Search results for "Finite Element"
showing 10 items of 892 documents
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…
Finite element method for a nonlocal Timoshenko beam model
2014
A finite element method is presented for a nonlocal Timoshenko beam model recently proposed by the authors. The model relies on the key idea that nonlocal effects consist of long-range volume forces and moments exchanged by non-adjacent beam segments, which contribute to the equilibrium of a beam segment along with the classical local stress resultants. The long-range volume forces/moments are linearly depending on the product of the volumes of the interacting beam segments, and their relative motion measured in terms of the pure beam deformation modes, through appropriate attenuation functions governing the spatial decay of nonlocal effects. In this paper, the beam model is reformulated wi…
A one-dimensional model for dynamic analysis of generally layered magneto-electro-elastic beams
2013
Abstract A new one-dimensional model for the dynamic problem of magneto-electro-elastic generally laminated beams is presented. The electric and magnetic fields are assumed to be quasi-static and a first-order shear beam theory is used. The electro-magnetic problem is first solved in terms of the mechanical variables, then the equations of motion are written leading to the problem governing equations. They involve the same terms of the elastic dynamic problem weighted by effective stiffness coefficients, which take the magneto-electro-mechanical couplings into account. Additional terms, which involve the third spatial derivative of the transverse displacement, also occur as a result of the …
Finite-Element Formulation of a Nonlocal Hereditary Fractional-Order Timoshenko Beam
2017
AbstractA mechanically-based nonlocal Timoshenko beam model, recently proposed by the authors, hinges on the assumption that nonlocal effects can be modeled as elastic long-range volume forces and moments mutually exerted by nonadjacent beam segments, which contribute to the equilibrium of any beam segment along with the classical local stress resultants. Long-range volume forces/moments linearly depend on the product of the volumes of the interacting beam segments, and on pure deformation modes of the beam, through attenuation functions governing the space decay of nonlocal effects. This paper investigates the response of this nonlocal beam model when viscoelastic long-range interactions a…
On the Effect of Slotted Blades on Savonius Wind Generator Performances by CFD Analysis
2012
In this paper a new bucket configuration for Savonius wind generator is proposed. With the aim to increase the effect of the overlap ratio RS on the wind turbine performances and to increase the amount of lift force able to produce torque and power, slotted blades are investigated by means of the Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis. The numerical analyses are performed by Comsol Multiphysics® and the results obtained for a Savonius wind turbine with overlap only are compared to numerical and experimental benchmarks. Parametric analyses are performed, for fixed overlap ratio, by varying the slot angle β and the results show that for low angle β the Savonius rotor exploits improved performa…
Metallurgical Evolutions in Hot Forging of Dual Phase Titanium Alloys: Numerical Simulation and Experiments
2015
Titanium forging has been encountering a growing interest in the scientific and industrial communities because of the distinct advantages it provides with respect to machining, in terms of both mechanical properties of the product and material waste, thus significantly reducing the Buy to Fly ratio. In the paper, a numerical FE model, based on a tri-coupled approach and able to predict the microstructural evolutions of the workpiece during the process, is developed and set up. Calculated results are compared to experiments for a few industrial case studies. The final phases distribution in the forged parts is experimentally measured and compared to the FE model output finding satisfying ove…
Development of helium coolant DEMO first wall model for SYCOMORE system code based on HCLL concept
2018
Abstract The conceptual design of the demonstration fusion power reactor, known as DEMO, is ongoing and several reactor configurations have to be investigated by exploring different design parameters. For these reasons, within the European framework, systems codes like SYCOMORE (SYstem COde for MOdelling tokamak REactor) have been developed. SYCOMORE includes several specific modules, one of which is aimed to define a suitable design of the helium breeding blanket. The research activity has been devoted to improve the method to define automatically the First Wall design starting from thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical considerations, using analytical design formulae and, also, taking i…
A genetic algorithm for combined topology and shape optimisations
2003
A method to find optimal topology and shape of structures is presented. With the first the optimal distribution of an assigned mass is found using an approach based on homogenisation theory, that seeks in which elements of a meshed domain it is present mass; with the second the discontinuous boundaries are smoothed. The problem of the optimal topology search has an ON/OFF nature and has suggested the employment of genetic algorithms. Thus in this paper a genetic algorithm has been developed, which uses as design variables, in the topology optimisation, the relative densities (with respect to effective material density) 0 or 1 of each element of the structure and, in the shape one, the coord…
TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION OF A CONNECTING ROD FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
2009
The topology optimization of a structure is a process that allows to establish if in a point of an assigned domain there should be some material. No assumption is made with regard to the number and the distribution of the contours and the final topology, that can be very different compared to that one initially hypothesized. In this paper a study related to the topology optimization of a connecting rod for an internal combustion engine is presented. The used technique for the optimization is the density (or distribution of material) method. The developed application, besides giving an innovative solution of the topology of the connecting rod with a lower mass in comparison with the initial …
On the numerical assessment of the thermo-mechanical performances of the DEMO Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed breeding blanket module
2014
Within the framework of the European DEMO Breeder Blanket Programme, a research campaign has been launched by University of Palermo, ENEA-Brasimone and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology to theoretically investigate the thermo-mechanical behavior of the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) breeding blanket module of the DEMO1 blanket vertical segment, under normal operation and over-pressurization loading scenarios. The research campaign has been carried out following a theoretical-computational approach based on the finite element method (FEM) and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. A realistic 3D FEM model of the HCPB blanket module central poloidal-radial region has been developed, inclu…