Rectangular Panels Research Articles

In and out of plane behaviour of TRM strengthened heritage masonry elements

This paper presents detailed experimental and analytical investigations into the influence of textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) strengthening on the in-plane and out-of-plane response of unreinforced heritage masonry (URM) elements. The URM wall elements consist of hydraulic lime mortar and fired-clay bricks, and the TRM reinforcement employs mortar-embedded layers of alkali age-resistant glass meshes. Apart from the material characterisation tests on mortars, bricks, and TRM coupons, the experimental programme includes axial compression tests on wallettes, diagonal compression tests on square panels, as well as four-point bending tests on rectangular panels. In the latter, the bending loads are applied either parallel or perpendicular to the bed joints in order to assess the joint layout effect on the behaviour. With the aid of digital image correlation, the in-plane and out-of-plane enhancement in stiffness, strength, and ductility of the masonry elements due to the TRM strengthening is quantified, while the TRM influence on the crack patterns and failure modes is also examined. The results show that the number of mesh layers has a significant influence on the behaviour for the out-of-plane bending tests but plays a less pronounced role in the in-plane shear cases. Modified analytical models for the in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending capacities of reinforced masonry elements, of the type examined in this study, are also proposed and assessed alongside existing codified procedures. The application of current code provisions results in overly conservative estimates. In contrast, the proposed analytical approaches for determining the in-plane and out-of-plane strength provide close prediction of the experimental capacities from this study as well as those from a wider collated database of previous tests, and are therefore suitable for implementation in practical assessment and rehabilitation guidelines.

Acoustic Radiation Characteristics of a Forced Vibrating Elastic Panel Under Thermal Environments

This paper presents the thermo-acoustic frequency response of an un-baffled rectangular panel subjected to an external excitation load. A boundary element method BEM has been employed taking into account the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz K-H integral equation for the acoustic pressure and with the fluid-plate interface boundary condition the acoustic pressure jump over the panel is calculated. The thermal effects are considered regarding in the form of a uniform increment of temperature of the panel and are analysed in order to prevent the buckling phenomena. The excitation force considered is in the form of a concentrated load at some point of the panel and the deformation modes correspond to the vacuum case. Applying a collocation method for the panel equation, a frequency transfer function is obtained that relates the deflexion of the panel with the applied load. The effect of several geometric parameters, different thermal loads and location of the load applied on the acoustic radiated power and the acoustic efficiency spectrum are evaluated. Furthermore, the influence of the excitation frequency on the sound directivity is evaluated. The verification of the method is proven with other works.

Stress Distribution along the Structural Sealant Joint Length of a Cylindrically Curved Glazing Panel

It has been identified that current standardised method for structural sealant joint dimensioning is applicable to flat rectangular panels only and no provisions are made for panels with curved surfaces. The purpose of this study is to investigate the stress distribution along the sealant joint of a cylindrically curved glass panel subjected to wind pressure and to establish if the panel curvature influences the stress distribution along the joint length. Using numerical method, several curved units were analysed and the results have shown that the out of plane wind action generate compression and shear forces within the joint, both occurring at the same time. This means that in the case of a structurally bonded curved panel, additionally to the shear caused by differential thermal expansion of elements or glass self-wight which is covered by ETAG 002 and EN 13022 the designer must also consider the shear stress induced due to the panel curvature. The magnitude and location of this additional shear stress and also of the tension/compression stress can be identified using Finite Element Analysis.

Control strategy for trading off solar power and control input while rendezvous and docking

This paper presents a novel strategy for decoupling the attitude and orbit equations of a CubeSat for rendezvous and docking with an uncontrollable cooperative target. For computing a safe trajectory, the proposed control algorithm takes into account the solar energy received by the CubeSat. The CubeSat is equipped with a thruster for orbit maneuvers, magnetic coils for attitude control, and four fixed single-sided rectangular solar panels. The coupled dynamics arising from the dynamical model of the spacecraft is solved using a novel weighted vector-based approach. This paper presents a linearized nonlinear optimal control problem arising in small spacecrafts while trying to maximize solar energy input in the rendezvous and docking process. An intermediate orbit is defined and used to divide the problem into two different optimal control problems: rendezvous optimization and docking optimization problems. A geometrical approach based on the shape of the chaser and the target is contemplated for collision avoidance while docking. The proposed controller design is modified whenever the sunlight is obstructed by the Earth, and the maneuvering controls are redesigned accordingly for optimal rendezvous and docking. Numerical simulations have been carried out to show the efficacy of the proposed concept for steering the trade-off between solar energy and control input during the rendezvous and docking of CubeSat with a tumbling target.

Lithium-Ion-Doped Eutectogel for Surface-Capacitive Sensing Touch Panel.

Touch panels are deemed as a critical platform for the future of human--computer interaction. Recently, flexible touch panels have attracted much attention due to their superior adhesivity and integratability to the human body. However, hydrogel- or organogel-based devices suffer from instability due to liquid evaporation or low-conductivity substrates. It demands an alternative functional touch panel featuring temperature tolerance, high conductivity, and stretchability. Here, we introduce an eutectogel by immobilizing a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) within 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) covalently cross-linked polymer scaffolds. In this DES (ethylene carbonate(EC)-LiTFSI), the C═O group of EC is unique as an electron donor exhibiting strong coordination interactions with Li+, promoting the dissociation of Li+ from LiTFSI to achieve excellent conductivity. Benefiting from their traits, eutectogel presents high conductivity, transmittance, antifreezing, and mechanical strength. In addition, using the surface-capacitive sensing mechanism, the eutectogel can be designed as a 1D strip and 2D rectangular touch panel which can achieve high-resolution touching tracks, even in a low-temperature environment and pressure-then-recovered state. This eutectogel strategy is envisioned to facilitate the development of next-generation intelligent devices, especially in extreme stretching and low-temperature application scenarios.

A Comparative Model of Thermal Performances Between a Modern and Classic Habitat for A Hot and Humid Tropical Climate: Case of Guinea

The objective of this research is to carry out a comparative study between a classic habitat and a modern habitat in order to understand which of the two is more efficient for a humid tropical area. To do this, a digital modeling of the heat transfer phenomena in the different components of the habitat was highlighted for a habitat made of stabilized earth bricks, a roof made of transparent tiles, false ceilings made of rectangular panels containing phase change material, concrete floor and a classic habitat made from local materials is presented. To show the reliability of this study, we validated our habitat model integrating phase change material through an experimental study carried out by researchers B. ZIVKOVIC and I. FUJII. A study on the temperature distributions at the level of certain components of the habitat done, and the influence of the variation of certain parameters was highlighted to know the thermal behavior of the two habitats. Furthermore, a comparative study was performed between the interior and exterior temperatures of the south walls of habitats incorporating PCM and without PCM, which are the components most exposed to solar radiation whose maximum values are respectively 33°C and 34, 5°C and 33.15°C against 47°C. Keywords: Performances, thermal, bioclimatic, PCM, Tropical climate, Guinea.

Extension of the source scanning technique to curved rectangular panels for the vibroacoustic characterization of structures using wall-pressure plane waves

The Source Scanning Technique (SST) is an experimental method used to synthesize the vibroacoustic response of a given structure under random excitations such as the Diffuse Acoustic Field (DAF) and the Turbulent Boundary Layer (TBL) using a single monopole source. It was previously developed and validated for simple plane structures such as Flat Rectangular Panels (FRPs). However, in industrial cases, the structures of interest can be more complex. In this paper, the feasibility of the extension of SST to Curved Rectangular Panels (CRPs) is investigated. To numerically evaluate the performances of SST when generating wall-pressure plane waves (WPPWs) on CRPs, analytical developments are proposed to estimate the transfer functions between the monopole source and the CRPs. Two- and three-dimensional cases are considered and validated using the boundary element method. Then, parametric studies are carried out to determine the optimal parameters for implementing the SST process in two- and three-dimensional cases considering a conformal geometry, i.e., the array of monopoles has the same geometry as the structure of interest. The numerical results obtained are then supported by experimental investigations using a robotized system to move the monopole source. The transfer functions obtained using the proposed analytical models are compared to the measured ones, yielding relatively good agreement between the results.

Effective medium modelling of real-world multi-modal metamaterial panels achieving broadband vibroacoustic attenuation

Locally resonant metamaterials can achieve unprecedented vibroacoustic performance by subwavelength distributions of small mechanical resonators on a host structure. Substantial broadband vibroacoustic attenuation can be achieved by multi-modal metamaterial panels, which exploit multiple translational and rotational resonator modes to manipulate the overall bending wave propagation. However, the multi-modal metamaterial concept has been studied only for idealized conditions, such as infinite panel extent and uniformly distributed resonators, limiting practical applicability. Efficient methodologies are still needed to study the behaviour of multi-modal metamaterial panels in real-world scenarios. In this work, this challenge is tackled by developing generalized effective medium models, i.e., homogenized material representations through equivalent macro-scale properties, tailored for finite-sized multi-modal metamaterial panels. For the special but important case of simply supported rectangular panels with uniformly distributed resonators, a dedicated analytical effective medium model is developed. For arbitrary boundary conditions and resonator distributions, effective medium finite elements are formulated. The diffuse sound transmission loss (STL) performance is efficiently predicted through Deterministic - Statistical Energy Analysis (Det-SEA), by coupling the effective medium model of the finite-sized metamaterial panel with a diffuse model of the surrounding sound fields. The proposed prediction approaches are validated against detailed FEM modelling, demonstrating that significant computational reductions are achieved while preserving accuracy. Results showcase that multi-modal metamaterial panels maintain broadband vibracoustic attenuation also when subjected to boundary effects and under partial metamaterial treatment.

Axisymmetric blockfold origami: a non-flat-foldable Miura variant with self-locking mechanisms and enhanced stiffness

Origami foldcores, especially the blockfold cores, have emerged as promising components of high-performance sandwich composites. Inspired by the blockfold origami, we propose the axisymmetric blockfold origami (ABO), which is composed of both rectangular and trapezoidal panels. The ABO inherits the non-flat-foldability of the blockfold origami, and furthermore, displays self-locking mechanisms and enhanced stiffness. The geometry and folding kinematics of the ABO are formulated with respect to the geometric parameters and the folding angle of the assembly. The mathematical conditions are derived for the existence of self-locking mechanisms. We perform compression test simulations to demonstrate enhanced stiffness and increased load-bearing capacity. We find that the existence of rectangular panels not only dominates the non-flat-foldability of the ABO, but also contributes to the enhancement of the stiffness. Our results suggest the potential applications of the ABO for building load-bearing structures with rotational symmetry. Moreover, we discuss the prospects of designing tightly assembled multi-layered origami structures with prestress induced by the mismatch of successive layers to enlighten future research.

Multi-objective optimization design of a new non-uniform rectangular honeycomb sandwich panel

Honeycomb sandwich panels have a wide range of applications in aerospace, marine and energy industry due to their high stiffness-to-weight ratio. In this study, a new non-uniform rectangular honeycomb core is presented to promote its material utilization ratio. The non-uniform wall of honeycomb core is described using Bezier curves, and the effective elastic constants are obtained by both the geometric equivalent method and the strain energy-based homogenization method. To analyze the bending and buckling behaviors of the sandwich panel, the parabolic shear deformation theory is adopted, and the governing equations are derived by employing Hamilton's principle. Then, the closed-form solutions of bending and buckling responses of the non-uniform rectangular honeycomb sandwich panel are derived. Furthermore, multi-objective design formulations are established, with the objectives of minimizing the weight and deflection, and maximizing the critical buckling load. Illustrative examples demonstrate that the non-uniform design of the honeycomb core can remarkably increase the material utilization rate and improve the mechanical performance of sandwich panels.

Shear buckling of ship structures rectangular elements

In the work to determine the spectrum of critical loads and the corresponding forms of a rectangular clamped panel (plate) buckling under the action of balanced tangential forces on its contour, the Bubnov-Galerkin method using polynomials in two coordinates is proposed. This problem of the ship skin element pure shift does not have an exact closed solution, and the known approximate solutions require an analysis of their accuracy and reliability. The aim of the work is to obtain and analyze analytical solutions using polynomials of various degrees. Approximating deflection functions satisfying all the boundary conditions of the problem are represented sequentially by polynomials of 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 18th degrees in two coordinates with undefined coefficients. The solution of the main differential equation of the problem is found approximately in the integral sense, as a result of which homogeneous systems of linear algebraic equations with respect to unknown coefficients of polynomials are obtained. These systems contain a shear load as a parameter. To obtain eigenvalues (critical loads), the determinants of the systems are equated to zero. Numerical results are obtained in the Maple analytical computing system. For each approximation (polynomial), a power equation with respect to the critical load, the solution of which is paired values differing in signs is obtained. The forms of buckling are oblique waves. For a ship skin square panel, the first form of buckling is a single bulge along the diagonal of the panel. The second form is obtained in the form of two bulges directed in opposite directions (symmetrically-antisymmetrically with respect to the diagonals), etc. The numerical results are compared with the results of other authors. It is established that with an increase in the number of the polynomial terms, the initial critical loads and forms of buckling are specified, first of all.

Directional sound radiation from a rectangular panel and the high frequency limit.

Directional sound radiation focuses sound in a specific direction and reduces sound radiation in other directions. This study uses a flat panel driven by an actuator array to realize two-dimensional directional sound radiation by the acoustic contrast control algorithm. The aliasing effect at higher frequencies is analyzed based on the modal vibration of the panel, and a method for estimating the high frequency limit is proposed. Actuator arrays with different parameters are simulated to verify the efficacy of the proposed method and compare the acoustic contrast response with the conventional loudspeaker arrays.

Snapping of a viscoelastic cylindrical panel under loading with small volume compressed gas

The paper considers the dynamics of the process of a flat rectangular elastic panel having an initial deflection equal to the critical deflection of the static problem of panel stability. The panel is loaded with compressed gas enclosed in a small volume container. Using this value, the load acting on the panel during the snapping process will depend on the deflection of the panel as a result of the adiabatic expansion of the compressed gas. The main goal of the work is to investigate the stability region of a cylindrical panel when loaded with compressed gas. The problem is solved using a developed methodology based on the method of separating variable equations of mathematical physics. Based on calculations, it was found that when the panel is loaded with compressed gas enclosed in a small-volume container, a stabilizing effect appears, i.e. a certain deflection interval appears where the panel does not lose stability. The presence of external pressure makes it possible to expand this area, i.e. the external environment increases the “stabilizing” effect. Also, taking into account the viscoelastic properties of the material expands this area to 10%.

Panel Flutter Numerical Study of Thin Isotropic Flat Plates and Curved Plates with Various Edge Boundary Conditions

In this article, supersonic panel flutter analysis of flat plates and curved plates with different edge boundary conditions are studied, using efficient, high precision triangular shallow shell finite elements. The fluid on the underside of the plate was is assumed to be stationary. The linear piston theory can be applied to the top surface of the plate. The linear piston theory was used to evaluate the aerodynamic loads. The solution of a complex eigenvalue problem was formulated according to Hamilton’s principle. Lagrange’s equation of motion was obtained using standard methods for finding eigenvalues. Current finite element analysis ignores aerodynamic damping. For panels, the theory of thin and small deformed shells was taken into account. To validate the developed finite element code, the results of a square and rectangular flat-panels with simply supported edges (S-S-S-S), a square plate with four fixed edges (C-C-C-C), and a square plate with the length side clamps (C-S-C-S) were compared with the published data. The flutter results of other edge boundary conditions (S-C-S-C, C-S-C-S, and C-C-C-C) for square and rectangular flat panels are evaluated for which literature data is limited. It has been found that the fixed condition in the cross-flow direction (S-C-S-C) has a significant effect on the critical flutter pressure parameters and flutter frequencies. Further, to study the aforementioned effect, the current finite element (FE) has been extended to curved plates with S-C-S-C(constrained in the cross-flow direction and exposed to supersonic flow), SS-S-S boundary conditions to find flutter results.

Variability in measured resonance frequencies and loss factors of a bolted panel structure

Structural bolted joints are not perfectly contiguous or rigid. Instead, the joint stiffness, mass, and damping depend on many parameters including the joint thickness, number and size of bolts, the bolt preload, and the motion of the jointed region. Also, damping can vary with motion type (stick-slip for friction and impact for joint opening and closing) and amplitude. Finally, all joint dynamic parameters vary from installation to installation. We measured the variability of bolted joint stiffness and damping for four low-order modes of a bolted Aluminum panel structure - two flexural modes and two twisting/torsional modes. While a large portion of the bolted joint literature features a lap joint or an assembly of two beams, there are few studies dealing with flanged connections of plates. Two flanged rectangular panels were bolted together with two cap screws threaded into one of the flanges. Modal resonance frequencies and loss factors were tracked throughout a decaying vibration response induced by hammer impacts on the structure. Measurements were made for three bolt torques and two flange thicknesses, three impact force strengths, and three repeated assemblies (the panel was unbolted and bolted together again). Relative motion at the joint with respect to mode shape determines whether the joint primarily adds stiffness or mass, as well as the amount of added damping. Not surprisingly, reducing bolt preload reduces resonance frequencies. Only minor variability in resonance frequency and loss factor were observed for most conditions, except for cases with low bolt preload. In these cases mild nonlinearity is evident in the response, where resonance frequency decreases and loss factor increases with increasing vibration amplitude. Also, variability of resonance frequencies and loss factors between installations often exceeds that due to variability in preload and vibration amplitude.

High-Cycle Fatigue Life Behaviour of Fabricated Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer

This study focuses on the fatigue behaviour analysis of glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite specimens under high-cycle fatigue loading conditions. Therefore, property validation is recommended in the material development process upon further investigation of the fabricated GRFP. This study aims to evaluate the behaviour of the fabricated GFRP fatigue specimen when subjected to high-cycle fatigue loads and compare it to existing studies. A GFRP fatigue test sample was fabricated using the hand layup process into a flat rectangular panel, which was then cut into a small dimension of 28×2×0.2 cm fatigue specimen. Fatigue tests were performed on five flat specimens at different constant amplitude loads or stress levels between 40% and 80% of ultimate tensile strength to obtain the stress–life curve for the fabricated GFRP. Results showed that the high-stress levels of 80% contributed to the most reduced fatigue life cycle of GFRP. This result is consistent with previous studies and lies within the published life cycle range, validating the fabricated GRFP. A new parameter called the failure modulus, or Mf, may be used to quantify a particular set of fatigue tests.

ОПЫТ ОГНЕВЫХ ИСПЫТАНИЙ СТЕНОВЫХ ПАНЕЛЕЙ ИЗ КРУПНОФОРМАТНЫХ КЕРАМИЧЕСКИХ КАМНЕЙ С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ КОМПЬЮТЕРНЫХ МОДЕЛЕЙ

The experience of testing the fire resistance of wall panels with masonry of large-format ceramic stones with vertical voids using finite element computer models is given. Wall panels made of stones with rectangular voids and panels made of stones with diamond-shaped voids were studied. To determine the occurrence of the fire resistance limit on the strength of the sample during “fire tests” on the models, the criterion of loss of stability of the structure according to the first three forms of loss of stability was used. It is investigated on finite element models of the effect of anchoring in the furnaces of the tested panels on the fire resistance limit. The fire resistance of the wall panel is investigated on finite element models of the effect of anchoring in the furnaces of the tested panels on the fire resistance limit. The fire resistance of a wall panel in the form of a two-story wall fragment is investigated. The advantage of “fire tests” of panels using finite element computer models is the ability to assess the stress-strain state of the test sample during heating before the onset of the limit state.

Predicting buckling loads of perforated rectangular isotropic panels using Gene Expression Programming and Artificial Neural Network

This study aims to develop semi-empirical formulas for foretelling the buckling loads of clamped and simply supported rectangular isotropic panels with central circular perforation exposed to different ratios of biaxial load conditions. The empirical formulas were developed and evaluated using Gene Expression Programming (GEP), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Finite Element Method (FEM). A total of 714 data set, generated using the FEM, is used to establish and validate the empirical formulas. This study investigates the effect of perforation sizes, plate aspect ratios, and biaxial load ratios on the buckling strength of perforated panels. The proposed formulas will allow a quick and easy estimation of buckling loads for perforated rectangular panels with acceptable accuracy without the need for sophisticated calculations. The results of the empirical formulas were comparable reasonably well with the results of the finite element analysis (FE) and available literature findings.

Exploratory Acoustic Investigation of Customizable 3D-Printed Hybrid Acoustic Materials (HAMs) through Interlaboratory Impedance Tube Measurements

Acoustic materials are widely used for improving interior acoustics based on their sound absorptive or sound diffusive properties. However, common acoustic materials only offer limited options for customizable geometrical features, performance, and aesthetics. This paper focuses on the sound absorption performance of highly customizable 3D-printed Hybrid Acoustic Materials (HAMs) by means of parametric stepped thickness, which is used for sound absorption and diffusion. HAMs were parametrically designed and produced using computational design, 3D-printing technology, and feedstock material with adjustable porosity, allowing for the advanced control of acoustic performance through geometry-related sound absorbing/diffusing strategies. The proposed design methodology paves the way to a customizable large-scale cumulative acoustic performance by varying the parametric stepped thickness. The present study explores the challenges posed by the testing of the sound absorption performance of HAMs in an impedance tube. The representativeness of the test samples (i.e., cylindrical sections) with respect to the original (i.e., rectangular) panel samples is contextually limited by the respective impedance tube’s geometrical features (i.e., cylindrical cross-section) and dimensional requirements (i.e., diameter size). To this aim, an interlaboratory comparison was carried out by testing the normal incidence sound absorption of ten samples in two independent laboratories with two different impedance tubes. The results obtained demonstrate a good level of agreement, with HAMs performing better at lower frequencies than expected and behaving like Helmholtz absorbers, as well as demonstrating a frequency shift pattern related to superficial geometric features.

Fluid structure interactions generated by an oblique shock impinging on a thin elastic panel

The flow structure coupling generated by an impinging shock boundary layer interactions (SBLI) flowfield over a rectangular panel is investigated. The impinging oblique shock is generated by an 8° shock generator placed incident to a Mach 2.5 flow. The shock strength is large enough to generate a mean separation that is nearly two-dimensional over the panel span. The panel is configured such that the panel oscillation amplitude is much smaller than the panel and incoming boundary layer thicknesses. This resulted in a weak coupling between the flowfield and structural response, and forms a relatively simpler configuration to study. Two multivariate measurement campaigns are performed to capture the mean and dynamic flowfield and panel response. The first campaign simultaneously measures the 2D panel surface pressure field, panel center-span deflection, and off-body velocity field at 10 Hz. The second campaign measures simultaneously the 2D panel surface pressure field and panel strain at two mid-span locations at 10 kHz. The acquisition rate is sufficient to resolve at least the first seven panel elastic models. These measurements provide comprehensive information about the fluid structure interaction (FSI) phenomenon from both aerodynamics and structural dynamics perspectives. Summarily, with the weak flow/structure interactions implemented in this study, there is no change in the mean separation size. However, the pressure fluctuations beneath the SBLI unit exhibit discrete elevations in the vicinity of different panel resonance mode frequencies. The greatest elevation pressure PSD occurs at the panel modes that overlaps with the separation bubble pulsation frequency band. Detailed coherence maps at and away from panel elastic modes and conditional statistics reveal critical insights into the mechanisms that cause the strengthening of the pressure fluctuations due to flow/structure coupling. It was found that the acoustic forcing by the cavity resonance has an important contribution to the dynamics of the surface pressure and panel oscillations.