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This paper aims to investigate the impact of combining grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) grades on specific iron losses and the flux density distribution within a single-phase magnetic core.

This paper presents the results of finite-element method (FEM) simulations investigating the impact of mixing two different GOES grades on losses of a single-phase magnetic core. The authors used different models: a 3D model with a highly detailed geometry including both saturation and anisotropy, as well as a simplified 2D model to save computation time. The behavior of the flux distribution in the mixed magnetic core is analyzed. Finally, the results from the numerical simulations are compared with experimental results.

The specific iron losses of a mixed magnetic core exhibit a nonlinear decrease with respect to the GOES grade with the lowest losses. Analyzing the magnetic core behavior using 2D and 3D FEM shows that the rolling direction of the GOES grades plays a critical role on the nonlinearity variation of the specific losses.

The novelty of this research lies in achieving an optimum trade-off between the manufacturing cost and the core efficiency by combining conventional and high-performance GOES grade in a single-phase magnetic core.

Many additively manufactured parts suffer from reduced interlayer strength. This anisotropy is necessarily tied to the orientation during manufacture. When individual features on a part have conflicting optimal orientations, the part is unavoidably compromised. This paper aims to demonstrate a strategy in which conflicting features can be functionally separated into “co-parts” which are individually aligned in an optimal orientation, selectively reinforced with continuous fiber, printed simultaneously and, finally, assembled into a composite part with substantially improved performance.

Several candidate parts were selected for co-part decomposition. They were printed as standard fused filament fabrication plastic parts, parts reinforced with continuous fiber in one plane and co-part assemblies both with and without continuous fiber reinforcement (CFR). All parts were loaded until failure. Additionally, parts representative of common suboptimally oriented features (“unit tests”) were similarly printed and tested.

CFR delivered substantial improvement over unreinforced plastic-only parts in both standard parts and co-part assemblies, as expected. Reinforced parts held up to 2.5x the ultimate load of equivalent plastic-only parts. The co-part strategy delivered even greater improvement, particularly when also reinforced with continuous fiber. Plastic-only co-part assemblies held up to 3.2x the ultimate load of equivalent plastic only parts. Continuous fiber reinforced co-part assemblies held up to 6.4x the ultimate load of equivalent plastic-only parts. Additionally, the thought process behind general co-part design is explored and a vision of simulation-driven automated co-part implementation is discussed.

This technique is a novel way to overcome one of the most common challenges preventing the functional use of additively manufactured parts. It delivers compelling performance with continuous carbon fiber reinforcement in 3D printed parts. Further study could extend the technique to any anisotropic manufacturing method, additive or otherwise.

This study aims to simulate the dendritic growth in Stokes flow by iteratively coupling a domain and boundary type meshless method.

A preconditioned phase-field model for dendritic solidification of a pure supercooled melt is solved by the strong-form space-time adaptive approach based on dynamic quadtree domain decomposition. The domain-type space discretisation relies on monomial augmented polyharmonic splines interpolation. The forward Euler scheme is used for time evolution. The boundary-type meshless method solves the Stokes flow around the dendrite based on the collocation of the moving and fixed flow boundaries with the regularised Stokes flow fundamental solution. Both approaches are iteratively coupled at the moving solid–liquid interface. The solution procedure ensures computationally efficient and accurate calculations. The novel approach is numerically implemented for a 2D case.

The solution procedure reflects the advantages of both meshless methods. Domain one is not sensitive to the dendrite orientation and boundary one reduces the dimensionality of the flow field solution. The procedure results agree well with the reference results obtained by the classical numerical methods. Directions for selecting the appropriate free parameters which yield the highest accuracy and computational efficiency are presented.

A combination of boundary- and domain-type meshless methods is used to simulate dendritic solidification with the influence of fluid flow efficiently.

Because of the anisotropy of the process and the variability in the quality of printed parts, finite element analysis is not directly applicable to recycled materials manufactured using fused filament fabrication. The purpose of this study is to investigate the numerical-experimental mechanical behavior modeling of the recycled polymer, that is, recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), manufactured by a deposition FFF process under compressive stresses for new sustainable designs.

In all, 42 test specimens were manufactured and analyzed according to the ASTM D695-15 standards. Eight numerical analyzes were performed on a real design manufactured with rPET using Young's compression modulus from the experimental tests. Finally, eight additional experimental tests under uniaxial compression loads were performed on the real sustainable design for validating its mechanical behavior versus computational numerical tests.

As a result of the experimental tests, rPET behaves linearly until it reaches the elastic limit, along each manufacturing axis. The results of this study confirmed the design's structural safety by the load scenario and operating boundary conditions. Experimental and numerical results show a difference of 0.001–0.024 mm, allowing for the rPET to be configured as isotropic in numerical simulation software without having to modify its material modeling equations.

The results obtained are of great help to industry, designers and researchers because they validate the use of recycled rPET for the ecological production of real-sustainable products using MEX technology under compressive stress and its configuration for numerical simulations. Major design companies are now using recycled plastic materials in their high-end designs.

Validation results have been presented on test specimens and real items, comparing experimental material configuration values with numerical results. Specifically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no industrial or scientific work has been conducted with rPET subjected to uniaxial compression loads for characterizing experimentally and numerically the material using these results for validating a real case of a sustainable industrial product.

An Autodesk Ember three-dimensional (3D) printer was used to print optical components from Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The cured PR48 was characterized by the per cent of light transmitted and the index of refraction, which was measured with a prism spectrometer. Lenses and diffraction gratings were also printed and characterized. The focal length of the printed lenses agreed with predictions based on the thin lens equation. The periodicity and effective slit width of the printed gratings were determined from both optical micrographs and fits to the Fraunhofer diffraction equation. This study aims to demonstrate the advantages offered by a layer-by-layer DLP printing process for the manufacture of optical components for use in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A 3D printer was used to print both lenses and diffraction gratings from Standard Clear PR48 photocurable resin. The manufacturing process of the lenses and the diffraction gratings differ mainly in the printing angle with respect to the printer x-y-axes. The transmission diffraction gratings studied here were manufactured with nominal periodicities of 10, 25 and 50 µm. The aim of this study was to optically determine the effective values for the distance between slits, d, and the effective width of the slits, w, and to compare these values with the printed layer thickness.

The normalized diffraction patterns measured in this experiment for the printed gratings with layer thickness of 10, 25 and 50 µm are shown by the solid dots in Figures 8(a)-(c). Also shown as a red solid line are the fits to the experimental diffraction data. The effective values of d and w obtained from fitting the data are compared to the nominal layer thickness of the printed gratings. The effective distance between slits required to fit the diffraction patterns are well approximated by the printed layer thickness to within 14, 4 and 16 per cent for gratings with a nominal 10, 25 and 50 µm layer thickness, respectively.

Chromatic aberration is present in all polymer lenses, and the authors have not attempted to characterize it in this study. These materials could be used for achromatic lenses if paired with a crown-type material in an achromatic doublet configuration, because this would correct the chromatic aberration issues. It is worthwhile to compare the per cent transmission in cured PR48 resin (approximately 80 per cent) to the percent transmission found in common optical materials like BK7 (approximately 92 per cent) over the visible region. The authors attribute the lower transmission in PR48 to a combination of surface scattering and increased absorption. At the present time, the authors do not know what fraction of the lower transmission is related to the surface quality resulting from sample polishing.

There are inherent limitations to the 3D manufacturing process that affect the performance of lenses. Approximations to a curved surface in the design software, the printing resolution of the Autodesk Ember printer and the anisotropy due to printing in layers are believed to be the main issues. The performance of the lenses is also affected by internal imperfections in the printed material, in particular the presence of bubbles and the inclusion of debris like dust or fibers suspended in air. In addition, the absorption of wavelengths in the blue/ultraviolet produces an undesirable yellowing in any printed part.

One of the most interesting results from this study was the manufacture of diffraction gratings using 3D printing. An analysis of the diffraction pattern produced by these printed gratings yielded estimates for the slit periodicity and effective slit width. These gratings are unique because the effective slit width fills the entire volume of the printed part. This aspect makes it possible to integrate two or more optical devices in a single printed part. For example, a lens combined with a diffraction grating now becomes possible.

Currently on additive manufacturing, extensive research is directed toward mitigating the main challenges associated with multi-material in fused filament fabrication which has a weak bonding strength between dissimilar materials. Low interfacial bonding strength leads to defects, anisotropy and temperature gradient in materials which negatively impact the mechanical performance of the multi-material prints. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of different interface geometry designs in terms of the mechanical properties of the specimens.

Tensile test specimens were printed using: mono-material without a boundary interface, mono-material with the interface geometries (Face-to-face; U-shape; T-shape; Dovetail; Encapsulation; Mechanical interlocking; and Overlap) and multi-material with the interface geometries. The materials chosen with high and low compatibility were Tough polylactic acid (PLA) and TPU.

The main results of this study indicate that the interface geometries with the mechanical constriction between materials provide better structural integrity to the specimens. Moreover, in the case of the mono-material parts, the most effective interface design was the mechanical interlocking for both Tough PLA and TPU. On the other hand, in the case of multi-material specimens, the encapsulation showed the highest ultimate tensile strength, whereas the overlap and T-shape presented more robust bonding.

This study examines the mechanical performance, particularly tensile strength, strain at break, Young’s modulus and yield strength of different interface designs which were not studied in the previous studies.

Present a method to impute missing data from a chaotic time series, in this case lightning prediction data, and then use that completed dataset to create lightning prediction forecasts.

Using the technique of spatiotemporal kriging to estimate data that is autocorrelated but in space and time. Using the estimated data in an imputation methodology completes a dataset used in lightning prediction.

The techniques provided prove robust to the chaotic nature of the data, and the resulting time series displays evidence of smoothing while also preserving the signal of interest for lightning prediction.

The research is limited to the data collected in support of weather prediction work through the 45th Weather Squadron of the United States Air Force.

These methods are important due to the increasing reliance on sensor systems. These systems often provide incomplete and chaotic data, which must be used despite collection limitations. This work establishes a viable data imputation methodology.

Improved lightning prediction, as with any improved prediction methods for natural weather events, can save lives and resources due to timely, cautious behaviors as a result of the predictions.

Based on the authors’ knowledge, this is a novel application of these imputation methods and the forecasting methods.

The wide application of metal material extrusion (MEX) has been hampered by the practicalities associated with the resulting shrinkage of the final parts when commercial three-dimensional (3D) printing equipment is used. The shrinkage behaviour of MEX metal parts is a very important aspect of the MEX metal production process, as the parts must be accurately oversized to compensate for shrinkage. This paper aims to investigate the influence of primary 3D printing parameters, namely, print speed, layer height and print angle, on the shrinkage behaviour of MEX Steel 316L parts.

Two groups of dog-bone and rectangular-shape specimens were produced with the BASF Ultrafuse Steel 316L metal filament. The length, width and thickness of the specimens were measured pre- and post-debinding and sintering to calculate the percentile shrinkage rates. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate and rank the significance of each manufacturing parameter on shrinkage. Typical main print quality issues experienced in this analysis are also reported.

The shrinkage rates of the tested specimens ranged from 15.5 to 20.4% along the length and width axis and 18.5% to 23.1% along the thickness axis of the specimens. Layer height and raster angle were the most statistically significant parameters influencing shrinkage, while print speed had very little influence. Three types of defects were observed, including surface roughness, surface deformation (warping and distortion) and balling defects.

This paper bridges an existing gap in MEX Steel 316L literature, with a focus on the relationship between MEX manufacturing parameters and subsequent shrinkage behaviour. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between manufacturing parameters – layer height, raster angle and print speed and subsequent shrinkage behaviour, thereby providing further information on the relationship between the former and the latter.

The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology for calculating eddy current losses in the core of a single-phase power voltage transformer, which, unlike a standard power transformer, has an open-type core (I-type core). In those apparatus, reduction of core losses is achieved by using a multipart open-type core that is created by merging a larger number of leaner cores.

3D FEM approach for calculation of eddy current losses in open-type cores based on a weak AλA formulation is presented. Method in which redundant degrees of freedom are eliminated is shown. This enables faster convergence of the simulation. The results are benchmarked using simulations with standard AVA formulation.

Results using weak AλA formulation with elimination of redundant degrees of freedom are in agreement with both simulation using only weak AλA formulation and with simulation based on AVA formulation.

The presented methodology is valid in linear cases, whereas the nonlinear case will be part of future work.

Presented procedure can be used for the optimization when designing the open-type core of apparatus like power voltage transformers.

The presented method is specifically adapted for calculating eddy currents in the open-type core. The method is based on a weak formulation for the magnetic vector potential A and the current vector potential λ, incorporating numerical homogenization and a straightforward elimination of redundant degrees of freedom, resulting in faster convergence of the simulation.

Confronting the unveiled sophisticated structural and physical characteristics of permanent magnets, notably the samarium–cobalt (Sm-Co) alloy, This work aims to introduce a simulation scheme that can link physics-based micromagnetics on the nanostructures and magnetostatic homogenization on the mesoscale polycrystalline structures.

The simulation scheme is arranged in a multiscale fashion. The magnetization behaviors on the nanostructures examined with various orientations are surrogated as the micromagnetic-informed hysterons. The hysteresis behavior of the mesoscale polycrystalline structures with micromagnetic-informed hysterons is then evaluated by computational magnetostatic homogenization.

The micromagnetic-informed hysterons can emulate the magnetization reversal of the parameterized Sm-Co nanostructures as the local hysteresis behavior on the mesostructures. The simulation results of the mesoscale polycrystal demonstrate that the demagnetization process starts from the grain with the largest orientation angle (a) and then propagates to the surrounding grains.

The presented scheme depicts the demand for integrating data-driven methods, as the parameters of the surrogate hysteron intrinsically depend on the nanostructure and its orientation. Further hysteron parameters that help the surrogate hysteron emulate the micromagnetic-simulated magnetization reversal should be examined.

This work provides a novel multiscale scheme for simulating the polycrystalline permanent magnets’ hysteresis while recapitulating the nanoscale mechanisms, such as the nucleation of domains, and domain wall migration and pinning. This scheme can be further extended to simulate the part-level hysteresis considering the mesoscale features.