Search results for " Finite element method"

Measuring Multiple Residual-Stress Components using the Contour Method and Multiple Cuts

2009

The conventional contour method determines one component of residual stress over the cross section of a part. The part is cut into two, the contour (topographic shape) of the exposed surface is measured, and Bueckner’s superposition principle is analytically applied to calculate stresses. In this paper, the contour method is extended to the measurement of multiple residual-stress components by making multiple cuts with subsequent applications of superposition. The theory and limitations are described. The theory is experimentally tested on a 316L stainless steel disk with residual stresses induced by plastically indenting the central portion of the disk. The multiple-cut contour method resu…

Finite element analysis in vertebrate palaeontology

2002

The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a numerical method which allows to analyse the static and dynamic behaviour of complex structures. A structure is substituted by a model consisting of a number of small, well-defined elements, each interconnected by nodes. Within the element attributes and material properties, the model can be exposed to static or dynamic loads. The displacements of the structure as the reaction to its loadings are calculated. Other data such as stress or strain at localized points in the structure are derived from these displacements. Originally developed for engineering, FEA soon was introduced to human medicine by modelling the behaviour of bone, teeth, cartilage and …

On the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the IFMIF target assembly under steady state and transient operative scenarios

A multi-scale method for complex flows of non-Newtonian fluids

2021

We introduce a new heterogeneous multi-scale method for the simulation of flows of non-Newtonian fluids in general geometries and present its application to paradigmatic two-dimensional flows of polymeric fluids. Our method combines micro-scale data from non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) with macro-scale continuum equations to achieve a data-driven prediction of complex flows. At the continuum level, the method is model-free, since the Cauchy stress tensor is determined locally in space and time from NEMD data. The modelling effort is thus limited to the identification of suitable interaction potentials at the micro-scale. Compared to previous proposals, our approach takes into acco…

Parameters influencing the stiffness of composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes – A numerical–analytical approach

2014

Abstract Due to their high stiffness and strength, as well as their electrical conductivity, carbon nanotubes are under intense investigation as fillers in polymer matrix composites. The nature of the carbon nanotube/polymer bonding and the curvature of the carbon nanotubes may strongly reduce the reinforcing effect of the carbon nanotubes when added to a matrix to create composites. Here the effects of carbon nanotube waviness and the interaction with the matrix on the stiffness of the composite are investigated. Using a mixed numerical–analytical model, a parametric study of the waviness and volume fraction influence of CNTs on the elastic behavior of the nanocomposite is presented. The m…

Guaranteed lower bounds for cost functionals of time-periodic parabolic optimization problems

2019

In this paper, a new technique is shown for deriving computable, guaranteed lower bounds of functional type (minorants) for two different cost functionals subject to a parabolic time-periodic boundary value problem. Together with previous results on upper bounds (majorants) for one of the cost functionals, both minorants and majorants lead to two-sided estimates of functional type for the optimal control problem. Both upper and lower bounds are derived for the second new cost functional subject to the same parabolic PDE-constraints, but where the target is a desired gradient. The time-periodic optimal control problems are discretized by the multiharmonic finite element method leading to lar…

Parallel finite element splitting-up method for parabolic problems

1991

An efficient method for solving parabolic systems is presented. The proposed method is based on the splitting-up principle in which the problem is reduced to a series of independent 1D problems. This enables it to be used with parallel processors. We can solve multidimensional problems by applying only the 1D method and consequently avoid the difficulties in constructing a finite element space for multidimensional problems. The method is suitable for general domains as well as rectangular domains. Every 1D subproblem is solved by applying cubic B-splines. Several numerical examples are presented.

A smart composite-piezoelectric one-dimensional finite element model for vibration damping analysis

2015

A one-dimensional finite element method for generally layered smart beams is presented in this paper. The model implements the first-order shear deformation beam theory and is based on the preliminary analytical condensation of the electric state to the mechanical state. This allows us to establish an effective mechanical beam kinematically equivalent to the original smart beam including the effects of electro-elastic couplings. The contributions of the external electric loads are included in both the equivalent stiffness properties and the equivalent mechanical boundary conditions. Hermite shape functions, which depend on parameters representative of the staking sequence through the equiv…

Fast MATLAB assembly of FEM matrices in 2D and 3D: Edge elements

2014

We propose an effective and flexible way to assemble finite element stiffness and mass matrices in MATLAB. We apply this for problems discretized by edge finite elements. Typical edge finite elements are Raviart-Thomas elements used in discretizations of H(div) spaces and Nedelec elements in discretizations of H(curl) spaces. We explain vectorization ideas and comment on a freely available MATLAB code which is fast and scalable with respect to time.

Investigations on the linear friction welding process through numerical simulations and experiments

2012

Abstract Linear Friction Welding (LFW) is a solid-state joining process applied to non-axisymmetric components. LFW involves joining of materials through the relative motion of two components undergoing an axial force. In such process the heat source is given by the frictional forces work decaying into heat determining a local softening of the material and eventually bonding conditions. In the paper the authors present a designed and assembled laboratory fixture for LFW operations and the results of an experimental and numerical campaign aimed to weld steel parts. The dedicated fixture permitted to highlight the effect of the most important process parameters. Process conditions allowing ef…