Variable Density Research Articles

Variable density wrinkling in polymer thin film by gradient stress induced in the elastomeric substrate

Variable density wrinkling in polymer thin film by gradient stress induced in the elastomeric substrate

A Novel Fully Decoupled Scheme for the MHD System with Variable Density

Abstract In this paper, we first establish a novel first-order, fully decoupled, unconditionally stable time discretization scheme for the MHD system with variable density. This scheme successfully decouples all the coupling terms by combining the gauge-Uzawa method and the scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) method. And we prove its unconditional energy stability. Then we give the first-order finite element scheme and its implementation. Furthermore, we perform a rigorous error analysis of the proposed numerical scheme. Finally, we perform some numerical experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the decoupling scheme.

Multi-scale collaborative prediction of optimal configuration for carbon fiber woven composites based on deep learning neural networks

Since carbon fiber woven composite panels contain complex fiber bundle structures, the aim of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the macro-equivalent properties and topological flexibility of composite panels resulting from variations in fiber bundle configuration. Firstly, the structural topology optimization design of carbon fiber composite plates was achieved using a multi-scale modeling approach with the variable density method. Nonlinear relationships between carbon fiber bundle configuration parameters and macroscopic equivalent properties, as well as macroscale topological flexibility, were determined using deep learning methods, respectively. The maximum error in the predicted values of the deep learning network model does not exceed 0.5% when compared with the results of the finite element calculations. In addition, utilizing deep learning networks to predict macro-equivalent properties of composites can significantly decrease computational time. The impact of varying the number of filaments in fiber bundles and the spacing of the fiber bundles on the flexibility of the topology was determined using a deep learning network. The optimal topological flexibility, along with its corresponding fiber bundle spacing and number of fiber bundle filaments, are globally searched within the design domain using an adaptive genetic algorithm. The study in this paper can provide a reference for designing fiber bundle configurations of composites for practical applications.

Inversion recovery and saturation recovery pulmonary vein MR angiography using an image based navigator fluoro trigger and variable-density 3D cartesian sampling with spiral-like order.

Contrast enhanced pulmonary vein magnetic resonance angiography (PV CE-MRA) has value in atrial ablation pre-procedural planning. We aimed to provide high fidelity, ECG gated PV CE-MRA accelerated by variable density Cartesian sampling (VD-CASPR) with image navigator (iNAV) respiratory motion correction acquired in under 4min. We describe its use in part during the global iodinated contrast shortage. VD-CASPR/iNAV framework was applied to ECG-gated inversion and saturation recovery gradient recalled echo PV CE-MRA in 65 patients (66 exams) using .15mmol/kg Gadobutrol. Image quality was assessed by three physicians, and anatomical segmentation quality by two technologists. Left atrial SNR and left atrial/myocardial CNR were measured. 12 patients had CTA within 6months of MRA. Two readers assessed PV ostial measurements versus CTA for intermodality/interobserver agreement. Inter-rater/intermodality reliability, reproducibility of ostial measurements, SNR/CNR, image, and anatomical segmentation quality was compared. The mean acquisition time was 3.58 ± 0.60min. Of 35 PV pre-ablation datasets (34 patients), mean anatomical segmentation quality score was 3.66 ± 0.54 and 3.63 ± 0.55 as rated by technologists 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.7113). Good/excellent anatomical segmentation quality (grade 3/4) was seen in 97% of exams. Each rated one exam as moderate quality (grade 2). 95% received a majority image quality score of good/excellent by three physicians. Ostial PV measurements correlated moderate to excellently with CTA (ICCs range 0.52-0.86). No difference in SNR was observed between IR and SR. High quality PV CE-MRA is possible in under 4min using iNAV bolus timing/motion correction and VD-CASPR.

Groundwater Flow Model Calibration Using Variable Density Modeling for Coastal Aquifer Management

The paper investigates the mechanism of seawater intrusion and the performance of free and open-source codes for the simulation of variable density flow problems in coastal aquifers. For this purpose, the research focused on the Marathon Watershed, located in the northeastern tip of Attica, Greece. For the simulation of the groundwater system, MODFLOW, MT3DMS and SEAWAT codes were implemented, while sensitivity analysis and calibration processes were carried out with UCODE. Hydraulic head calibration was performed on the MODFLOW model, and TDS concentration was validated in the SEAWAT model. The calibrated parameters of the MODFLOW model were obtained for the variable density flow simulation with SEAWAT. The MODFLOW and SEAWAT hydraulic head outputs were analyzed and compared to one another. The outcome of this analysis is that SEAWAT produced slightly better results in terms of the hydraulic heads, concluding that parameter transferability can take place between the two models. For the purpose of the seawater intrusion assessment, the use of the SEAWAT code revealed that the aquifer is subjected to passive and passive–active seawater intrusion during wet and dry seasons, respectively. Finally, an irregular shape of a saltwater wedge is developed at a specific area associated with the hydraulic parameters of the aquifer.

Introducing a new hazard and exposure atlas for European winter storms

Winter storms are one of the riskiest natural hazards in Europe. They are often assessed either from a climatology perspective or the exposed land use type. However, for accurate storm protection management, analyzing compatible wind speed and land use data at the highest spatiotemporally accuracy is critical. Thus, the study goals were (1) modeling wind speed for the 27 most extreme winter storm events from 1993 to 2022 at high spatial resolution (250 m × 250 m) and (2) defining and developing new and representative storm hazard and storm exposure indices for forested area, built-up area, and population. The winter storm event-related wind speed was modeled using a least-squares boosting approach based on ERA5 reanalysis data and 1730 wind speed measurement sites from the integrated surface global hourly meteorological dataset. In combination with temporally variable population density, built-up area, and forested area grids, the storm exposure indices for the European NUTS3 regions were calculated. The coefficient of determination of the median of the modeled wind speed fields is 0.73 for an independent subset of measurement sites. The wind speed maps reveal the uniqueness of the winter storm events. Each storm only affects parts of Europe. The study also emphasizes the relevance of distinguishing between storm hazard and storm exposure. The exposure of built-up areas to winter storms has increased considerably in recent years. This example underlines that storm exposure is not temporally constant but depends on the development of wind speed and land use. Decision-makers can apply the results of this study to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of storm protection measures. The developed storm exposures indices enable a sector- and location-specific evaluation with high precision.

Strong Solutions of an Incompressible Phase-field Model with Variable Density

Strong Solutions of an Incompressible Phase-field Model with Variable Density

Volume of Fluid simulation of air–water co-current and Counter-current flow with variable density turbulence formulation

Co-current and counter-current air–water flows are studied by Volume of Fluid (VOF) simulation, with emphasis on turbulence modelling near the interface. The relevance of constant density (ρ-con) and variable density (ρ-var) formulations of the turbulence transport equations in two classical two-equation turbulence models, k−ϵ RNG and k−ω SST models, is discussed. The Reynolds Stress Tensor (RST) model approach is also investigated and literature results with the two-fluid model are included for comparison. Our results with VOF show that the widely used constant density formulation underestimates the turbulence dissipation without capturing the turbulence jump across the interface, which also affects the interface liquid height, the velocity profiles of both phases and the pressure drop along the domain. In contrast, the variable density formulation significantly improves the results by increasing the turbulence dissipation at the interface. Although the best solutions have been obtained using the RST model, the ρ-var and k−ϵ RNG gave quite good agreement with experimental data. Despite the narrowness of the domains, three-dimensional simulations have been in better agreement than the two-dimensional ones. Both the VOF results obtained with either the RST and the ρ-var turbulence formulations were found to be superior to those reported with the TF model using damping corrections specifically calibrated for the tests. This study demonstrates that VOF simulation combined with ρ-var two equations turbulence models is a suitable method for modelling large-scale interface segregated flows.

Lightweight Design of Heavy-duty Logistics Robot Based on ANSYS

 Based on ANSYS Workbench, this paper carries out static analysis on the three-dimensional model of the heavy-duty logistics robot frame established by CAD software, obtains the displacement and stress distribution of the frame, adopts the variable density method and the level set method to carry out topological optimization analysis of the frame, and makes structural improvement on the frame according to the optimization results. The static analysis of the improved model is carried out by applying the same load and fixed constraints as the original model. The results show that the weight of the improved model is 45% lower than that of the original model when the stiffness of the material is satisfied, and the lightweight of the heavy-duty logistics robot frame is realized.

Nitrate fate in coastal unconfined aquifers influenced by preferential flows

This study examined the influence of preferential flow on pore water flows and marine nitrogen transport reaction in variable saturation and variable density coastal aquifers. The 2-D unconfined aquifer model established was based on the software COMSOL by coupling the dynamic and chemical processes together. The results showed that preferential flow affects groundwater flow and salinity distribution, leading to a more complicated mixing process. The preferential flow resulted in an increase in mixing zone area and the upper saline plume area of 10.33 and 2.62 m2, respectively, a decrease in saltwater wedge area of 7.22 m2, and an increase in nitrate (NO3-) removal efficiency from 7.9% to 8.97%. The NO3- removal efficiency increases progressively with the depth (h) and quantity (n) of preferential flows; however, it decreases after a certain quantity. Further quantitative analysis revealed an increase in the intensity of nitrification and dissolved oxygen inflow flux with preferential flow depth and quantity increase. This phenomenon usually occurs on coasts where biological caves are abundant. The results also offer significant implications for designing engineering measures to mitigate saltwater intrusion and are significant to prevent groundwater quality deterioration in coastal zones.

Diffusion calculations on reconstructed bentonite microstructures with anion exclusion effects.

Due to their prevalence in the lithosphere and their high capability of sorbing pollutants, smectite clays play a foreground role in environmental pollution studies, waste management, and soil science. In complementarity with existing approaches at the molecular or macroscopic scales, real microstructures have been employed to investigate ionic transport by diffusion through montmorillonite and water-saturated Wyoming bentonite at intermediate scales ranging between the nanometer and the micrometer. The coupled solute transport and electrostatic phenomena investigated at the nanopore scale are upscaled using the homogenization of porous media approach. Homogenization computations rely on a hierarchical description of bentonite that acknowledges the existence of pores networks at different scales. At the scale of montmorillonite layers, digitized TEM images have been employed to simulate the diffusion of ionic solutes by considering electrostatic interactions in the vicinity of the negatively charged clay platelets' surface. Finite element microstructures are created after extraction of the contours of the layers using dedicated image processing algorithms. Local electric potential distribution, anion exclusion, and cation inclusion are displayed by ion distribution maps. The effective diffusion tensor and the transport equation obtained through volume averaging are then used to simulate diffusion at the scale of a Wyoming bentonite sample composed of clay gels of variable density, solid grains, and micropores. Qualitative comparisons were made with existing diffusion data, and a particular attention is given to the anisotropy of the diffusion tensors at both the mesoscopic and macroscopic scales.

Analytical approach on stress analysis in a functionally graded piezoelectric annular disk with varying compressibility and varying density under internal pressure

When a crystal is subjected to mechanical stress, it exhibits piezoelectricity, also known as the piezoelectric effect, which is the emergence of an electrical potential across the crystal's sides. A few examples of piezoelectric materials include quartz, Rochelle salt, lead zirconate titanate (PZT4) and zinc oxide (ZnO). Piezoelectricity has many applications in regards to electrical transducers and signal devices. In this paper, the analytical solution is obtained for elastic-plastic stresses in a thin rotating disc formed of functionally graded piezoelectric material with varying compressibility and varying density for distinct angular velocity with internal pressure using Seth's transition theory. The distribution of the mechanical and electrical components can be precisely controlled by applying functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs). Transition theory assumes that a mid-zone (transition state) exists between elastic state and plastic state. A nonlinear Governing equation of the problem is formulated using equilibrium equation by substituting the values of stresses. For evaluation of transitional stresses, transition function R is assumed in terms of radial stresses and equations are solved analytically by considering the transition (critical points) of the differential equation. The investigation focuses on how the rotational velocity and internal pressure affects the radial and circumferential distribution of stresses. With the help of graphs and mathematical calculations, it is observed that both variable density and variable compressibility have significant effect on the performance of a functionally graded piezoelectric materials. Therefore, it can be concluded that an annular disc made up of functionally graded piezoelectric materials is safer than that of homogeneous piezoelectric materials for engineering design purposes.

Experimental study of hydraulic fracture propagation with multi-cluster in-plane perforations in horizontal wells

Tri-axial fracturing studies were carried out to understand the impact of lateral mechanical parameters on fracture propagation from multiple in-plane perforations in horizontal wells. Additionally, the discussion covered the effects of geology, treatment, and perforation characteristics on the non-planar propagation behavior. According to experimental findings, two parallel transverse fractures can be successfully initiated from in-plane perforation clusters in the horizontal well because of the in-plane perforation, the guide nonuniform fishbone structure fracture propagation still can be exhibited. The emergence of transverse fractures and axial fractures combined as complex fractures under low horizontal principal stress difference and large pump rate conditions. The injection pressure was also investigated, and the largest breakdown pressure can be also found for samples under these conditions. The increase in perforation number or decrease in the cluster spacing could provide more chances to increase the complexity of the target stimulated zone, thus affecting the pressure fluctuation. In a contrast, the increase in fracturing fluid viscosity can reduce the multiple fracture complexity. The fracture propagation is significantly affected by the change in the rock mechanical properties. The fracture geometry in the high brittle zone seems to be complicated and tends to induce fracture reorientation from the weak-brittle zone. The stress shadow effect can be used to explain the fracture attraction, branch, connection, and repulsion in the multiple perforation clusters for the horizontal well. The increase in the rock heterogeneity can enhance the stress shadow effect, resulting in more complex fracture geometry. In addition, the variable density perforation and temporary plugging fracturing were also conducted, demonstrating higher likelihood for non-uniform multiple fracture propagation. Thus, to increase the perforation efficiency along the horizontal well, it’s necessary to consider the lateral fracability of the horizontal well on target formation.

A scalable multi-density clustering approach to detect city hotspots in a smart city

In the field of Smart City applications, the analysis of urban data to detect city hotspots, i.e., regions where urban events (such as pollution peaks, virus infections, traffic spikes, and crimes) occur at a higher density than in the rest of the dataset, is becoming a common task. The detection of such hotspots can serve as a valuable organizational technique for framing detailed information about a metropolitan area, providing high-level spatial knowledge for planners, scientists, and policymakers. From the algorithmic viewpoint, classic density-based clustering algorithms are very effective in discovering hotspots characterized by homogeneous density; however, their application on multi-density data can produce inaccurate results. For such a reason, since metropolitan cities are characterized by areas with significantly variable densities, multi-density clustering approaches are more effective in discovering city hotspots. Moreover, the growing volumes of data collected in urban environments require the development of parallel approaches, in order to take advantage of scalable executions offered by Edge and Cloud environments. This paper describes the design and implementation of a parallel multi-density clustering algorithm aimed at analyzing high volumes of urban data in an efficient way. The experimental evaluation shows that the proposed parallel clustering approach takes out encouraging advantages in terms of execution time, speedup, and efficiency.

THE GLOBAL STRONG SOLUTIONS OF THE 3D INCOMPRESSIBLE HALL-MHD SYSTEM WITH VARIABLE DENSITY

In this paper, we focus on the well-posedness problem of the three-dimensional incompressible viscous and resistive Hall-magnetohydrodynamics system (Hall-MHD) with variable density. We mainly prove the existence and uniqueness issues of the density-dependent incompressible Hall-magnetohydrodynamic system in critical spaces on R3.

Enhancing in full-color single-pixel imaging: integrating variable density sampling with hyper-Laplacian priors

Full-color single-pixel imaging aims to restore chromatic images using a single detector element, such as a photodiode or a single-pixel camera. However, image quality is inevitably compromised at low sampling rates due to inefficient sampling methods or incomplete representation of spectrum information. To address these challenges, we meticulously consider the distribution of the image frequency spectrum and the correlation between multiple bands and make further improvements in sampling strategy and reconstruction methods. First, we propose a variable density random sampling strategy based on the exponential distribution to enhance image sampling efficiency. Second, we discover that in most cases, there exists a hyper-Laplacian distribution between spectral mixed images and monochromatic images. Building upon this observation, we designed a hyper-Laplacian prior and seamlessly integrated it into our reconstruction method to enhance the performance of full-color images. Experimental results demonstrate that our method significantly improves the quality of reconstructed full-color images compared to state-of-the-art methods.

Protein plant factories: production and resource use efficiency of soybean proteins in vertical farming.

Controlled environment agriculture, particularly vertical farms (VF), also called plant factories, is often claimed as a solution for global food security due to its ability to produce crops unaffected by weather or pests. In principle, essential macronutrients of the human diet, like protein, could technically be produced in VF. This aspect becomes relevant in the era of protein transition, marked by an increasing consumer interest in plant-based protein and environmental challenges faced by conventional farming. However, the real question is: what does the cultivation of protein crops in VF imply in terms of resource use? To address this, a study was conducted using a VF experiment focusing on two soybean cultivars. With a variable plant density to optimize area use, and because of the ability to have more crop cycles per year, protein yield per square metre of crop was about eight times higher than in the open field. Assuming soy as the only protein source in the diet, the resources needed to get total yearly protein requirement of a reference adult would be 20 m2 of crop area, 2.4 m3 of water and 16 MWh of electricity, versus 164 m2, 111 m3 and 0.009 MWh in the field. The study's results inform the debate on protein production and the efficiency of VF compared to conventional methods. With current electricity prices, it is unlikely to justify production of simple protein crops in VF or promote it as a solution to meet global protein needs. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

A numerical study of thermal shrinkage influence on the impact dynamics of alumina droplets thermally sprayed on flat, grit-blasted and laser treated surfaces

Thermal spray splat morphology and its microstructure are of significance to the coating resulting properties. Depending on the material, the changes in density as the droplet solidifies during splat development and solidification could have a substantial role in the particle deformation dynamics, formation of porosity and subsequent adhesion to the flat or rough target surface.In the current study, the effect of shrinkage on the final splat shape is numerically investigated for collisions occurring under several high-speed impact conditions using the Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method on real surface topography. This influence is also studied for the interaction of two successive impacting particles. The developed models study the splat impact, development and dynamics of heat transfer on flat, laser-patterned, grit-blasted surfaces and numerically designed features. The results of droplet material variable density cases are compared with those assuming constant density. Experimentally obtained single splat depositions are also used to validate the developed models and obtained numerical results.Findings show that micro substrate surface features lead to splat stretching, porosity and limited finger creation subsequent to improved solidification through interfacial contact area increase. Macro surface characteristics, however, lead to splashing and separation from the substrate surface driven by fluid instabilities. Irrespective of the interface topography, shrinkage processes reduce droplet spreading and accentuate splat feature discontinuities such as porosity.

Numerical Study of the Thermal Performance of the combined effect of solar energy and variable density around a Laminar Vertical jet

A computational analysis due to the thermal performance of combined effects of solar radiation and variable density around a laminar vertical jet is carried out. For this purpose, a mathematical model in terms of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations, keeping in view the coordinate system of the proposed problem, is established. Further, to get insight to the physical significance of the proposed problem, numerical data is obtained. For this purpose, the finite difference method is used to integrate the primitive form of the partial differential equations. The coefficient matrices of the unknown variables involved in the model are solved by using the Gaussian elimination technique with the help of Fortran-Laher 90. The obtained numerical results for different parameters involved in the flow model, that is density parameter m, Prandtl number Pr, radiation parameter Rd, and fluid's absorption parameter D, are highlighted graphically by using Techplot-360. The primary findings show that enhancing values of the density variation parameter m leads to an increase in the velocity profile and a decrease in the thermal profile. On the other hand, for increasing values of Rd, the boundary layer profiles decline. Also, the heat transfer rate prominently declines with the rise in numeric value of m, Rd, and D. The main novelty of the current work is to improve the thermal performance of natural convection heat transfer with the inclusion of solar energy and variable density.

Efficacy of Different Pre and Post Emergence Herbicide Application on Late Sown Maize Crop Under Variable Planting Density

Efficacy of Different Pre and Post Emergence Herbicide Application on Late Sown Maize Crop Under Variable Planting Density