Meter-Scale Thin-Walled Structure with Lattice Infill for Fuel Tank Supporting Component of Satellite:Multiscale Design and Experimental Verification

Lightweight thin-walled structures with lattice infill are widely desired in satellite for their high stiffness-to-weight ratio and superior buckling strength resulting fromthe sandwich effect.Such structures can be fabricated bymetallic additive manufacturing technique,such as selective laser melting(SLM).However,the maximum dimensions of actual structures are usually in a sub-meter scale,which results in restrictions on their appliance in aerospace and other fields.In this work,a meter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill is designed for the fuel tank supporting component of the satellite by integrating a self-supporting lattice into the thickness optimization of the thin-wall.The designed structure is fabricated by SLM of AlSi10Mg and cold metal transfer welding technique.Quasi-static mechanical tests and vibration tests are both conducted to verify the mechanical strength of the designed large-scale lattice thin-walled structure.The experimental results indicate that themeter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill could meet the dimension and lightweight requirements of most spacecrafts.

Energy-absorption forecast of thin-walled structure by GA-BP hybrid algorithm

In order to analyze the influence rule of experimental parameters on the energy-absorption characteristics and effectively forecast energy-absorption characteristic of thin-walled structure, the forecast model of GA-BP hybrid algorithm was presented by uniting respective applicability of back-propagation artificial neural network （BP-ANN） and genetic algorithm （GA）. The detailed process was as follows. Firstly, the GA trained the best weights and thresholds as the initial values of BP-ANN to initialize the neural network. Then, the BP-ANN after initialization was trained until the errors converged to the required precision. Finally, the network model, which met the requirements after being examined by the test samples, was applied to energy-absorption forecast of thin-walled cylindrical structure impacting. After example analysis, the GA-BP network model was trained until getting the desired network error only by 46 steps, while the single BP-ANN model achieved the same network error by 992 steps, which obviously shows that the GA-BP hybrid algorithm has faster convergence rate. The average relative forecast error （ARE） of the SEA predictive results obtained by GA-BP hybrid algorithm is 1.543%, while the ARE of the SEA predictive results obtained by BP-ANN is 2.950%, which clearly indicates that the forecast precision of the GA-BP hybrid algorithm is higher than that of the BP-ANN.

Solidified structure of thin-walled titanium parts by vertical centrifugal casting

The solidified structure of the thin-walled and complicated Ti-6AI-4V castings produced by the vertical centrifugal casting process was studied in the present work. The results show that the wall thickness of the section is featured with homogeneously distributed fine equiaxial grains, compared with the microstructure of the thick-walled section. The grain size of the castings has a tendency to decrease gradually with the increasing of the centrifugal radius. The inter-lamellar space in thick-walled casting parts is bigger than that of the thin-walled parts, and the profile of inter-lamellar space is not susceptible to the centrifugal radius.

Boundary Element Analysis forModeⅢCrack Problems of Thin-Walled Structures from Micro-to Nano-Scales

This paper develops a new numerical framework for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures by integrating multiple advanced techniques in the boundary element literature.The details of special crack-tip elements for displacement and stress are derived.An exponential transformation technique is introduced to accurately calculate the nearly singular integral,which is the key task of the boundary element simulation of thin-walled structures.Three numerical experiments with different types of cracks are provided to verify the performance of the present numerical framework.Numerical results demonstrate that the present scheme is valid for modeⅢcrack problems of thin-walled structures with the thickness-to-length ratio in the microscale,even nanoscale,regime.

Elastoplastic analysis of thin-walled structures in reservoir area

In the structural design of the high pier,in order to analyze the strength and structure stability,the pier was often considered a thin-walled structure.Elastoplastic incremental theory was used to establish the model of elastoplastic stability of high pier.By considering the combined action of pile,soil and pier together,the destabilization bearing capacity was calculated by using 3-D finite element method(3-D FEM) for piers with different pile and section height.Meanwhile,the equivalent stress in different sections of pier was computed and the processor of destabilization was discussed.When the pier is lower,the bearing capacity under mutual effect of pile,soil and pier is less than the situation when mutual effect is not considered;when the pier is higher,their differences are not conspicuous.Along with the increase of the cross-sectional height,the direction of destabilization bearing capacity is varied and the ultimate capacity is buildup.The results of a stability analysis example are almost identical with the practice.

Dynamic stiffness for thin-walled structures by power series

The dynamic stiffness method is introduced to analyze thin-walled structures including thin-walled straight beams and spatial twisted helix beam. A dynamic stiffness matrix is formed by using frequency dependent shape functions which are exact solutions of the governing differential equations. With the obtained thin-walled beam dynamic stiffness matrices, the thin-walled frame dynamic stiffness matrix can also be formulated by satisfying the required displacements compatibility and forces equilib-rium, a method which is similar to the finite element method (FEM). Then the thin-walled structure natural frequencies can be found by equating the determinant of the system dynamic stiffness matrix to zero. By this way, just one element and several elements can exactly predict many modes of a thin-walled beam and a spatial thin-walled frame, respectively. Several cases are studied and the results are compared with the existing solutions of other methods. The natural frequencies and buckling loads of these thin-walled structures are computed.

Geometric Accuracy and Energy Absorption Characteristics of 3D Printed Continuous Ramie Fiber Reinforced Thin-Walled Composite Structures

The application of continuous natural fibers as reinforcement in composite thin-walled structures offers a feasible approach to achieve light weight and high strength while remaining environmentally friendly.In addition,additive manufacturing technology provides a favorable process foundation for its realization.In this study,the printability and energy absorption properties of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced thin-walled structures with different configurations were investigated.The results suggested that a low printing speed and a proper layer thickness would mitigate the printing defects within the structures.The printing geometry accuracy of the structures could be further improved by rounding the sharp corners with appropriate radii.This study successfully fabricated structures with vari-ous configurations characterized by high geometric accuracy through printing parameters optimization and path smoothing.Moreover,the compressive property and energy absorption characteristics of the structures under quasi-static axial compression were evaluated and compared.It was found that all studied thin-walled structures exhibited progressive folding deformation patterns during compression.In particular,energy absorption process was achieved through the combined damage modes of plastic deformation,fiber pullout and delamination.Furthermore,the com-parison results showed that the hexagonal structure exhibited the best energy absorption performance.The study revealed the structure-mechanical property relationship of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced composite thin-walled structures through the analysis of multiscale failure characteristics and load response,which is valuable for broadening their applications.

Emerging Challenges for Numerical Simulations of Quasi-Static Collision Experiments on Laser-Welded Thin-Walled Steel Structures

This paper re-evaluates recently published quasi-static tests on laser-welded thin-walled steel structures in order to discuss the fundamental challenges in collision simulations based on finite element analysis.Clamped square panels were considered,with spherical indenter positioned at the mid-span of the stiffeners and moved along this centerline in order to change the load-carrying mechanism of the panels.Furthermore,the use of panels with single-sided flat bar stiffening and web-core sandwich panels enabled the investigation of the effect of structural topology on structural behavior and strength.The changes in loading position and panel topology resulted in different loading,structural and material gradients.In web-core panels,these three gradients occur at the same locations making the panel global responses sensitive for statistical variations and the failure process time-dependent.In stiffened panel with reduced structural gradient,this sensitivity and time-dependency in failure process is not observed.These observations set challenges to numerical simulations due to spatial and temporal discretization as well as the observed microrotation,which is beyond the currently used assumptions of classical continuum mechanics.Therefore,finally,we discuss the potential of non-classical continuum mechanics as remedy to deal with these phenomena and provide a base for necessary development for future.

LOCALIZED ANALYSIS OF THIN-WALLED STRUCTURE’S BUCKLING/INITIAL POST-BUCKLING AND ITS ACCURACY

A method of localization is proposed to lower the high order of equations in FEM calcula- tion for the stability of a complex thin-walled structure.The localized analysis enables us to obtain both the upper and lower limits for the bifurcating point in a whole linear elastic structural system,as well as an ap- proximate solution to asymptotic post-buckling problem.Some numerical examples are included.

Optimization Design of an Embedded Multi-Cell Thin-Walled Energy Absorption Structures with Local Surface Nanocrystallization

Bymeans of the local surface nanocrystallization that enables to change the material on local positions,an innovative embedded multi-cell(EMC)thin-walled energy absorption structures with local surface nanocrystallization is proposed in this paper.The local surface nanacrystallization stripes are regarded as the moving morphable components in the domain for optimal design.Results reveal that after optimizing the local surface nanocrystallization layout,the specific energy absorption(SEA)is increased by 50.78%compared with the untreated counterpart.Besides,in contrast with the optimized 4-cell structure,the SEA of the nanocrystallized embedded 9-cell structure is further enhanced by 27.68%,in contrast with the 9-cell structure,the SEA of the nanocrystallized embedded clapboard type 9-cell structure is enhanced by 3.61%.Thismethod provides a guidance for the design of newenergy absorption devices.

Transformation Matrix for Combined Loads Applied to Thin-Walled Structures

This paper transforms combined loads, applied at an arbitrary point of a thin-walled open section beam, to the shear centre of the cross-section of the beam. Therein, a generalized transformation matrix for loads with respect to the shear centre is derived, this accounting for the bimoments that develop due to the way the combined loads are applied. This and the authors’ earlier paper (World Journal of Mechanics 2021, 11, 205-236) provide a full solution to the theory of thin-walled, open-section structures bearing combined loading. The earlier work identified arbitrary loading with the section’s area properties that are necessary to axial and shear stress calculations within the structure’s thin walls. In the previous paper attention is paid to the relevant axes of loading and to the transformations of loading required between axes for stress calculations arising from tension/compression, bending, torsion and shear. The derivation of the general transformation matrix applies to all types of loadings including, axial tensile and compression forces, transverse shear, longitudinal bending. One application, representing all these load cases, is given of a simple channel cantilever with an eccentrically located end load.

Design Optimization of Irregular Cellular Structure for Additive Manufacturing

Irregularcellular structurehas great potential to be considered in light-weight design field. However, the research on optimizing irregular cellular structures has not yet been reporteddue to the difficulties in their modeling technology. Based on the variable density topology opti- mization theory, an efficient method for optimizing the topology of irregular cellular structures fabricated through additive manufacturing processes is proposed. The pro- posed method utilizes tangent circles to automatically generate the main outline of irregular cellular structure. The topological layoutof each cellstructure is optimized using the relative density informationobtained from the proposed modified SIMP method. A mapping relationship between cell structure and relative densityelement is builtto determine the diameter of each cell structure. The results show that the irregular cellular structure can be optimized with the proposed method. The results of simulation and experimental test are similar for irregular cellular structure, which indicate that the maximum deformation value obtained using the modified Solid Isotropic Microstructures with Penalization （SIMP） approach is lower 5.4× 10-5 mm than that using the SIMP approach under the same under the same external load. The proposed research provides the instruction to design the other irregular cellular structure.

3D structure parameterization design and modeling for irregular structure of stope bottom

Stope mining design is a very important and complicated task in daily production design and technical management of an underground mine.Based on workface technology and human-computer interaction technology,this study introduces a method of 3D parametric design for the irregular structure of stope bottoms,and focuses on solving technical problems in surface modeling of stope bottom structure.Optimization of the minimum span length algorithm(MSLA) and the shortest path search algorithm(SPSA) is conducted to solve the problem of contour-line based instant modeling of stope bottom structures,which makes possible the 3D parametric design for irregular structure of stope bottom.Implementation process and relevant methods of the proposed algorithms are also presented.Feasibility and reliability of the proposed modeling method are testified in a case study.In practice,the proposed 3 D parameterization design method for irregular structure stope bottom proves to be very helpful to precise 3D parametric design.This method is capable of contributing to improved efficiency and precision of stope design,and is worthy of promotion.

A Class of Generalized Approximate Inverse Solvers for Unsymmetric Linear Systems of Irregular Structure Based on Adaptive Algorithmic Modelling for Solving Complex Computational Problems in Three Space Dimensions

A class of general inverse matrix techniques based on adaptive algorithmic modelling methodologies is derived yielding iterative methods for solving unsymmetric linear systems of irregular structure arising in complex computational problems in three space dimensions. The proposed class of approximate inverse is chosen as the basis to yield systems on which classic and preconditioned iterative methods are explicitly applied. Optimized versions of the proposed approximate inverse are presented using special storage (k-sweep) techniques leading to economical forms of the approximate inverses. Application of the adaptive algorithmic methodologies on a characteristic nonlinear boundary value problem is discussed and numerical results are given.

A Breakthrough of Primary Structure in Indeterminate Analysi--Irregular Force Method and Irregular Displacement Method

As the strict limitation of primary structure in traditional force method and displacement method in indeterminate analysis may lead to complicated high-order linear equations, a breakthrough of the limitation, i.e., the application of irregular force method and irregular displacement method, would be introduced in this paper to ease the difficulty of hand computations. By using hyperstatic primary structures and partly chained primary structures, the primary structures of force method and displacement method are reformed, and the order of the system is decreased. The technique is explained through examples. The significance of the new method is summarized.

Influence of Vertical Irregularity on the Seismic Behavior of Base Isolated RC Structures with Lead Rubber Bearings under Pulse-Like Earthquakes

Nowadays,an extensive number of studies related to the performance of base isolation systems implemented in regular reinforced concrete structures subjected to various types of earthquakes can be found in the literature.On the other hand,investigations regarding the irregular base-isolated reinforced concrete structures’performance when subjected to pulse-like earthquakes are very scarce.The severity of pulse-like earthquakes emerges from their ability to destabilize the base-isolated structure by remarkably increasing the displacement demands.Thus,this study is intended to investigate the effects of pulse-like earthquake characteristics on the behavior of low-rise irregular base-isolated reinforced concrete structures.Within the study scope,investigations related to the impact of the pulse-like earthquake characteristics,irregularity type,and isolator properties will be conducted.To do so,different values of damping ratios of the base isolation system were selected to investigate the efficiency of the lead rubber-bearing isolator.In general,the outcomes of the study have shown the significance of vertical irregularity on the performance of base-isolated structures and the considerable effect of pulse-like ground motions on the buildings’behavior.

Influence of Random Track Irregularities on Dynamic Response of Bridge/Track Structure/High-Speed Train Systems

Random vertical track irregularities are one of essential vibration sources in bridge, track structure and high-speed train systems. The common model of such irregularities is a stationary and ergodic Gaussian process. The study presents the results of numerical dynamic analysis of advanced virtual models of composite BTT （bridge/ballasted track structure/high-speed train） systems. The analysis has been conducted for a series of types of single-span simply-supported railway composite （steel-concrete） bridges, with a symmetric platform, located on lines with ballasted track structure adapted for high-speed trains. The bridges are designed according to Polish bridge standards. A new methodology of numerical modeling and simulation of dynamic processes in BTT systems has been applied. The methodology takes into consideration viscoelastic suspensions of rail-vehicles, nonlinear Hertz wheel-rail contact stiffness and one-side wheel-rail contact, physically nonlinear elastic-damping properties of the track structure, random vertical track irregularities, approach slabs and other features. Computer algorithms of FE （finite element） modeling and simulation were programmed in Delphi. Both static and dynamic numerical investigations of the bridges forming the series of types have been carried out. It has been proved that in the case of common structural solutions of bridges and ballasted track structures, it is necessary to put certain limitations on operating speeds, macadam ballast and vertical track roughness.

Numerical Analysis on the Seismic Performance of Plane Irregular Structure Based on ABAQUS

Rod element and shell element were used in finite element software ABAQUS to establish dynamic elastic-plastic analysis model of the structure,the seismic performance of an irregular plane complex overrun structure numerical simulation,the structure was calculated under different input level and displacement response of the acceleration response,and analyses the force of the wear layer column and the floor of the open hole stress level.The results were compared with the shaking table test to verify the accuracy of the numerical simulation results.The results of numerical calculation were basically consistent with the experimental results,and the finite element model basically reflected the response of the structure under the simulated earthquake.

Effect of Molecular Weight and Molecular Distribution on Skin Structure and Shear Strength Distribution near the Surface of Thin-Wall Injection Molded Polypropylene

In this study, the relationship between skin structure and shear strength distribution of thin-wall injection molded polypropylene (PP) molded at different molecular weight and molecular distribution was investigated. Skin-core structure, cross-sectional morphology, crystallinity, crystal orientation, crystal morphology and molecular orientation were evaluated by using polarized optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray spectroscopic analyzer and laser Raman spectroscopy, respectively, while the shear strength distribution was investigated using a micro cutting method called SAICAS (Surface And Interfacial Cutting Analysis System). The results indicated that the difference of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution showed own skin layer thickness. Especially, high molecular weight sample showed thicker layer of the lamellar orientation and molecular orientation than low molecular weight sample. In addition, wide molecular distribution sample showed large crystal orientation layer.

Use of Irregular Wood Components to Design Non-Standard Structures

This project deals with architecture and engineering involved in the process of architectural design.Based on native irregular components,it aims at developing an innovative approach in the conception and rationalization of non-standard structures.Contemporary architecture and its non-classical structures require the design of customized pieces.This process which is highly energy and resources consumptive does not always take into account the inherent material properties.This project develops a way of optimizing,in architectural structures,the use of native wood pieces that are not industrially transformed(e.g.boughs)or of reused pieces of carpentry.As a consequence,the ecological footprint of the structures would be reduced.