Non-uniform Thickness Research Articles

Fast Limit Analysis of Domes Belonging to the Architectural Heritage Under Different Hypotheses on Masonry Strength

ABSTRACT The load-bearing capacity of selected case studies of domes belonging to the architectural heritage is evaluated by means of two different semi-analytical approaches framed in the context of limit analysis. The first method is a static approach known as the “Durand-Claye method” or “stability area method”, and the second is a kinematic approach that combines the virtual power principle with the upper bound theorem of limit analysis. The fundamentals of these two methods were presented in previous works by the authors, under different hypotheses about the strength of masonry. Building on this theoretical background, the current study introduces novel analytical solutions for domes of varying shapes, specifically ogival domes and segmental domes with non-uniform thickness. These solutions are applied to real case studies of significant architectural importance: the ogival dome of the Church of Anime Sante in L’Aquila (Italy); the ogival dome of Escuelas Pías in Valencia (Spain), and the main segmental dome of the Global Vipassana Pagoda in Mumbai (India). The varying sizes of the examined domes allow for an analysis of the impact of limited tensile and compressive strength on collapse behavior, by comparing the results obtained through the static and kinematic methods with those derived from Heyman’s simplified assumptions.

Josephson coupling across magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4

Topological superconductors hosting Majorana zero modes are of great interest for both fundamental physics and potential quantum computing applications. In this work, we investigate the transport properties of the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4 (MBT). In normal transport measurements, we observe the presence of chiral edge channels, though with deviations from perfect quantization due to factors such as non-uniform thickness, domain structures, and the presence of quasi-helical edge states. Subsequently, we fabricate superconducting junctions using niobium leads on MBT exfoliated flakes, which show an onset of supercurrent with clear Josephson coupling. The interference patterns in the superconducting junctions reveal interesting asymmetries, suggesting changes in the magnetic ordering of the MBT flakes under small applied magnetic fields. Moreover, the modulation of the critical current by magnetic field reveals a SQUID-like pattern, suggesting the presence of supercurrent through the quasi-helical edge states.

Coupled 3D non-orthogonal constitutive model for woven composites in preforming and compaction processes

Woven composites are considered promising for lightweight applications with great environmental and economic benefits. One of the most promising techniques for mass-production of woven composite parts with complex geometry is closed-mold thermoforming including preforming, compaction/consolidation and curing steps. The ignored effects on non-uniform thickness deformation and compaction modulus caused by preforming are considered in the coupled 3D non-orthogonal constitutive model to capture the coupled material behaviors during preforming and compaction. The in-plane tension, compression and shear modulus in the model are calibrated using tension, bending and bias-extension experiments, respectively. Meanwhile, the out-plane compaction experiments are designed, with high-accuracy measurement method for the initial thickness and deformation process, to obtain the material properties of sheared woven composites. These experiments can be regarded as one benchmark for compaction tests of woven composites. The new material model has been implemented in Abaqus software and validated by the bias-extension experiments.

Reconfigurable ultrasound focusing effect through acoustic barriers

The low transmission efficiency of ultrasonic waves in waveguides of a high acoustic impedance (referred to as dense materials), due to the impedance mismatch between the background media and the dense materials, poses a significant obstacle to practical applications of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) such as ultrasound therapy or medical imaging. To address this challenge, we present an inverse optimization scheme for fabrication of novel acoustic meta-lenses, enabling strengthened penetration and enhanced focusing of ultrasonic waves when the waves traverse barriers. Both simulation and experiment validate the effectiveness of the developed meta-lenses which are annexed to hemispherical plates, and demonstrate an enhanced transmission of the sound power by an order of magnitude compared to a scenario without the use of the meta-lens. The focal distance is reconfigurable by adjusting the geometric parameters of the meta-lenses. The proposed design philosophy is not restricted by the complexity of the target structures, and it allows the ultrasonic waves to pass through acoustic barriers with a non-uniform thickness yet maintaining efficient wave focusing. This study holds appealing applications in HIFU-enabled ultrasound imaging and therapy.

Investigation of time-dependent mechanical loading on the start-stop process of functionally graded rotating disks under thermal conditions

Rotating disks are used in industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and power plants. These disks are under time-dependent mechanical loading when the machine starts or stops working conditions. Thermal stresses caused by temperature changes with this time-dependent mechanical load create dangerous conditions. Therefore, the estimation of the elastic limit angular velocity and acceleration as a criterion for the initiation of plastic deformations has special importance in the start-stop process. An analytical Homotopy perturbation method is used to solve the heat transfer equation and the governing Navier equations in both radial and tangential directions of functionally graded rotating disks with non-uniform thickness. The Tamura-Tomoto-Ozawa model is implemented to calculate the yield stress at a different radius of the disk. The obtained results will be verified with the higher-order finite difference method. The effect of thickness parameter, type of thermal and boundary conditions on the angular velocity and acceleration, and also the starting radius of the plastic deformations are investigated by numerical examples. It is shown that by defining the appropriate temperature gradient on the outer surface of the disk and the parameters in the time-dependent angular velocity function, the level of stresses can be controlled and optimized in all working processes.

Atypical second harmonic A0 mode Lamb waves in non-uniform plates for local incipient damage monitoring

Plates with non-uniform thickness, such as stiffened and notched plates, are commonly seen in engineering applications. Monitoring incipient damage in these structures is crucial to ensure their safety during service. Second harmonic Lamb waves hold great promise for structural health monitoring applications. However, the mechanisms underpinning the generation of the second harmonic Lamb waves in non-uniform plates are still not well understood due to the complex wave field. To tackle this issue, a theoretical analysis is first conducted to highlight the so-called atypical second harmonic A0 mode waves (2nd A0 waves) generated at the structural non-uniform section. Their existence, as well as their potential for local incipient damage monitoring applications, is then confirmed by finite element simulations. Experiments are carried out on a notched aluminum plate to monitor the incipient plastic damage induced by bending. Three mechanisms contributing to the generation of the atypical 2nd A0 waves in the non-uniform plate are identified: mode conversion from the second harmonic S0 mode waves, asymmetric nonlinear driving forces at the non-uniform section, and the mutual interaction between the mode-converted fundamental A0 and S0 waves. This study shows that the reported atypical 2nd A0 waves provide an effective means for monitoring local incipient damage in non-uniform structures.

Predicting the Adhesive Layer Thickness in Hybrid Joints Involving Pre-Tensioned Bolts.

While most academic studies focus on the properties of cured joints, this research addresses the manufacturing process of hybrid joints in their uncured state. Hybrid joints that combine adhesive bonding with pre-tensioned bolts exhibit superior mechanical performance compared to exclusively bonded or bolted joints. However, the adhesive flow during manufacturing in hybrid joints often results in a nonuniform adhesive thickness, where obtaining an exact thickness is crucial for accurate load capacity predictions. This paper presents experiments involving three different adhesives, providing precise measurements of the adhesive layer thickness distribution, which served as a reference when evaluating and validating the subsequent numerical predictions. The numerical predictions were performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model the flow behavior of the adhesives during the bonding process and their interactions with the metal substrates. The CFD predictions of the adhesive layer thickness showed good agreement with the experimental data, with the relative differences between the average experimental and numerical thickness values ranging from 4.07% to 27.1%. The results were most accurate for the adhesive with sand particles, whose particles remained intact, ensuring that the adhesive's rheology remained unchanged. The results highlight the importance of the rheological behavior of the adhesive in the final distribution of the adhesive layer thickness, thereby expanding the understanding of these joints.

Exact solution for free vibration analysis of non-uniform thickness functionally graded porous nanosheet with surface effect based on variable nonlocal and length-scale parameters

In this article, the analytical solution for free oscillation of non-uniform thickness functionally graded porous (FGP) rectangular nanosheets resting on a Pasternak foundation with various boundary conditions (BCs) based on the nonlocal strain gradient theory and surface effect are discovered. The nonlocal stress and strain effects are captured on the nonlocal strain gradient hypothesis, while the surface energy effects are based on the surface elasticity hypothesis. The FGP nanosheet has a nonlinear thickness change in both x and y directions and is placed on the Pasternak elastic foundation. The unique point of this study is to investigate the change of nonlocal and length-scale coefficients along the thickness as mechanical properties of the material. Applying classical shear deformation theory (ignore the effect of shear deformation) combined with Hamilton’s principle, the motion balance equation of non-uniform thickness nanosheets is established. The accuracy of the proposed method is verified through reliable publications. A set of results of natural vibration frequencies of variable thickness FGP nanosheets under the influence of factors are discovered and discussed. The results of this study can be used in design calculations of MEM and NEMs systems in mechanics.

Finite element approach for free vibration and transient response of bi-directional functionally graded sandwich porous skew-plates with variable thickness subjected to blast load

At the first time, the finite element method was used to model and analyze the free vibration and transient response of non-uniform thickness bi-directional functionally graded sandwich porous (BFGSP) skew plates. The whole BFGSP skew-plates is placed on a variable visco-elastic foundation (VEF) in the hygro-thermal environment and subjected to the blast load. The BFGSP skew-plate thickness is permitted to vary non-linearly over both the length and width of the skew-plate, thereby faithfully representing the real behavior of the structure itself. The analysis is based on a four-node planar quadrilateral element with eight degrees of freedom per node, which is approximated using Lagrange Q4 shape function and C1 level non-conforming Hermite shape function based on refined higher-order shear deformation plate theory. The forced vibration parameters of the non-uniform thickness BFGSP skew-plate are fully determined using Hamilton's principle and the Newmark-β direct integration technique. Accuracy of the calculation program is validated by comparing its numerical results with those from reputable sources. Furthermore, a thorough assessment is conducted to determine the impact of various parameters on the free and forced vibration responses of the non-uniform thickness BFGSP skew-plate. The findings of the paper may be used in the development of civil and military structures in situations that are prone to exceptional forces, such as explosions and impacts load.

High-frequency vibration of beveled crystal plates by using subregional geometric fitting method

The beveling process is an important process in the manufacturing of resonators, which has a significant impact on the frequency stability of resonators. Without understanding the frequency characteristics of the resonator after beveling, it is impossible to accurately design the beveled resonators. Thus, in order to investigate the vibration characteristics of AT-cut beveled resonators, we investigated the high-frequency vibration in this work by using the subregional geometric fitting method (SGFM) based on Mindlin’s plate theory. Quartz crystal plates with nonuniform thicknesses are partitioned into three regions and each region is fitted by using the polynomial functions based on the measured geometric morphology data. The governing equations are obtained based on Mindlin’s two-dimensional theory and the coupled vibrations are further solved using the partial differential equation module of COMSOL. In the numerical calculation, we compare the results obtained by the SGFM with those obtained by the global fitting method and the measured data. The accuracy and effectiveness of the SGFM are also verified. It is found that the frequencies obtained by the SGFM are slightly higher than the frequencies obtained by the global fitting method, and the results of SGFM are closer to the measured results. Meanwhile, as the beveling time increases, the frequency increases and the energy trapping effect becomes more significant. The proposed method can significantly improve the computational efficiency of thickness-shear vibration while ensuring accuracy. It is expected to provide a new geometric fitting method for the analysis of beveled crystal resonators.

Ribbed floors with optimized thickness distribution for maximized broadband impact sound insulation

Impact sound insulation of floors is one of the main concerns when designing multi-story buildings. While conventional floor systems use flat or regularly ribbed configurations, interesting opportunities to improve performance are given by enhancing the design of the load-bearing slab. In this work, we propose a methodology to maximize broadband impact sound insulation by designing slabs with a non-uniform material thickness distribution, which is numerically optimized. In the design process, efficient and accurate sound insulation predictions are employed through a detailed finite element floor model coupled with a diffuse room model. In particular, we minimize a Single Number Quantity (SNQ) that represents the aggregate broadband sound pressure level in the receiving room under point-load excitation. The design of single slab floors is considered first. Results indicate that, even if the optimization effectively minimizes the sound pressure level in the different third-octave bands, it does not lead to noteworthy decreases in the SNQ. The design of floating floors is then considered. In this case, a better overall performance is obtained, corresponding to significant improvements at low frequencies and a slight degradation at high frequencies, where, nevertheless, floating floors already perform well. This slight high-frequency decline is linked with the resonances of the thin sub-plate regions present between the optimized ribs, akin to what is observed in waffle ribbed floors. Finally, the robustness of the optimized results against changes in the initial guess is assessed by showing that no SNQ improvements are obtained when transitioning from flat to waffle ribbed initial design.

Injection Moulded Part Analysis by Alignment of Simulated and Referent Part Geometry

Warpage of the injection moulded parts is one of the most common defects after demoulding, which is intensively present in thin-walled moulded parts or parts with non-uniform wall thickness. The level of the warpage can be reduced by optimizing the mould tempering system in the phase of mould design, by optimizing the injection moulding parameters and recently by optimizing the shape of the mould cavity elements geometry – so-called inverse contouring. Computer simulation of injection moulding process can show the level of moulded part warpage after ejection from the mould, but it will not allow detailed measuring of critical moulded part measures deviations. Detailed analysis and prediction of the critical moulded part dimensions can be performed by aligning of the deformed moulded part design obtained with computer simulation, with moulded part reference CAD geometry. This paper shows the main steps and an example of the geometry aligning process for a specific thermoplastic part.

A Comprehensive Study of Aluminum Anodization in Transition Modes.

Anodization is a method to fabricate a tunable nanoporosity and thickness of alumina coating. This research is devoted to large-area hard anodization (HA), ultrahard anodization (UHA), and transitional modes. The phenomenon and challenges of UHA and the transition from HA are studied on large-area samples using linear-sweep voltammetry. The findings indicate that a uniform large-area thick coating can be achieved by utilizing pre-UHA modes. The study's results indicate that UHA leads only to coatings with non-uniform thickness in large-area anodization. The peculiarities of pre-UHA are studied using different temperatures (0, 5, 10, and 15 °C) and processing times (1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 h) in a 0.3 M oxalic acid electrolyte. The current study shows the possibility for the fast growth of thick nanoporous alumina up to 235 ± 4 µm for only 12 h.

A Shooting and Bouncing Ray Method for Electrically Large Targets With Nonuniform Thickness Anisotropic Material

A Shooting and Bouncing Ray Method for Electrically Large Targets With Nonuniform Thickness Anisotropic Material

An Accelerated Ray Tracing Method based on Embree3 Ray Tracing Library for Targets with Non-uniform Thickness Materials

This paper proposes an accelerated ray tracing method utilizing the Embree3 ray tracing library for targets with non-uniform thickness materials. In contrast to the traditional surface-based ray tracing, the proposed approach performs ray tracing within the materials, since surface tracing is ineffective for materials with non-uniform thickness. To ensure efficiency and handle the overlapping grids between different materials, the Embree3 ray tracing library is introduced to ray intersection. Numerical results confirm that the proposed method surpasses existing methods in terms of efficiency and applicability while maintaining accuracy.

A droplet-intermixing printing method for high-uniformity pixel ink volume control based on integer programming

Inkjet printing is a promising technology for new display mass production. However, a major challenge in inkjet printing applications is pixel ink volume nonuniformity caused by the volume error of droplets ejected from multiple nozzles. This nonuniformity can lead to nonuniform pixel film thickness and Mura defects in a display panel. To address this issue, an integer programming-based droplet-intermixing printing method for high-uniformity pixel ink volume control is proposed in this study. The printing method is used to homogenize the volume of ink deposited in each pixel by intermixing droplets from different nozzles to improve the whole-panel uniformity. To ensure that the droplet intermixing results meet the printing process requirements, a specific scheduling and printing planning model for the method is established. According to the droplet volume from each nozzle and the printing pattern, the most efficient printing path and nozzle ejection action are obtained by the established model while meeting the volume uniformity requirement of pixel ink. Experiments show that the proposed printing method can realize pixel film thickness error control under ±6 nm on a 400 cm2 display substrate, and the uniformity of different pixels is less than ±4.62 %. Compared with traditional method, the achieved uniformity is improved at 45.4 % under the same conditions. This method has been applied in printed display manufacturing equipment and achieved good results.

Semi-analytical approach to study wave interaction with a pair of obliquely submerged heterogeneous flexible structures

ABSTRACT Analyzing inclined flexible plates of varying thickness is crucial for optimising and attaining precise control over wave reflection and transmission. This is particularly significant in the context of breakwater construction. In contrast to horizontal breakwaters, inclined barriers can penetrate multiple layers of fluid with varying particle velocities, facilitating interactions and causing wave breaking, which results in the dissipation of wave energy. Moreover, compared to vertical structures, inclined ones demonstrate more effective wave attenuation. In the context of the present study, we investigate the interaction of water waves with a pair of obliquely submerged flexible thin plates characterised by non-uniform thickness. In order to model this complex physical scenario, we employ the principles of linear water wave theory in conjunction with Kirchhoff's thin plate theory. By employing repeated integration and Green's integral theorem, we reduce the boundary value problem to a system of coupled integral equations. Through appropriate approximations, we solve this system and obtain numerical values for various hydrodynamic quantities. This model provides comprehensive results for both horizontal and vertical plates, making it highly versatile. We examine the impact of varying thickness and the inclination of the two flexible plates to understand their roles in the wave scattering process and the associated physical parameters. The results obtained from this study shed light on the intricate dynamics involved in wave-structure interactions and can inform the design and optimisation of breakwater systems.

Corrugation parameters and mechanical performance of corrugated shells under the same weight and volume

Cylindrical shells are easy to buckle under external pressure and need to be strengthened before they can be used in engineering. At present, the cylindrical shells are mainly enhanced by welding stiffeners inside them. However, for underwater pressure vessels, it is important to reduce the welding area. Some scholars have proposed various forms of corrugated shells, such as longitudinally corrugated shells, and studied the buckling behavior of corrugated shells under hydrostatic pressure. However, few studies have been conducted on such shells under the same weight conditions. Because an increase in the height of the corrugation necessarily leads to an increase in weight. So this reduces the comparability between the corrugated shells. The mechanism of non-uniform wall thickness on the improvement of shell material utilization is not explained. It is worth exploring how to achieve the best buckling performance under the limited weight. In this paper, the shape parameters of corrugations are explored, including the number, height and width of corrugations, and the coupling between them. The mechanical behavior of corrugated shell is studied from theory, FEA and experiment. In addition to hydrostatic pressure, the collapse of corrugated shells under concentrated pressure is also studied and comparative tests are carried out. The whole process of the collapse of the corrugated shell under concentrated pressure can be directly observed, and this is also an important performance index. In order to ensure the dimensional accuracy of the test samples, 3D printing technology was used for processing. In this paper, higher corrugations are not always better for the same weight. Because corrugation troughs tend to crack before buckling. This is like the short board effect, which requires collaborative optimization of peak and trough thickness.

Proposal for variability-induced effective radius of elliptical gate-all-around junctionless transistors and its applicability in hydrogen gas sensors

Nano-ribbons with gate-all-around (GAA) architecture have been predicted to serve as next-generation on-chip transistors, among which, the junctionless transistor (JLT) has emerged as a promising candidate, mitigating few limitations of conventional inversion-mode metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Due to imperfect fabrication process, the GAA architecture is often subject to cross-sectional variabilities. This work presents an analytical model for the effective radius of elliptical cross-section of the channel region having a non-circular oxide surrounding it, resulting in various structural configurations having non-uniform oxide thickness. To demonstrate the impact of cross-sectional variability of GAA-JLTs, few performance parameters, such as, drain current, threshold voltage, and so on, have been evaluated using our proposed formulation for the effective radius and the results were found to agree well with TCAD simulations. As a case study, we have emphasized on the applicability of our proposed model in variability-induced GAA-JLT-based hydrogen sensors using few sensitivity metrics. Our computations show substantial changes in the sensing device as the cross-section deviates from the ideal circular one. Our computations reveal that incorporating the effects of radius variability in the device model along with proper tuning of operating conditions can enhance the performance and accuracy of such sensors.

Corrosion damage identification based on the symmetry of propagating wavefield measured by a circular array of piezoelectric transducers: Theoretical, experimental and numerical studies

The article investigates the results obtained from numerical simulations and experimental tests concerning the propagation of guided waves in corroded steel plates. Developing innovative methodologies for assessing corrosion-induced degradation is crucial for accurately diagnosing offshore and ship structures exposed to harsh environmental conditions. The main aim of the research is to analyze how surface irregularities affect wave propagation characteristics. An investigation was conducted for antisymmetric fundamental mode A0. Specifically, the study examines the asymmetrical wavefronts generated by nonuniform thickness in damaged specimens. Initially, numerical analysis explores the impact of thickness variation on wave field symmetry. Corroded plates with varying levels of degradation are modeled using the random fields approach, with degradation levels ranging from 0 % to 60 %. Subsequently, the research investigates how the standard deviation of thickness distribution (from 5 % to 20 % of the initial thickness) and excitation frequency (from 50 to 150 kHz) influence recorded signals and the shape of reconstructed wavefronts. Each scenario compares wavefront symmetry levels estimated using rotational and bilateral symmetry degrees as indicative parameters. The numerical simulations are complemented by experimental tests conducted on plates with three different degradation levels. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed wave field analysis approach for assessing structural integrity, as evidenced by the agreement between numerical predictions and experimental observations.