Thesis (Ph. D.) -- California Institute of Technology, 2009. / Title from home page (viewed 07/12/2010). Advisor and committee chair names found in the thesis' metadata record in the digital repository. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

In the presented thesis work, meshfree method with distance fields is applied to create a novel computational approach which enables inclusion of the realistic geometric models of the microstructure and liberates Finite Element Analysis(FEA) from thedependance on and limitations of meshing of fine microstructural feature such as splats and porosity.Manufacturing processes of ceramics produce materials with complex porosity microstructure.Geometry of pores, their size and location substantially affect macro scale physical properties of the material. Complex structure and geometry of the pores severely limit application of modern Finite Element Analysis methods because they require construction of spatial grids (meshes) that conform to the geometric shape of the structure. As a result, there are virtually no effective tools available for predicting overall mechanical and thermal properties of porous materials based on their microstructure. This thesis is a separate handling and controls of geometric and physical computational models that are seamlessly combined at solution run time. Using the proposedapproach we will determine the effective thermal conductivity tensor of real porous ceramic materials featuring both isotropic and anisotropic thermal properties. This work involved development and implementation of numerical algorithms, data structure, and software.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisors: Kenneth E. Barner and Karl V. Steiner, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009. / Vita: p. 108. Thesis co-directors: John Wallin, Thomas Wanner. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computational Science and Informatics. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-107). Also issued in print.

The proposed research is essentially concerned on numerical simulation of materials and structures commonly used in the aerospace industry. The work is primarily focused on the study of the fracture mechanics with emphasis to composite materials, which are widely employed in the aerospace and automotive industry. Since human lives are involved, it is highly important to know how such structures react in case of failure and, possibly, how to prevent them with an adequate design. It has become of primary importance to simulate the material response in composite, especially considering that even a crack, which could be invisible from the outside, can propagate throughout the structure with small external loads and lead to unrecoverable fracture of the structure. In addition, structures made in composite often present a complex behaviour, due to their unconventional elastic properties. A numerical simulation is then a starting point of an innovative and safe design. Conventional techniques (nite elements for example) are not su-cient or simply not ecient in providing a satisfactory description of these phenomena. In fact, being based on the continuum assumption, mesh-based techniques suer of a native incapacity of simulating discontinuities. Novel numerical methods, known as Meshless Methods or Meshfree Methods (MM) and, in a wider perspective, Partition of Unity Methods (PUM), promise to overcome all the disadvantages of the traditional finite element techniques. The absence of a mesh makes MM very attractive for those problems involving large deformations, moving boundaries and crack propagation. However, MM still have signicant limitations that prevent their acceptance among researchers and engineers. Because of the infancy of these methods, more efforts should be made in order to improve their performances, with particular attention to the computational time. In summary, the proposed research will look at the attractive possibilities offered by these methods for the study of failure in composite materials and the subsequent propagation of cracks.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to the Department of Building and Construction in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves [170]-184)

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Apr. 8, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-153). Also issued in print.