Local Stress Distribution Research Articles

Experimental investigation of the geometry of geocell on the performance of flexible pavement under repeated loading

To evaluate the benefit of geocells of different geometrical configurations for pavement application, full-scale instrumented model tests were performed on pavement sections reinforced with geocells of different geometrical configurations subjected to monotonic and repeated loading. The responses studied were stress distribution in different pavement layers, induced strains in geocell walls, and settlement characteristics. The reinforced sections exhibited a significant reduction in rut depth as well as localized stress concentration compared to the unreinforced section. The reduction in rut depth was found to be influenced by the geocell height as well as weld spacing. The geocell reinforcement was found to distribute the stresses in the subgrade and subbase layers more efficiently, thus reducing the stress concentration in these layers. The strain measurements were found to be higher at the bottom of the geocell walls indicating a higher confinement effect on a lower part of the geocell. In the field, mostly geocells of 356 mm weld spacing and 150 mm height (SW356-H150) are used. However, this study suggests that a geocell of 330 mm weld spacing and 100 mm height (SW330-H100) having approximately 30% lower cost compared to SW356-H150 is as effective in reducing the rut depth and localized vertical stress distribution.

Effect of blood viscosity on the hemodynamics of arteriovenous fistulae based on numerical investigation

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the most commonly used vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease. Vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis, triggered by altered hemodynamic conditions, are the main causes of access failure. Changes in blood viscosity accelerate access dysfunction by affecting local velocities and wall shear stress (WSS) distribution in the circulation. Numerical simulation was employed to analyze and compare the hemodynamic behavior of AVF under different blood viscosities (0.001–0.012 Pa∙s). An idealized three-dimensional model with end-to-side anastomosis was established. Transient simulations were conducted using pulsatile inlet velocity and outflow as boundary conditions. The simulation results reveal the blood flow state of AVF under different viscosity physiological conditions and derive the rule of change. When blood viscosity increases, the local velocity in the disturbed region slows down and the stagnation time becomes longer, resulting in increased deposition of substances. As blood viscosity increases, the level of shear stress on the entire wall of the fistula increases accordingly. WSS values at high viscosities above 0.007 Pa∙s showed significantly larger low-shear regions near the anastomosis and increased chances of inducing atheromatous plaques. This research has revealed the correlation between blood dynamic viscosity and the hemodynamic behavior of AVF. Elevated whole blood viscosity increases the incidence of access obstruction and vascular disease leading to fistula failure. The study provides a basis for optimizing the distribution of hemodynamic parameters in the fistula for hemodialysis patients.

Improving energy absorption and failure characteristic of additively manufactured lattice structures using hollow and curving techniques

Strut-based lattice structures of various types exhibited a common critical issue, namely, high tensile stress concentration occurred at node-to-strut sites, which often led to lowered energy absorbability as compared to triply periodic minimal surfaces structures. Therefore, this work aimed for improving the Octet-truss structure by a combined technique using hollow core and varying cross-section ratio. Firstly, test specimens were fabricated using a stereo-lithography based additive manufacturing of photopolymer hard resin. Elastic-plastic properties and damage criterion of the used polymer were experimentally determined and applied for finite element models. Validation by compressive tests of lattice samples showed deviations of stress–strain responses less than 12%, in which local deformation and subsequent damages were fairly predicted. Afterwards, finite element simulations of designed lattice structures subjected to compressive, combined shear, shear and tensile loads were performed and obtained stress–strain characteristics including total absorbed energies and deformation behaviors were studied. Under uniaxial compression and combined shear loads, modified Octet-truss structures exhibited considerable increases of energy absorptions up to 173% and 116%, respectively, and stress–strain responses were more stable. On the other hand, by tension mode peak stresses and elongations could be enhanced about 41% and 11%, accordingly. The improved performances of proposed strut-based structures were comparable to those of triply periodic minimal surfaces diamond structure. This was due to that local stress distributions in the structure became more uniform and previously dominated tensile stresses were switched to compressive stresses. Therefore, occurrences of shear bands and plastic hinges could be effectively inhibited.

Analysis of the effect of the direction of reinforcement of a fibrous composite material on the inhomogeneity of localization of deformations and stresses using the method of thermoelastic response

The purpose of the article is to study the effect of the direction of reinforcement of a composite material relative to the cyclic load on the inhomogeneity of stress distribution by the thermal method of non-destructive testing using the thermoelastic effect. This method is widely used in all industries for the control of structural elements and in research work. The degree of stress inhomogeneity is used when choosing the safety factors necessary to ensure the safety of technical objects. In this study, the thermoelastic effect is used to show the possibility of estimating the local distribution of stresses using the temperature field of the test object, proceeding from the linear relation between the temperature of the elastic body and mechanical stresses. The results of studying composite laminates (fibrous filler (fiberglass) with an epoxy matrix) with different laying of fibers with respect to the direction of loading are presented. Four laminate samples were considered: single-layer [0] and [90], three-layer [0]3 and [90]3. Statistical data and estimates of the coefficients of variation, methods of clustering and averaging over the length of the laminates the values of the temperature distribution over the surface of the laminates. The numerical characteristics of the distribution of local temperatures are obtained. It is shown that a more uniform distribution occurs when reinforcing is directed along the direction of the material loading. The integral and local characteristics of the temperature distribution in the samples are compared. The differences in the local temperature distribution depending on the laminate thickness were noted visually for single-layer and three-layer samples. A more uniform distribution of the load is also observed in the direction of reinforcement and with an increase in the number of reinforcement layers. The results obtained lead to the conclusion that the choice of the value of the safety factor, which evaluates the level of stress inhomogeneity, depends on the design features of the laminates. During operation of products made of composite materials in the presence of significant accumulated damage, when the uneven distribution of stresses increases, the levels of safety factors should be adjusted.

Thermal cracking: Clarifying the effects of phases, voids and grains through characterisation and crystal plasticity modelling

Thermally-induced cracking typically occurs during the cooling stage of various manufacturing processes, and is commonly seen in multiphase or the joints of dissimilar materials due to mismatch in their thermo-mechanical properties, such as thermal expansion, elastic-plastic deformation and, in some cases, phase transformation. However, the underlying cracking mechanism associated with local microstructure is still elusive. To improve the mechanistic understanding of thermal cracking, this work uses the diffusion-bonded 9Cr-1Mo steel as an example to study the key microstructural variables, such as interfacial phases, voids, grain boundary migration and crystallographic orientations. Meanwhile, a temperature-dependent crystal plasticity model coupled with a cohesive zone model is developed to provide more insights into the thermal-induced stress distribution at the grain scale. It is found that the stress at the void-free boundary of martensite and ferrite is dominated by shear, and its magnitude is insufficient to nucleate cracks. Whereas voids at phase boundaries can induce significant tensile stress, resulting in cracking at the phase boundaries as well as diffusion-bonded interfaces. Also, the occurrence of interfacial grain boundary migration plays an important role in local stress distribution. These microstructure features and their evolution are experimentally observed and used to verify the developed crystal plasticity models. These findings enhance the understanding of the influence of microstructure features on thermal cracking and provide a guide to designing and fabricating the microstructure with improved thermal crack resistance in various manufacturing processes.

Exploring the Interplay between Local Chain Structure and Stress Distribution in Polymer Networks

Exploring the Interplay between Local Chain Structure and Stress Distribution in Polymer Networks

Investigation into the interface bond between polyurethane concrete and steel plate

PurposePolyurethane concrete (PUC), as a new type of steel bridge deck paving material, the bond-slip pattern at the interface with the steel plate is not yet clear. In this study, the mechanical properties of the PUC and steel plate interface under the coupled action of temperature, normal force and tangential force were explored through shear tests and numerical simulations. An analytical model for bond-slip at the PUC/steel plate interface and a predictive model for the shear strength of the PUC/steel plate interface were developed.Design/methodology/approachThe new shear test device designed in this paper overcomes the defect that the traditional oblique shear test cannot test the interface shear performance under the condition of fixed normal force. The universal testing machine (UTM) test machine was used to adjust the test temperature conditions. Combined with the results of the bond-slip test, the finite element simulation of the interface is completed by using the COHENSIVE unit to analyze the local stress distribution characteristics of the interface. The use of variance-based uncertainty analysis guaranteed the validity of the simulation.FindingsThe shear strength (τf) at the PUC-plate interface was negatively correlated with temperature while it was positively correlated with normal stress. The effect of temperature on the shear properties was more significant than that of normal stress. The slip corresponding to the maximum shear (D1) positively correlates with both temperature and normal stress. The interfacial shear ductility improves with increasing temperature.Originality/valueBased on the PUC bond-slip measured curves, the relationship between bond stress and slip at different stages was analyzed, and the bond-slip analytical model at different stages was established; the model was defined by key parameters such as elastic ultimate shear stress τ0, peak stress τf and interface fracture energy Gf.

Thermal and mechanical investigation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells under combined loading conditions

Mechanical performance of PEM fuel cells under combined loadings is one of critical issues in improving cell performance and reliability. In this study, thermal and mechanical performance of the PEM fuel cell under clamping force and temperature load are investigated by experiments and three-dimensional dynamic simulations. In experiments, pressure distributions between gas diffusion layer and flow field are measured by pressure sensitive films. The experimental results show that the local pressure increases with clamping load, and pressure distribution is much uneven in the midstream. Meanwhile, a three-dimensional model of the cell combined transient heat transfer and mechanical response of components is developed, which is validated by experimental data. The modeling results show that under combined loadings, the porosity of gas diffusion layer under the rib decreases, attributed to compressive deformation caused by thermal gradient and clamping pressure, leading to higher effective thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. When at a higher temperature, the overall stresses of gas diffusion layer decrease and the minimum stress is located under the center rib, forming a concave stress distribution pattern. Distribution and variation patterns of local deformations and stresses for the membrane are similar to those of gas diffusion layer, but the maximum stress and deformation are much lower. A dimensional stress coefficient is proposed to determine the stress distribution uniformity under the rib. With the increase of clamping torque, dimensionless stress coefficients under lower ambient temperature change slightly. As temperature increases, dimensionless stress coefficients increase significantly and decrease with the clamping torque, indicating the decreasing role of temperature load on mechanical response of the cell.

Viscoelastic-damageable behavior of sheet molding compound (SMC) composites

The variability of microstructures in the SMC composite induced by the manufacturing process is very important. The volumetric fraction and reinforcement orientation distribution significantly affect the material’s mechanical properties in both the elastic and nonlinear phases, associated with the development of damage phenomena. The distribution of local stresses between the reinforcements and the matrix is conditioned by the privileged orientation of the reinforcements. This, in turn, influences both the elastic mechanical properties and the degradation mechanisms, resulting in a degree of anisotropy. Additionally, SMC composites typically exhibit viscoelastic-damageable behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to characterize the microstructure accurately and comprehensively to effectively manage the mechanical behavior and damage of SMC structures. The research process involved investigating the viscoelastic behavior of randomly oriented Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) composites using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) in the glass transition zone. By conducting a thorough analysis of the frequency and temperature-dependent behavior of the viscoelastic material, the experimental results obtained from the DMA test have been modeled. To demonstrate the effect of the matrix, two types of SMSs were utilized: standard SMC and Advanced SMC (A-SMC). The Cole-Cole experimental results fit well with the Perez model showing deformed semi-circles denoting the heterogeneity of the material system used in this study. The aim of this study is to link the WLF Law to the Perez model near the transition zone. The results demonstrated that dynamic properties can be plotted against temperature due to the strong correlation between the experimental and numerical data. Additionally, an increase in the strain rate results in a shift in the damage threshold and a reduction in damage kinetics. These effects are directly related to the damage thresholds and kinetics at the fiber-matrix interface.

Effects of Region-Specific Material Properties of Patellar Tendon on the Magnitude and Distribution of Local Stress and Strain

Effects of Region-Specific Material Properties of Patellar Tendon on the Magnitude and Distribution of Local Stress and Strain

Fatigue strength assessment of aluminium welded joints under variable amplitude loading using the Peak Stress Method

One of the simplest and most efficient ways to design lightweight structural components is the combination of welding and aluminum alloys. However, welded joints are extremely sensitive to fatigue failure and making accurate lifetime predictions is still challenging when Variable Amplitude (VA) loading conditions are involved. Among all design criteria available in the literature, the present investigation focuses on the Peak Stress Method (PSM), an engineering finite element (FE)-based approach to rapidly assess the fatigue strength of welded joints. In more detail, the PSM suggests modelling both weld toe and weld root as sharp V-notches having null tip radius and correlates their fatigue strength using the intensity of the local linear elastic asymptotic stress distributions described by the Notch Stress Intensity Factors (NSIFs). The theoretical formulation of the PSM for the fatigue strength assessment of welded joints subjected to VA loadings has been recently proposed by combining its Constant Amplitude (CA) formulation with the Palmgren-Miner's cumulative linear damage rule. Such VA formulation has been successfully validated against a large bulk of experimental fatigue results generated by testing welded joints made of structural steels under uniaxial as well as multiaxial loadings. In the present investigation, the VA formulation of the PSM has been further validated against experimental data relevant to welded joints made of aluminium alloy under VA loadings.

Effect of Applied Stress on the Interfacial Kinetics, Ionic Conductivity, and Other Phenomena in Thin-Film Solid-State Batteries

Controlled stress is critical to both fabrication and operation of solid-state batteries to ensure pristine, low-impedance interfaces. The effects of externally applied stresses on overall cell performance and degradation due to altered thermodynamics, interfacial kinetics, and bulk transport of the active species have been studied in several prior works. In addition to the applied stack pressure which can vary up to 100s MPa, internal and localized stresses up to a few ~1 GPa can be generated from volume changes during charge and discharge. Electrode volume changes can result in cracking and delamination, causing loss of conductive pathways and active electrode-electrolyte area, and electrolyte fracture in the case of dendrite growth. The extent of these stress-electrochemistry couplings depends on the material and geometry of interfaces that affects the local stress distribution. To decouple some of these stress-potential, stress-kinetics, and stress-transport coupling phenomena, we use a nanoindenter platform to apply controlled uniaxial compressive forces to a thin-film electrochemical devices and batteries1. Interfaces in a thin-film sample can be uniform and planar over large areas, helping us study the effect of stress on the interfacial electrochemistry more directly and with greater quantitative accuracy. In this work we present our observations and analysis on the direct electrochemical-mechanical coupling in thin-film TiO2 and V2O5 metal oxide thin films as the working electrode with the single-ion Li+ conductor solid electrolyte LiPON. Preliminary results show that external uniaxial compressive load affects the electrochemistry observed through cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on thin-film batteries with TiO2 and V2O5 electrodes.

Coupled fluid-thermal-structural analysis during the air cooling for glass tempering

The tempering process of plate glass involves rapidly cooling the high-temperature glass using an array of impinging air jets, inducing desired stress during cooling. Consequently, the formation of tempering stress results from the coupled interaction among flow, heat transfer, and stress. However, most previous studies have commonly neglected the influence of the flow field by assuming a uniform and constant distribution of heat transfer coefficients at different positions on the glass plate, which deviates from actual situations. This study employed a fluid-thermal-structural coupled simulation approach to predict the non-uniform residual stress distribution in tempered glass and investigate the interaction mechanisms among flow, heat transfer, and stress. Simultaneously, to validate the reliability of the method and model, this study experimentally investigated the single-nozzle jet impingement cooling for glass tempering. The study concluded that the simulation results were consistent with the experiment. Subsequently, a comparative analysis was performed between the fluid-thermal-structural coupled simulation results based on real boundary conditions and the thermal-structural coupled simulation results based on ideal uniform heat transfer coefficient boundary conditions. The results revealed non-uniform distributions of both heat transfer coefficient and temperature due to varying localized flow characteristics. Consequently, the ratio of surface compressive stress to internal tensile stress along the width direction of the glass was not a fixed value but ranged from 1.63 to 2.38. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the stress distribution under the simulations of fluid-thermal-structural coupling and thermal-structural coupling. Therefore, it is recommended to employ the fluid-thermal-structural coupling method when predicting localized stress distribution.

Artificial magnetic disclination through local stress engineering

Magnetic disclination, characterized by the orientation of domain-wall arrangement rotating by π along a closed loop, is a type of topological spin texture. This study demonstrates the creation of artificial magnetic disclination through local stress engineering. By patterning nanotrenches in permalloy/poly(methyl methacrylate) bilayers, the tensile stress is relieved in a directional manner through the formation of boundaries. This orients the domain distributions at the microscale through magnetoelastic coupling. Two-dimensional (2D) closed boundaries induce curved stripe domains, which are ultimately converted into disclinations. The geometric configuration and arrangement of the disclination can be spatially adjusted via 2D boundary designation. The combination of in-situ magnetic force microscopy and hysteresis loop measurements links the microscopic domain configuration to the macroscopic magnetic properties of the system. Simulations reveal that the magnetic disclination is critically dominated by the local stress distribution within the topographic confinement.

Thawed matrix method for computing local mechanical properties of amorphous solids.

We present a method for computing locally varying nonlinear mechanical properties in particle simulations of amorphous solids. Plastic rearrangements outside a probed region are suppressed by introducing an external field that directly penalizes large nonaffine displacements. With increasing strength of the field, plastic deformation can be localized. We characterize the distribution of local plastic yield stresses (residual local stresses to instability) with our approach and assess the correlation of their spatial maps with plastic activity in a model two-dimensional amorphous solid. Our approach reduces artifacts inherent in a previous method known as the "frozen matrix" approach that enforces fully affine deformation and improves the prediction of plastic rearrangements from structural information.

Revealing the deformation mechanisms of 〈110〉 symmetric tilt grain boundaries in CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy

The synergy of multiple deformation mechanisms responsible for the excellent mechanical properties attracts an increasing interest in CoCrNi medium entropy alloy (MEA). In this study, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the chemical properties of grain boundaries (GBs) and their influence on deformation mechanisms in CrCoNi MEA, with particular emphasis on role of lattice distortion and short-range order (SRO) in dislocation plasticity. After aging, we found Ni element segregate at GB through short-range diffusion driven by a more negative segregation enthalpy. The degree of SRO within the GB region is significantly correlated with the Ni concentration, and it markedly influences the structure and local stress distribution of the GB. Compared to the lattice distortion, SRO can effectively suppress the GB dislocations nucleation and slip, thereby increasing yield strength of the material. During the plastic stage, although the deformation microstructure is intimately linked to the active slip systems and grain orientation, the presence of SRO, as well as the resultant rugged dislocation pathways and increased slip resistance lowers the propensity for stacking faults and phase transformation. The current findings can enhance a fundamental comprehension of diverse deformation mechanisms in CoCrNi MEA and suggest that the chemical characteristics of GB could serve as a pivotal approach for modifying the mechanical properties of MEAs.

Texture evolution of Zircaloy-4 tube during cold pilgering: Operating mechanism of Q factor

Cold pilgering has proved to be an effective rolling fabrication method for tubular materials, especially for difficult-to-deform such as Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) tube. In this paper, the influence of the Q factor defined as strain ratio between wall thickness and tube external diameter on the texture evolution is investigated during cold pilgering of Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes. Distinctive texture characteristics are detected under electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) with Q factors of 1.0 and 1.3. Finite element simulations are performed to analyze the complex stress states during cold pilgering. Then the stress states are fully characterized with stress ratios to predict the local triaxial stress distribution under a wide range of Q factors. Lastly, the effect of complex stress state on the selection of deformation mode for Zr-4 tube is well interpreted with the calculation of effective Schmid factor (ESF). The correlation between Q factor and activation of slip modes with its related texture evolution for Zr-4 is unveiled. In summary, high ESF values for basal 〈a〉 slip was found to promote its activation under a larger Q factor, which in turn contributes a faster development of texture towards radial direction (RD). A thorough understanding of complex stress states and slip modes under various Q factors will be significantly valuable to guide the cold pilgering process with adjusting and controlling texture.

In-situ shrinkage measurement of alkali-activated materials using focused ion beam combined with environmental scanning electron microscopy

Drying shrinkage of alkali-activated slag (AAS) has gained significant attention since the volumetric instability of this material can generate premature cracking and degrade the long-term durability of concrete structures. The unique shrinkage behavior of AAS originates mainly from the particular characteristics of its main hydrated products. However, few studies have even at-tempted to investigate the shrinkage behavior of hydrated products in AAS materials. This paper presented a new method of investigating drying shrinkage behavior of AAS using focused ion beam (FIB) combined with environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). This innovative experimental method allowed the in-situ measurement of phase-specific shrinkage. The results showed FIB/ESEM technique can be successfully implemented to cementitious material to prepare phase-specific samples. Furthermore, object-oriented finite element method (OOF2) has been utilized to compute the shrinkage behavior of AAS concrete using a proposed multi-scale scheme. The computations can be made at multi-scales which highlight the effect of hydration products on shrinkage behaviors. OOF2 calculation at the micro-length scale predicted an increase in the shrinkage due to the well-dispersed hydration products inside the matrix. At larger scale, the decrease in the overall shrinkage is related to the extremely low shrinkage value by aggregates. The findings reveal OOF2 offers the capability to accurately measure local stress and strain distribution within heterogeneous materials, a feature notably absent in conventional numerical homogenization approaches. The importance of this benefit is highlighted particularly in the context of free-restrained shrinkage prediction, as conventional homogenization methods fail to account for stress.

The effect of microstructure on the fatigue behavior of titanium alloy graded porous structures fabricated by selective laser melting

The bionic-inspired Ti–15Mo gradient porous structures were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) for the first time in this work. The compression-compression fatigue behavior of functional gradient Ti–15Mo porous structures is investigated, with emphasis on understanding the relationship between fatigue performance and microstructure. The microstructure of the samples was analyzed both before and after fatigue, and correlated with the fatigue performance. During cyclic deformation, the pillars exhibited a non-uniform local stress distribution, primarily attributed to the disparity of gradient density distribution. Fatigue cracks typically initiate at the place with the defects and subsequently propagate until structural damage occurs. Fatigue ratcheting effect occurs throughout the entire fatigue process while the fatigue damage typically initiates at a later stage in the fatigue process. The results indicated that the fatigue performance of the lateral gradient (LG) structure was superior to that of the homogeneous structure, while the vertical gradient (VG) structure exhibited the poorest fatigue performance.

A Novel Barbell‐Shaped Perforated Auxetic Metastructure with Superior Auxetic Effect

Recently, artificial perforated auxetic metastructures with negative Poisson's ratio have attracted considerable attention with the superior mechanical properties. The concepts and design methods of various types of perforated auxetic metastructures have developed rapidly. However, the effective Poisson's ratio exhibited by the majority of current perforated auxetic metastructures has a lower limit of −1, which restrains their potential applications significantly. Herein, a novel 2D perforated auxetic metastructure is proposed by arraying orthogonal barbell‐shaped holes onto a sheet structure. The mechanical properties and the underlying deformation mechanism of the proposed auxetic metastructure are then investigated by performing experimental tests and finite element simulations. Results show that the lower limit of the Poisson's ratio exhibited by the proposed auxetic metastructure surpasses −1 remarkably and the proposed design hence exhibits much better auxetic performance compared with existing designs. It is also revealed that the proposed design exhibits relatively low local stress distribution. The results of this study will broaden the potential applications of perforated auxetic metastructures in many engineering fields.