A hybrid contact approach for modeling soil-structure interaction using the material point method

The grid-based multi-velocity field technique has become increasingly popular for simulating the Material Point Method(MPM)in contact problems.However,this traditional technique has some shortcomings,such as(1)early contact and contact penetration can occur when the contact conditions are unsuitable,and(2)the method is not available for contact problems involving rigid-nonrigid materials,which can cause numerical instability.This study presents a new hybrid contact approach for the MPM to address these limitations to simulate the soil and structure interactions.The approach combines the advantages of point-point and point-segment contacts to implement contact detection,satisfying the impenetrability condition and smoothing the corner contact problem.The proposed approach is first validated through a disk test on an inclined slope.Then,several typical cases,such as granular collapse,bearing capacity,and deformation of a flexible retaining wall,are simulated to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach compared with FEM or analytical solutions.Finally,the proposed method is used to simulate the impact of sand flow on a deformable structure.The results show that the proposed contact approach can well describe the phenomenon of soil-structure interaction problems.

Wheel-rail contact model for railway vehicle-structure interaction applications:development and validation

An enhancement in the wheel-rail contact model used in a nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction(VSI)methodology for railway applications is presented,in which the detection of the contact points between wheel and rail in the concave region of the thread-flange transition is implemented in a simplified way.After presenting the enhanced formulation,the model is validated with two numerical applications(namely,the Manchester Benchmarks and a hunting stability problem of a sus-pended wheelset),and one experimental test performed in a test rig from the Railway Technical Research Institute(RTRI)in Japan.Given its finite element(FE)nature,and contrary to most of the vehicle multibody dynamic commercial software that cannot account for the infrastructure flexibility,the proposed VSI model can be easily used in the study of train-bridge systems with any degree of complexity.The validation presented in this work proves the accuracy of the proposed model,making it a suitable tool for dealing with different railway dynamic applications,such as the study of bridge dynamics,train running safety under different scenarios(namely,earthquakes and crosswinds,among others),and passenger riding comfort.

Real Time Math Simulation of Contact Interaction during Spacecraft Docking and Berthing

Contact reactions of guide surfaces of assembly interfaces lead to the decreasing of theirs lateral and angular misalignments. The focus of this paper is the development of algorithms for computation of guide surfaces contact forces with acceptable engineering accuracy for real time simulation of assembly operations. Therefore, each complex guide surface is described as a set of contacting elements. Each contacting element for one＇s part can be represented by a finite set of geometric primitives which geometry is described by low order algebraic equations. So contact conditions and geometric parameters for all pairs of primitives are determined by analytical expressions. Math models are developed for two classes of contact interaction. The first class includes all cases when each contacting surface has several degrees of freedom of motion. Therefore, contact reactions introduced into differential equations of motion are calculated by using contacting elements penetrations, stiffness and damping parameters. The second class corresponds to all cases when one of contacting surfaces has insignificant inertia and only one degree of freedom of relative displacement counteracted by a spring. Here contact reactions are calculated from spring tension with any practical accuracy. This is very useful in some practical applications. Presented algorithms provide real time simulation together with some approaches for reduction of redundant comnutations.

THE CRACK-INCLUSION INTERACTION AND THE ANALYSIS OF SINGULARITY FOR THE HORIZONTAL CONTACT

Using the basic solutions of a single crack and a single inclusion, and making use of the principle of linear superposition of elastic mechanics, the interaction problem between a planar crack and a flat inclusion in an elastic solid is studied. The problem is reduced to solve a set of standard Cauchy-type singular equations. And the stress intensity factors at points of crack and inclusion were obtained. Besides, the singularity for the horizontal contact of crack and inclusion was analyzed. The calculating model put forward can be regarded as a new technique for studying the crack and its expanding caused by inclusion lip. Then several numerical examples are given.

Predicting residue contacts for protein-protein interactions by integration of multiple information

Detailed knowledge of interfacial region between interacting proteins is not only helpful in annotating function for proteins, but also very important for structure-based drug design and disease treatment. However, this is one of the most difficult tasks and current methods are constrained by some factors. In this study, we developed a new method to predict residue-residue contacts of two interacting protein domains by integrating information about evolutionary couplings andamino acid pairwise contact potentials, as well as domain-domain interaction interfaces. The experimental results showed that our proposed method outperformed the previous method with the same datasets. Moreover, the method promises an improvement in the source of template-based protein docking.

State-of-Arts of Mechanics of Rolling Contact and Its Application to Analysis of the Interactions between Wheel and Rail

A few typical models of theory on rolling contact of bodies are reviewed, and the advantages and disadvantages in the applications to the dynamics of railway vehicles and the wheel/rail rolling contact are discussed in detail in the present paper.

Study of the interfacial interactions in the molybdenite floatation system

Interfacial interactions involving Van der Waals force, hydrophobic attractive force and hydration exclusive force were investigated in this paper. The interfacial interactive free energy of a series of interfaces occurring between minerals, water, collectors and bubble was calculated. The results show that a Van der Waals attractive force and a hydrophobic attractive force exist between each mineral and water interface. The hydrophobic attractive force between molybdenite and water is markedly weaker than the hydrophobic attractive force between gangue and water. The hydrophobic attractive force between collector molecules and water is the main driving force that causes the collectors to become dispersed in the pulp. The strong hydrophobic attractive force between molybdenite and the bubble interface is the basic reason for the natural floatability of molybdenite. The Van der Waals force between molybdenite and the collectors is attractive in water solution, but it is not the cause of the main force between them. The main force that results in the collection effect is a hydrophobic attractive force caused by the Lewis acid-base interaction at the molybdenite surface. A floatation experiment shows that the adsorption intensity of the collector on the molybdenite surface is not the crucial factor for molybdenite floatation. Rather, the dispersing capability of the collector in the water phase and its selectivity for the various minerals in the floatation system are more important.

Dissociation of polar oil components in low salinity water and its impact on crude oil-brine interfacial interactions and physical properties

Despite many efforts into the study of fluids interaction in low salinity water flooding, they are not probing the basics of transport phenomena between the involved phases. This work is aimed to bring new understanding of fluid-fluid interaction during low salinity water flooding through a series of organized experiments in which a crude oil sample with known properties was kept in contact with different brine solutions of various ionic strengths. Measuring brine pH, conductivity and crude oil viscosity and density for a period of 45 days illustrates the strong effect of the contact time and ionic strength on the dissociation of polar components and physical properties of the crude oil and brine. Besides, the interfacial tension(IFT) measurements show that the interfacial interactions are affected by several competitive interfacial processes. By decreasing the ionic strength of the brine, the solubility of naphthenic acids in the aqueous solution increases, and hence,the conductivity and the pH of the aqueous phase decrease. To verify this important finding, UV-Vis spectroscopy and 'H NMR analysis were also performed on aged brine samples. Notably, there is an ionic strength of brine in which the lowest IFT is observed, while the other physical properties are remained relatively unchanged.

Influence of Small Amphiphiles on Aqueous Dispersions of <i>β</i>-Lactoglobulin A and Bovine Serum Albumin: (1) Intermolecular Interactions

Hydrophilic and hydrophobic (φ) interactions among amphiphiles play critical roles in interfacial properties of proteins and other smaller amphiphiles and affect the creation and stability of foams and emulsions in food systems. Contribution of small amphiphiles on H-bonding and hydrophobic (φ) interactions at a model interface comprising of a water-hydrophobized surface interface as reflected by contact angle (θ) of fatty acid free bovine serum albumin (FAF-BSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and β-lactoglobulin variant A (β-LGA) was investigated. Amphiphiles were used with either protein in neutral water or α-bromonaphtalene (α-BrN) (22°C) to obtain θ-H2O and θ-α-BrN measurements, respectively. θ-α-BrN reflected influence of φ-interactions on θ since α-BrN molecules do not partake significantly in H-bonding. Ionic nature of the amphiphiles had no significant effect. Dramatic difference was between zwitterionic Z8 and Z12. At 1%, Z8 significantly increased H-bonding in BSA and β-LGA by 26% and 55%, respectively, whereas Z12, which is more hydrophobic, decreased it by 50% and 21%. At the same concentration, φ-interactions were enhanced by Z8 for BSA by 37% and by all amphiphiles except Z12 for FAF-BSA.

基于BS Contact的x3d技术的应用研究

对不同的x3d播放器,x3d虚拟现实系统的构建方法就会有所不同。在众多x3d播放器中,BS Contact播放器对x3d场景的渲染效果良好,并提供强大的编程接口控制x3d场景。本文以BS Contact作为x3d播放器展开讲述构建x3d场景的相关技术,使用一个简单的实例详细讲解使用BS Contact播放器时x3d场景的交互方式。

Sensitivity analyses of random cave groups on karst tunnel stability based on water–rock interaction using a novel contact dynamic method

This paper concentrates on the sensitivity and dynamic simulation of randomly distributed karst cave groups on tunnel stability and connectivity extended ratio based on water–rock interaction using a novel contact dynamic method(CDM).The concept of karst cave group connectivity extended ratio during tunneling and water inrush is proposed.The effects of cave shape and spatial distribution on Qiyueshan tunnel are investigated.Tunnel deformation and damage index,and connectivity extended ratio with uniform random karst cave groups are evaluated.The results demonstrate that the connectivity extended ratio is verified as a crucial judgment in predicting the safe distance and assessing the stability of the tunnel with the karst cave group.CDM model captures the fracture propagation and contact behavior of rock mass,surface flow,as well as the bidirectional water–rock interaction during the water inrush of Qiyueshan tunnel with multiple caves.A larger cave radius and smaller minimum distance between the cave and tunnel increase the deformation and damage index of the surrounding rock.When the cave radius and cave area ratio increase,the failure pattern shifts from overall to local failure.These findings potentially have broad applications in various surface and subsurface scenarios involving water–rock interactions.

An integrated approach for the optimization of wheel-rail contact force measurement systems

A comprehension of railway dynamic behavior implies the measure of wheel-rail contact forces which are affected by disturbances and errors that are often difficult to be quantified. In this study, a benchmark test case is proposed, and a bogie with a layout used on some European locomotives such as SIEMENS El90 is studied. In this layout, an additional shaft on which brake disks are installed is used to transmit the braking torque to the wheelset through a single-stage gearbox. Using a mixed approach based on finite element techniques and statistical considerations, it is possible to evaluate an optimal layout for strain gauge positioning and to optimize the measurement system to diminish the effects of noise and disturbance. We also conducted preliminary evaluations on the precision and frequency response of the proposed system.

Local buckling of thin plate on tensionless elastic foundations under interactive uniaxial compression and shear

This paper uses a mathematical method to develop an analytical solution to the local buckling behaviour of long rectangular plates resting on tensionless elastic Winkler foundations and under combined uniform longitudinal uniaxial compressive and uniform in-plane shear loads. Fitted formulas are derived for plates with clamped edges and simplified supported edges. Two examples are given to demonstrate the application of the current method： one is a plate on tensionless spring foundations and the other is the contact between the steel sheet and elastic solid foundation. Finite element （FE） analysis is also conducted to validate the analytical results. Good agreement is obtained between the current method and FE analysis.

Development of CASRock for modeling multi-fracture interactions in rocks under hydro-mechanical conditions

The interaction between multiple fractures is important in the analysis of rock fracture propagation,fracture network evolution and stability and integrity of rocks under hydro-mechanical(HM)coupling conditions.At present,modeling the mechanical behavior of multiple fractures is still challenging.Under the condition of multiple fractures,the opening,closing,sliding,propagation and penetration of fractures become more complicated.In order to simulate the HM coupling behavior of multi-fracture system,the paper presents a novel numerical scheme,including mesh reconstruction and topology generation algorithm,to efficiently and accurately represent fractures and their propagation process,and a potential function-based algorithm to address contact problem.The fracture contact algorithm does not need to set contact pairs and thus is suitable for complex contact situations from small to large deformations induced by HM loading.The topology of fracture interfaces is constructed by the dynamic adding algorithm,which makes the mesh reconstruction more rapid in the modeling of fracturing process,especially in the case of multiple fractures intersections.The numerical scheme is implemented in CASRock,a self-developed numerical code,to simulate the propagation process of rock fractures and the interaction of multiple fractures under the condition of HM coupling.To verify the suitability of the code,a series of tests were performed.The code was then applied to simulate hydraulic fracture propagation and fracture interactions caused by fluid injection.The ability of this method to study fracture propagation,multi-fracture interaction and fracture network evolution under hydro-mechanical coupling conditions is demonstrated.

Effect of crack face contact on dynamic stress intensity factors for a hole-edge crack

In order to determine the dynamic stress intensity factors(DSIFs)for a single edge crack at the center hole of a finite plate under a compressive step loading parallel to the crack,the finite element method was employed to solve the cracked plate problem.The square-root stress singularity around the crack tip was simulated by quarter point singular elements collapsed by 8-node two-dimensional isoparametric elements.The DSIFs with and without considering crack face contact situations were evaluated by using the displacement correlation technique,and the influence of contact interaction between crack surfaces on DSIFs was investigated.The numerical results show that if the contact interaction between crack surfaces is ignored,the negative mode I DSIFs may be obtained and a physically impossible interpenetration or overlap of the crack surfaces will occur.Thus the crack face contact has a significant influence on the mode I DSIFs.

ACCEPT-NMR: A New Tool for the Analysis of Crystal Contacts and Their Links to NMR Chemical Shift Perturbations

We have developed an open-source cross-platform software toolkit entitled ACCEPT-NMR (Automated Crystal Contact Extrapolation/Prediction Toolkit for NMR) as a helpful tool to automate many of the complex tasks required to find and visualize crystal contacts in structures of biomolecules and biomolecular assemblies. This toolkit provides many powerful features geared toward NMR spectroscopy and related disciplines, such as isotopic labeling, advanced visualization options, and reporting tools. Using this software, we have undertaken a survey of available chemical shift data in the literature and deposited in the BMRB, and show that the mere presence of one or more crystal contacts to a residue confers an approximately 65% likelihood of significant chemical shift perturbations (relative to solution NMR chemical shifts). The presence of each additional crystal contact subsequently increases this probability, resulting in predictive accuracies in excess of 80% in many cases. Conversely, the presence of a significant experimental chemical shift perturbation indicates a >60% likelihood of finding one or more crystal contacts to a particular residue. Pinpointing sites likely to experience large CSPs is critical to mapping solution NMR chemical shifts onto solid-state NMR data as a basis for preliminary assignments, and can thus simplify the assignment process for complex biomolecules. Mapping observed CSPs onto the molecular structure, on the other hand, can indicate the presence of crystal interfaces where no crystal structure is available. Finally, by detecting sites critical to intermolecular interfaces, ACCEPT-NMR can help guide experimental approaches (e.g. isotopic labeling schemes) to detect and probe specific inter-subunit interactions.

半无限区域雪壤与车轮交互作用接触动力学特性分析

车轮与雪壤交互作用是车辆在高原、极地等环境下安全行驶的基础。为构建准确表征车轮与雪壤接触过程的车轮-雪壤交互动态模型,建立圆盘加载仿真模型,获取典型雪壤的压力-沉陷关系;基于硬质雪壤建立车轮-雪壤交互数值仿真模型,对车轮-雪壤交互接触作用力进行数值仿真。利用圆盘加载试验结果和实车试验结果,对建立的数值模型进行有效性验证。基于车轮-雪壤交互平均接触应力关系建立车轮-雪壤交互接触作用力解析模型,利用仿真结果对解析模型进行验证。研究结果表明:半无限区域下的圆盘加载数值仿真模型能够有效反映雪壤的压力-沉陷特性,车轮-雪壤交互数值仿真结果与实际车轮行驶的下陷量、运动阻力系数有较好的一致性;车轮行驶滑移率为正时,车轮载荷-沉陷关系和车轮-雪壤交互接触作用力趋于稳定,车轮行驶滑移率为负时,车轮下陷量变大,由此导致垂向支持力正应力部分和运动阻力增加;车轮行驶滑移率为正时,车轮-雪壤交互解析模型可以准确预测车轮-雪壤交互接触作用力的变化趋势。

竖向地震引起的城市高架桥的车‒桥耦合作用

建立了典型城市高架桥的车‒桥耦合作用简化模型,利用非线性接触单元模拟桥面和车辆之间的耦合,并选取不同频谱特性的竖向地震动作为激励,研究汽车质量、频率、地震动频谱特性和峰值加速度等多个参数对车‒桥耦合系统动力响应的影响。结果表明,车辆质量和车辆振动频率以及地震动频谱特性均对车桥耦合系统有较大的影响,在共计1866个工况中有221个工况出现了车桥分离的现象;车桥分离对桥梁竖向位移响应多表现为不利,同时还大幅增加了车辆对桥面的碰撞力;在统计意义上,车桥分离的峰值加速度的平均值随着汽车质量的增加而增加,随着汽车频率的增加而减小,随着地震动平均周期的增大而减小。

气力输送颗粒系统中静电的研究进展

在过去的几十年里,由于许多工业问题和相关新技术的发展,颗粒和颗粒流的静电学得到了越来越多的关注。颗粒-颗粒和颗粒-壁面之间发生碰撞从而产生静电。静电的发生会受多种因素的影响,随着颗粒与壁面之间的接触会在它们的表面产生静电荷的积累,静电量可以达到饱和状态。本文分别综述了气力输送颗粒系统中的静电发生及静电平衡,着重分析了颗粒与壁面之间接触带电的两种方式(碰撞带电和摩擦带电)、颗粒流模式及受力情况,讨论了颗粒带电过程所受的影响因素,包括外界条件(温度、相对湿度)、颗粒几何条件(尺寸、形状、接触面积、粗糙度)以及受力条件(摩擦力、常压)等。此外,对气力输送颗粒系统中静电的数值计算作了简单介绍。最后,为澄清气力输送颗粒系统中静电发生的机理,对单颗粒发生静电的物理机制进行了分析。根据对相关研究结果的总结,发现由于碰撞或摩擦造成的电荷转移的工作机制尚未完全明了,这些问题将在未来逐步得到解决。

线粒体相关内质网膜及其在心肌缺血/再灌注损伤中作用的研究进展

一直以来,细胞器被认为具有各自特异的组成和结构,独立发挥作用。现在越来越多研究表明,相邻的不同细胞器之间可以通过蛋白-蛋白或蛋白-脂质形成膜接触点,从而发生相互作用。线粒体相关内质网膜(mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes,MAMs)是线粒体与内质网之间相互接触的膜结构,多种蛋白富集在MAMs上,对内质网和线粒体之间的物质交流及二者的功能,起严格的调控作用。在心肌缺血/再灌注损伤(myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury,MIRI)中,MAMs参与线粒体分裂、线粒体自噬、氧化应激、钙失衡等一系列关键的病理进程,对病情的发展、转归起着极为重要的作用,是一个很有希望的治疗靶点。该文着重于MAMs的结构、功能和其对MIRI进程调控方面的研究进展,进行一个详细的综述。