Belief reliability:a scientific exploration of reliability engineering

This paper systematically introduces and reviews a scientific exploration of reliability called the belief reliability.Beginning with the origin of reliability engineering,the problems of present theories for reliability engineering are summarized as a query,a dilemma,and a puzzle.Then,through philosophical reflection,we introduce the theoretical solutions given by belief reliability theory,including scientific principles,basic equations,reliability science experiments,and mathematical measures.The basic methods and technologies of belief reliability,namely,belief reliability analysis,function-oriented belief reliability design,belief reliability evaluation,and several newly developed methods and technologies are sequentially elaborated and overviewed.Based on the above investigations,we summarize the significance of belief reliability theory and make some prospects about future research,aiming to promote the development of reliability science and engineering.

Study of Flow and Heat Transfer in an Ejector-Driven Swirl Anti-Icing Chamber

The formation of ice on the leading edge of aircraft engines is a serious issue,as it can have catastrophic consequences.The Swirl Anti-Icing(SAI)system,driven by ejection,circulates hot fluid within a 360°annular chamber to heat the engine inlet lip surface and prevent icing.This study employs a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)approach to study the impact of key geometric parameters of this system on flow and heat transfer characteristics within the anti-icing chamber.Additionally,the entropy generation rate and exergy efficiency are analyzed to assess the energy utilization in the system.The research findings indicate that,within the considered flow range,reducing the nozzle specific areaφfrom 0.03061 to 0.01083 can enhance the ejection coefficient by over 60.7%.This enhancement increases the air circulating rate,thereby intensifying convective heat transfer within the SAI chamber.However,the reduction inφalso leads to a significant increase in the required bleed air pressure and a higher entropy generation rate,indicating lower exergy efficiency.The nozzle angleθnotably affects the distribution of hot and cold spots on the lip surface of the SAI chamber.Increasingθfrom 0°to 20°reduces the maximum temperature difference on the anti-icing chamber surface by 60 K.

Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Interaction Effects in Coaxial Compound Helicopters

The so-called coaxial compound helicopter features two rigid coaxial rotors,and possesses high-speed capabilities.Nevertheless,the small separation of the coaxial rotors causes severe aerodynamic interactions,which require careful analysis.In the present work,the aerodynamic interaction between the various helicopter components is investigated by means of a numerical method considering both hover and forward flight conditions.While a sliding mesh method is used to deal with the rotating coaxial rotors,the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)equations are solved for the flow field.The Caradonna&Tung(CT)rotor and Harrington-2 coaxial rotor are considered to validate the numerical method.The results show that the aerodynamic interaction of the two rigid coaxial rotors significantly influences hover’s induced velocity and pressure distribution.In addition,the average thrust of an isolated coaxial rotor is smaller than that of the corresponding isolated single rotor.Compared with the isolated coaxial rotor,the existence of the fuselage results in an increment in the thrust of the rotors.Furthermore,these interactions between the components of the considered coaxial compound helicopter decay with an increase in the advance ratio.

Statics, vibration, and buckling of sandwich plates with metamaterial cores characterized by negative thermal expansion and negative Poisson's ratio

This paper proposes a three-dimensional(3D)Maltese cross metamaterial with negative Poisson’s ratio(NPR)and negative thermal expansion(NTE)adopted as the core layers in sandwich plates,and aims to explore the relations between the mechanical responses of sandwich composites and the NPR or NTE of the metamaterial.First,the NPR and NTE of the metamaterial are derived analytically based on energy conservation.The effective elastic modulus and mass density of the 3D metamaterial are obtained and validated by the finite element method(FEM).Subsequently,the general governing equation of the 3D sandwich plate under thermal environments is established based on Hamilton’s principle with the consideration of the von Kármán nonlinearity.The differential quadrature(DQ)FEM(DQFEM)is utilized to obtain the numerical solutions.It is shown that NPR and NTE can enhance the global stiffness of sandwich structures.The geometric parameters of the Maltese cross metamaterial significantly affect the responses of the thermal stress,natural frequency,and critical buckling load.

Engine Performance and Emission Characteristics of Cellulosic Jet Biofuel Blends

Aviation biofuels have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve engine performance. Theaim of this study was to assess the suitability of various jet biofuel blends for use in a ZF850 jet engine. The effects of theblends on engine performance were assessed under various thrust output settings with respect to the thrust, thrust-specificfuel consumption, emission characteristics, exhaust gas temperature, acceleration and deceleration performance. Blendingwith catalytic hydrothermolysis jet (CHJ) fuel improved the combustion efficiency by reducing carbon monoxide andunburned hydrocarbon emissions and markedly reducing PM2.5 emissions. However, a slight reduction in thrust output wasobserved. Throughout the entire range of thrust output settings, the 10% CHJ fuel blend provided higher thrust, lower thrustspecificfuel consumption, and lower exhaust gas temperature. The CHJ fuel blends exhibited no significant effects on thedeceleration performance, while the 5% and 15% blends caused a 0.4 s delay in the time required for complete acceleration.Global sensitivity analysis was conducted to better understand the effects of the fuel blends on engine performance andemission characteristics. This analysis identified the critical parameters of engine performance as engine-influence and fuelinfluenceparameters and engine-influence and fuel-less influence parameters. The overall engine efficiency benefit was nonlinearlyrelated to the blend ratio and thrust output. The results indicate that the use of CHJ fuel blends can improve engineefficiency if they comply with the engine design and control regulations.

Fracture of films caused by uniaxial tensions:a numerical model

Surface cracks are commonly observed in coatings and films.When structures with coatings are subject to stretching,opening mode cracks are likely to form on the surface,which may further lead to other forms of damage,such as interfacial delamination and substrate damage.Possible crack forms include cracks extending towards the interface and channeling across the film.In this paper,a two-dimensional numerical model is proposed to obtain the structural strain energy at arbitrary crack lengths for bilayer structures under uniaxial tension.The energy release rate and structural stress intensity factors can be obtained accordingly,and the effects of geometry and material features on fracture characteristics are investigated,with most crack patterns being confirmed as unstable.The proposed model can also facilitate the analysis of the stress distribution in periodic crack patterns of films.The results from the numerical model are compared with those obtained by the finite element method(FEM),and the accuracy of the theoretical results is demonstrated.

Crysformer:An attention-based graph neural network for properties prediction of crystals

We present a novel approach for the prediction of crystal material properties that is distinct from the computationally complex and expensive density functional theory(DFT)-based calculations.Instead,we utilize an attention-based graph neural network that yields high-accuracy predictions.Our approach employs two attention mechanisms that allow for message passing on the crystal graphs,which in turn enable the model to selectively attend to pertinent atoms and their local environments,thereby improving performance.We conduct comprehensive experiments to validate our approach,which demonstrates that our method surpasses existing methods in terms of predictive accuracy.Our results suggest that deep learning,particularly attention-based networks,holds significant promise for predicting crystal material properties,with implications for material discovery and the refined intelligent systems.

Microstructure Distribution Characteristics of High-Strength Aluminum Alloy Thin-Walled Tubes during Multi-Passes Hot Power Backward Spinning Process

The microstructure of the thin-walled tubes with high-strength aluminum alloy determines their final forming quality and performance. This type of tube can be manufactured by multi-pass hot power backward spinning process as it can eliminate casting defects, refine microstructure and improve the plasticity of the tube. To analyze the microstructure distribution characteristics of the tube during the spinning process, a 3D coupled thermo-mechanical FE model coupled with the microstructure evolution model of the process was established under the ABAQUS environment. The microstructure evolution characteristics and laws of the tube for the whole spinning process were analyzed. The results show that the dynamic recrystallization is mainly produced in the spinning deformation zone and root area of the tube. In the first pass, the dynamic recrystallization phenomenon is not obvious in the tube. With the pass increasing, the trend of dynamic recrystallization volume percentage gradually increases and extends from the outer surface of the tube to the inner surface. The fine-grained area shows the states of concentration, dispersion, and re-concentration as the pass number increases. .

A non-probabilistic reliability topology optimization method based on aggregation function and matrix multiplication considering buckling response constraints

A non-probabilistic reliability topology optimization method is proposed based on the aggregation function and matrix multiplication.The expression of the geometric stiffness matrix is derived,the finite element linear buckling analysis is conducted,and the sensitivity solution of the linear buckling factor is achieved.For a specific problem in linear buckling topology optimization,a Heaviside projection function based on the exponential smooth growth is developed to eliminate the gray cells.The aggregation function method is used to consider the high-order eigenvalues,so as to obtain continuous sensitivity information and refined structural design.With cyclic matrix programming,a fast topology optimization method that can be used to efficiently obtain the unit assembly and sensitivity solution is conducted.To maximize the buckling load,under the constraint of the given buckling load,two types of topological optimization columns are constructed.The variable density method is used to achieve the topology optimization solution along with the moving asymptote optimization algorithm.The vertex method and the matching point method are used to carry out an uncertainty propagation analysis,and the non-probability reliability topology optimization method considering buckling responses is developed based on the transformation of non-probability reliability indices based on the characteristic distance.Finally,the differences in the structural topology optimization under different reliability degrees are illustrated by examples.

Series expansion feasibility of singular integral in method of moments

When calculating electromagnetic scattering using method of moments （MoM）, integral of the singular term has a significant influence on the results. This paper transforms the singular surface integral to the contour integral. The integrand is expanded to Taylor series and the integral results in a closed form. The cut-off error is analyzed to show that the series converges fast and only about 2 terms can agree wel with the accurate result. The comparison of the perfect electric conductive （PEC） sphere＇s bi-static radar cross section （RCS） using MoM and the accurate method validates the feasibility in manipulating the singularity. The error due to the facet size and the cut-off terms of the series are analyzed in examples.

Improvement and performance of parallel multilevel fast multipole algorithm

The method of establishing data structures plays an important role in the efficiency of parallel multilevel fast multipole algorithm（PMLFMA）.Considering the main complements of multilevel fast multipole algorithm（MLFMA） memory,a new parallelization strategy and a modified data octree construction scheme are proposed to further reduce communication in order to improve parallel efficiency.For far interaction,a new scheme called dynamic memory allocation is developed.To analyze the workload balancing performance of a parallel implementation,the original concept of workload balancing factor is introduced and verified by numerical examples.Numerical results show that the above measures improve the parallel efficiency and are suitable for the analysis of electrical large-scale scattering objects.

Scale-adaptive simulation of flow past wavy cylinders at a subcritical Reynolds number

The Xu ＆ Yan scale-adaptive simulation （XYSAS） model is employed to simulate the flows past wavy cylinders at Reynolds number 8 × 10 3.This approach yields results in good agreement with experimental measurements.The mean flow field and near wake vortex structure are replicated and compared with that of a corresponding circular cylinder.The effects of wavelength ratios λ/D m from 3 to 7,together with the amplitude ratios a /D m of 0.091 and 0.25,are fully investigated.Owing to the wavy configuration,a maximum reduction of Strouhal number and root-meansquare （r.m.s） fluctuating lift coefficients are up to 50% and 92%,respectively,which means the vortex induced vibration （VIV） could be effectively alleviated at certain larger values of λ/D m and a /D m.Also,the drag coefficients can be reduced by 30%.It is found that the flow field presents contrary patterns with the increase of λ/D m.The free shear layer becomes much more stable and rolls up into mature vortex only further downstream when λ/D m falls in the range of 5-7.The amplitude ratio a /D m greatly changes the separation line,and subsequently influences the wake structures.

Conceptual design and RCS performance research of shipborne early warning aircraft

In order to improve the survivability of the aircraft,conceptual design and radar cross section（RCS） performance research are done. The CATIA software is used to design the 3D digital model of the shipborne early warning aircraft, and some measures are taken to reduce the RCS characteristics of the early warning aircraft at the same time. Based on the physical optics method and the equivalent electromagnetic flow method,the aircraft＇s RCS characteristics and strength distribution characteristics are simulated numerically, and compared with the foreign advanced shipborne early warning aircraft. The simulation results show that under the X radar band, when the incident wave pitching angle is 0？, compared with the foreign advanced shipborne early warning aircraft, the forward RCS average value of the conceptual shipborne early warning aircraft is reduced to 24.49%, the lateral RCS average value is reduced to 5.04%, and the backward RCS average value is reduced to 39.26%. The research results of this paper are expected to provide theoretical basis and technical support for the conceptual design and the stealth design of the shipborne early warning aircraft.

Comparison and analysis of two Coulomb friction models on the dynamic behavior of slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of the Coulomb dry friction model versus the modified Coulomb friction model on the dynamic behavior of the slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint. The normal and tangential forces acting on the contact points between the journal and the bearing are described by using a Hertzian-based contact force model and the Coulomb friction models, respectively.The dynamic equations of the mechanism are derived based on the Lagrange equations of the first kind and the Baumgarte stabilization method. The frictional force is solved via the linear complementarity problem(LCP) algorithm and the trial-and-error algorithm.Finally, three numerical examples are given to show the influence of the two Coulomb friction models on the dynamic behavior of the mechanism. Numerical results show that due to the stick friction, the slider-crank mechanism may exhibit stick-slip motion and can balance at some special positions, while the mechanism with ideal joints cannot.

Influence and determinative factors of ion-to-atom arrival ratio in unbalanced magnetron sputtering systems

Low pressure sputtering with a controlled ratio of ion flux to deposited atom flux at the condensing surface is one of the main directions of development of magnetron sputtering methods. Unbalanced magnetron sputtering, by producing dense secondary plasma around the substrate, provides a high ion current density. The closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system （CFUBMS） has been established as a versatile technique for high-rate deposition high-quality metal, alloy, and ceramic thin films. The＇key factor in the CFUBMS system is the ability to transport high ion currents to the substrate, which can enhance the formation of full dense coatings at relatively low value homologous temperature. The investigation shows that the energy of ions incidenced at the substrate and the ratio of the flux of these ions to the flux of condensing atoms are the fundamental parameters in determining the structure and properties of films produced by ion-assisted deposition processes. Increasing ion bombardment during deposition combined with increasing mobility of the condensing atoms favors the formation of a dense microstructure and a smooth surface.

Recognition of the major scattering sources on complex targets based on the high frequency radar cross section integrated calculation technique

Based on the high frequency （HF） integrated radar cross section （RCS） calculation approach, a technique of detecting major scattering source is developed by using an appropriate arithmetic for scattering distribution and scattering source detection. For the perfect adaptability to targets and the HF of the HF integrated RCS calculation platform, this technique is suitable to solve large complex targets and has lower requirement to the target modeling. A comparison with the result of 2-D radar imaging confirms the accuracy and reliability of this technique in recognition of the major scattering source on complex targets. This technique provides the foundation for rapid integrated evaluation of the scattering performance and 3-D scattering model reconstruction of large complex targets.

Adaptive augmentation of gain-scheduled controller for aerospace vehicles

This paper proposes an adaptive augmentation control design approach of the gain-scheduled controller.This extension is motivated by the need for augmentation of the baseline gainscheduled controller.The proposed approach can be utilized to design flight control systems for advanced aerospace vehicles with a large parameter variation.The flight dynamics within the flight envelope is described by a switched nonlinear system,which is essentially a switched polytopic system with uncertainties.The flight control system consists of a baseline gain-scheduled controller and a model reference adaptive augmentation controller,while the latter can recover the nominal performance of the gainscheduled controlled system under large uncertainties.By the multiple Lyapunov functions method,it is proved that the switched nonlinear system is uniformly ultimately bounded.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,this approach is applied to a generic hypersonic vehicle,and the simulation results show that the system output tracks the command signal well even when large uncertainties exist.

Comparative assessment of SAS and DES turbulence modeling for massively separated flows

Numerical studies of the flow past a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 1.4 × 105 and NACA0021 airfoil at the angle of attack 60° have been carried out by scale-adaptive simulation （SAS） and detached eddy simu- lation （DES）, in comparison with the existing experimental data. The new version of the model developed by Egorov and Menter is assessed, and advantages and disadvantages of the SAS simulation are analyzed in detail to provide guidance for industrial application in the future. Moreover, the mechanism of the scale-adaptive characteristics in separated regions is discussed, which is obscure in previous analyses. It is con- cluded that： the mean flow properties satisfactorily agree with the experimental results for the SAS simulation, although the prediction of the second order turbulent statistics in the near wake region is just reasonable. The SAS model can produce a larger magnitude of the turbulent kinetic energy in the recir- culation bubble, and, consequently, a smaller recirculation region and a more rapid recovery of the mean velocity out- side the recirculation region than the DES approach with the same grid resolution. The vortex shedding is slightly less irregular with the SAS model than with the DES approach, probably due to the higher dissipation of the SAS simulation under the condition of the coarse mesh.

Density and solidification feeding model of vacuum counter-pressure cast aluminum alloy under grade-pressuring conditions

The density of vacuum counter-pressure cast aluminum alloy samples under grade-pressuring condition was studied. The effect of grade pressure difference and time on the density of aluminum alloys was discussed, and the solidification feeding model under grade-pressuring condition was established. The results indicate the grade-pressured solidification feeding ability of vacuum counter-pressure casting mainly depends on grade pressure difference and time. With the increase of grade pressure difference, the density of all the aluminum alloy samples increases, and the trend of change in density from the pouring gate to the top location is first decreasing gradually and then increasing. In addition, in obtaining the maximum density, the optimal grade-pressuring time is different for samples with different wall thicknesses, and the solidification time when the solid volume fraction of aluminum alloy reaches about 0.65 appears to be the optimal beginning time for gradepressuring.

Study on the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb panels in high-speed thermal shock environments

The thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb structure in high-temperature environments are important for thermal protection design of high-speed aircrafts. By using a self-developed transient aerodynamic thermal simulation system, the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb panel was tested in this paper at different transient heating rates ranging from 5℃/s to 30℃/s, with the maximum instantaneous temperature reaching 950℃. Furthermore, the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb struc- ture under simulated thermal environments was computed for different high heat- ing rates by using 3D finite element method, and a comparison between calcu- lational and experimental results was carded out. The results of this research provide an important reference for the design of thermal protection systems com- prising superalloy honeycomb panel.