Unleashing the Potential of Unidirectional Mechanical Materials: Breakthroughs and Promising Applications

The emergence of mechanically one-way materials presents an exciting opportunity for materials science and engineering. These substances exhibit unique nonreciprocal mechanical responses, enabling them to selectively channel mechanical energy and facilitate directed sound propagation, controlled mass transport, and concentration of mechanical energy amidst random motion. This article explores the fundamentals of mechanically one-way materials, their potential applications across various industries, and the economic and environmental considerations related to their production and use.

Mechanical stress and deformation analyses of pressurized cylindrical shells based on a higher-order modeling

In this research,mechanical stress,static strain and deformation analyses of a cylindrical pressure vessel subjected to mechanical loads are presented.The kinematic relations are developed based on higherorder sinusoidal shear deformation theory.Thickness stretching formulation is accounted for more accurate analysis.The total transverse deflection is divided into bending,shear and thickness stretching parts in which the third term is responsible for change of deflection along the thickness direction.The axisymmetric formulations are derived through principle of virtual work.A parametric study is presented to investigate variation of stress and strain components along the thickness and longitudinal directions.To explore effect of thickness stretching model on the static results,a comparison between the present results with the available results of literature is presented.As an important output,effect of micro-scale parameter is studied on the static stress and strain distribution.

Random vibration analysis of FGM plates subjected to moving load using a refined stochastic finite element method

The article introduces a finite element procedure using the bilinear quadrilateral element or four-node rectangular element(namely Q4 element) based on a refined first-order shear deformation theory(rFSDT) and Monte Carlo simulation(MCS), so-called refined stochastic finite element method to investigate the random vibration of functionally graded material(FGM) plates subjected to the moving load.The advantage of the proposed method is to use r-FSDT to improve the accuracy of classical FSDT, satisfy the stress-free condition at the plate boundaries, and combine with MCS to analyze the vibration of the FGM plate when the parameter inputs are random quantities following a normal distribution. The obtained results show that the distribution characteristics of the vibration response of the FGM plate depend on the standard deviation of the input parameters and the velocity of the moving load.Furthermore, the numerical results in this study are expected to contribute to improving the understanding of FGM plates subjected to moving loads with uncertain input parameters.

Compression properties of cost-efficient porous expanded clay reinforced AA7075 syntactic foams fabricated by industrial-oriented die casting technology

In today’s manufacturing industries,hard competition between rival firms makes it compulsory for researchers to design lighter and cheaper machine components due to the megatrends of cost-effectiveness and anti-pollution.At this point,aluminum syntactic foams(ASFs)are new-generation engineering composites and come into the upfront as a problem-solver.Owing to their features like low density,sufficient elongation,and perfect energy absorption ability,these advanced foams have been considerably seductive for many industrial sectors nowadays.In this study,an industrial-oriented automatic die casting technology was used for the first time to manufacture the combination of AA7075/porous expanded clay(PEC).Micro evaluations(optical and FESEM)reveal that there is a homogenous particle distribution in the foam samples,and inspections are compatible with the other ASF studies.Additionally,T6 aging heat treatment was operated on one half of the produced foams to explore the probable impact of aging on the compressive responses.Attained results show that PEC particles can be an alternative to expensive hollow spheres used in the previous works.Besides,a favorable relationship is ascertained between the aging treatment and mechanical properties such as compression strength and plateau strength.

Nonlinear dynamic modeling of planar moving Timoshenko beam considering non-rigid non-elastic axial effects

Due to the importance of vibration effects on the functional accuracy of mechanical systems,this research aims to develop a precise model of a nonlinearly vibrating single-link mobile flexible manipulator.The manipulator consists of an elastic arm,a rotary motor,and a rigid carrier,and undergoes general in-plane rigid body motion along with elastic transverse deformation.To accurately model the elastic behavior,Timoshenko’s beam theory is used to describe the flexible arm,which accounts for rotary inertia and shear deformation effects.By applying Newton’s second law,the nonlinear governing equations of motion for the manipulator are derived as a coupled system of ordinary differential equations(ODEs)and partial differential equations(PDEs).Then,the assumed mode method(AMM)is used to solve this nonlinear system of governing equations with appropriate shape functions.The assumed modes can be obtained after solving the characteristic equation of a Timoshenko beam with clamped boundary conditions at one end and an attached mass/inertia at the other.In addition,the effect of the transverse vibration of the inextensible arm on its axial behavior is investigated.Despite the axial rigidity,the effect makes the rigid body dynamics invalid for the axial behavior of the arm.Finally,numerical simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed model,and the results are compared with those obtained by the finite element approach.The comparison confirms the validity of the proposed dynamic model for the system.According to the mentioned features,this model can be reliable for investigating the system’s vibrational behavior and implementing vibration control algorithms.

Analytical and NumericalMethods to Study the MFPT and SR of a Stochastic Tumor-Immune Model

The Mean First-Passage Time (MFPT) and Stochastic Resonance (SR) of a stochastic tumor-immune model withnoise perturbation are discussed in this paper. Firstly, considering environmental perturbation, Gaussian whitenoise and Gaussian colored noise are introduced into a tumor growth model under immune surveillance. Asfollows, the long-time evolution of the tumor characterized by the Stationary Probability Density (SPD) and MFPTis obtained in theory on the basis of the Approximated Fokker-Planck Equation (AFPE). Herein the recurrenceof the tumor from the extinction state to the tumor-present state is more concerned in this paper. A moreefficient algorithmof Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) is utilized in order to testify the correction of thetheoretical SPDandMFPT.With the existence of aweak signal, the functional relationship between Signal-to-NoiseRatio (SNR), noise intensities and correlation time is also studied. Numerical results show that both multiplicativeGaussian colored noise and additive Gaussian white noise can promote the extinction of the tumors, and themultiplicative Gaussian colored noise can lead to the resonance-like peak on MFPT curves, while the increasingintensity of the additiveGaussian white noise results in theminimum of MFPT. In addition, the correlation timesare negatively correlated with MFPT. As for the SNR, we find the intensities of both the Gaussian white noise andthe Gaussian colored noise, as well as their correlation intensity can induce SR. Especially, SNR is monotonouslyincreased in the case ofGaussian white noisewith the change of the correlation time.At last, the optimal parametersin BPNN structure are analyzed for MFPT from three aspects: the penalty factors, the number of neural networklayers and the number of nodes in each layer.

Transient responses of double-curved sandwich two-layer shells resting on Kerr's foundations with laminated three-phase polymer/GNP/fiber surface and auxetic honeycomb core subjected to the blast load

This work uses refined first-order shear theory to analyze the free vibration and transient responses of double-curved sandwich two-layer shells made of auxetic honeycomb core and laminated three-phase polymer/GNP/fiber surface subjected to the blast load.Each of the two layers that make up the double-curved shell structure is made up of an auxetic honeycomb core and two laminated sheets of three-phase polymer/GNP/fiber.The exterior is supported by a Kerr elastic foundation with three characteristics.The key innovation of the proposed theory is that the transverse shear stresses are zero at two free surfaces of each layer.In contrast to previous first-order shear deformation theories,no shear correction factor is required.Navier's exact solution was used to treat the double-curved shell problem with a single title boundary,while the finite element technique and an eight-node quadrilateral were used to address the other boundary requirements.To ensure the accuracy of these results,a thorough comparison technique is employed in conjunction with credible statements.The problem model's edge cases allow for this kind of analysis.The study's findings may be used in the post-construction evaluation of military and civil works structures for their ability to sustain explosive loads.In addition,this is also an important basis for the calculation and design of shell structures made of smart materials when subjected to shock waves or explosive loads.

Exact solution for thermal vibration of multi-directional functionally graded porous plates submerged in fluid medium

An analytical method for analyzing the thermal vibration of multi-directional functionally graded porous rectangular plates in fluid media with novel porosity patterns is developed in this study.Mechanical properties of MFG porous plates change according to the length,width,and thickness directions for various materials and the porosity distribution which can be widely applied in many fields of engineering and defence technology.Especially,new porous rules that depend on spatial coordinates and grading indexes are proposed in the present work.Applying Hamilton's principle and the refined higher-order shear deformation plate theory,the governing equation of motion of an MFG porous rectangular plate in a fluid medium(the fluid-plate system)is obtained.The fluid velocity potential is derived from the boundary conditions of the fluid-plate system and is used to compute the extra mass.The GalerkinVlasov solution is used to solve and give natural frequencies of MFG porous plates with various boundary conditions in a fluid medium.The validity and reliability of the suggested method are confirmed by comparing numerical results of the present work with those from available works in the literature.The effects of different parameters on the thermal vibration response of MFG porous rectangular plates are studied in detail.These findings demonstrate that the behavior of the structure within a liquid medium differs significantly from that within a vacuum medium.Thereby,they offer appropriate operational approaches for the structure when employed in various mediums.

Synergistic effect of Zr and Mo on precipitation and high-temperature properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys

This study focuses on finding a solution to the sharp decline in mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys due to rapid coarsening of traditional intermediate phases at high temperature.A new type of modified al oy,to be used in automobile engines at high temperatures,was prepared by adding Zr and Mo into Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy.The synergistic effects of Zr and Mo on the microstructure evolution and high-temperature mechanical properties were studied.Results show that the addition of Zr and Mo generates a series of intermetallic phases dispersed in the alloy.They can improve the strength of the alloy by hindering dislocation movement and crack propagation.In addition,some nano-strengthened phases show coherent interfaces with the matrix and improve grain refinement.The addition of Mo greatly improves the heat resistance of the alloy.The extremely low diffusivity of Mo enables it to improve the thermal stability of the intermetallic phases,inhibit precipitation during aging,reduce the size of the precipitates,and improve the heat resistance of the alloy.

A Tutorial Review of the Solar Power Curve: Regressions, Model Chains, and Their Hybridization and Probabilistic Extensions

Owing to the persisting hype in pushing toward global carbon neutrality,the study scope of atmospheric science is rapidly expanding.Among numerous trending topics,energy meteorology has been attracting the most attention hitherto.One essential skill of solar energy meteorologists is solar power curve modeling,which seeks to map irradiance and auxiliary weather variables to solar power,by statistical and/or physical means.In this regard,this tutorial review aims to deliver a complete overview of those fundamental scientific and engineering principles pertaining to the solar power curve.Solar power curves can be modeled in two primary ways,one of regression and the other of model chain.Both classes of modeling approaches,alongside their hybridization and probabilistic extensions,which allow accuracy improvement and uncertainty quantification,are scrutinized and contrasted thoroughly in this review.

Bending results of graphene origami reinforced doubly curved shell

The present work investigates higher order stress,strain and deformation analyses of a shear deformable doubly curved shell manufactures by a Copper(Cu)core reinforced with graphene origami auxetic metamaterial subjected to mechanical and thermal loads.The effective material properties of the graphene origami auxetic reinforced Cu matrix are developed using micromechanical models cooperate both material properties of graphene and Cu in terms of temperature,volume fraction and folding degree.The principle of virtual work is used to derive governing equations with accounting thermal loading.The numerical results are analytically obtained using Navier's technique to investigate impact of significant parameters such as thermal loading,graphene amount,folding degree and directional coordinate on the stress,strain and deformation responses of the structure.The graphene origami materials may be used in aerospace vehicles and structures and defence technology because of their low weight and high stiffness.A verification study is presented for approving the formulation,solution methodology and numerical results.

Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Corroded High-Pressure Pipeline Repaired by Laminated Composite

Repairs of corroded high-pressure pipelines are essential for fluids transportation under high pressure.One of the methods used in their repairs is the use of layered composites.The composite used must have the necessary strength.Therefore,the experiments and analytical solutions presented in this paper are performed according to the relevant standards and codes,including ASME PCC-2,ASME B31.8S,ASME B31.4,ISO 24817 and ASME B31.G.In addition,the experimental tests are replicated numerically using the finite element method.Setting the strain gauges at different distances from the defect location,can reduce the nonlinear effects,deformation,and fluctuations due to the high pressure.The direct relationship between the depth of an axial defect and the stress concentration is observed at the inner side edges of the defect.Composite reparation reduces the non-linearities related to the sharp variation of the geometry and a more reliable numerical simulation could be performed.

Scoliocorrector Fatma-UI for correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Development, effectivity, safety and functional outcome

BACKGROUND Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains a major problem due to its high incidence,high risk,and high cost.One of the aims of the management in scoliosis is to correct the deformity.Many techniques are available to correct scoliosis deformity;however,they are all far from ideal to achieve three-dimensional correction in scoliosis.AIM To develop a set of tools named Scoliocorrector Fatma-UI(SCFUI)to aid threedimensional correction and to evaluate the efficacy,safety,and functional outcome.METHODS This study consists of two stages.In the first stage,we developed the SCFUI and tested it in finite element and biomechanical tests.The second stage was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial to evaluate the SCFUI compared to direct vertebral rotation(DVR).Forty-four subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were randomly allocated into the DVR group(n=23)and SCFUI group(n=21).Radiological,neurological,and functional outcome was compared between the groups.RESULTS Finite element revealed the maximum stress of the SCFUI components to be between 31.2-252 MPa.Biomechanical analysis revealed the modulus elasticity of SCFUI was 9561324±633277 MPa.Both groups showed improvement in Cobb angle and sagittal profile,however the rotation angle was lower in the SCFUI group(11.59±7.46 vs 18.23±6.39,P=0.001).Neurological and functional outcome were comparable in both groups.CONCLUSION We concluded that SCFUI developed in this study resulted in similar coronal and sagittal but better rotational correction compared to DVR.The safety and functional outcomes were also similar to DVR.

Auxiliary Software for Defining the Parameters of the Structural Organization of a Complex System

The developed auxiliary software serves to simplify, standardize and facilitate the software loading of the structural organization of a complex technological system, as well as its further manipulation within the process of solving the considered technological system. Its help can be especially useful in the case of a complex structural organization of a technological system with a large number of different functional elements grouped into several technological subsystems. This paper presents the results of its application for a special complex technological system related to the reference steam block for the combined production of heat and electricity.

Effect of thermomechanical treatment on microstructure and hardness behavior of AZ63 magnesium alloy

Due to their high specific strength and low density, magnesium alloys are widely used in many weight-saving applications. This research is aimed at investigating the microstructure and hardness of commercial AZ63 alloy specimens subjected to two different thermomechanical treatments （TMTs）. For the first TMT, after solution treated at the temperature of 380 ℃ for 20 h, AZ63 alloy specimens were 5% cold worked by rolling process followed by ageing at the temperatures of 150 ℃and 250 ℃ for 3, 9 and 25 h. In the second TMT, the specimens were solution treated at the temperature of 380 ℃ for 20 h, underwent 2% cold worked and quenched in water of 0 ℃. Half of the specimens were then 2% cold worked whilst the rest were rolled to 8% cold worked. All the specimens were then aged at the temperatures of 150 ℃ and 250 ℃ for 3, 9 and 25 h. Optical microscope was used to analyze the microstructures of the specimens. Hardness test was too conducted to measure the effect of the treatments on the specimens. Results show that two-step aging enhances the hardness of the specimens due to the distribution of fine β-phase （MglTA112） in the alloy matrix. The results also reveal that, the best hardness from the first TMT was produced by specimen that was pre-aged at 150 ℃ whereas, in the second TMT, aging at 250 ℃ exhibited the best hardness values.

Ultrasonic Plasma Engineering Toward Facile Synthesis of Single-Atom M-N4/N-Doped Carbon(M=Fe,Co) as Superior Oxygen Electrocatalyst in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

As bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction electrocatalysts,transition-metal-based single-atom-doped nitrogen-carbon(NC)matrices are promising successors of the corresponding noblemetal-based catalysts,offering the advantages of ultrahigh atom utilization effciency and surface active energy.However,the fabrication of such matrices(e.g.,well-dispersed single-atom-doped M-N4/NCs)often requires numerous steps and tedious processes.Herein,ultrasonic plasma engineering allows direct carbonization in a precursor solution containing metal phthalocyanine and aniline.When combining with the dispersion effect of ultrasonic waves,we successfully fabricated uniform single-atom M-N4(M=Fe,Co)carbon catalysts with a production rate as high as 10 mg min-1.The Co-N4/NC presented a bifunctional potential drop ofΔE=0.79 V,outperforming the benchmark Pt/C-Ru/C catalyst(ΔE=0.88 V)at the same catalyst loading.Theoretical calculations revealed that Co-N4 was the major active site with superior O2 adsorption-desorption mechanisms.In a practical Zn-air battery test,the air electrode coated with Co-N4/NC exhibited a specific capacity(762.8 mAh g(-1))and power density(101.62 mW cm^(-2)),exceeding those of Pt/C-Ru/C(700.8 mAh g^(-1) and 89.16 mW cm^(-2),respectively)at the same catalyst loading.Moreover,for Co-N4/NC,the potential difference increased from 1.16 to 1.47 V after 100 charge-discharge cycles.The proposed innovative and scalable strategy was concluded to be well suited for the fabrication of single-atom-doped carbons as promising bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction electrocatalysts for metal-air batteries.

Microwave sintering effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys

Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys(SMAs) were successfully produced via a powder metallurgy and microwave sintering technique.The influence of sintering parameters on porosity reduction,microstructure,phase transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy,field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),compression tests,and microhardness tests.Varying the microwave temperature and holding time was found to strongly affect the density of porosity,presence of precipitates,transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties.The lowest density and smallest pore size were observed in the Ti–51at%Ni samples sintered at 900°C for 5 min or at 900°C for 30 min.The predominant martensite phases of β2 and β19′ were observed in the microstructure of Ti–51at%Ni,and their existence varied in accordance with the sintering temperature and the holding time.In the DSC thermograms,multi-transformation peaks were observed during heating,whereas a single peak was observed during cooling;these peaks correspond to the presence of the β2,R,and β19′ phases.The maximum strength and strain among the Ti–51at%Ni SMAs were 1376 MPa and 29%,respectively,for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.

Effects of particle size,bimodality and heat treatment on mechanical properties of pumice reinforced aluminum syntactic foams produced by cold chamber die casting

In recent years,metal matrix syntactic foams(MMSFs)have become highly attractive owing to their unique physical,microstructural and mechanical features.Due to their promising potential for different industrial areas like automotive,aviation,and defense,these advanced engineering materials can also be evaluated as serious alternatives to particle reinforced metallic composites and conventional metallic foams.Differently from previously reported laboratory scaled techniques in the literature,this experimental effort focuses on the feasibility of MMSF manufacturing via a fully automated and industrial-based cold chamber die casting technique.Accordingly,1-2 mm,2-4 mm,and bimodal(50vol.%)natural-based pumice filled aluminum syntactic foams were manufactured utilizing a purpose-made casting machine.Physical,macroscopic,and microscopic examinations show that all of the fabricated samples display perfect matrix/filler harmony.Average density levels of fabricated syntactic foams range between 1.50 and 1.80 g·cm^(-3) depending upon the pumice particles size interval.To assess mechanical responses,quasi-static compression tests were performed.Furthermore,half of the foam samples were subjected to heat treatment to explore possible influences of aging on the compressive features and damage modes.Results indicate that although the heat treatment enhances the compressive strength,plateau stress,and energy absorption properties of the fabricated foams,it changes damage mode of the samples by causing brittle dominant deformation.

Effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy

The effect of particle size distribution on the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy was investigated on the basis of the mechanical properties,microstructure,and texture of the alloy.The results show that the particle size distribution influences the microstructure and the final mechanical properties but only slightly influences the recrystallization texture.After the pre-aging treatment and natural aging treatment(T4 P treatment),in contrast to the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution,the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids exhibits higher strength and a somewhat lower plastic strain ratio(r) and strain hardening exponent(n).After solution treatment,the sheet with a bimodal particle size distribution of large constituent particles and small dispersoids possesses a finer and slightly elongated grain structure compared with the sheet with a uniform particle size distribution.Additionally,they possess almost identical weak recrystallization textures,and their textures are dominated by CubeND {001}<310> and P {011}<122> orientations.

Influence of Multi-component Failure on Mechanical Product Design Change

Design change is one of the most common activities in design and development of mechanical products, and the change will affected by the design and maintenance of the products. It is not uncommon that multiple components might run out of order simultaneously during the use of a product, which would have significant influences on the product performance. Such kind of multi-component failure must be considered early in the product design stage, therefore it is necessary to study multiple design changes incurred by multi-component failure. Existing studies on the design change only focus on single change and ignore multiple simultaneous changes. To address this problem, a change influence network model is establishes, and the propagation path of multiple changes on the change influence network is described according to the change propagation characteristics of mechanical products. By analyzing the degree of dependence between the nodes and the absorption situations of nodes to change propagation, the possible paths of change propagation on the change influence network are determined, and based on which, calculation of the change influence is carried out, which provides decision-making support for product designers. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by taking a household juicer for case study.