Three-point bending of honeycomb sandwich beams with facesheet perforations

A novel square honeycomb-cored sandwich beam with perforated bottom facesheet is investigated under threepoint bending,both analytically and numerically.Perforated square holes in the bottom facesheet are characterized by the area ratio of the hole to intact facesheet（perforation ratio）.While for large-scale engineering applications like the decks of cargo vehicles and transportation ships,the perforations are needed to facilitate the fabrication process（e.g.,laser welding）as well as service maintenance,it is demonstrated that these perforations,when properly designed,can also enhance the resistance of the sandwich to bending.For illustration,fair comparisons among competing sandwich designs having different perforation ratios but equal mass is achieved by systematically thickening the core webs.Further,the perforated sandwich beam is designed with a relatively thick facesheet to avoid local indention failure so that it mainly fails in two competing modes：（1）bending failure,i.e.,yielding of beam cross-section and buckling of top facesheet caused by bending moment;（2）shear failure,i.e.,yielding and buckling of core webs due to shear forcing.The sensitivity of the failure loads to the ratio of core height to beam span is also discussed for varying perforation ratios.As the perfo-ration ratio is increased,the load of shear failure increases due to thickening core webs,while that of bending failure decreases due to the weakening bottom facesheet.Design of a sandwich beam with optimal perforation ratio is realized when the two failure loads are equal,leading to significantly enhanced failure load（up to 60%increase）relative to that of a non-perforated sandwich beam with equal mass.

Numerical analysis of bending property of bi-modulus materials and a new method for measurement of tensile elastic modulus

In nature,there are widely distributed bi-modulus materials with different deformation characteristics under compressive and tensile stress states,such as concrete,rock and ceramics.Due to the lack of constitutive model that could reasonably consider the bi-modulus property of materials,and the lack of simple and reliable measurement methods for the tensile elastic parameters of materials,scientists and engineers always neglect the effect of the bi-modulus property of materials in engineering design and numerical simulation.To solve this problem,this study utilizes the uncoupled strain-driven constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)to systematically study the distributions and magnitudes of stresses and strains of bi-modulus materials in the three-point bending test through the numerical method.Furthermore,a new method to synchronously measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli of materials through the four-point bending test is proposed.The numerical results show that the bi-modulus property of materials has a significant effect on the stress,strain and displacement in the specimen utilized in the three-point and four-point bending tests.Meanwhile,the results from the numerical tests,in which the elastic constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)is utilized,also indicate that the newly proposed measurement method has a good reliability.Although the new measurement method proposed in this study can synchronously and effectively measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli,it cannot measure the tensile and compressive Poisson’s ratios.

A CATASTROPHE ANALYSIS ON THE STABILITY OF THE CRACK GROWTH IN THREE-POINT BENDING SPECIMENS

This paper presents an attempt at the application of catastrophe theory to the stability analysis of J-controlled crack growth in three-point bending specimens. By introducing the solutions of J-integral in the completely yielding state for the ideal plastic material, the critical condition of losing stability for the crack propagation in the specimen is obtained, based on the cusp catastrophe theory. The process of the crack growth from geometrical sense is described.

Modelling and Simulation on the Effect of Hot Forming Damage on Three-Point Bending Performance of Beam Components

The effects of forming damage are analyzed,which occur during hot stamping process,on the load-carrying capacity and failure mode of hot stamped beams.A damage-coupled pre-forming constitutive model was proposed,in which the damage during hot stamping process was introduced into the service response.The constitutive model was applied into the three-point bending simulation of a hot stamped beam,and then the influences of forming damage on the load-carrying capacity and cracks propagation were investigated.The results show that the forming damage reduces the maximum load capacity of the hot stamped beam by 7.5%.It also causes the crack to occur earlier and promotes crack to propagate along the radial direction of the punch.

Experimental and theoretical analyses of package-on-package structure under three-point bending loading

High density packaging is developing toward miniaturization and integration, which causes many difficulties in designing, manufacturing, and reliability testing. Package-on-Package （POP） is a promising three-dimensional high- density packaging method that integrates a chip scale package （CSP） in the top package and a fine-pitch ball grid array （FBGA） in the bottom package. In this paper, in-situ scanning electron microscopy （SEM） observation is carried out to detect the deformation and damage of the PoP structure under three-point bending loading. The results indicate that the cracks occur in the die of the top package, then cause the crack deflection and bridging in the die attaching layer. Furthermore, the mechanical principles are used to analyse the cracking process of the PoP structure based on the multi-layer laminating hypothesis and the theoretical analysis results are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.

Interfacial toughness evaluation of thermal barrier coatings by bending test

Determining the interfacial properties of thermal barrier coatings(TBCs) is imperative for their durability evaluation and further improvements. A ceramic coating(topcoat) and a NiCoCrALY bondcoat were atmospheric-plasma-sprayed(APS) on a stainless steel substrate. A modified three-point bending test was adopted to initiate and propagate the topcoat/bondcoat(TC/BC)interfacial crack. After a complete delamination, the fracture surfaces were examined by an optical microscope, which shows that the cracking plane was merely on the TC/BC interface. Based on the experimental results of load–displacement and crack length–displacement,the strain energy release rate G for crack propagation was calculated, and the averaged magnitude was 77.1 J/m^2.Repeatable results have indicated that the method can be used for the evaluation of interfacial fracture toughness in thermal barrier coatings and other multi-layer structures.

Bending Analysis of a Filament-Wound Composite Tube

The aim of this paper is to present finite element model of a filament-wound composite tube subjected to three-point bending and bending in accordance with standard EN?15807:2011?(railway applications-pneumatic half couplings) along with its experimental verification. In the finite element model, composite reinforcement plies have been characterized by linear orthotropic material model, while rubber liners have been described by a two-parameter MooneyRivlin model. Force-displacement curves of three-point bending show fairly good agreement between simulation results and experimental data. Reaction forces of FE simulation and experiment of standard bending test are in good agreement.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Aluminum Alloy Electric Bus Frame Connectors for Enhanced Durability

The widespread adoption of aluminumalloy electric buses,known for their energy efficiency and eco-friendliness,faces a challenge due to the aluminum frame’s susceptibility to deformation compared to steel.This issue is further exacerbated by the stringent requirements imposed by the flammability and explosiveness of batteries,necessitating robust frame protection.Our study aims to optimize the connectors of aluminum alloy bus frames,emphasizing durability,energy efficiency,and safety.This research delves into Multi-Objective Coordinated Optimization(MCO)techniques for lightweight design in aluminum alloy bus body connectors.Our goal is to enhance lightweighting,reinforce energy absorption,and improve deformation resistance in connector components.Three typical aluminum alloy connectors were selected and a design optimization platform was built for their MCO using a variety of software and methods.Firstly,through three-point bending experiments and finite element analysis on three types of connector components,we identified optimized design parameters based on deformation patterns.Then,employing Optimal Latin hypercube design(OLHD),parametric modeling,and neural network approximation,we developed high-precision approximate models for the design parameters of each connector component,targeting energy absorption,mass,and logarithmic strain.Lastly,utilizing the Archive-based Micro Genetic Algorithm(AMGA),Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),and Non-dominated SortingGenetic Algorithm(NSGA2),we explored optimized design solutions for these joint components.Subsequently,we simulated joint assembly buckling during bus rollover crash scenarios to verify and analyze the optimized solutions in three-point bending simulations.Each joint component showcased a remarkable 30%–40%mass reduction while boosting energy absorption.Our design optimization method exhibits high efficiency and costeffectiveness.Leveraging contemporary automation technology,the design optimization platform developed in this study is poised to facilitate intelligent optimization of lightweight metal components in future applications.

Effects of Temperature and Liquid Nitrogen(LN2)on Coal’s Mechanical and Acoustic Emission(AE)Properties

Liquid nitrogen has shown excellent performances as a good fracturing medium in the extraction of unconventional natural gas,and its application in coalbed methane extraction is currently a research hotspot.This study focuses on the acoustic emission properties of coal specimens treated utilizing liquid nitrogen with varying initial temperatures in a three-point bending environment.Through examination of the load-displacement curves of the considered coal samples,their mechanical properties are also revealed for different initial temperatures and cycling frequencies.The findings demonstrate a gradual decline in the maximum load capacity of coal rock as the temperature rises.Similarly,when subjected to the same temperature,an escalation in the cycling frequency leads to a reduction in the peak load of coal rock.This suggests that both temperature and cycling frequency exert a notable impact on the fracturing efficacy of liquid nitrogen.Freeze-thaw cycling treatments and exposure to high-temperature conditions can activate preexisting damage in the coal rock,and,accordingly,influence its mechanical properties.In particular,throughout the progressive loading of coal rock samples,the failure mechanisms are predominantly characterized by the occurrence of tensile cracks,succeeded by the development,spread,and fracture of shear fissures.

Experimental and numerical investigation of mechanical behavior of plain woven CFRP composites subjected to three-point bending

The mechanical behavior of plain woven Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer(CFRP)composites under Three-Point Bending(TPB)is investigated via experimental and numerical approaches.Multiscale models,including microscale,mesoscale and macroscale models,have been developed to characterize the TPB strength and damages.Thereinto,Representative Volume Elements(RVEs)of the microscale and mesoscale structures are established to determine the effective properties of carbon-fiber yarn and CFRP composites,respectively.Aimed at accurately and efficiently predicting the TPB behavior,an Equivalent Cross-Ply Laminate(ECPL)cell is proposed to simplify the inherent woven architecture,and the effective properties of the subcell are computed using a local homogenization approach.The macroscale model of the TPB specimen is constructed by a topology structure of ECPL cells to predict the mechanical behavior.The TPB experiments have been performed to validate the multiscale models.Both the experimental and numerical results reveal that delamination mainly appears in the top and bottom interfaces of the CFRP laminates.And matrix cracking and delamination are identified as the significant damage modes during the TPB process.Finally,the quasi-static and dynamic behaviors of plain woven composites are discussed by comparing the results of Low-Velocity Impact(LVI)and TPB simulations.

Effect of layer thickness on the flexural property and microstructure of 3D-printed rhomboid polymer-reinforced cemented tailing composites

For mines with poor ore bodies and surrounding rocks,the general mining method does not allow the ore to be extracted from underground safely and efficiently.For these mines,the downward layered filling mining technique is undoubtedly the most suitable mining method.The downward filling mining technique may eliminate the troubles relating to poor ore deposit conditions,such as production safety,ore loss rate,and depletion rate.However,in this technique,the safety of the artificial roof of the next stratum is of paramount importance.Cementitious tailings backfilling(CTB)that is not sufficiently cemented and causes collapses could threaten ore production.This paper explores a diamond-shaped composite structure to mimic the stability of a glued false roof in an actual infill mine based on the recently emerged three-dimensional(3D)printing technology.Experimental means such as three-point bending and digital image correlation(DIC)techniques were used to explore the flexural characteristics of 3D construction specimens and CTB combinations with different cement/tailings weight ratios at diverse layer heights.The results show that the 3D structure with a 14-mm ply height and CTB has strong flexural characteristics,with a maximum deflection value of 30.1 mm,while the 3D-printed rhomboid polymer(3D-PRP)structure with a 26-mm ply height is slightly worse in terms of flexural strength characteristics,but it has a higher maximum flexural strength of 2.83 MPa.A combination of 3D structure and CTB has more unique mechanical properties than CTB itself.This research work offers practical knowledge on the artificial roof performance of the downward layered filling mining technique and builds a scientific knowledge base regarding the successful application of CTB material in mines.

Heterogeneous Fracture Simulation of Three-point Bending Plain-concrete Beam with Double Notches

Plain concrete is regarded as a two-phase material comprising randomly distributed aggregates and mortar matrix. A series of three-point bending concrete beams with symmetric or asymmetric double notches are modeled using the modified random aggregate generation and packing algorithm. The cohesive zone model is used as the fracture criterion and the cohesive el- ements are inserted into both the mortar matrix and the aggregate-mortar interfaces as potential micro-cracking zones. The dead and alive crack phenomena are studied experimentally and nu- merically; and the influences of notch location, aggregate distribution and gradation on fracture are numerically evaluated. Some important conclusions are given.

Numerical Simulation of Sea Ice and Structure Interaction Using Common Node DEM-SPH Model

In this work,a novel fluid-structure coupling method called the common node discrete element-smoothed particle hydrodynamics(DS-SPH)method is introduced.This framework combines the principles of the common node discrete element method(DEM)and smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)to construct DEM-SPH particles situated on the same node.By doing so,the DEM particles can interact with the SPH particles within their support domain,enabling fluid-structure interaction(FSI).To determine the DEM microscopic parameters required for this method,uniaxial compression and three-point bending tests are conducted on sea ice.To verify the proposed model,we select the interaction between sea ice and structures as a case study.Through simulation,the model's capability of accurately depicting sea ice deformation and fracture has been demonstrated.The results indicate that the inclusion of SPH particles with fluid properties in the DEM model has minimal impact on the main mechanical parameters of sea ice.Additionally,it helps prevent the occurrence of particle splashing during cement failure.However,it is observed that the size of DEM particles and the friction between DEM particles and the structure significantly influence the macroscopic mechanical behavior of the common-node DEM-SPH model.Finally,we compare the fracture behavior of sea ice and the ice forces acting on structures obtained from the current model with on-site measured results.The agreement between the two sets of data is excellent,further validating the effectiveness of the proposed model in practical applications.

混凝土楔入劈拉和三点弯曲断裂过程的细观数值模拟

基于离散元思想和Voronoi单元划分技术,利用混凝土细观刚体弹簧元模型,开展了混凝土楔入劈拉试件和三点弯曲切口梁的断裂过程数值仿真分析。从裂缝开展过程、试件破坏形态、荷载-张口位移曲线(P-CMOD)和断裂能等方面,将数值分析结果与已有的试验结果进行了对比。结果表明,细观刚体弹簧元法较准确地模拟了混凝土楔入劈拉试件和三点弯曲切口梁断裂过程。最后,分析了缝高比和骨料体积含量对混凝土断裂过程的影响规律,发现断裂能随骨料体积含量呈单调递增趋势。

Microstructural, mechanical and corrosion characterization of an as-cast Mg-3Zn-0.4Ca alloy for biomedical applications

The as-cast Mg-3Zn-0.4Ca alloy shows a great potential to be used in biomedical applications due to its composition,mechanical properties and biodegradability.Zn and Ca appear naturally in the organism accomplishing vital functions.The alloy consists of an a-Mg matrix and a eutectic composed of a-Mg4-Ca2Mg6Zn3.The eutectic product enhances the mechanical properties of the studied alloy,causing strengthening and providing superior hardness values.In this alloy,cracks initiate at the intermetallic compounds and progress through the matrix because of the open network formed by the eutectics.Attending to the corrosion results,the eutectic product presents a noble potential compared to the a-Mg phase.For this reason,the corrosion progresses preferentially through the matrix,avoiding the(α-Mg+Ca2Mg6Zri3)eutectic product,when the alloy is in direct contact to Hank's solution.

Interdiffusion behavior between Cr and Zr and its effect on the microcracking behavior in the Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy

High-temperature chromium(Cr)-zirconium(Zr)interdiffusion commonly occurs in Cr-coated zircaloys applied for enhanced accident-tolerant fuel(ATF)claddings.Such interdiffusion changes the interfacial microstructure and thus the fracture mechanism of the coating under external loading.In this study,the interdiffusion behavior in a magnetron sputtered Cr coating deposited on a Zr-4 alloy was studied in a vacuum environment at 1160C.In addition,the effect of interdiffusion on the microcracking behavior of the Cr coating was determined by in situ three-point bending tests.The experimental results show that the interdiffusion behavior resulted in the formation of a ZrCr2 layer,accompanied by the consumption of Cr coating and interfacial roughening.The growth of the diffusion layer followed a nearly parabolic law with respect to annealing time,and the residual stress of the annealed coating decreased with increasing annealing time.Under external loading,a large number of cracks were generated in the brittle interlayer,and some interfacial cracks were formed and grew at the ZrCr2/Zr-4 interface.Despite the remarkable microcracks in the ZrCr2 layer,the vacuum-annealed Cr coating has significantly fewer cracks than the original coating,mainly because of the recrystallization of the coating during annealing.

Peridynamic Modeling and Simulation of Fracture Process in Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

In this study,a peridynamic fiber-reinforced concrete model is developed based on the bond-based peridynamic model with rotation effect(BBPDR).The fibers are modelled by a semi-discrete method and distributed with random locations and angles in the concrete specimen,since the fiber content is low,and its scale is smaller than the concrete matrix.The interactions between fibers and concrete matrix are investigated by the improvement of the bond’s strength and stiffness.Also,the frictional effect between the fibers and the concrete matrix is considered,which is divided into static friction and slip friction.To validate the proposed model,several examples are simulated,including the tensile test and the three-point bending beam test.And the numerical results of the proposed model are compared with the experiments and other numerical models.The comparisons show that the proposed model is capable of simulating the fracture behavior of the fiber-reinforced concrete.After adding the fibers,the tensile strength,bending strength,and toughness of the fiber-reinforced concrete specimens are improved.Besides,the fibers distribution has an impact on the crack path,especially in the three-point bending beam test.

Influence of acrylamide monomer addition to the acrylic denture-base resins on mechanical and physical properties

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of adding acrylamide monomer （AAm） on the characterization, flexural strength, flexural modulus and thermal degradation temperature of poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） denture-base resins. Specimens （n= 10） were fabricated from a conventional heat-activated QC-20 （Qc-） and a microwave heat-activated Acron MC （Ac-） PMMA resins. Powder/ liquid ratio followed the manufacturer＇s instructions for the control groups （Qc-c and Ac-c） and for the copolymer groups, the resins were prepared with 5% （-5）, 10% （- 10）, 15% （- 15） and 20% （-20） acrylamide contents, according to the molecular weight ratio, respectively. The flexural strength and flexural modulus were measured by a three-point bending test. The data obtained were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test （a=O.05） to determine significant differences between the groups, The chemical structures of the resins were characterized by the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Thermal stabilities were determined by thermogravimetric analysis （TGA） with a heating rate of 10 ~C.min-1 from 35 ~C to 600 ~C. Control groups from both acrylic resins showed the lowest flexural strength values. Qc-15 showed significant increase in the flexural strength when compared to Qc-c （P〈O.01）. Ac-10 and Ac-15 showed significance when compared to Ac-c （P〈O.01）. Acrylamide incorporation increased the elastic modulus in Qc-10, Qc-15 and Qc-20 when compared to Qc-c （P〈0.01）. Also significant increase was observed in Ac-10, Ac-15 and Ac-20 copolymer groups when compared to Ac-c （P〈0.01）. According to the 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） results, acrylamide copolymerization was confirmed in the experimental groups. TGA results showed that the thermal stability of PMMA is increased by the insertion of AAm.

Mesoscale fracture behavior of Longmaxi outcrop shale with different bedding angles:Experimental and numerical investigations

The mechanical properties and fracturing mechanism of shale containing beddings are critically important in shale gas exploitation and wellbore stability.To investigate the effects of shale bedding on crack behavior and fracturing mechanism,scanning electron microscope(SEM)with a loading system was employed to carry out three-point bending tests on Longmaxi outcrop shale.The crack initiation and propagation of Longmaxi shale were observed and recorded by taking photos during loading.The cracking paths were extracted to calculate the crack length through a MATLAB program.The peak load,fracture toughness and fracture energy all increase with the bedding angle from 0°to 90°.The crack length and energy were also found to increase with the bedding angle in the range of 0°-600 and then drop slightly.The fracturing mechanism of shale includes the main crack affected by the bedding angle and disturbed by randomly distributed particles.The main cracking path was accompanied by several microcrack branches which could form an interconnected crack system.When the main crack encounters larger sedimentary particles,it will deflect around the particles and then restore to the initial direction.A numerical technique using extended finite element method(XFEM)coupled with anisotropic cohesive damage criteria was developed,which is able to capture the dependence of crack propagations on bedding angle and sedimentary particles.This study sheds light on understanding and predicting mesoscale fracture behavior of shale with different bedding angles.

Crack deflection occurs by constrained microcracking in nacre

For decades, nacre has inspired researchers because of its sophisticated hierarchical structure and remarkable mechanical properties, especially its extreme fracture toughness compared with that of its predominant constituent,CaCO3, in the form of aragonite. Crack deflection has been extensively reported and regarded as the principal toughening mechanism for nacre. In this paper, our attention is focused on crack evolution in nacre under a quasi-static state. We use the notched three-point bending test of dehydrated nacre in situ in a scanning electron microscope(SEM) to monitor the evolution of damage mechanisms ahead of the crack tip. The observations show that the crack deflection actually occurs by constrained microcracking. On the basis of our findings, a crack propagation model is proposed, which will contribute to uncovering the underlying mechanisms of nacre’s fracture toughness and its damage evolution. These investigations would be of great value to the design and synthesis of novel biomimetic materials.