backpressure data.

Effective thermal conductivity of an intact heterogeneous limestone

The Cobourg limestone is a very low porosity rock consisting of lighter nodular regions that are predominantly calcite and darker regions consisting of calcite,quartz,dolomite,and an appreciable clay fraction.This paper presents the application of the theory of multi-phasic composites to estimate the possible maximum effective thermal conductivity of the heterogeneous rocks.The thermal conductivity estimates are expected to be representative of the intact rock,without fractures or fissures that can influence the heat conduction process.The estimates are therefore indicative of the thermal properties of the rock in undisturbed regions unaffected by the influences of stress relief and excavation damage during construction of deep ground repositories for the disposal of heat-emitting nuclear waste.

Effect of interface anisotropy on tilted growth of eutectics:A phase field study

Interfacial energy anisotropy plays an important role in tilted growth of eutectics. However, previous studies mainly focused on the solid-solid interface energy anisotropy, and whether the solid-liquid interface energy anisotropy can significantly affect the tilted growth of eutectics still remains unclear. In this study, a multi-phase field model is employed to investigate both the effect of solid-liquid interfacial energy anisotropy and the effect of solid-solid interfacial energy anisotropy on tilted growth of eutectics. The findings reveal that both the solid-liquid interfacial energy anisotropy and the solid-solid interfacial energy anisotropy can induce the tilted growth of eutectics. The results also demonstrate that when the rotation angle is within a range of 30°-60°, the growth of tilted eutectics is governed jointly by the solid-solid interfacial energy anisotropy and the solid-liquid interfacial energy anisotropy;otherwise, it is mainly controlled by the solid-solid interfacial energy anisotropy. Further analysis shows that the unequal pinning angle at triple point caused by the adjustment of the force balance results in different solute-diffusion rates on both sides of triple point. This will further induce an asymmetrical concentration distribution along the pulling direction near the solid-liquid interface and the tilted growth of eutectics. Our findings not only shed light on the formation mechanism of tilted eutectics but also provide theoretical guidance for controlling the microstructure evolution during eutectic solidification.

A Hybrid Scheme of Level Set and Diffuse Interface Methods for Simulating Multi-Phase Compressible Flows

We propose a hybrid scheme combing the level set method and the multicomponent diffuse interface method to simulate complex multi-phase flows.The overall numerical scheme is based on a sharp interface framework where the level set method is adopted to capture the material interface,the Euler equation is used to describe a single-phase flow on one side of the interface and the six-equation diffuse interface model is applied to model the multi-phase mixture or gas-liquid cavitation on the other side.An exact Riemann solver,between the Euler equation and the six-equation model with highly nonlinear Mie-Gr¨uneisen equations of state,is developed to predict the interfacial states and compute the phase interface flux.Several numerical examples,including shock tube problems,cavitation problems,air blast and underwater explosion applications are presented to validate the numerical scheme and the Riemann solver.

Multi-Phase Texture Segmentation Using Gabor Features Histograms Based on Wasserstein Distance

We present a multi-phase image segmentation method based on the histogram of the Gabor feature space,which consists of a set of Gabor-filter responses with various orientations,scales and frequencies.Our model replaces the error function term in the original fuzzy region competition model with squared 2-Wasserstein distance function,which is a metric to measure the distance of two histograms.The energy functional is minimized by alternative minimization method and the existence of closed-form solutions is guaranteed when the exponent of the fuzzy membership term being 1 or 2.We test our model on both simple synthetic texture images and complex natural images with two or more phases.Experimental results are shown and compared to other recent results.

Microstructure evolution and phase transitions in metals simulated by the multiphase-field method

The phase-field method has emerged as the method of choice for the description of microstructure evolution and phase transitions in metallic materials.Following general thermodynamic laws a set of evolution equations for the structural variables of the system,the so called phase-fields,are derived.The paper reviews shortly the theoretical background of the multi-phase-field.Different examples demonstrating the applicability of the method to technical steels will be presented ranging from deformation of the dendritic strand shell during peritectic transformation,grain growth in Austenite to stress driven growth of Pearlite.

A General Moving Mesh Framework in 3D and its Application for Simulating the Mixture of Multi-Phase Flows

In this paper, we present an adaptive moving mesh algorithm for meshesof unstructured polyhedra in three space dimensions. The algorithm automaticallyadjusts the size of the elements with time and position in the physical domain to resolvethe relevant scales in multiscale physical systems while minimizing computationalcosts. The algorithm is a generalization of the moving mesh methods basedon harmonic mappings developed by Li et al. [J. Comput. Phys., 170 (2001), pp. 562-588, and 177 (2002), pp. 365-393]. To make 3D moving mesh simulations possible,the key is to develop an efficient mesh redistribution procedure so that this part willcost as little as possible comparing with the solution evolution part. Since the meshredistribution procedure normally requires to solve large size matrix equations, wewill describe a procedure to decouple the matrix equation to a much simpler blocktridiagonaltype which can be efficiently solved by a particularly designed multi-gridmethod. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed 3D moving mesh strategy,the algorithm is implemented in finite element simulations of fluid-fluid interface interactionsin multiphase flows. To demonstrate the main ideas, we consider the formationof drops by using an energetic variational phase field model which describesthe motion of mixtures of two incompressible fluids. Numerical results on two- andthree-dimensional simulations will be presented.

Macro-scale pseudo-particle modeling for particle-fluid systems

Pseudo-particle modeling (PPM) is a particle method (PM) proposed in 1996. Though it is effective for the simulation of microscopic particle-fluid systems, its application to practical systems is still limited by computational cost. In this note, we speed up the computation by using a combination of weighted averaging with finite difference techniques to upgrade the particle interactions to a fluid element level, which conforms to the Navier-Stokes equation. The approach, abbreviated to MaPPM, is then applied to the problem of one-dimensional Poiseuille flow with a quantitative comparison to the results of another related PM--smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), where the accuracy and efficiency of MaPPM is found to be much better than that of SPH. Flows around a cylinder and multiple freely moving particles are also simulated with the new model, resulting in reasonable flow pattern and drag coefficient. The convergence and robustness of the algorithm prove promising.

Numerical modeling of sediment transport based on unsteady and steady flows by incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics method

The purpose of the present paper is to introduce a simple two-part multi-phase model for the sediment transport problems based on the incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics（ISPH） method. The proposed model simulates the movement of sediment particles in two parts. The sediment particles are classified into three categories, including the motionless particles, moving particles behave like a rigid body, and moving particles with a pseudo fluid behavior. The criterion for the classification of sediment particles is the Bingham rheological model. Verification of the present model is performed by simulation of the dam break waves on movable beds with different conditions and the bed scouring under steady flow condition. Comparison of the present model results, the experimental data and available numerical results show that it has good ability to simulate flow pattern and sediment transport.

Improved multi-order parameter and multi-component model of polycrystalline solidification

In this paper, we present an improved multi-order parameter model for multi-component model of polycrystalline solidification. We introduce an interpolation function in the phase field dynamical equation to obtain controllable grain boundary energy at large undercooling. The same interpolation function is also employed in the kinetics coefficient to allow for better control of grain boundary migration. Temperature dependent phase field parameters and noise terms are consistently coupled into the dynamics of a binary system in a manner that allows for quantitative simulations in the thin interface limit. The model is applied to multi-phase solidification in Al-Cu alloy, where a parabolic fitting method is employed to model the free energy of Al-Cu phases and two-phase nucleation is demonstrated in directional solidification.

Velocity profiles description and shape factors inclusion in a hyperbolic,one-dimensional,transient two-fluid model for stratified and slug flow simulations in pipes

In a previous work it has been shown that a one-dimensional,hyperbolic,transient five equations twofluid model is able to numerically describe stratified,wavy,and slug flow in horizontal and nearhorizontal pipes.Slug statistical characteristics can be numerically predicted with results in good agreement with experimental data and well-known empirical relations.In this model some approximated and simplified assumptions are adopted to describe shear stresses at wall and at phase interface.In this paper,we focus on the possibility to account for the cross sectional flow by inserting shape factors into the momentum balance equations of the aforementioned model.Velocity profiles are obtained by a pre-integrated model and they are computed at each time step and at each computational cell.Once that the velocity profiles are known,the obtained shape factors are inserted in the numerical resolution.In this way it is possible to recover part of the information lost due to the one-dimensional flow description.Velocity profiles computed in stratified conditions are compared against experimental profiles measured by PIV technique;a method to compute the velocity profile during slug initiation and growth has been developed and the computed velocity distribution in the liquid phase was compared against the one-seventh power law.