Showing papers in "Meccanica in 2013"

Static analysis of functionally graded doubly-curved shells and panels of revolution

Abstract: The Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) Method is applied to study four parameter functionally graded and laminated composite shells and panels of revolution. The mechanical model is based on the so-called First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT), in particular on the Toorani-Lakis Theory. The solution is given in terms of generalized displacement components of points lying on the middle surface of the shell. The generalized strains and stress resultants are evaluated by applying the Differential Quadrature rule to the generalized displacements. The transverse shear and normal stress profiles through the thickness are reconstructed a posteriori by using local three-dimensional elasticity equilibrium equations. In order to verify the accuracy of the present method, GDQ results are compared with the ones obtained with semi-analytical formulations and with 3D finite element method. A parametric study is performed to illustrate the influence of the parameters on the mechanical behavior of functionally graded shell structures made of a mixture of ceramics and metal.

Radiation effects on mixed convection about a cone embedded in a porous medium filled with a nanofluid

Abstract: The problem of steady, laminar, mixed convection boundary-layer flow over a vertical cone embedded in a porous medium saturated with a nanofluid is studied, in the presence of thermal radiation. The model used for the nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis with Rosseland diffusion approximation. The cone surface is maintained at a constant temperature and a constant nanoparticle volume fraction. The resulting governing equations are non-dimensionalized and transformed into a non-similar form and then solved by Keller box method. A comparison is made with the available results in the literature, and our results are in very good agreement with the known results. A parametric study of the physical parameters is made and a representative set of numerical results for the local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are presented graphically. Also, the salient features of the results are analyzed and discussed.

Modeling and analysis of micro-sized plates resting on elastic medium using the modified couple stress theory

Abstract: Analytical solutions for bending, buckling, and vibration of micro-sized plates on elastic medium using the modified couple stress theory are presented. The governing equations for bending, buckling and vibration are obtained via Hamilton’s principles in conjunctions with the modified couple stress and Kirchhoff plate theories. The surrounding elastic medium is modeled as the Winkler elastic foundation. Navier’s method is being employed and analytical solutions for the bending, buckling and free vibration problems are obtained. Influences of the elastic medium and the length scale parameter on the bending, buckling, and vibration properties are discussed.

Two-temperature generalized thermoelasticity under ramp-type heating by finite element method

Abstract: In this work, a general finite element model is proposed to analyze transient phenomena in thermoelastic half-space filled with an elastic material, which has constant elastic parameters. The governing equations are taken in the context of the two-temperature generalized thermoelasticity theory (Youssef in IMA J. Appl. Math. 71(3):383–390, 2006). A linear temperature ramping function is used to more realistically model thermal loading of the half-space surface. The medium is assumed initially quiescent. A finite element scheme is presented for the high accuracy numerical purpose. The numerical solutions of the non-dimensional governing partial differential equations of the problem have been shown graphically and some comparisons have been shown in figures to estimate the effect of the ramping parameter of heating and the parameter of two-temperature.

Radiative heat transfer in a hydromagnetic nanofluid past a non-linear stretching surface with convective boundary condition

Abstract: Heat transfer characteristics of a two-dimensional steady hydromagnetic natural convection flow of nanofluids over a non-linear stretching sheet taking into account the effects of radiation and convective boundary condition has been investigated numerically. The model used for the nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The local similarity solutions are obtained by using very robust computer algebra software Maple 13. The results corresponding to the dimensionless temperature profiles and the reduced Nusselt number, Sherwood number and skin friction coefficient are displayed graphically for various pertinent parameters. The results show that temperature within the boundary layer is enhanced with the increase of the Biot number, buoyancy due to nanoparticle concentration, strength of the applied magnetic field, Brownian motion parameter, and thermophoresis parameter. An opposite trend is observed for the increase of the buoyancy due to temperature, stretching index, and the radiation parameter. The results also show that the local rate of heat transfer strongly depends on the nonlinear stretching index, radiation parameter, Biot number, Brownian motion parameter, and thermophoresis parameter.

Biomagnetic fluid flow in a driven cavity

Abstract: In this study, the fundamental problem of the biomagnetic fluid flow in a lid driven cavity under the influence of a steady localized magnetic field is studied. The mathematical model used for the formulation of the problem is consistent with the principles of Ferrohydrodynamics (FHD) and Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The biomagnetic fluid is considered as a homogeneous Newtonian fluid and is treated as an electrically conducting magnetic fluid which also exhibits magnetization. A known biomagnetic fluid which exhibits such magnetic properties is blood. For the numerical solution of the problem, which is described by a coupled, non linear system of PDEs, with appropriate boundary conditions, the SIMPLE algorithm is used. The solution is obtained by the development of a numerical methodology using finite volumes on a staggered, properly stretched, grid. Results concerning the velocity indicate that the presence of the magnetic field influences considerably the flow field.

Buckling analysis of sandwich plates with FGM face sheets resting on elastic foundation with various boundary conditions: an analytical approach

Abstract: This paper presents an analytical investigation on the buckling analysis of symmetric sandwich plates with functionally graded material (FGM) face sheets resting on an elastic foundation based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT) and subjected to mechanical, thermal and thermo-mechanical loads. The material properties of FGM face sheets are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The core layer is still homogeneous and made of an isotropic material. An analytical approach is used to reduce the governing equations of stability and then solved using an analytical solution which is named as power series Frobenius method for symmetric sandwich plates with six different boundary conditions. A detailed numerical study is carried out to examine the influence of the plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, loading type, sandwich plate type, volume fraction index, elastic foundation coefficients and boundary conditions on the buckling response of FGM sandwich plates. This has not been done before and serves to fill the gap of knowledge in this area.

Torsional vibration and stability of functionally graded orthotropic cylindrical shells on elastic foundations

Abstract: In this study, the torsional vibration and stability problems of functionally graded (FG) orthotropic cylindrical shells in the elastic medium, using the Galerkin method was investigated Pasternak model is used to describe the reaction of the elastic medium on the cylindrical shell Mixed boundary conditions are considered The material properties and density of the orthotropic cylindrical shell are assumed to vary exponentially in the thickness direction The basic equations of the FG orthotropic cylindrical shell under the torsional load resting on the Pasternak-type elastic foundation are derived The expressions for the critical torsional load and dimensionless torsional frequency parameter of the FG orthotropic cylindrical shell resting on elastic foundations are obtained The effects of variations of shell parameters, the exponential factor characterizing the degree of material gradient, orthotropy, foundation stiffness and shear subgrade modulus of the foundation on the critical torsional load and dimensionless torsional frequency parameter are examined

A discrete mechanical model of fractional hereditary materials

Abstract: Fractional hereditary materials are characterized for the presence, in the stress-strain relations, of fractional-order operators with order β∈[0,1]. In Di Paola and Zingales (J. Rheol. 56(5):983–1004, 2012) exact mechanical models of such materials have been extensively discussed obtaining two intervals for β: (i) Elasto-Viscous (EV) materials for 0≤β≤1/2; (ii) Visco-Elastic (VE) materials for 1/2≤β≤1. These two ranges correspond to different continuous mechanical models.

The effect of oblateness in the perturbed restricted three-body problem

Abstract: In this paper the restricted three-body problem is generalized in the sense that the effects of oblateness of the three participating bodies as well as the small perturbations in the Coriolis and centrifugal forces are considered. The existence of equilibrium points, their linear stability and the periodic orbits around these points are studied under these effects. It is found that the positions of the collinear points and y-coordinate of the triangular points are not affected by the small perturbations in the Coriolis force. While x-coordinate of the triangular points is neither affected by the small perturbations in the Coriolis force nor the oblateness of the third body. Furthermore, the critical mass value and the elements of periodic orbits around the equilibrium points such as the semi-major and the semi-minor axes, the angular frequencies and corresponding periods may change by all the parameters of oblateness as well as the small perturbations in the Coriolis and centrifugal forces. This model could be applicable to send satellite or place telescope in stable regions in space.

Optimal free-defect synthesis of four-bar linkage with joint clearance using PSO algorithm

Abstract: This paper presents the design of planar four-bar linkages free of order, branch and circuit defects, for the purpose of path generation, having clearances at one, two, three or all of its joints. Joint clearance is treated as a massless virtual link and its direction is known by the direction of the joint force. A Particle Swarm Optimization based algorithm is given here to solve this highly nonlinear optimization problem with some constraints, namely; the Grashof’s and free of the foregoing defects conditions. An example is included in which the optimal problem is solved for different cases; namely planar four-bar linkage having clearances at one, two, three, all of the joints and without clearance. For all the designs, the generated paths, the errors and the directions of the virtual links are plotted and are compared. Finally, we compare the optimal designs with reality.

Transient natural convection flow of a nanofluid over a vertical cylinder

Abstract: An analysis is performed to study unsteady free convective boundary layer flow of a nanofluid over a vertical cylinder. The model used for the nanofluid incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The governing equations are formulated and a numerical solution is obtained by using an explicit finite-difference scheme of the Crank-Nicolson type. The solutions at each time step have been found to reach the steady state solution properly. Numerical results for the steady-state velocity, temperature and nanoparticles volume fraction profiles as well as the axial distributions and the time histories of the skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number and the Sherwood number are presented graphically and discussed.

Effects of thermal radiation and variable fluid viscosity on stagnation point flow past a porous stretching sheet

Abstract: Similarity analysis is performed to investigate the structure of the boundary layer stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a stretching sheet subject to suction. Fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. Thermal radiation term is considered in the energy equation. The symmetry groups admitted by the corresponding boundary value problem are obtained by using a special form of Lie group transformations viz. scaling group of transformations. With the help of them the partial differential equations corresponding to momentum and energy equations are transformed into highly non-linear ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions of these equations are obtained by shooting method. It is found that the horizontal velocity increases with the increasing values of the ratio of the free stream velocity to the stretching velocity. Velocity increases with the increasing temperature dependent fluid viscosity parameter when the free-stream velocity is less than the stretching velocity but opposite behavior is noted when the free-stream velocity is greater than the stretching velocity. Due to suction, fluid velocity decreases at a particular point of the surface. Temperature at a point of the surface is found to decrease with increasing thermal radiation.

Buckling and vibration of axially functionally graded nonuniform beams using differential transformation based dynamic stiffness approach

Abstract: The free vibration of axially functionally graded (FG) non-uniform beams with different boundary conditions is studied using Differential Transformation (DT) based Dynamic Stiffness approach. This method is capable of modeling any beam (Timoshenko or Euler, centrifugally stiffened or not) whose cross sectional area, moment of Inertia and material properties vary along the beam. The effectiveness of the method is confirmed by comparing the present results with existing closed form solutions and numerical results. In FG beams, flexural rigidity and mass density may take majority of functions including polynomials, trigonometric and exponential functions (converted to polynomial expressions). DT based Dynamic stiffness approach is proved to be a versatile and simple approach compared to many other methods already proposed.

An electrically actuated imperfect microbeam: Dynamical integrity for interpreting and predicting the device response

Abstract: In this study we deal with a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and develop a dynamical integrity analysis to interpret and predict the experimental response. The device consists of a clamped-clamped polysilicon microbeam, which is electrostatically and electrodynamically actuated. It has non-negligible imperfections, which are a typical consequence of the microfabrication process. A single-mode reduced-order model is derived and extensive numerical simulations are performed in a neighborhood of the first symmetric natural frequency, via frequency response diagrams and behavior chart. The typical softening behavior is observed and the overall scenario is explored, when both the frequency and the electrodynamic voltage are varied. We show that simulations based on direct numerical integration of the equation of motion in time yield satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. Nevertheless, these theoretical predictions are not completely fulfilled in some aspects. In particular, the range of existence of each attractor is smaller in practice than in the simulations. This is because these theoretical curves represent the ideal limit case where disturbances are absent, which never occurs under realistic conditions. A reliable prediction of the actual (and not only theoretical) range of existence of each attractor is essential in applications. To overcome this discrepancy and extend the results to the practical case where disturbances exist, a dynamical integrity analysis is developed. After introducing dynamical integrity concepts, integrity profiles and integrity charts are drawn. They are able to describe if each attractor is robust enough to tolerate the disturbances. Moreover, they detect the parameter range where each branch can be reliably observed in practice and where, instead, becomes vulnerable, i.e. they provide valuable information to operate the device in safe conditions according to the desired outcome and depending on the expected disturbances.

Hybrid GR-SVM for prediction of surface roughness in abrasive water jet machining

Abstract: This paper presents a hybridization model of support vector machine (SVM) and grey relational analysis (GRA) in predicting surface roughness value of abrasive water jet (AWJ) machining process. The influential factors of five process parameters in AWJ, namely traverse speed, water jet pressure, standoff distance, abrasive grit size and abrasive flow rate, need to be analyzed using GRA approach. Then, the irrelevance factors of process parameters are eliminated. There is a need of determining the influential factors of process parameters to the surface roughness as to develop a robust prediction model. GRA acts as feature selection method in preprocessing process of hybrid grey relational-support vector machine (GR-SVM) prediction model. Efficiency of the proposed model is demonstrated. GR-SVM presents more accurate result than conventional SVM as it removes the redundant features and irrelevant element from the experimental datasets.

An enhanced beam-theory model of the mixed-mode bending (MMB) test—Part I: Literature review and mechanical model

Abstract: The paper presents a mechanical model of the mixed-mode bending (MMB) test used to assess the mixed-mode interlaminar fracture toughness of composite laminates. The laminated specimen is considered as an assemblage of two sublaminates partly connected by an elastic–brittle interface. The problem is formulated through a set of 36 differential equations, accompanied by suitable boundary conditions. Solution of the problem is achieved by separately considering the two subproblems related to the symmetric and antisymmetric parts of the loads, which for symmetric specimens correspond to fracture modes I and II, respectively. Explicit expressions are determined for the interfacial stresses, internal forces, and displacements.

Stability of dual solutions in stagnation-point flow and heat transfer over a porous shrinking sheet with thermal radiation

Abstract: An analysis is carried out to study the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow and heat transfer of an incompressible viscous fluid over a porous shrinking sheet in the presence of thermal radiation. A set of similarity transformations reduce the boundary layer equations to a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically using fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique. The analysis of the result obtained shows that as the porosity parameter β increases, the range of region of existence of similarity solution increases. It is also observed that multiple solutions exist for a certain range of the ratio of the shrinking velocity to the free stream velocity (i.e., α) which again depends on β. We then discuss the stability of the unsteady solutions about each steady solution, showing that one steady state solution corresponds to a stable solution whereas the other corresponds to an unstable solution. The stable solution corresponds to the physically relevant solution. Further we obtain numerical results for each solution, which enable us to discuss the features of the respective solutions.

Enhanced model of load distribution along the line of contact for non-standard involute external gears

Abstract: The presence of undercut at the tooth root, non-equal addendum on pinion and wheel, non-standard tooth height or non-standard center distance may have decisive influence on the load distribution along the line of contact of spur and helical gear teeth The curve of variation of the meshing stiffness along the path of contact, quite symmetric respect the midpoint of the interval of contact, loses its symmetry for non-standard geometries and operating conditions As a consequence, the critical contact points for bending and wear calculations may be shifted from their locations for standard gears In this paper, a non-uniform model of load distribution along the line of contact of standard spur and helical gears, obtained from the minimum elastic potential criterion, has been enhanced to fit with the meshing conditions of the above mentioned non-standard cylindrical gear pairs The same analytical formulation of the initial model may be used for the non-standard gears by considering appropriate values of a virtual contact ratio, which are also presented in the paper

Application of Ritz functions in buckling analysis of embedded orthotropic circular and elliptical micro/nano-plates based on nonlocal elasticity theory

Abstract: A continuum model based on the nonlocal theory of elasticity is developed for buckling analysis of embedded orthotropic circular and elliptical micro/nano-plates under uniform in-plane compression. The nanoplate is considered to be rested on two-parameter Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation. The principle of virtual work is used to derive the governing vibration and stability equations. The weighted residual statements of the equations of motion are performed and the well-known Galerkin method is employed to obtain the nonlocal “Quadratic Functional” for embedded micro/nano-plates. The Ritz functions are taken to form an expression for transverse displacement which satisfies the kinematic boundary conditions. In this way, the entire nanoplate is considered as a single super-continuum element. Employing the Ritz functions eliminates the need for mesh generation and thus large number of degrees of freedom arising in discretization methods such as finite element (FE). The results show obvious dependency of critical buckling loads on the non-locality of the micro/nano elliptical plate, especially, at very small dimensions.

Preliminary development, simulation and validation of a weigh in motion system for railway vehicles

Abstract: The development of efficient Weigh In Motion (WIM) systems with the aim of estimating the axle loads of railway vehicles in motion is quite interesting both from an industrial and an academic point of view. This kind of systems is very important for safety and maintenance purposes in order to verify the loading conditions of a wide population of vehicles using a limited number of WIM devices distributed on the railway network. The evaluation of the axle load conditions is fundamental especially for freight wagons, more subjected to the risk of unbalanced loads which may be extremely dangerous both for the vehicle safety and the infrastructure maintenance. In this work the authors present the development, the simulation and the validation of an innovative WIM algorithm with the aim of estimating the axle loads $\widehat{N}$ of railway vehicles (the axle loads include the wheelset weights). The new estimation algorithm is a general purpose one; theoretically it could be applied by considering as input different kinds of track measurements (rail shear, rail bending, sleepers with sensors, etc.) and could be easily customized for different kinds of signals. In the paper a benchmark case based on rail bending measurements is proposed in which the longitudinal deformations e xx measured on the rail foot through strain sensitive elements are used as input. The considered input is affected by noise and bandwidth limitations and, consequently, is a good benchmark to test the robustness of the new algorithm. To estimate the axle loads, the algorithm approximates the measured physical input through a set of elementary functions calculated by means of a single fictitious load moving on the track. Starting from the set of elementary functions, the measured signal is then reproduced through Least Square Optimization (LSO) techniques: in more detail, the measured signal is considered as a linear combination of the elementary functions, the coefficients of which are the axle loads to be estimated. Authors have also developed a physical model of the railway track. The model consists of the planar FEM (finite elements method) model of the infrastructure and of the two-dimensional (2D) multibody model of the vehicle (the effects of lateral dynamics are treated as disturbances) and takes into account both the coupling between adjacent loads moving on the track and the vehicle dynamics. The physical model of the track and the innovative WIM algorithm (both considering possible measurement errors) have been validated by means of the experimental data kindly provided by Ansaldo STS and have been implemented in the Matlab and Comsol Multiphysics environments. In particular the model of the railway track has been developed expressly to test the WIM algorithm with a suitable simulation campaign when experimental data are not available; in other words it provides simulated inputs to test the WIM algorithm when there are no experimental inputs.

Series solutions for steady three-dimensional stagnation point flow of a nanofluid past a circular cylinder with sinusoidal radius variation

Abstract: This article deals with the study of the steady three-dimensional stagnation point flow of a nanofluid past a circular cylinder that has a sinusoidal radius variation. By means of similarity transformation, the governing partial differential equations are reduced into highly non-linear ordinary differential equations. The resulting non-linear system has been solved analytically using an efficient technique namely homotopy analysis method (HAM). Expressions for velocity and temperature fields are developed in series form. In this study, three different types of nanoparticles are considered, namely alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), and copper (Cu) with water as the base fluid. For alumina–water nanofluid, graphical results are presented to describe the influence of the nanoparticle volume fraction φ and the ratio of the gradient of velocities c on the velocity and temperature fields. Moreover, the features of the flow and heat transfer characteristics are analyzed and discussed for foregoing nanofluids. It is found that the skin friction coefficient and the heat transfer rate at the surface are highest for copper–water nanofluid compared to the alumina–water and titania–water nanofluids.

Drivability analysis of through-the-road-parallel hybrid vehicles

Abstract: In the last decade, Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) have spread worldwide due to their capability to reduce fuel consumption. Several studies focused on the optimisation of the energy management system of hybrid vehicles are available in literature, whilst there are few articles dealing with the drivability and the dynamics of these new powertrain systems. In this paper a ‘Through-the-Road-Parallel HEV’ is analysed. This architecture is composed of an internal combustion engine mounted on the front axle and an electric motor powering the rear one. These two powertrains are not directly connected to each other, as the parallel configuration is implemented through the road-tyre force interaction. The main purpose of this paper is the drivability analysis of this layout of HEVs, using linearised mathematical models in both time (i.e. vehicle response during tip-in tests) and frequency domain (i.e. frequency response functions), considering the effect of the engaged gear ratio. The differences from a traditional Front-Wheel-Drive (FWD) configuration are subsequently highlighted. Furthermore, the authors compare different linearised dynamic models, with an increasing number of degrees of freedom, in order to assess which model represents the best compromise between complexity and quality of the results. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the influence of the torque distribution between the front (thermal) and rear (electric) axles on vehicle drivability is carried out and presented in detail.

Blood flow in stenosed arteries with radially variable viscosity, peripheral plasma layer thickness and magnetic field

Abstract: A novel approach of combined mathematical and computational models has been developed to investigate the oscillatory two-layered flow of blood through arterial stenosis in the presence of a transverse uniform magnetic field applied Blood in the core region and plasma fluid in the peripheral layer region are assumed to obey the law of Newtonian fluid An analytical solution is obtained for velocity profile and volumetric flow rate in the peripheral plasma region and also wall shear stress Finite difference method is employed to solve the momentum equation for the core region The numerical solutions for velocity, flow rate and flow resistance are computed The effects of various parameters associated with the present flow problem such as radially variable viscosity, hematocrit, plasma layer thickness, magnetic field and pulsatile Reynolds number on the physiologically important flow characteristics namely velocity distribution, flow rate, wall shear stress and resistance to flow have been investigated It is observed that the velocity increases with the increase of plasma layer thickness An increase or a decrease in the velocity and wall shear stress against the increase in the value of magnetic parameter (Hartmann number) and hematocrit is dependent on the value of t An increase in magnetic field leads to an increase in the flow resistance and it decreases with the increase in the plasma layer thickness and pulsatile Reynolds number The information concerning the phase lag between the flow characteristics and how it is affected by the hematocrit, plasma layer thickness and Hartmann number has, for the first time, been added to the literature

An enhanced beam-theory model of the mixed-mode bending (MMB) test—Part II: Applications and results

Abstract: The paper presents an enhanced beam-theory (EBT) model of the mixed-mode bending (MMB) test, whereby the specimen is considered as an assemblage of two sublaminates partly connected by an elastic–brittle interface. Analytical expressions for the compliance, energy release rate, and mode mixity are deduced. A compliance calibration strategy enabling numerical or experimental evaluation of the interface elastic constants is also presented. Furthermore, analytical expressions for the crack length correction parameters—analogous to those given by the corrected beam-theory (CBT) model for unidirectional laminated specimens—are furnished for multidirectional laminated specimens, as well. Lastly, an example application to experimental data reduction is presented.

Mechanical, rheological, fatigue, and degradation behavior of PLLA, PGLA and PDGLA as materials for vascular implants

Abstract: The biggest challenge in the treatment of arterial stenosis remains the issue of optimization of stent design. Despite continuous improvement in surgical techniques and use of intensive pharmacotherapy, the results of stent coronary interventions may be unsatisfactory, and long-term interaction of a metal implant with a blood vessel results in complications such as recurrent stenosis and thrombosis. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new materials and stent designs to obtain a stent capable of restoring flow in the vessel and disappearing after fulfilling its function. Such stent must also be compatible with the vessel wall to enable regeneration of new structure of endothelium and deeper artery layers damaged during implantation. Consequently, there is ongoing search for functional solutions with minimum effects of long-term implant-tissue interaction. In light of the above, the team investigated the possibility of using biodegradable polymers already mentioned in the literature as a construction material for vascular stent. The study used three polyhydroxyacids based on lactic acid and glycolic acid: poly(l-lactide), poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide). The research focused on assessing changes in mechanical, thermomechanical, rheological, and fatigue properties during the process of hydrolytic degradation. The analysis also covered the rate of release of degradation products. The results of the conducted tests indicate the possibility of developing a vascular stent with biodegradable polymers.

Axisymmetric buckling of the circular annular nanoplates using finite difference method

Abstract: In recent years nanostructures have been used in a vast number of applications, so the study of the mechanical behavior of such structures could be of interest. In the present study, the buckling behavior of circular annular plates and solid disks under uniform compression has been surveyed for several combinations of boundary conditions using the finite difference method. The affects of nonlocal parameter and the plate size have been studied for each combination of boundary conditions. The obtained results are in good agreement with the other studies and the reality. The results also convince that the finite difference method is a powerful method for solving the problems corresponding to nanoplate mechanical behaviors.

A resonant micro accelerometer based on electrostatic stiffness variation

Abstract: A new out-of-plane resonant micro-machined accelerometer has been designed, modelled and fabricated. The sensing principle is based on the variation of the electrostatic stiffness of two torsional resonators mechanically coupled with an inertial proof mass. The accelerometer, fabricated by the ThELMA® surface micro-machining process of STMicroelectronics, constitutes a further step of a research focussing on the design of in-plane and out-of-plane resonant micro accelerometers. Preliminary electrostatic measures of the torsional resonators response have been compared with the theoretical predictions.

Sensitive equipments on WRS-BTU isolators

Abstract: Wire rope springs (WRS) are widely used to protect sensitive equipment from shock or vibrations but they do not have the characteristics of a seismic isolator that must have a high vertical stiffness to support the vertical load with an acceptable vertical deflection and, at the same time, a low horizontal stiffness to isolate low frequency ground horizontal acceleration of an earthquake. To take advantage of their peculiar characteristics due to the dry friction that arises among the wires, they can be adopted in parallel with a Ball Transfer Unit (BTU), able to support vertically the weight of the sensitive equipment and to allow the equipment itself to move in any horizontal direction with low friction. The WRS-BTU isolator can be considered rigid in the vertical direction and the horizontal stiffness can be properly chosen to give the isolated system a low natural frequency and a suitable re-centering force. In order to evaluate the feasibility of adopting an isolator based on WRS and BTU, a prototype was developed and tested. In this paper, the description of the seismic isolator prototype and some experimental results are presented; it is also presented a procedure to identify the restoring force by means of the Bouc-Wen model. Finally, adopting this analytical description of the restoring force, the non-linear behavior of sensitive equipment suspended on these isolators, for different operational conditions, is simulated.

Coupled refined layerwise theory for dynamic free and forced response of piezoelectric laminated composite and sandwich beams

Abstract: This work extends a previously presented coupled refined layerwise theory to dynamic analysis of piezoelectric laminated composite and sandwich beams. Contrary to most of the available theories, all the kinematic and stress boundary conditions are satisfied at the interfaces of the piezoelectric layers with the non-zero longitudinal electric field. Moreover, both electrical transverse normal strains and transverse flexibility are taken into account for the first time in the present theory. In the presented formulation a high-order polynomial, an exponential expression and a layerwise term containing the electric field are included in the describing expression of the in-plane displacement of the beam. For the transverse displacement, the coupled refined model uses a combination of continuous piecewise fourth-order polynomials with a layerwise representation of electrical unknowns. The electric field is also approximated as linear across the thickness direction of piezoelectric layers. One of advantages of the present theory is that the mechanical number of the unknown parameters is very small and is independent of the number of the layers. For validation of the proposed model, various free and forced vibration tests for thin and thick laminated/sandwich piezoelectric beams are carried out. For various electrical and mechanical boundary conditions, excellent correlation has been found between the results obtained from the proposed formulation with those resulted from the three-dimensional theory of piezoelasticity.