Characteristics and generation of elastic turbulence in a three-dimensional parallel plate channel using direct numerical simulation

Direct numerical simulations（DNSs） of purely elastic turbulence in rectilinear shear flows in a three-dimensional（3D） parallel plate channel were carried out,by which numerical databases were established.Based on the numerical databases,the present paper analyzed the structural and statistical characteristics of the elastic turbulence including flow patterns,the wall effect on the turbulent kinetic energy spectrum,and the local relationship between the flow motion and the microstructures＇ behavior.Moreover,to address the underlying physical mechanism of elastic turbulence,its generation was presented in terms of the global energy budget.The results showed that the flow structures in elastic turbulence were 3D with spatial scales on the order of the geometrical characteristic length,and vortex tubes were more likely to be embedded in the regions where the polymers were strongly stretched.In addition,the patterns of microstructures＇ elongation behave like a filament.From the results of the turbulent kinetic energy budget,it was found that the continuous energy releasing from the polymers into the main flow was the main source of the generation and maintenance of the elastic turbulent status.

Multi-parameter numerical simulation of dynamic monitoring of rock deformation in deep mining

The level of deformation development of surrounding rocks is a vital predictor to evaluate impending coal mine disasters and it is important to establish accurate measurements of the deformed status to ensure coal mine safety. Traditional deformation monitoring methods are mostly based on single parameter, in this paper, multiple approaches are integrated: firstly, both electric and elastic models are established,from which electric field distribution and seismic wave recording are calculated and finally, the resistivity profiles and source position information are determined using inversion methods, from which then the deformation and failure of mine floor are evaluated. According to the inversion results of both electric and seismic field signals, multiple-parameter dynamic monitoring of surrounding rock deformation in deep mine can be performed. The methodology is validated using numerical simulation results which shows that the multi-parameter dynamic monitoring methods have better results for surrounding rock deformation in deep mine monitoring than single parameter methods.

Role of particle stiffness and inter-particle sliding friction in milling of particles

Discrete element method （DEM） has been used to investigate the effects of particle elastic modulus and coefficient of inter-particle sliding friction on milling of mineral particles. An autogeneous mill of 600 mm diameter and 320 mm length with 14,500 particles has been selected for the simulation. Various mill performance parameters, for example, particle trajectories, collision frequency, collision energy and mill power have been evaluated to understand the effects of particle elastic modulus and inter-particle sliding friction during milling of particles. For the given model, it has been concluded that at high energy range, as the elastic modulus and particle sliding friction increase the energy dissipated among the particles increases. The collision frequency increases with the increase in elastic modulus, however, this trend is not clearly observed with increasing inter-particle sliding friction. The power draw of the mill increases with the increase in fraction of mill critical speed.

Recent progress on the mechanics of sharply bent DNA

Despite extensive studies on the mechanics of DNA under external constrains, such as tension, torsion, and bending, several important aspects have remained poorly understood. One biologically important example is the mechanics of DNA under sharp bending conditions, which has been debated for a decade without thorough comprehension. The debate is about the interesting phenomenon raised from a series of different experiments: sharply bent DNA has a surprisingly high apparent bending flexibility that deviates from the canonical bending elasticity of DNA. This finding has motivated various theoretical models, which mainly incorporate the excitation of mechanical defects inside severely bent DNA molecules. Here, we review the recent progress on the understanding of the mechanics of sharply bent DNA and provide our view on this important question by interrogating the theoretical foundation of these experimental measurements.