Stress-free Boundary Conditions Research Articles

Analytical model for flexoelectric sensing of structural response considering bonding compliance

Flexoelectricity has generated huge interest as an alternative to piezoelectricity for developing electromechanical systems such as actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. This article presents a generic theoretical framework for the sensing mechanism of a flexoelectric sensor bonded to a host beam through an adhesive layer. The model incorporates piezoelectric and flexoelectric effects and considers both shear-lag and peel stresses at the sensor-beam interface. The formulation also includes the electric field gradient terms that are often overlooked. Consistent one-dimensional constitutive relations and governing equations of equilibrium are derived from the electric Gibb’s energy density function and extended Hamilton’s principle. The sensor is assumed to follow the Euler–Bernoulli beam-type membrane and bending deformation behaviour. Closed-form solutions are obtained for the interfacial stresses by analytically solving a seventh-order non-homogeneous ordinary differential equation, satisfying the stress-free boundary conditions at the sensor edges. The induced electric potential at the sensor top is derived by solving a fourth-order differential equation obtained from the charge balance equation, satisfying the electric boundary conditions. For validation, the sensor output is compared with the results of the existing non-rigid bonding piezoelectric sensor model. Numerical results show a significant impact of non-rigid bonding and the electric field gradient terms on the induced electric potential. Further, the importance of bonding compliance on the interfacial stress distributions is illustrated. Finally, the effects of adhesive and transducer thicknesses on the peak amplitudes of interfacial stresses and sensory potential are presented.

Convective heat transfer in Brinkman–Darcy–Kelvin–Voigt fluid with couple stress and generalized Maxwell–Cattaneo law

This article investigates thermal convection in Kelvin–Voigt fluids saturating a Brinkman–Darcy-type porous medium. We examine the linear (stationary and oscillatory), nonlinear, and unconditional nonlinear stability of this fluid under the generalized Maxwell–Cattaneo law with couple stress effects. Using the normal mode technique, we calculate the critical Rayleigh number for the linear stability under stress-free boundary conditions for both stationary and oscillatory convection. Additionally, we employ the energy method to determine the critical Rayleigh number for nonlinear and unconditional nonlinear stabilities under the same boundary conditions. All critical values were determined numerically, and various graphs were plotted to illustrate the results. Our findings reveal that a higher couple stress parameter leads to increased critical Rayleigh numbers for stationary, oscillatory, and nonlinear stability, indicating greater fluid stability and reduced susceptibility to convection. Additionally, the Kelvin–Voigt parameter significantly affects oscillatory convection, though it remains crucial within the nonlinear stability framework. These findings provide a detailed understanding of the stability behavior in this complex fluid system.

Rayleigh wave in nonlocal piezo-thermo-electric semiconductor medium with fractional MGT model

This paper addresses a critical gap in Rayleigh wave propagation studies within piezoelectric semiconductors. Existing research often overlooks the combined effects of piezoelectricity, semiconductivity, and thermal behavior. This work presents analytical solutions for Rayleigh waves in a novel nonlocal thermo-piezo-photo-electric semiconductor half-space, employing the fractional Moore-Gibson-Thompson model. The wave-mode method and Durand-Kerner technique are employed to extract relevant solutions from the characteristic equation, ensuring surface wave decay. Analysis is conducted for waves propagating in a stress-free, photo-excited, and isothermal boundary condition. Numerical simulations unveil phase velocity, attenuation coefficient, and particle motion, leading to a deeper understanding of wave behavior. The influence of nonlocal and fractional order parameters is meticulously investigated. These findings reveal unique phenomena that significantly advance the comprehension of Rayleigh waves in these intricate materials.

Remarks on analytical solutions to compressible Navier–Stokes equations with free boundaries

Abstract In this paper, we consider the free boundary problem of the radially symmetric compressible Navier–Stokes equations with viscosity coefficients of the form μ(ρ) = ρ θ , λ(ρ) = (θ − 1)ρ θ in R N ${\mathbb{R}}^{N}$ . Under the continuous density boundary condition, we correct some errors in (Z. H. Guo and Z. P. Xin, “Analytical solutions to the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with density-dependent viscosity coefficients and free boundaries,” J. Differ. Equ., vol. 253, no. 1, pp. 1–19, 2012) for N = 3, θ = γ > 1 and improve the spreading rate of the free boundary, where γ is the adiabatic exponent. Moreover, we construct an analytical solution for θ = 2 3 $\theta =\frac{2}{3}$ , N = 3 and γ > 1, and we prove that the free boundary grows linearly in time by using some new techniques. When θ = 1, under the stress free boundary condition, we construct some analytical solutions for N = 2, γ = 2 and N = 3, γ = 5 3 $\gamma =\frac{5}{3}$ , respectively.

Large-scale semi-organized rolls in a sheared convective turbulence: Mean-field simulations

Based on a mean-field theory of a non-rotating turbulent convection [T. Elperin et al., Phys. Rev. E 66, 066305, (2002)], we perform mean-field simulations (MFS) of sheared convection that takes into account an effect of modification of the turbulent heat flux by the non-uniform large-scale motions. This effect is caused by the production of additional essentially anisotropic velocity fluctuations generated by tangling of the mean-velocity gradients by small-scale turbulent motions due to the influence of the inertial forces during the lifetime of turbulent eddies. These anisotropic velocity fluctuations contribute to the turbulent heat flux. As the result of this effect, there is an excitation of large-scale convective-shear instability, which causes the formation of large-scale semi-organized structures in the form of rolls. The lifetimes and spatial scales of these structures are much larger compared to the turbulent scales. By means of MFS performed for stress-free and no-slip vertical boundary conditions, we determine the spatial and temporal characteristics of these structures. Our study demonstrates that the modification of the turbulent heat flux by non-uniform flows leads to a strong reduction of the critical effective Rayleigh number (based on the eddy viscosity and turbulent temperature diffusivity) required for the formation of the large-scale rolls. During the nonlinear stage of the convective-shear instability, there is a transition from a two-layer vertical structure with two rolls in the vertical direction before the system reaches steady-state to a one-layer vertical structure with one roll after the system reaches steady state. This effect is observed for all effective Rayleigh numbers. We find that inside the convective rolls, the spatial distribution of the mean potential temperature includes regions with a positive vertical gradient of the potential temperature caused by the mean heat flux of the convective rolls. This study might be useful for understanding the origin of large-scale rolls observed in atmospheric convective boundary layers, as well as in numerical simulations and laboratory experiments.

On the Buckling Response of Functionally Graded Carbon Nanotube-reinforced Composite Imperfect Beams

The current inquiry aims to scrutinize the porosity's effect on the buckling response of carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) imperfect beams. The developed theories account for higher-order variation of transverse shear strain through the depth of the beam and satisfy the stress-free boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are distributed and aligned in a polymeric matrix with various reinforcement patterns to create CNTRC porous beams. The material properties of the functionally graded beam determined using the mixture rule are assumed to vary according to the power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The mathematical models presented in this study are validated through numerical comparison with existing results. The new buckling results of carbon nanotube-reinforced porous beams are analyzed considering the influence of several parameters, including volume fraction, aspect ratios, degree of porosity, and types of reinforcement. The results stipulate that the above parameters play a significant role in the critical buckling load variation. It is proclaimed that the critical buckling load dwindled as porosity increased and that the X-CNT reinforced beam has a high resistance against buckling compared to other reinforcement types.

Coriolis darkening in late-type stars

Context. Modeling the surface brightness distribution of stars is of prime importance to interpret the large amount of available interferometric, spectropolarimetric, or photometric observations. Beyond stellar physics, this is also a prerequisite to characterize exoplanets or our Galaxy. Nevertheless, this remains quite challenging for cool stars as it requires one to model the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence that develops in their convective envelope. Aims. In Paper I (Raynaud, R., Rieutord, M., Petitdemange, L., Gastine, T., & Putigny, B. 2018, A&A, 609, A124), the effect of the Coriolis acceleration on the surface heat flux has been studied by means of hydrodynamic simulations. In this paper, we aim to investigate the additional effect of dynamo magnetic fields that can be generated in the thick convective envelopes of cool stars. We focus on an envelope thickness that is representative of either a ∼0.35 M⊙ M dwarf, a young red giant star or a pre-main sequence star. Methods. We performed a parametric study using numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations of anelastic convection in thick rotating spherical shells. The stratification in density ranges from a few tens to a few hundreds. The setup assumes a constant entropy jump between the inner and outer layers to force convection, with stress-free boundary conditions for the velocity field. The magnetic Prandtl number was systematically varied in order to vary the magnetic field intensity. For each model, we computed the azimuthally and temporally averaged surface distribution of the heat flux, and examined the leading-order effect of the magnetic field on the obtained latitudinal luminosity profile. Results. We identify three different regimes. Close to the onset of convection, while the first unstable modes tend to convey heat more efficiently near the equator, magnetic fields are shown to generally enhance the mean heat flux close to the polar regions (and the tangent cylinder). By progressively increasing the Rayleigh number, the development of a prograde equatorial jet was previously shown to make the equator darker when no magnetic field is taken into account. For moderate Rayleigh numbers, magnetic fields can instead inverse the mean pole-equator brightness contrast (which means going from a darker to a brighter equator when a dynamo sets in) and finally induce a similar regime to that found close to the onset of convection. For more turbulent models with larger Rayleigh numbers, magnetic fields alternatively tend to smooth out the brightness contrast. This general behavior is shown to be related to the quenching of the surface differential rotation by magnetic fields and remains valid regardless of the magnetic morphology. Conclusions. Mean global trends regarding the impact of rotation and magnetic fields on the surface brightness distribution of cool stars are theoretically depicted and need to be tested by future observations. This work opens the door to more detailed theoretical studies including the effect of nonaxisymmetric and time-variable surface features associated with magnetic activity.

Asymptotic scaling relations for rotating spherical convection with strong zonal flows

We analyse the results of direct numerical simulations of rotating convection in spherical shell geometries with stress-free boundary conditions, which develop strong zonal flows. Both the Ekman number and the Rayleigh number are varied. We find that the asymptotic theory for rapidly rotating convection can be used to predict the Ekman number dependence of each term in the governing equations, along with the convective flow speeds and the dominant length scales. Using a balance between the Reynolds stress and the viscous stress, together with the asymptotic scaling for the convective velocity, we derive an asymptotic prediction for the scaling behaviour of the zonal flow with respect to the Ekman number, which is supported by the numerical simulations. We do not find evidence of distinct asymptotic scalings for the buoyancy and viscous forces and, in agreement with previous results from asymptotic plane layer models, we find that the ratio of the viscous force to the buoyancy force increases with Rayleigh number. Thus, viscosity remains non-negligible and we do not observe a trend towards a diffusion-free scaling behaviour within the rapidly rotating regime.

An investigation on the shear deformation under bending conditions of cantilever FGM beams using a new polynomial shear function

In this paper, a static analysis to establish a mathematical model using high order bending theories considering shear strains in displacement fields which have not been taken into account by other theories for functionally graded material (FGM) cantilever beams under bending. A new polynomial shear function is used in this investigation, when satisfied the stress-free boundary conditions. These theories do not require a shear correction factor and consider a hyperbolic shape function. Material properties are assumed to vary in the thickness direction, a simple power-law distribution in terms of volume fractions of constituents is considered. Illustrative cases, a cantilever FGM beam subjected to a concentrated shear force at the free end, and also as a cantilever FGM beam with uniformly distributed load are presented the originality of this research work, in this investigation. The mathematical model is established by differential equations which are derived by the principle of virtual work. Equilibrium equations and boundary conditions are introduced. The solution model is based on a variation approach (integrals) to predict the field component of displacements and the basic constitutive laws. The solution of the analytical model is presented. The results in terms of displacement fields including rotation of the section, and shear stresses, predicted from the proposed model, are presented.

A third-order shear deformation plate bending formulation for thick plates: first principles derivation and applications

A third-order shear deformation plate bending formulation is presented in this study from the first principles. The derivation assumed a displacement field constructed using third-order polynomial function of the transverse (z) coordinate; and made to apriori satisfy the linear three-dimensional (3D) kinematics relations as well as the transverse shear stress free boundary conditions at the top and bottom plate surfaces. The formulation thus has no need for shear stress correction factors of the first-order shear deformation plate theories. The domain equations of equilibrium are obtained as a set of three coupled differential equations in terms of three unknown displacements. The system of coupled equations is solved for simply supported rectangular and square plates subjected to four cases of loading distributions: sinusoidal loading, uniformly distributed loading, linearly distributed loading and point load at the plate center. Navier’s double trigonometric series method is used to construct trial solutions for the three displacement functions such that the boundary conditions are satisfied identically. The integration problem is thus reduced to an algebraic problem and is solved for each considered loading. It is found that the present formulation gives exact results for the normal stresses σxx for sinusoidal and uniformly distributed loads. The study further showed that the results for deflection and stresses agreed with Krishna Murty’s higher order shear deformation plate theory results. The present formulation gave accurate results because of the inclusion of transverse normal strain effects in the formulation. The formulation gives a quadratic variation of the transverse shear stresses across the thickness in consonance with the theory of elasticity method.

Plane wave reflection in micro-structural piezomagnetic-flexomagnetic solid with impedance boundary conditions

The second-order gradient theory is reliable to predict the behavior of mechanical phenomena such as wave scattering, vibration, and buckling in nano/micro-structures. This theory incorporates size-dependent effects including strain-gradient elasticity and micro-inertia, crucial for constitutive modeling of piezomagnetic-flexomagnetic crystals. These small-scale size effects can have significant impact on the sensing mechanism of nanoscale transducers used in structural health monitoring (SHM) and nondestructive testing (NDT). In this article, we address the scattering of a plane wave (P-type longitudinal wave) in a piezomagnetic-flexomagnetic solid halfspace after it reflects from an open surface. The secular equation of quasi plane ( qP ) wave and multiple wave modes generated after reflection have been obtained analytically using non-classical governing equations. Impedance boundary conditions have been considered and conventional stress-free boundary conditions have been obtained as its case. Unlike a conventional piezomagnetic medium, five different wave modes have been traced after reflection (two different surface wave modes are present due to the gradient elasticity and micro-inertia effect). Closed expressions of amplitude ratios and energy flux ratios of reflected waves have been formulated from the system of linear equations. By taking a suitable numerical example, amplitude ratios and energy flux ratios for reflected waves have been plotted with respect to incidence angle. Detailed discussions have been made to understand the influence of impedance boundary and flexomagnetic effect on those ratios. The numerical results have been validated by energy conservation law. This investigation may provide necessary guidelines to understand the plane wave characteristics in micro-structural smart solid structures.

Thermal Stress Analysis of Composite Laminates using Trigonometric Shear Deformation Theory and Finite Element Method

Laminated composite materials offer a versatile design approach for achieving the desired levels of stiffness and strength by selecting specific lamination schemes. The Trigonometric Shear Deformation Theory (TrSDT) effectively addresses the appropriate distribution of transverse shear strains throughout the plate thickness while maintaining stress-free boundary conditions on the plate's top surfaces. Consequently, there is no need for a shear correction factor. In this research paper, we use the Trigonometric Shear Deformation Theory (TrSDT) that takes into account the influence of transverse shear deformation. The in-plane displacement field incorporates a sinusoidal function with respect to the thickness coordinate to accommodate the effects of shear deformation. Theories that involve trigonometric functions based on the thickness coordinate in the displacement fields are collectively referred to as Trigonometric Shear Deformation Theories (TrSDTs). In the present study, we conduct a thermal stress analysis of Laminated Composite Plates using the TrSDT. This theory eliminates the need for shear correction factors and provides a more accurate distribution of interlaminar stresses compared to other methods like CPT and FOST. We assess deflection and stress at various locations and for different aspect ratios under thermal loads using TrSDT. Stress evaluations are carried out analytically, and the results are validated by comparing them with existing findings from the literature. To further verify our findings, we model a composite laminate under thermal loads using the commercial Finite Element Method tool ABAQUS, and our results are validated against those obtained with the TrSDT for plates with simply supported boundary conditions.

Radial shear in the flow at the Earth’s core surface

SUMMARY The Earth’s magnetic field at the core–mantle boundary is the gradient of a harmonic potential function if the mantle is electrically insulating, and the horizontal components of the field can be derived from its radial component in the mantle. Therefore, these components give no further observational information on the core dynamics. However, it can still be envisioned that the horizontal components of the induction equation at Earth’s core surface yield further knowledge on the fluid motions at the top of the core independently of the observations. Here, we show that they provide a linear relationship between the surface velocity and the surface shear (strain shear) that depends on the mantle electrical conductivity. This offers a protocol to calculate the surface shear that we validate with synthetics obtained from dynamo simulations in the limit of a weak mantle conductance. First, using numerical simulations with stress-free boundary condition at the core surface, we retrieve the expected relationship between the horizontal flow uΣ and the shear, ${\bf u}_\Sigma =r\partial _r {\bf u}_{\Sigma }$. Next, we investigate simulations with no-slip boundary condition and insulating mantle, and we obtain the same relationship, even though the shear is not imposed as a boundary condition. Finally, we calculate the flow shear at the top of the core from a magnetic field model based on satellite measurements. The application to geophysical data indicates larger values of the surface flow shear than in the synthetic case, suggesting a possible role of the mantle electrical conductivity. The surface flow shear, in the simulations, much differs from the radial shear in the flow, deeper in the core, which is influenced by the mostly quasi-geostrophic geometry. This implies that we cannot rely on the relationship between the flow and the radial shear for quasi-geostrophic motions to exploit the horizontal components of the induction equation and gain further information on the flow at the Earth’s core surface.

The Effect of Nonlocal Scale Value and Phase Lags on Thermoelastic Waves in a Multilayered LEMV/CFRP Composite Cylinder

In this study, the effect of nonlocal scale value and two phase lags on the free vibration of generalized thermoelastic multilayered LEMV (Linear Elastic Material with Voids)/CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite cylinder is studied using nonlocal form of linear theory of elasticity. The governing equation of motion is established in longitudinal axis and variable separation model is used to transform the governing equations into a system of differential equations. To investigate vibration analysis from frequency equations, the stress free boundary conditions are adopted at the inner, outer and interface boundaries. The graphical representation of the numerically calculated results for frequency shift, natural frequency, and thermoelastic damping is presented. A special care has been taken to inspect the effect of nonlocal parameter on the aforementioned quantities. The results suggest that the nonlocal scale and the phase lag parameters alter the vibration characteristics of composite cylinders significantly.

Propagation modeling and guided waves in a ZnO piezoelectric planar resonator: open-circuit and short-circuit cases

This paper presents an application of Legendre polynomial approach to solve the wave propagation in a piezoelectric ZnO planar resonator subjected to stress-free boundary conditions and excited using two thin electrodes connected to an electrical source. The method is able to take into account the boundary conditions, the presence of electrical source and the different dissimilarities of the physical properties. Resonance frequencies of longitudinal modes are calculated in case of an open and short-circuit brunch. Dispersion characteristics are also calculated such as mechanical displacement and stress profiles for different resonance frequencies. The electromechanical coupling coefficient is also calculated.

Dynamic Analysis for a Shallow Isosceles Trapezoid Depression Impacted by SH Waves

This paper presents a series solution of shear horizontal (SH) wave scattering by a shallow isosceles trapezoid depression in half-space. An appropriate multiregion-matching technique was adopted to divide the analytical model into three parts, which is necessary to meet the conditions of applying the wave function expansion method. Based on the complex function method, the wave field expressions, satisfying stress-free boundary conditions, were constructed. In addition, introducing complex variables avoided the redundant formula derivation for the implementation of coordinate transformation. The unknown coefficients in the wave field expressions were solved by Fourier series expansion in a complex field, and the convergence analysis was carried out to determine the number of traction terms of the series solution. Frequency-domain and time-domain results were presented to analyze the wave motion amplification and propagation process. The proposed method not only provides a benchmark for numerical simulation results but also makes up for the limitations of the theoretical research method of trapezoidal depression topography.

Oscillatory Modes on the Onset of Electrohydrodynamic Instability in Oldroydian Nanofluid Saturated Anisotropic Porous Layer

This work deals with an analytical study on the initiation of oscillatory convection in a rheological nanofluid saturating anisotropic porous layer with inclusion of vertical AC electric field using modified boundary conditions with negligible flux of volume fraction of nanoparticles. The rheological properties of the nanofluid are described using Oldroyd model. The Darcy model extended by Brinkman model is deployed to characterize the solid matrix behavior. The used model for nanofluid with inclusion of electric field integrates the additional effect of electrophoresis with that of thermophoresis and Brownian motion in the conservation equations of motion. The partial differential equations are simplified to non-dimensional linear equations using infinitesimal perturbations, Boussinesq approximation, normal mode technique and linearized stability theory. The characteristic equation is solved analytically for stress-free boundary conditions and the expressions for Rayleigh number of non-oscillatory and oscillatory modes initiation are determined. The oscillatory modes are found to occur for both the cases of top-/bottom-heavy nanoparticles distributions. The electric Rayleigh number, thermal Prandtl number and stress relaxation parameter advances whereas the Brinkman-Darcy number are found to delay initiation of both stationary and oscillatory convection.

Thermoconvective instability in a ferrofluid saturated porous layer

The Forchheimer-extended Brinkman’s Darcy-flow model was used to investigate the initiation of ferroconvection in a flat porous layer while accounting for effective viscosity. The rigid ferromagnetic, rigid paramagnetic and stress-free isothermal boundary conditions are the three categories. The eigenvalue issue can be properly addressed for stress-free boundaries; the Galerkin approach is utilized to find the critical stability constraints quantitatively for other barriers. It was discovered that the boundary types had a strong influence on the system’s stabilization. Ferromagnetic boundaries are less preferred than paramagnetic boundaries in control of convection. The dependence of many physical limitations on the linear stability of the system is intentionally given, and it is demonstrated that increasing the value of the viscosity ratio delays the beginning of convection.

Effect of Nonlocal Elasticity and Phase Lags on the Magneto Thermoelastic Waves in a Composite Cylinder with Hall Current

In this study, the effect of nonlocal scale value and two phases lags on the free vibration of generalized magneto thermoelastic multilayered LEMV (Linear Elastic Material with Voids)/CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite cylinder is studied using nonlocal form of linear theory of elasticity. The governing equation of motion is established in longitudinal axis and variable separation model is used to transform the governing equations into a system of differential equations. To investigate vibration analysis from frequency equations, the stress free boundary conditions are adopted at the inner, outer and interface boundaries. The graphical representation of the numerically calculated results for frequency shift, natural frequency, and thermoelastic damping is presented. A special care has been taken to inspect the effect of nonlocal parameter on the aforementioned quantities. The results suggest that the nonlocal scale and the phase lag parameters alter the vibration characteristics of composite cylinders significantly.

The Rayleigh–Bénard problem for water with maximum density effects

Linear stability and weakly nonlinear stability analyses are developed for Rayleigh–Bénard convection in water near 3.98 °C subject to isothermal boundary conditions. The density–temperature relationship (equation of state) is approximated by a cubic polynomial, including linear, quadratic, and cubic terms. The continuity equation, the Navier–Stokes momentum equation, the equation of state, and the energy equation constitute the governing system. Linear stability analysis is used to investigate how the maximum density property of water affects the onset of convective instability and the choice of unstable wave number for four different types of boundary conditions. Then, a weakly nonlinear stability study is done using the spectral Fourier method for isothermal tangential stress-free boundary conditions to quantify the heat transport of the system and demonstrate the transition from regular/periodic convection to chaotic convection. A Stuart-Ginzburg–Landau equation is obtained using the multiscale expansion method. Streamlines and isotherms are presented and analyzed. The influence of maximum density has been shown to delay the onset of instability and is, therefore, a stabilizing mechanism for thermal instability. Due to the maximum density, the onset of chaotic convection is also delayed. Among four different boundaries, the impermeable rigid boundaries require the highest Rayleigh number for instability to begin. Increasing boundary temperatures advance the onset of chaotic convection and improve the heat transport situation.