Mechanical Theory Research Articles

Flexural toughness and stress-strain relationship of different types of steel fiber reinforced shotcrete in high geothermal environment

The shape of steel fiber plays a pivotal role in determining the mechanical properties of concrete. In this paper, the impacts of end-hooked, wavy and ultra-fine steel fibers (all with a doping amount of 1.0 %) on the compressive strength, flexural strength, flexural toughness, and strain-strain relationship of shotcrete under curing conditions of 20 ℃, 40 ℃, and 60 ℃ are studied. Furthermore, the flexural toughness of steel fiber shotcrete is evaluated using the energy absorption method, and a constitutive model for steel fiber shotcrete was established based on meso-damage mechanics theory. The results indicate that curing temperatures below 40 ℃ are conducive to enhancing the compressive strength, flexural strength, and flexural toughness of steel fiber shotcrete, while curing temperatures above 60 ℃ are unfavorable for the development of strength and toughness in steel fiber shotcrete. Regardless of the type of steel fiber, its incorporation can alleviate the negative impact of high-temperature curing on the strength and toughness of shotcrete. Under high-temperature curing conditions, the influence of end-hooked steel fibers on the strength of shotcrete is superior to that of corrugated and ultrafine steel fibers, while ultrafine steel fibers are beneficial for improving the flexural toughness of shotcrete. The slope, peak stress, and peak strain of the stress-strain curves of shotcrete cured at 40 ℃ and 60 ℃ with the addition of the three types of steel fibers are greater than those of concrete without steel fibers. Furthermore, the descending segment of the curve is wider and smoother, with a larger surrounding area, demonstrating good toughness, deformability, and ductility. The end-hooked steel fibers and ultrafine steel fibers exhibit superior performance in enhancing the toughness and ductility of shotcrete under high-temperature curing conditions compared to wavy steel fibers. Based on meso-damage theory, the impacts of curing temperature and steel fiber types on the constitutive model of shotcrete under axial compression were established, and the model parameters were discussed. The research results can provide theoretical support for the durability design of tunnel linings in high ground temperature environments.

Numerical Simulation Study on Evolution Process of Carrying-Soil Effect of Rectangular Pipe Jacking

The carrying-soil effect is an important factor affecting the success or failure of rectangular pipe jacking construction. Because it is difficult to explore the dynamic evolution process of the carrying-soil effect in the field test, this paper relies on the pipe jacking project of a comprehensive pipe gallery in Suzhou City, and uses ABAQUS 2021 finite element software to simulate the jacking process of rectangular pipe jacking. Based on the theory of plastic mechanics of rock and soil and the related research and application status, the equivalent plastic strain index is introduced as the basis for judging the failure boundary of soil in the numerical simulation results, and the boundary between the carrying-soil area and the surrounding soil is determined, that is, the shear fracture surface. According to the principle of plastic potential energy, the development direction of the fracture surface is consistent with the direction of plastic flow, so as to predict the development direction of the boundary of the carrying-soil area. According to the change in the equivalent plastic strain cloud map with the jacking mileage, the evolution process of the carrying-soil effect is clarified, and the dynamic evolution law of the carrying-soil area is revealed, which is of great significance for predicting the disturbance of the surrounding soil during the construction of rectangular pipe jacking and accurately evaluating the environmental effect of the construction.

Damage mechanism of proppant and conductivity reduction post fracturing in unconventional reservoirs

To investigate the impact of proppant embedding and crushing damage on the conductivity in unconventional oil and gas development, experiments on long-term conductivity under suspension injection of proppant were conducted on shale and tight sandstone samples. Based on elastic contact mechanics theory, finite element software (Abaqus) was secondarily developed to globally embed proppant meshes with cohesive elements, analyzing the dynamic changes involving proppant embedding, deformation, and crushing under different closure pressures. The results indicated that the conductivity of fractures is highly sensitive to closure pressure. When closure pressure increases to 40 MPa, the conductivity of shale damage exceeds 60 % compared to 10 MPa. Larger proppants and shale reservoirs accelerate the decline in conductivity significantly, compared to tight sandstone. Combined with laser scanning and fractal dimension identification, the roughness of shale fracture (JRC48) was found to be much greater than that of tight sandstone (JRC37), leading to significantly higher stress concentration between proppants and shale, resulting in a smaller crushing ratio. Additionally, the deformation of shale and contacting proppant is significantly greater than in sandstone, resulting in a rapid decline in shale oil production. These findings provide theoretical guidance for ensuring effective inflow near oil wells, necessitating optimization of proppant injection sequence and placement concentration.

Host Material Viscoelasticity Determines Wrinkling of Fungal Films.

Microbial organisms react to their environment and are able to change it through biological and physical processes. For example, fungi exhibit various growth morphologies depending on their host material. Here, we show how the rheological properties of the host material influence the fungal wrinkling morphology. Rheological data of the host material was set in relation to the growth morphology. On host material with high storage modulus, the fungal film was flat, whereas on host material with low storage modulus, the fungus showed a morphology made of folds and wrinkles. We combined our findings with mechanical instability theories and found that the formation of wrinkles and folds is dependent on the storage modulus of the host material. The connection between the wrinkling morphology and the storage modulus of the host material is shown with simple scaling theories. The amplitude, number of wrinkles, and wrinkle length follow geometrical laws, and the mechanical properties of the fungal film are expected to increase with increasing host material elasticity. The obtained results show the connection between living biological films, how they react to their surroundings, and the underlying physical mechanisms. They can provide a framework to further design fungal materials with specific surface morphologies.

Analysis of Granite Deformation and Rupture Law and Evolution of Grain-Based Model Force Chain Network under Anchor Reinforcement

In actual underground rock engineering, to prevent the deformation and damage of the rock mass, rock bolt reinforcement technology is commonly employed to maintain the stability of the surrounding rock. Therefore, studying the anchoring and crack-stopping effect of rock bolts on fractured granite rock mass is essential. It can provide significant reference and support for the design of underground engineering, engineering safety assessment, the theory of rock mechanics, and resource development. In this study, indoor experiments are combined with numerical simulations to explore the impact of fracture dip angles on the mechanical behavior of unanchored and anchored granite samples from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. It also investigates the evolution of the anchoring and crack-stopping effect of rock bolts on granite containing fractures with different dip angles. The results show that the load-displacement trends, displacement fields, and debris fields from indoor experiments and numerical simulations are highly similar. Additionally, it was discovered that, in comparison to the unanchored samples, the anchored samples with fractures at various angles all exhibited a higher degree of tensile failure rather than shear failure that propagates diagonally across the samples from the regions around the fracture tips. This finding verifies the effectiveness of the numerical model parameter calibration. At the same time, it was observed that the internal force chain value level in the anchored samples is higher than in the unanchored samples, indicating that the anchored samples possess greater load-bearing capacity. Furthermore, as the angle αs increases, the reinforcing and crack-stopping effects of the rock bolts become increasingly less pronounced.

Fatigue life predictions for welded boiler water walls

Boiler water walls experience in-phase thermo-mechanical loading during start-ups and shut-downs, leading to low cycle fatigue (LCF) failure. This study aims at establishing an FEA-based failure prediction method for estimating the fatigue performance and service life of the welded water walls. The developed model is validated for predicting failure in the defect-free uniaxial fatigue specimens. Stress-mechanical strain hysteresis loops and accumulated inelastic strain energy density per cycle parameters are extracted from fatigue tests at 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.7% strains. A combination of cyclic plasticity and continuous damage mechanics (CDM) theory is utilized to predict fatigue crack initiation sites and estimate the specimen fatigue life. Accumulated damage has been calculated for the life cycle of each specimen. FEA model predicted failure and service life agrees well with the experimental results. The established failure analysis parameters are then transferred from the specimen level to the water wall component level, thereby estimating the service life of defect-free water walls at 750 cycles.

Effect of nitrogen-doped type on fracture toughness improvement and crack growth resistance of carbon nanotube/epoxy nanocomposites: Combined multiscale analysis approach

Recently, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-doped CNTs) have received great attention in nanocomposite design. It has become highly necessary to develop predictive models to elucidate their toughning behavior. In this study, the effects of CNTs with three different types of N-doped functional groups (quaternary, pyrrolic, and pyridinic) on the fracture toughness (FT) and crack growth of polymer nanocomposites are predicted using a multiscale analysis approach. To scale up from the nanoscale to the macroscale, a multiscale analysis approach integrating molecular dynamics, micromechanics theory, linear fracture mechanics theory, and a phase-field fracture model (PFFM) is adopted. The toughness enhancement trends of the three different types of N-doped functional groups were quantified by considering four toughening mechanisms (CNT debonding, plastic nanovoid growth, CNT pull-out, and CNT rupture), and compared with experimental result. The results show that the excellent interphase and interfacial properties of quaternary and pyridinic functional groups significantly improve the FT and crack growth resistance of N-doped CNT/epoxy nanocomposites. Our study provides high-performance solutions for experimental studies pertaining to the FT and crack growth of N-doped CNT/epoxy nanocomposites.

Experimental study and life prediction for aero-engine turbine blade considering creep-fatigue interaction effect

As an important failure form of the turbine blade, creep-fatigue interaction damage affects the safe operation and maintenance strategy of aero-engine, and has been the focus of scientific research and the academic community. Firstly, based on the Kachanov-Rabotnov-Lemaitre continuum damage mechanics theory and the nonlinear symmetry of creep damage and fatigue damage, a creep-fatigue life prediction model is constructed considering the interaction effect in this paper. Then, based on the thermal-fluid–solid multi-physical field coupling numerical simulation of the turbine blade, the equivalent method of creep-fatigue load spectrum was explored according to the equal damage criterion and linear damage rule, and the creep-fatigue interaction test of smooth samples of the blade material was conducted to analyze the creep-fatigue fracture morphology. Finally, the stress term in the creep-fatigue life prediction model of blade material is modified by the correction factor α, and the modified creep-fatigue life prediction model of the turbine blade is constructed considering the interaction effect. The results show that the modified creep-fatigue life prediction model considering the interaction effect has a high life prediction ability with an error of 3.9%. The above research has important scientific research value for the life extension design of turbine blades and the improvement of aero-engine maintenance strategy.

Propagation Effect Analysis of Existing Cracks in Box Girder Bridges Based on the Criterion of Compound Crack Propagation

Cracking in concrete box girder bridges will have a significant impact on the safety and durability of the structure, and many box girder bridges which are in service have undergone varying degrees of cracking. Currently, the safety design of actual bridge projects place an emphasis on the stress or the load value of a cross section at the limit value specified in the code for safety control. This design method assumes that the member itself is of uniform and continuous material and is internally undamaged. However, the bridge structure is more or less cracked to varying degrees during the period from casting to construction to operation of the concrete members. In this paper, a finite element computational model of a three-span prestressed concrete box girder bridge with existing cracks is established based on the fracture mechanics theory, and the critical parameters of crack extension are introduced to evaluate the extension state of cracks. At the same time, the extended stability of the existing cracks of the box girder bridge is analyzed by considering the temperature effect, vehicle loading, and prestressing loss, and the sensitivity of crack extension under each working condition is investigated. The results show that, with the increase in crack length and depth, the crack expansion is promoted, but the effect is relatively small, and the maximum stress intensity factor is only 6.48 MPa mm1/2. Under the multi-factor coupling effect, the cracks show a composite crack expansion dominated by type I cracks, the longitudinal cracks of the existing base plate are in a stable state, the maximum value of the crack expansion critical parameter of the vertical cracks of the webs reaches 1.087, and there is a tendency to expand locally. The maximum value of the critical parameter for crack extension of the vertical crack in the web plate reaches 1.087, and there is a tendency towards local expansion. The crack extension evaluation criteria proposed in this paper have a certain reference value for crack extension research on similar concrete box girder bridges and provide a scientific basis for the optimized design of similar bridges.

Research on the measurement mechanism of a six-axis force sensor based on a flexible hinge series–parallel hybrid

Abstract Addressing the common limitations of current six-axis force sensors, including the degradation of strain gauge accuracy due to environmental influences and the necessity for a complete replacement when damaged, this paper proposes an innovative six-axis force sensor that integrates a hybrid serial–parallel structure featuring flexible hinges. The sensor’s bracket is designed using a combination of serial–parallel flexible hinges, which confer load distribution capabilities, are lightweight, have high strength, and facilitate replacement. The static force model and the overall stiffness model of the sensor were developed based on the 3-universal–prismatic–universal parallel mechanism theory, providing a theoretical foundation for evaluating the sensor’s performance. To validate the accuracy of the stiffness model, finite element software is utilized for simulation-based verification. Subsequently, a calibration experiment is performed on the sensor, yielding results that conclusively show an error margin of less than 5% between experimental and theoretical values, satisfying the design criteria for sensor measurement.

Fundamental Laws and Quantum Dynamics

Background: Recently, we obtained a unitary theory of quantum mechanics and general relativity, where a quantum particle is a continuous distribution of matter in the two conjugate spaces of the coordinates and momentum, quantized by the equality of the mass parameter describing the relativistic dynamics of the matter, with the mass as an integral of the matter density. However, in this framework, we have not explicitly revealed the connection between our new theory and the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. Methods: We analyzed in detail the three fundamental laws of quantum mechanics, explicitly describing experimental data: 1) Planck’s law of the blackbody electromagnetic radiation of a system of electrically charged harmonic oscillators, 2) Einstein’s law of the photon energy proportionality with the photon frequency, and 3) de Broglie’s law of the quantum particle as an oscillator in space. Results: We reobtained the two dynamical equations, in the conjugate spaces of the coordinates and momentum, as functions of the Lagrangian system, unlike the Schrödinger equation, depending on the Hamiltonian. Conclusion: According to the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics, a quantum particle is a continuous distribution of matter with an intrinsic mass, unlike the conventional quantum mechanics for the state occupation probabilities of punctual entities moving with the light velocity and getting an apparent mass only by collisions with some bosons pervading the whole universe. According to these laws, we obtained a quantum theory in agreement with common sense, classical logic, and general relativity.

Statistical Mechanical Theories of Membrane Permeability.

A popular theoretical framework to compute the permeability coefficient of a molecule is provided by the classic Smoluchowski-Kramers treatment of the steady-state diffusive flux across a free-energy barrier. Within this framework, commonly termed "inhomogeneous solubility-diffusion" (ISD), the permeability, P, is expressed in closed form in terms of the potential of mean force and position-dependent diffusivity of the molecule of interest along the membrane normal. In principle, both quantities can be calculated from all-atom MD simulations. Although several methods exist for calculating the position-dependent diffusivity, each of these is at best an estimate. In addition, the ISD model does not account for memory effects along the chosen reaction coordinate. For these reasons, it is important to seek alternative theoretical formulations to determine the permeability coefficient that are able to account for the factors ignored by the ISD approximation. Using Green-Kubo linear response theory, we establish the familiar constitutive relation between the flux density across the membrane and the difference in the concentration of a permeant molecule, j = PΔC. On this basis, we derive a time-correlation function expression for the nonequilibrium flux across a membrane that is reminiscent of the transmission coefficient in the reactive flux formalism treatment of transition rates. An analysis based on the transition path theory framework is exploited to derive alternative expressions for the permeability coefficient. The different strategies are illustrated with stochastic simulations based on the generalized Langevin equation in addition to unbiased molecular dynamics simulations of water permeation of a lipid bilayer.

Crack-tip cleavage/dislocation emission competition behaviors/mechanisms in magnesium: ALEFM prediction and atomic simulation

Structural properties and reliability of materials can be improved by increasing fracture toughness. At the atomic scale, the fracture is a material separation process, and the fracture toughness of materials is associated with the atomic-scale crack-tip behaviors/mechanisms. The crack-tip behaviors are relevant to the energy state of atoms in the system. Atomic thermal oscillation increases with increasing temperature, which may affect/alter the crack tip behaviors. This work is the first to investigate the temperature-dependent crack-tip cleavage/dislocation emitting competition in magnesium (Mg) using anisotropic linear elastic fracture mechanics theory, Density Functional Theory (DFT), and atomic simulation. Crack-tip behaviors are examined using a specially designed ‘K-field’ loads model. DFT calculations show that a single crystal system with lower entropy and higher Gibbs free energy implies stronger interatomic bonding that favors a higher KIc. Changes in the stress distribution initiate a brittle-ductile transition in crack-tip behavior. The ductile crack tip can be blunted by continuous crack-tip dislocations nucleation/slip, and the evolution of the ductile crack-tip geometry from sharp to semicircular structure significantly decreases the stress concentration at the crack tip. A new criterion of the crack-tip force vector is established, which reasonably explains the geometrical evolution of ductile crack tip where the angle θ between the crack plane and the slip plane is 0∘<θ<90∘ and θ=90∘. This work expands the atomic-scale brittle/ductile crack-tip behaviors/mechanisms of Mg, which provides a reference for crack-tip behavior analysis in engineering research.

Quantum mechanics emerging from complex Brownian motions

The connection between the Schrödinger equation and Einstein's diffusion theory based on the Brownian motion of independent particles is well known. However, in contrast to diffusion theory, quantum mechanics theory has suffered controversial interpretations due to the counterintuitive concept of wavefunction. Here, while we confirm there is no difference in the mathematical form of these two equations, we derive the imaginary version of displacement. Using the diffusion theory of particles in a medium, as simple as it is, we describe that quantum mechanics is just an elegant and subtle equation to describe the probability of all the trajectories that a particle can take to propagate in time by a predictive wavefunction. Therefore, information on the position of particles through time in quantum theory is embedded in the wavefunction, which predicts the evolution of an ensemble of individual Brownian particles.

On the critical mechanisms for the embrittlement and strength degradation of post-irradiated U-10Mo fuels

The four-point bending experimental findings clearly indicated that the post-irradiated U-10Mo fuels underwent noticeable macroscale embrittlement and strength degradation. During the irradiation process, fission gas bubbles (FGBs) are continuously formed and accumulated around the grain boundaries. Additionally, the irradiation-induced damage may lead to the degradation of mechanical properties of the U-10Mo skeleton. In this study, the representative volume element (RVE) models for post-irradiated U-10Mo fuels including the bubble-contained region and no-bubble region are established. Based on the Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) theory, the tensile test simulations are performed with the RVE models to obtain the macroscale stress–strain curves, using three assumed mechanical properties for the skeleton in the bubble-contained region. The research outcomes reveal that the strength degradation and fracture strain reduction of the U-10Mo fuel skeleton in the bubble-contained region are the dominant factors of the macroscale irradiation embrittlement and strength degradation of post-irradiated U-10Mo fuels. Furthermore, the FGBs enhanced local porosity aggravates this effect. This study sheds light on the mechanisms of irradiation-induced macroscale embrittlement and strength degradation in irradiated fuels, providing crucial insights for the safety assessment of fuel elements and components.

Investigating dwell fatigue crack growth in welded titanium alloy structures

ABSTRACT In this paper, dwell-fatigue crack growth tests under complex loading spectra were conducted for a titanium alloy used in marine structures. The influence of upper and lower peak dwell time on the dwell-fatigue crack growth behavior of the welded structure were comprehensively investigated. The results show that the longer the upper and lower peak dwell times were, the faster the crack growth rate was. Still, the impact of the upper and lower dwell times on the crack growth rate of titanium alloy had a specific saturation value. Based on the above findings, a new model was developed that combined the fracture mechanics theory, considering the effects of welding and load dwell on crack growth. By predicting the dwell-fatigue behavior of titanium alloy welded structures using the model, it was confirmed that the model has a strong prediction ability for the dwell-fatigue behavior of welded structures under complex loads..

Numerical analysis of multi-scale mechanical theory of microfine magnesite powder molding

Numerical analysis of multi-scale mechanical theory of microfine magnesite powder molding

Prediction of Ca2+ Binding Site in Proteins With a Fast and Accurate Method Based on Statistical Mechanics and Analysis of Crystal Structures.

Predicting the precise locations of metal binding sites within metalloproteins is a crucial challenge in biophysics. A fast, accurate, and interpretable computational prediction method can complement the experimental studies. In the current work, we have developed a method to predict the location of Ca2+ ions in calcium-binding proteins using a physics-based method with an all-atom description of the proteins, which is substantially faster than the molecular dynamics simulation-based methods with accuracy as good as data-driven approaches. Our methodology uses the three-dimensional reference interaction site model (3D-RISM), a statistical mechanical theory, to calculate Ca2+ ion density around protein structures, and the locations of the Ca2+ ions are obtained from the density. We have taken previously used datasets to assess the efficacy of our method as compared to previous works. Our accuracy is 88%, comparable with the FEATURE program, one of the well-known data-driven methods. Moreover, our method is physical, and the reasons for failures can be ascertained in most cases. We have thoroughly examined the failed cases using different structural and crystallographic measures, such as B-factor, R-factor, electron density map, and geometry at the binding site. It has been found that x-ray structures have issues in many of the failed cases, such as geometric irregularities and dubious assignment of ion positions. Our algorithm, along with the checks for structural accuracy, is a major step in predicting calcium ion positions in metalloproteins.

Quantum geometric perspective on the origin of quantum-conditioned curvatures

Abstract The quantization of the gravitational field, which includes the metric field, has been investigated using various methods such as loop quantum gravity, quantum field theory, and string theory. Nevertheless, an alternative strategy to tackle the challenge of merging the fundamentally different theories of general relativity (GR) and quantum mechanics (QM) is through a quantum geometric approach. This particular approach entails extending QM to relativistic energies and finite gravitational fields, while also expanding the continuous Riemann to a discretized (quantized) Finsler-Hamilton geometry. By embracing this method, it may be feasible to bridge the gap between GR and QM or even achieve their unification. The resulting fundamental tensor appears to blend its original classical and quantum characteristics, effectively integrating quantum-mechanically induced revisions to the affine connections and spacetime curvatures. Our study primarily focuses on investigating the Ricci curvature tensor in the context of the Einstein-Gilbert-Straus metric. By employing both analytical and numerical methods, we have identified quantum-conditioned curvatures (QCC) that act as additional sources of gravitation. These QCC exhibit a fundamental difference from the traditional curvatures described by Einsteinian GR. While the Ricci curvatures are predominantly positive across most regions, the quantized Ricci curvatures display negativity. We conclude that the QCC a) possess an intrinsic, essential, and real character, b) should not be disregarded due to their significant magnitude, and c) are fundamentally different from the curvatures found in classical GR. Moreover, we conclude that the proposed quantum geometric approach may offer an alternative mathematical framework for understanding the emergence of quantum gravity.

Fluid Mechanics, and Its Quantum Developments and Applications

Based on the known theories of fluid mechanics, we research the new quantum fluid mechanics by operator method. Further, we discuss its various developments combined the extensive quantum theory and other theories. Finally, we search possible applications in some aspects: in biology many systems are fluids; in astronomy binary stars, the density wave theory and evolutionary direction on spiral galaxies, and sunspot are researched; in geosciences earthquake, formation of basin and hydrocarbon layer are proposed; in social sciences the social hydrodynamics and corresponding waves and tides, the social synergetics, corruption, etc., are discussed.