Markov Chain Modelling of Reliability Analysis and Prediction under Mixed Mode Loading

The reliability assessment for an automobile crankshaft provides an important understanding in dealing with the design life of the component in order to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of failure and safety risks.The failures of the crankshafts are considered as a catastrophic failure that leads towards a severe failure of the engine block and its other connecting subcomponents.The reliability of an automotive crankshaft under mixed mode loading using the Markov Chain Model is studied.The Markov Chain is modelled by using a two-state condition to represent the bending and torsion loads that would occur on the crankshaft.The automotive crankshaft represents a good case study of a component under mixed mode loading due to the rotating bending and torsion stresses.An estimation of the Weibull shape parameter is used to obtain the probability density function,cumulative distribution function,hazard and reliability rate functions,the bathtub curve and the mean time to failure.The various properties of the shape parameter is used to model the failure characteristic through the bathtub curve is shown.Likewise,an understanding of the patterns posed by the hazard rate onto the component can be used to improve the design and increase the life cycle based on the reliability and dependability of the component.The proposed reliability assessment provides an accurate,efficient,fast and cost effective reliability analysis in contrast to costly and lengthy experimental techniques.

Homogeneously Catalyzed Transesterification of Nigerian <i>Jatropha curcas</i>Oil into Biodiesel: A Kinetic Study

As a follow-up to our previous study on the transesterification of Nigerian Jatropha curcas oil into Biodiesel using homogenous catalysis, kinetic study of the reaction is hereby presented. The kinetic study revealed that the rate of formation of biodiesel can be increased by increasing reaction temperature and oil to alcohol molar ratio. The optimum reaction condition was established to be 60°C (reaction temperature) and 1:6 (oil to alcohol ratio). Accordingly, the highest biodiesel yield obtained from homogeneously catalyzed transesterification of Nigerian Jatropha curcas (JC) oil into Biodiesel was 86.61% w/w at 60°C with oil to alcohol ratio of 1:6. Furthermore, kinetic study also revealed that conversion of triglyceride to diglyceride was the rate determining step (RDS) of the overall reaction because activation energy of its backward reaction is lower than that of the forward reaction, indicating unstable nature and higher potential energy of the diglyceride in comparison to the triglyceride.

Buffer structure optimization of the photoacoustic cell for trace gas detection

The equivalent four-pole network model is used to simulate one-dimension longitudinal acoustic resonator with different buffer diameters and lengths, aiming to reach a theoretic model which is able to estimate the optimal buffer geometry. In experiments, the buffer volumes are decreased gradually by filling a set of aluminum rings with different inner diameters and lengths into the buffers to get the desired dimensions. The experimental results show that the average deviation of 1.1% is obtained between the experimental results and the theoretical simulation at the buffer length of 30 mm. Experiments show that the minimum background signal occurs when the buffer length is equal to a quarter of the acoustic wavelength (λ/4). The amplitude of the photoacoustic signal is barely influenced when dbuf>3dres. Considering that oversize of photoacoustic cell needs more measuring gas and more material, the buffer diameter can be deduced to dbuf≈3dres. Therefore, smaller photoacoustic cell is desirable.

Stress intensity factors under combined bending and torsion moments

This paper discusses stress intensity factor (SIF) calculations for surface cracks in round bars subjected to combined torsion and bending loadings. Different crack aspect ratios, a/b, ranging from 0.0 to 1.2 and relative crack depths, a/D, ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 were considered. Since the loading was non-symmetrical for torsion loadings, a whole finite element model was constructed. Then, the individual and combined bending and torsion loadings were remotely applied to the model. The equivalent SIF method, F*EQ, was then used explicitly to combine the individual SIFs from the bending and torsion loadings. A comparison was then carried out with the combined SIF, F*FE, obtained using the finite element analysis (FEA) under similar loadings. It was found that the equivalent SIF method successfully predicted the combined SIF for Mode I. However, discrepancies between the results determined from the different approaches occurred when FIII was involved. It was also noted that the predicted F*FE using FEA was higher than the F*EQ predicted through the equivalent SIF method due to the difference in crack face interactions.