Two-dimensional Simulation Model Research Articles

Characterization of a large caliber explosively driven shock tube.

Research on evaluating weapon systems, building structures, and personnel protection has attracted considerable attention due to the high incidence of blast accidents. The explosively driven shock tube is an affordable and replicable method for investigating high pressure blast waves and extreme shock environments. A newly constructed large caliber explosively driven shock tube with an inner diameter of 2.5m and a length of 18m has been documented and characterized in this paper. It is capable of providing a peak pressure of at least 5.49 MPa in the test section with 160kg of TNT charges. The tube can produce an overpressure that is significantly higher than conventional shock tubes, which expands the capability to simulate a high overpressure blast load. A two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation model has been developed, validated, and calibrated for the characterization of the flow field inside the shock tube. The influence of the charge mass on the overpressure, arrival time, and positive impulse was discussed, and the planarity of the shock wave was also quantitatively characterized. To aid in designing further shock experiments and applications, a physics-based prediction model was developed using the dimensional analysis.

A double-helix plane winding sensor with wire using transient plane source method

The transient plane source (TPS) method is widely used to measure thermophysical properties of various materials, and the high-precision double-helix sensor is a key technology. A novel sensor using an efficient, simple, and low-cost lacquered micron-wire-wound process is proposed to replace traditional complex micro- and nano-etching processes. The TPS test platform was built based on the Wheatstone Bridge theory. A new sensor sample of diameter 5.377 mm was wound with an enameled copper wire of diameter 0.063 mm. Owing to the characteristics of the process, a 1-mm round hole was bored inside the sensor. An analytical solution for the concentric ring heat transfer model of the sensor with a central circular hole structure was derived, and a two-dimensional concentric circle simulation model of the sensor was established. As the number of turns decreased, the average error between the analytical solution of the concentric ring model with a large center hole (LHAS) and that of the traditional concentric circle model (TAS), as well as LHAS and the simulation model, gradually increased. The maximum relative errors between LHAS and TAS, as well as between LHAS and the simulation model, were 23.69 % and 0.1 %, respectively, and the average errors of the absolute maximum were 11.86 % and −0.06 %, respectively. The LHAS exhibited excellent accuracy because of the structural characteristics of the novel sensor. The accuracy of LHAS has been validated by simulation and hot wire method. Temperature rise data of high-borosilicate glass and polytetrafluoroethylene samples at different powers were obtained. The thermal properties of the samples were determined by fitting LHAS and TAS data. The thermal conductivity errors measured by LHAS were smaller than those measured by TAS, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity errors were less than 3.5 % at different powers, and the measured repeatability errors were less than 1 %, indicating the good application prospect of the proposed model.

Simulation study of heat transfer enhancement for all-solid-state room temperature magnetic refrigeration system

To address issues relating to large thermal resistance and low heat transfer efficiency between and inside magnetocaloric materials (MCM) in all-solid-state room-temperature magnetic refrigeration technology, this study adopted the method of inserting high thermal conductivity materials (HTCM) into MCM and coupling Peltier elements between MCMs to enhance the heat transfer inside MCM and between microcells, thereby improving the refrigeration performance of the system. In doing so, a two-dimensional simulation model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The cooling performance enhancement effect of the system resulting from heat transfer improvement within MCM and between MCMs was investigated separately. Furthermore, the impacts of various system operating parameters (such as the number of micro-cell divisions, initial operating temperature, heat transfer time, magnetic field strength, Peltier input voltage), different HTCMs and insertion volume ratios on the system’s cooling performance were explored. The simulation results reveal that, in comparison with the original magnetic refrigeration system, the optimized heat transfer time of the system following enhanced heat transfer within the MCM is reduced from 180s to 8s, accompanied by a 115% increase in the maximum temperature span. Furthermore, coupling the Peltier elements elevates the maximum temperature span by 274%.

Switching-on Delay Jitter Caused by Lateral Distribution of Current Channel of Avalanche Transistor

The stability of the avalanche transistor’s (AT’s) switching-on process is essential for its extensive application in power semiconductors. The switching-on process was typically described in one-dimensional terms, overlooking the effects of multi-dimensional structural variations on stability. This paper investigated the influence of the lateral distribution of current channels on the switching-on delay jitter in the AT. The lateral size of the current channel affects the transit time by changing the electron path in the base region, resulting in the switching-on delay jitter of the AT. An analytical formula for the lateral size of the current channel and the switching-on delay jitter has been proposed. The two-dimensional simulation model of the AT gave the distribution of current channels. The model’s accuracy was verified by comparing experimental and simulation data. The experimental data proved that the base transit time was the main component of the switching-on delay. The results show that the switching-on delay jitter can be significantly reduced by adjusting the current channel’s lateral size. In addition, the trigger signal’s characteristics also change the current channel’s lateral distribution and then affect the stability of the switching-on delay, which provides a new perspective for the design and application of ATs.

Modelling two-dimensional driving behaviours at unsignalised intersection using multi-agent imitation learning

Traffic at unsignalised intersection usually involves complex interactions. It is critical to explicitly model the two-dimensional driving behaviours and capture the interactions among vehicles. However, little effort has been made to develop microscopic traffic simulation models at unsignalised intersections, which can generate realistic vehicle trajectories. To fill this gap, this study aims to develop a two-dimensional data-driven simulation model at an unsignalised intersection based on multi-agent imitation learning for generating realistic trajectories of vehicles crossing the intersection and macroscopic traffic characteristics. We propose a multi-agent adversarial inverse reinforcement learning model with four policies (MA-AIRL-4) to separately learn the driving behaviours with different directions (East-bound, West-bound, South-bound, and North–bound) by capturing the interactions between the vehicles. Using the vehicle trajectories data extracted from an unsignalised intersection of the open-source Interaction Dataset, we evaluate the performance of the proposed model by comparing it with several bench-marking models, i.e., MA-AIRL-2 model with two policies (i.e., one policy for West-East and North-South direction, respectively), MA-AIRL-1 model with one policy for all vehicles, three corresponding multi-agent generative adversarial imitation learning (MA-GAIL) models with four policies, two policies and one policy, respectively, and long short-term memory (LSTM) model. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed MA-AIRL-4 model in generating accurate vehicle trajectories and reproducing realistic speed distributions. The interpretation of the recovered reward function also indicates the effective learning of the proposed model and provides insights into the learned behaviours.

Expulsion prevention in resistance spot welding of dissimilar joints with ultra-high strength steel: An analysis of the mechanism and effect of preheating current

The widespread adoption of ultra-high strength steels, due to their high bulk resistivity, intensifies expulsion issues in resistance spot welding (RSW), deteriorating both the spot weld and surface quality. This study presents a novel approach to prevent expulsion by employing a preheating current. Through characteristic analysis of joint formation under critical welding current, the importance of plastic material encapsulation around the weld nugget (plastic shell) at high temperatures in preventing expulsion is highlighted. To evaluate the effect of preheating on the plastic shell and understand its mechanism in expulsion prevention, a two-dimensional welding simulation model for dissimilar ultra-high strength steel joints was established. The results showed that optimal preheating enhances the thickness of the plastic shell, improving its ability to encapsulate the weld nugget during the primary welding phase, thereby diminishing expulsion risks. Experimental validation confirmed that by employing the optimal preheating current, the maximum nugget diameter was enhanced to 9.42 mm, marking an increase of 13.4 % and extending the weldable current range by 27.5 %. Under quasi-static cross-tensile loading, joints with preheating demonstrated a 7.9 % enhancement in maximum load-bearing capacity compared to joints without preheating, showing a reproducible and complete pull-out failure mode within the heat-affected zone. This study offers a prevention method based on underlying mechanisms, providing a new perspective for future research on welding parameter optimization with the aim of expulsion prevention.

Accurate two-dimensional simulation model and experimental demonstration in ultraviolet picosecond laser scribing ablation.

Laser patterning of copper thin films is essential for the electronics manufacturing industry. In this work, to efficiently and accurately describe the physics process of UV-ps laser ablating copper thin film, a two-temperature model (TTM) consisting of the electron-lattice system and phase explosion mechanism was proposed. The process of electron heating and electron-lattice heat transfer in single pulse ablation were revealed. The average relative errors (ARE) of simulated ablation depth and width were 6.24% and 4.82%, respectively. The process of laser scribing ablation presents the characteristics of repeated ablation in the overlapping ablation region and new ablation in the non-overlapping region. The physics essence of laser scribing is the multiple laser ablations with different energies on the cross-section. The laser scribing cross-section ablation was simulated on 2D TTM. Compared with 3D simulation, though the ARE of ablation depth and width of 2D simulation slightly increased from 15.81% and 5.69% to 18.96% and 8.76%, respectively, the average solving time decreased significantly, from 81960 s to 2140 s. This comprehensive study aims to offer some insights into the characteristics of UV-ps laser ablation of copper thin film.

Lightweight Type-IV Hydrogen Storage Vessel Boss Based on Optimal Sealing Structure

The seal and weight of the Type IV hydrogen storage vessel are the key problems restricting the safety and driving range of fuel cell vehicles. The boss, as a metal medium connecting the inner liner of the Type IV hydrogen storage vessel with the external pipeline, affects the sealing performance of the Type IV hydrogen storage vessel, and there is no academic research on the weight of the boss. Therefore, according to the force characteristics of the boss, this paper divides the upper and lower areas (valve column and plate). The valve column with seal optimization and light weight is manufactured with a 3D printing additive, while the plate bearing and transferring the internal pressure load is manufactured by forging. Firstly, a two-dimensional axisymmetric simulation model of the sealing ring was established, and the effects of different compression rates on its seal performance were analyzed. Then, the size and position of the sealing groove were sampled, simulated, and optimized based on the Latin Hypercube method, and the reliability of the optimal seal structure was verified by experiments. Finally, the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) topology method was used to optimize the weight of the boss with optimal sealing structure, and the reconstructed model was checked and analyzed. The results show that the weight of the optimized boss is reduced by 9.6%.

Exploring time-series transformers for spatio-temporal prediction of microstructural evolution of polycrystalline grain

This study introduces a novel microstructure prediction model (polycrystalline grain transformers: PGTs) for metal solidification processes, leveraging the capabilities of transformer networks. The model’s primary purpose is to predict the dynamic evolution of polycrystalline microstructures within additive manufacturing conditions. To facilitate the training of the PGTs model, we generated a comprehensive dataset through a two-dimensional multi-phase field numerical simulation model. The inherent strength of transformer networks lie in its multi-head attention mechanism, which enables the PGTs model to autonomously identify crucial feature information within the input sequence, particularly related to structural evolution. Our research outcomes underscore the robustness of the PGTs model, as it closely aligns with predictions obtained from conventional phase-field calculations. Importantly, this model exhibits a remarkable improvement in computational efficiency, surpassing traditional phase-field methods by several orders of magnitude. This breakthrough opens up new avenues for research, offering an efficient and cost-effective strategy for delving deep into the intricate relationship between solidification processes and material mechanical properties. Notably, we mark this study as the pioneering application of transformer networks in numerical simulations of the metal solidification process, showcasing its immense potential across various domains, including material design.

Study on the Interaction Propagation Mechanism of Inter-Cluster Fractures under Different Fracturing Sequences

Horizontal-well multi-cluster fracturing is one of the most important techniques for increasing the recovery rate in unconventional oil and gas reservoir development. However, under the influence of complex induced stress fields, the mechanism of interaction and propagation of fractures within each segment remains unclear. In this study, based on rock fracture criteria, combined with the boundary element displacement discontinuity method, a two-dimensional numerical simulation model of hydraulic fracturing crack propagation in a planar plane was established. Using this model, the interaction and propagation process of inter-cluster fractures under different fracturing sequences within horizontal well segments and the mechanism of induced stress field effects were analyzed. The influence mechanism of cluster spacing, fracture design length, and fracture internal pressure on the propagation morphology of inter-cluster fractures was also investigated. The research results indicate that, when using the alternating fracturing method, it is advisable to appropriately increase the cluster spacing to weaken the inhibitory effect of induced stress around the fractures created by prior fracturing on subsequent fracturing. Compared to the alternating fracturing method, the propagation morphology of fractures under the symmetrical fracturing method is more complex. At smaller cluster spacing, fractures created by prior fracturing are more susceptible to being captured by fractures from subsequent fracturing. The findings of this study provide reliable theoretical support for the optimization design of fracturing sequences and fracturing processes in horizontal well segments.

Numerical study on dynamic flow of flexible extension nozzle in rocket motors

The use of extension nozzles in rocket propulsion systems is one of the effective methods to increase the geometric expansion ratio and thrust of the nozzle. As a new type of extension nozzle, the flexible extension nozzle can achieve continuous changes in nozzle expansion ratio. To explore the characteristics of the flow field structure at the “bulge” structure and the step structure in the actual configuration of the flexible extension nozzle, and the impact on the performance of the nozzle, a three-dimensional numerical simulation model of the flexible extension nozzle was first established to study the flow field at the “bulge” structure, and then a two-dimensional unsteady numerical simulation model was established by using the coupling technology of dynamic grid and overlapping grid to study the flow field at the step structure. The results show that during the unfolding of the nozzle surface, a complex flow structure of “expansion fan-mixing layer-shock-vortex” were formed in the step area at the junction of the fixed section and the moving extension section. The specific impulse loss of the 3D model is larger than that of the 2D model due to the consideration of the “bulge” structure. The flow loss of the “bulge” structure and the step structure to the nozzle is 0.73% and 0.65% respectively.

A two-dimensional boundary layer model for combustion chamber simulation

A two-dimensional boundary layer model for combustion chamber simulation

A Comparative Study on Shear Size Effect of Steel-And BFRP-RC Shear Walls Under Cyclic Lateral Loads

ABSTRACT This paper presents a comparative study on the size effect behaviors of shear performances of concrete shear walls reinforced by steel bars and Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) bars. All the works are conducted through a two-dimensional meso-scale numerical simulation model representing the concrete shear wall. The horizontal reinforcement ratio and the sectional size are the main parameters concerned by the present study. Both the seismic behaviors under cyclic loading and the size effect behaviors of the shear performances were simulated and investigated. It can be concluded from the simulation results, (1) the use of steel bars or BFRP bars as horizontal reinforcement does not change the shear failure modes of concrete shear walls, (2) the size effect on the nominal shear strength of BFRP reinforced concrete (BFRP-RC) shear wall is more significant compared to that for steel-RC shear wall, (3) the increase of horizontal reinforcement ratio improves the shear capacity of the concrete shear wall, while weakens the size effect on the nominal shear strength, and (4) the size effect law for the nominal shear strength of steel-RC shear wall is applicable to BFRP-RC shear wall. Finally, the importance of considering size effect in the evaluation of shear performance of steel-/BFRP-RC shear wall is manifested by comparing the predictive results of several popular design codes with the simulation results.

Enhanced flow induced vibration piezoelectric energy harvesting performance by optimizing tapered beam

This paper proposes a tapered cantilever beam flow induced vibration piezoelectric energy harvester, for optimizing the tapered beam and improving the output characteristics. The physical model of the tapered beam harvester is conceived, a two-dimensional CFD simulation model is established, and experimental validation as well as investigation is conducted. The output voltage and displacement response of the harvesters with various tapered beams are explored. The results show that the tapered beam possesses more uniform strain distribution and larger equivalent stiffness, and increasing the fixed end width results in enhancing output voltage and reducing vibration displacement. The optimal tapered beam with a tip width of 25 mm and fixed end width of 45 mm is obtained. The maximum output voltages of the tapered beam VIVPEH and GPEH are increased by 58.30% and 33.16% over the rectangular beam, respectively. The vibration displacements of the tapered beam VIVPEH and GPEH are reduced by 18.31% and 25.12% over the rectangular beam, respectively. The tapered effect in the flow field reduces the vortex shedding distance, increases the shedding frequency, enhances the aerodynamic forces, and thus improves the energy harvesting performance. This work lays the important foundation for exploring the cantilever beam flow induced vibration harvester system.

Investigation into the optoelectrowetting droplet transport mechanism.

To explore the optoelectronic wetting droplet transport mechanism, a transient numerical model of optoelectrowetting (OEW) under the coupling of flow and electric fields is established. The study investigates the impact of externally applied voltage, dielectric constant of the dielectric layer, and interfacial tension between the two phases on the dynamic behavior of droplets during transport. The proposed model employs an improved Young's equation to calculate the instantaneous voltage and contact angle of the droplet on the dielectric layer. Results indicate that, under the influence of OEW, significant variations in the interface contact angle of droplets occur in bright and dark regions, inducing droplet movement. Moreover, the dynamic behavior of droplet transport is closely associated with various parameters, including externally applied voltage, dielectric layer material, and interfacial tension between the two phases, all of which impact the contact angle and, consequently, the transport process. By summarizing the influence patterns of the three key parameters studied, the optimization of droplet transport performance is achieved. The study employs two-dimensional simulation models to emulate the droplet motion under the influence of the electric field, investigating the OEW droplet transport mechanism. The continuous movement of droplets involves three stages: initial wetting, continuous transport, and reaching a steady position. The findings contribute theoretical support for the efficient design of digital microfluidic devices for OEW droplet movement and the selection of key parameters for droplet manipulation.

Study on the variation law of shock wave on the surface of landmine shell under touchdown explosion

To study the variation law of shock wave pressure load on the surface of a certain type of landmine installed on the ground when explosive contact ground explosion, the TNT (C7H5N3O6) contact ground explosion experiments were conducted. Using the pressure test device that simulates the shape of a certain type of landmine to test the shock wave pressure load on its side and top surface respectively. Combined with the numerical simulation, studied the variation law of shock wave overpressure peak, positive pressure action time, and specific impulse on the side and top surface of the landmines at different scaled distances. The results show that the scaled distance less than 1.453 m/ kg1/3 is the range of near-range explosion. In this range, the shock wave pressure time history curve shows multiple peaks due to the combined action of the shock wave and detonation products. The closer to the explosion source, the pressure peak generated by the detonation product is significantly higher than the shock wave pressure peak, and the propagation speed of the shock wave is faster than that of detonation products. With the further increase of the blast center distance, the positive pressure action time of the shock wave on the side and top surface of the landmine it was increased significantly. The specific impulse of the shock wave on the side of the landmines is significantly higher than that on the top surface of the device at the same scaled distance. In the range of scaled distance less than 1.937 m/kg1/3, the specific impulse of the shock wave on both the side and top surfaces of the landmines increases at first and then decreases later, and its variation curve shows an obvious triangle. With the increase of the explosive quality, the rate of rise and attenuation of specific impulse of the shock wave is faster. With the further increase of blasting center distance, the specific impulse of the shock wave on the side and the top surface of the landmines tends to be equal at the same scaled distance, the continuous range is wide, and the explosive quality has little effect on it.

Numerical investigations of AC arcs’ thermal characteristics in the short gap of copper-cored wires

Excessive alternating current (AC) arcs generated in electric systems will accumulate heat and easily cause fire. This paper studies the thermal characteristics of different numbers of AC arc plasma generated in a short gap of copper-cored wires in the air. The number of AC arcs is controlled in the AC arc experiment and an infrared thermal imager measures the temperature change at the specified position. Based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), a two-dimensional axisymmetric AC arc discharge numerical simulation model is established. The volt-ampere characteristic of the AC arc is used to solve the MHD simulation model to obtain the same 'zero current' characteristics as the real AC arc in the experiment. A large amount of heat accumulates in the electrode gaps when the arc generation, and then the heat dissipates in the 'zero current' stage. The continuously generated arc makes the temperature higher. The volume of the space area with a temperature higher than 10,000 K increases with the arc current, but is unrelated to the number of arcs. The volume of the space area with a temperature higher than 524.15 K and the temperature on the electrode are both positively correlated with the number of AC arcs and arc current. The results of this study can provide a reference for the detection standard of AC arc faults and the prevention of electrical fire.

Characterization of linear motor flux pump using H-formulation

H-formulation is an effective method for electromagnetic simulation analysis of superconductors. This paper innovatively uses H-formulation to simulate and analyze the operation characteristics of magnetic flux pump operating in linear-motor pattern. Via COMSOL Multiphysics, this paper establishes a two-dimensional electrical equipment simulation model that comprehensively compares excitation conditions of triangular and trapezoidal current waves to investigate the effects of the working excitation waveforms’ frequency and amplitude on the operating features of the equipment. The following operation control laws are revealed: the current amplitude has a linear control effect on the mean value of superconductor surface electric field and the average amount of air-slot density of magnetic flux, the current frequency has no effect on the air-gap magnetic field waveform, and the regulation effect of the excitation frequency on the average value of superconductor surface strength of electric field is related to the waveforms. Finally, the equivalent circuit of the pumping model is established, and two interrelated L-R equivalent circuits are designed by quadratic substitution, and the final pumping current reaches 43A.

Research on microstructure and mechanical properties of TC4/304 clad plates by asymmetric rolling with local strong stress

In order to solve the problems of complex traditional preparation process and low bonding strength of titanium/steel clad plates, TC4/304 clad plates were prepared by asymmetric rolling with local strong stress (ARLSS), the effect of rolling temperature on the interface bonding of clad plates was studied. The two-dimensional simulation model of TC4/304 clad plates rolling was established by finite element method, and its accuracy was verified by experiments. The experimental results show that the interfacial bonding strength of the clad plates increased with the increasing temperature, but when the temperature reached 950 °C, the brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed extremely fast, which greatly weakens the bonding strength. The clad plates showed the best bonding strength at 900 °C. After corrugated roll bonding (CRB) (33 % reduction ratio), the bonding strength at the peak was lower than that at the trough. After FRB (46 % reduction ratio), the interface bonding strength was slightly improved. The final peak bonding strength reached 519 MPa, and the trough bonding strength was 527 MPa. The improvement of bonding strength mainly came from the improvement of TC4 matrix strength. The finite element simulation results showed that multiple cross shear zone in the deformation zone of the CRB stage were beneficial to the bonding of dissimilar metals. While the deformation of the clad plates material in the FRB stage was consistent, which effectively avoided the cracking of the bonded area and further improved the bonding strength. Therefore, the strong non-uniform plastic deformation of ARLSS process had a significant effect on the deformation coordination of dissimilar metals and the quality improvement of clad plates.

Research on Demagnetization Fault Diagnosis Method of Mine Cutting Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

To give timely and accurate diagnosis in the early stage of demagnetization failure for effective control and treatment, based on wavelet packet analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) dimensionality reduction, and least squares support vector machine(LSSVM), the extraction of features and the classification of demagnetization faults are completed. Since it is difficult to collect real data sets of demagnetization faults in practice, a two-dimensional finite element simulation model of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) under uniform demagnetization and partial demagnetization faults is established based on the Maxwell simulation platform. The wavelet packet analysis is used to extract the demagnetization feature of the A-phase current of the PMSM. Based on PCA dimensionality reduction, the dimensionality reduction of fault features is realized. The LSSVM is used to identify the fault and complete the fault classification. The simulation results show that the method has a high classification accuracy rate for demagnetization faults.