Search results

1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 27 May 2014

D.C. Lo, Chih-Min Hsieh and D.L. Young

The main advantage of the proposed method is that the computations can be performed on a Cartesian grid with complex immersed boundaries (IBs). The purpose of this paper is to…

Abstract

Purpose

The main advantage of the proposed method is that the computations can be performed on a Cartesian grid with complex immersed boundaries (IBs). The purpose of this paper is to device a numerical scheme based on an embedding finite element method for the solution of two-dimensional (2D) Navier-Stokes equations.

Design/methodology/approach

Geometries featuring the stationary solid obstacles in the flow are embedded in the Cartesian grid with special discretizations near the embedded boundary to ensure the accuracy of the solution in the cut cells. To comprehend the complexities of the viscous flows with IBs, the paper adopts a compact interpolation scheme near the IBs that allows to satisfy the second-order accuracy and the conservation property of the solver. The interpolation scheme is designed by virtue of the shape function in the finite element scheme.

Findings

Three numerical examples are selected to demonstrate the accuracy and flexibility of the proposed methodology. Simulation of flow past a circular cylinder for a range of Re=20-200 shows excellent agreements with other results using different numerical schemes. Flows around a pair of tandem cylinders and several bodies are particularly investigated. The paper simulates the time-based variation of the flow phenomena for uniform flow past a pair of cylinders with various streamwise gaps between two cylinders. The results in terms of drag coefficient and Strouhal number show excellent agreements with the results available in the literature.

Originality/value

Details of the flow characteristics, such as velocity distribution, pressure and vorticity fields are presented. It is concluded the combined embedding boundary method and FE discretizations are robust and accurate for solving 2D fluid flows with complex IBs.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 June 2023

Yuming Liu, Yong Zhao, Qingyuan Lin, Sheng Liu, Ende Ge and Wei Wang

This paper aims to propose a framework for optimizing the pose in the assembly process of the non-ideal parts considering the manufacturing deviations and contact deformations…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a framework for optimizing the pose in the assembly process of the non-ideal parts considering the manufacturing deviations and contact deformations. Furthermore, the accuracy of the method would be verified by comparing it with the other conventional methods for calculating the optimal assembly pose.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the surface morphology of the parts with manufacturing deviations would be modeled to obtain the skin model shapes that can characterize the specific geometric features of the part. The model can provide the basis for the subsequent contact deformation analysis. Second, the simulated non-nominal components are discretized into point cloud data, and the spatial position of the feature points is corrected. Furthermore, the evaluation index to measure the assembly quality has been established, which integrates the contact deformations and the spatial relationship of the non-nominal parts’ key feature points. Third, the improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm combined with the finite element method is applied to the process of solving the optimal pose of the assembly, and further deformation calculations are conducted based on interference detection. Finally, the feasibility of the optimal pose prediction method is verified by a case.

Findings

The proposed method has been well suited to solve the problem of the assembly process for the non-ideal parts with complex geometric deviations. It can obtain the reasonable assembly optimal pose considering the constraints of the surface morphological features and contact deformations. This paper has verified the effectiveness of the method with an example of the shaft-hole assembly.

Research limitations/implications

The method proposed in this paper has been well suited to the problem of the assembly process for the non-ideal parts with complex geometric deviations. It can obtain the reasonable assembly optimal pose considering the constraints of the surface morphological features and contact deformations. This paper has verified the method with an example of the shaft-hole assembly.

Originality/value

The different surface morphology influenced by manufacturing deviations will lead to the various contact behaviors of the mating surfaces. The assembly problem for the components with complex geometry is usually accompanied by deformation due to the loading during the contact process, which may further affect the accuracy of the assembly. Traditional approaches often use worst-case methods such as tolerance offsets to analyze and optimize the assembly pose. In this paper, it is able to characterize the specific parts in detail by introducing the skin model shapes represented with the point cloud data. The dynamic changes in the parts' contact during the fitting process are also considered. Using the PSO method that takes into account the contact deformations improve the accuracy by 60.7% over the original method that uses geometric alignment alone. Moreover, it can optimize the range control of the contact to the maximum extent to prevent excessive deformations.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 43 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 November 2023

Jonathan Núñez Aedo, Marcela A. Cruchaga and Mario A. Storti

This paper aims to report the study of a fluid buoy system that includes wave effects, with particular emphasis on validating the numerical results with experimental data.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report the study of a fluid buoy system that includes wave effects, with particular emphasis on validating the numerical results with experimental data.

Design/methodology/approach

A fluid–solid coupled algorithm is proposed to describe the motion of a rigid buoy under the effects of waves. The Navier–Stokes equations are solved with the open-source finite volume package Code Saturne, in which a free-surface capture technique and equations of motion for the solid are implemented. An ad hoc experiment on a laboratory scale is built. A buoy is placed into a tank partially filled with water; the tank is mounted into a shake table and subjected to controlled motion that promotes waves. The experiment allows for recording the evolution of the free surface at the control points using the ultrasonic sensors and the movement of the buoy by tracking the markers by postprocessing the recorded videos. The numerical results are validated by comparison with the experimental data.

Findings

The implemented free-surface technique, developed within the framework of the finite-volume method, is validated. The best-obtained agreement is for small amplitudes compatible with the waves evolving under deep-water conditions. Second, the algorithm proposed to describe rigid-body motion, including wave analysis, is validated. The numerical body motion and wave pattern satisfactorily matched the experimental data. The complete 3D proposed model can realistically describe buoy motions under the effects of stationary waves.

Originality/value

The novel aspects of this study encompass the implementation of a fluid–structure interaction strategy to describe rigid-body motion, including wave effects in a finite-volume context, and the reported free-surface and buoy position measurements from experiments. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the numerical strategy, the validation of the computed results and the experimental data are all original contributions of this work.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 August 2022

Jorge Lucas Krenchiglova, Luís Orlando Emerich dos Santos, Diogo Nardelli Siebert and Paulo Cesar Philippi

The main purpose of this paper was to investigate Lattice Boltzmann (LB) models for the bulk incompressible flow past immersed bodies and to find the set of boundary conditions…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper was to investigate Lattice Boltzmann (LB) models for the bulk incompressible flow past immersed bodies and to find the set of boundary conditions (BCs) that can be considered suitable for modeling the borders of the numerical simulation domain in such a way as to avoid any effect of these BC on the flow trail that is formed behind the body.

Design/methodology/approach

Three different models of the Lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) and six different sets of BCs are tested. In addition to the classical LBE based on the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook (BGK) single relaxation time collision model, a moments-based model and a model with two relaxation times were investigated.

Findings

The flow pattern and its macroscopic effects on the aerodynamic coefficients appear to be very dependent on the set of BC models used for the borders of the numerical domain. The imposition of pressure at the exit results in pressure perturbations, giving rise to sound waves that propagate back into the simulation domain, producing perturbations on the upwind flow. In the same way, the free-slip BC for the lateral bords appears to affect the trail of vortices behind the body in this range of Reynolds number (Re = 1,000).

Originality/value

The paper investigates incompressible flow past immersed bodies and presents the set of BCs that can be considered suitable for modeling the borders of the numerical simulation domain in such a way as to avoid any effect of these BCs on the flow trail that is formed behind the body.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Amirmahdi Ghasemi, R. Nikbakhti, Amirreza Ghasemi, Faraz Hedayati and Amir Malvandi

A numerical method is developed to capture the interaction of solid object with two-phase flow with high density ratios. The current computational tool would be the first step of…

Abstract

Purpose

A numerical method is developed to capture the interaction of solid object with two-phase flow with high density ratios. The current computational tool would be the first step of accurate modeling of wave energy converters in which the immense energy of the ocean can be extracted at low cost.

Design/methodology/approach

The full two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations are discretized on a regular structured grid, and the two-step projection method along with multi-processing (OpenMP) is used to efficiently solve the flow equations. The level set and the immersed boundary methods are used to capture the free surface of a fluid and a solid object, respectively. The full two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations are solved on a regular structured grid to resolve the flow field. Level set and immersed boundary methods are used to capture the free surface of liquid and solid object, respectively. A proper contact angle between the solid object and the fluid is used to enhance the accuracy of the advection of the mass and momentum of the fluids in three-phase cells.

Findings

The computational tool is verified based on numerical and experimental data with two scenarios: a cylinder falling into a rectangular domain due to gravity and a dam breaking in the presence of a fixed obstacle. In the former validation simulation, the accuracy of the immersed boundary method is verified. However, the accuracy of the level set method while the computational tool can model the high-density ratio is confirmed in the dam-breaking simulation. The results obtained from the current method are in good agreement with experimental data and other numerical studies.

Practical/implications

The computational tool is capable of being parallelized to reduce the computational cost; therefore, an OpenMP is used to solve the flow equations. Its application is seen in the following: wind energy conversion, interaction of solid object such as wind turbine with water waves, etc.

Originality/value

A high efficient CFD approach method is introduced to capture the interaction of solid object with a two-phase flow where they have high-density ratio. The current method has the ability to efficiently be parallelized.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2022

Long Liu, Xingpeng Ma, Li Yan and Yongmei Wang

Embedding carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) bars in the tension zone of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is a widely used reinforcement method, which has the advantages of…

Abstract

Purpose

Embedding carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) bars in the tension zone of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is a widely used reinforcement method, which has the advantages of strong anti-peel ability and high utilization of tensile materials. To further improve the flexural bearing capacity of RC beams, a new composite reinforcement method using the UHPC layer in the compressive zone of RC beams is proposed based on embedding CFRP bars in the tension zone of RC beams.

Design/methodology/approach

The finite element model of an RC experimental beam with CFRP bars embedded in the tension zone was carried out by ABAQUS. Besides, the reliability of the finite element model results was verified by comparing with the experimental results. On this basis, the flexural reinforcement effect of CFRP bars and UHPC layers on RC beams was analyzed.

Findings

Calculation results show the flexural bearing capacity of the beam strengthened by the new method is 15.9%, which is higher than that of the unreinforced beam, and 10.4% higher than that of the beam strengthened only with CFRP bars. The beam ductility ratio of the new method is 8.25%, which is slightly higher than that of the unreinforced beam and equal to that of the beam reinforced only with CFRP bars embedded in the tension zone. The effectiveness of the new method is further verified by using the analytical calculation method.

Originality/value

A new flexural reinforcement method for reinforced concrete beams is proposed, and the effectiveness of the method was verified by experiments and finite element model. The flexural bearing capacity and ductility of the new method were analyzed based on the load-deflection curve. Finally, the possibility of the new method was verified by analytical analysis.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 14 April 2022

Ahmad Chihadeh and Michael Kaliske

This paper aims to introduce a method to couple truss finite elements to the material point method (MPM). It presents modeling reinforced material using MPM and describes how to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a method to couple truss finite elements to the material point method (MPM). It presents modeling reinforced material using MPM and describes how to consider the bond behavior between the reinforcement and the continuum.

Design/methodology/approach

The embedded approach is used for coupling reinforcement bars with continuum elements. This description is achieved by coupling continuum elements in the background mesh to the reinforcement bars, which are described using truss- finite elements. The coupling is implemented between the truss elements and the continuum elements in the background mesh through bond elements that allow for freely distributed truss elements independent of the continuum element discretization. The bond elements allow for modeling the bond behavior between the reinforcement and the continuum.

Findings

The paper introduces a novel method to include the reinforcement bars in the MPM applications. The reinforcement bars can be modeled without any constraints with a bond-slip constitutive model being considered.

Originality/value

As modeling of reinforced materials is required in a wide range of applications, a method to include the reinforcement into the MPM framework is required. The proposed approach allows for modeling reinforced material within MPM applications.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 39 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2022

Long Liu and Songqiang Wan

To make full use of the tensile strength of near surface mounting (NSM) pasted carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) strips and further increase the flexural bearing capacity…

89

Abstract

Purpose

To make full use of the tensile strength of near surface mounting (NSM) pasted carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) strips and further increase the flexural bearing capacity and flexibility of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, a new composite reinforcement method using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) layer in the compression zone of RC beams is submitted based on embedding CFRP strips in the tension zone of RC beams. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned points.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental beam was simulated by ABAQUS, and compared with the experimental results, the validity of the finite element model was verified. On this basis, the reinforced RC beam is used as the control beam, and parameters such as the CFRP strip number, UHPC layer thickness, steel bar ratio and concrete strength are studied through the verified model. In addition, the numerical calculation results of yield strength, ultimate strength, failure deflection and flexibility are also given.

Findings

The flexural bearing capacity of RC beams supported by the new method is 132.3% higher than that of unreinforced beams, and 7.8% higher than that of RC beams supported only with CFRP strips. The deflection flexibility coefficient of the new reinforced RC beam is 8.06, which is higher than that of the unreinforced beam and the reinforced concrete beam with only CFRP strips embedded in the tension zone.

Originality/value

In this paper, a new reinforcement method is submitted, and the effects of various parameters on the ultimate bearing capacity and flexibility of reinforced RC beams are analyzed by the finite element numerical simulation. Finally, the effectiveness of the new method is verified by the analytical formula.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1991

T. KUNDU, R.P. MATHUR and C.S. DESAI

A new hybrid method based on three‐dimensional finite element idealization in the near field and a semi‐analytic scheme using the principles of wave propagation in multilayered…

Abstract

A new hybrid method based on three‐dimensional finite element idealization in the near field and a semi‐analytic scheme using the principles of wave propagation in multilayered half space in the far field is proposed for the dynamic soil‐structure interaction analysis. The distinguishing feature of this technique from direct or indirect boundary integral techniques is that in boundary integral techniques a distribution of sources are considered at the near field boundary. Strengths of these sources are then adjusted to satisfy the continuity conditions across the near‐field/far‐field interface. In the proposed method unknown sources are placed not at the near field boundary but at the location of the structure. Then the Saint‐Venant's principle is utilized to justify that at a distant point the effect of the structure's vibration can be effectively modelled by an equivalent vibrating point force and vibrating moment at the structure's position. Thus the number of unknowns can be greatly reduced here. For soil‐structure interaction analysis by this method one needs to consider only three unknowns (two force components and one in‐plane moment) for a general two‐dimensional problem and six unknowns (three force components and three moment components) for a general three‐dimensional problem. When a vertically propagating elastic wave strikes a structure which is symmetric about two mutually perpendicular vertical planes the structure can only vibrate vertically for dilatational waves and horizontally for shear waves. Under this situation the number of unknowns is reduced to only one whereas in boundary integral and boundary element techniques the number of unknowns is dependent on the number of nodes at the near field boundary, which is generally much greater than six. Several example problems are solved in this paper using this technique for both flexible and rigid structures in multilayered soil media.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2013

Nikolina Zivaljic, Hrvoje Smoljanovic and Zeljana Nikolic

The purpose of this paper is to present a new numerical model based on a combined finite-discrete element method, capable of predicting the behaviour of reinforced concrete…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new numerical model based on a combined finite-discrete element method, capable of predicting the behaviour of reinforced concrete structures under dynamic load up to failure.

Design/methodology/approach

An embedded model of reinforcing bars is implemented in combined finite-discrete element code. Cracking of the structure was enabled by a combined single and smeared crack model. The model for reinforcing bars was based on an approximation of the experimental curves for the bar strain in the crack. The developed numerical model includes interaction effects between reinforcement and concrete and cyclic behaviour of concrete and steel during dynamic loading.

Findings

The findings provide a realistic description of cracking in the concrete structure, where all non-linear effects are realized in joint elements of the concrete and reinforcing bars. This leads to a robust and precise model for non-linear analysis of reinforced concrete structures under dynamic load.

Originality/value

This paper presents new robust finite-discrete element numerical model for analysis and prediction of the collapse of reinforced concrete structures. The model is capable of including the effects of dynamic loading on the structures, both in the linear-elastic range, as well as in the non-linear range including crack initiation and propagation, energy dissipation due to non-linear effects, inertial effects due to motion, contact impact, and the state of rest, which is a consequence of energy dissipation in the system.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 30 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000