No description available.

No description available.

A recursive-iterative algorithm is developed for predicting nonlinear viscoelastic behaviors of isotropic materials that belong to the thermorheologically complex material (TCM). The algorithm is derived based on implicit stress integration solutions within a general displacement based FE structural analyses for small deformations and uncoupled thermo-mechanical problems. A previously developed recursive-iterative algorithm for a stress-dependent hereditary integral model which was developed by Haj-Ali and Muliana is modified to include time-temperature effects. The recursive formula allows bypassing the need to store entire strain histories at each Gaussian integration point. Two types of iterative procedures, which are fixed point and Newton-Raphson methods, are examined within the recursive algorithm. Furthermore, a consistent tangent stiffness matrix is formulated to accelerate convergence and avoid divergence. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed algorithm are evaluated using available experimental data and several structural analyses. The performance of the proposed algorithm under multi-axial conditions is verified with analytical solutions of creep responses of a plate with a hole. Next, the recursive-iterative algorithm is used to predict the overall response of single lap-joint. Numerical simulations of time-dependent crack propagations of adhesive bonded joints are also presented. For this purpose, the recursive algorithm is implemented in cohesive elements. The numerical assessment of the TCM and thermorheologically simple material (TSM) behaviors has also been performed. The result showed that TCM are able to describe thermo-viscoelastic behavior under general loading histories, while TSM behaviors are limited to isothermal conditions. The proposed numerical algorithm can be easily used in a micromechanical model for predicting the overall composite responses. Examples are shown for solid spherical particle reinforced composites. Detailed unit-cell FE models of the composite systems are generated to verify the capability of the above micromechanical model for predicting the overall nonlinear viscoelastic behaviors.

abstract: This study investigates the mastic level structure of asphalt concrete containing RAP materials. Locally sourced RAP material was screened and sieved to separate the coated fines (passing #200) from the remaining sizes. These binder coated fines were mixed with virgin filler at proportions commensurate with 0%, 10%, 30%, 50% and 100% RAP dosage levels. Mastics were prepared with these blended fillers and a PG 64-22 binder at a filler content of 27% by volume. Rheological experiments were conducted on the resulting composites as well as the constituents, virgin binder, solvent extracted RAP binder. The results from the dynamic modulus experiments showed an expected increase in stiffness with increase in dosage levels. These results were used to model the hypothesized structure of the composite. The study presented discusses the different micromechanical models employed, their applicability and suitability to correctly predict the blended mastic composite. The percentage of blending between virgin and RAP binder estimated using Herve and Zaoui model decreased with increase in RAP content. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil and Environmental Engineering 2014

Micromechanical simulations are conducted to quantify the influence of microstructure attributes to the formation of small fatigue cracks. Three wrought aluminum alloys (7075-T651, 2024-T3, virtual material) with fractured particle are studied to quantify the influence of material’s yield strength and ultimate strength to material’s fatigue resistance. Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) material with pores of various spatial distribution and particles are simulated for the microplasticity and its effects on fatigue incubation. A cohesive zone model is used to study the interface cohesive behavior’s influence to the cyclic driving mechanisms. Different simulations based on different interfacial crack geometries and particle shapes are studied. A cohesive law with unloading-reloading cyclic behavior is introduced. A damage factor D is proposed to study the possibility of interfacial crack propagation. With this factor, plastic wake zone behind the debonding is studied.

The sport and leisure industry in New Zealand (NZ) has the potential to become a major user of composite materials. Given the size of NZ industry, design and manufacturing strategies based on virtual engineering should be developed to suit NZ requirements. Virtual methods use computer aided engineering capabilities to find faults, explore alternatives and optimise product performance before detailed design or prototyping. When doing computer aided simulation the required mechanical properties of individual reinforcement and matrix components are well documented. However, the mechanical properties of composite materials are not as simple to obtain. Micro-mechanical modelling could therefore be used to aid the design and development of composite equipment, where mechanical properties are unknown. In this study, solids modelling was used to produce an analog model of a composite, and it was found that it lead to reductions in file size and simulation time. Representing a composite with an analog model implies that the behavioural characteristics are modelled, but not the physical characteristics of the individual components. Three micro-mechanical models were developed to predict the flexural modulus of composite materials, based on perfect, partial and no adhesion. It was found that the partial adhesion model was both practical and consistently accurate. The partial adhesion model accounted for adhesion between components by considering an 'effective shear value' at the interface. Validation of the models was done by flexural testing injection moulded samples of glass, wood and carbon fibre reinforced polyethylene. It was shown that the adhesion coefficient range was 0.1 for carbon fibre, 0.5 for glass fibre and 0.9 for the wood fibre composites. It was concluded that the adhesion coefficient is crucial and it is recommended that further work is done to validate effective shear values by empirical means. The predicted flexural modulus values were used to enable finite element simulation of modelled analog beams as well as commercial kayak paddles. It was determined that accurate simulation is possible for composite equipment using the partial adhesion model.

abstract: Nanolaminate composite materials consist of alternating layers of materials at the nanoscale (≤100 nm). Due to the nanometer scale thickness of their layers, these materials display unique and tailorable properties. This enables us to alter both mechanical attributes such as strength and wear properties, as well as functional characteristics such as biocompatibility, optical, and electronic properties. This dissertation focuses on understanding the mechanical behavior of the Al-SiC system. From a practical perspective, these materials exhibit a combination of high toughness and strength which is attractive for many applications. Scientifically, these materials are interesting due to the large elastic modulus mismatch between the layers. This, paired with the small layer thickness, allows a unique opportunity for scientists to study the plastic deformation of metals under extreme amounts of constraint. Previous studies are limited in scope and a more diverse range of mechanical characterization is required to understand both the advantages and limitations of these materials. One of the major challenges with testing these materials is that they are only able to be made in thicknesses on the order of micrometers so the testing methods are limited to small volume techniques. This work makes use of both microscale testing techniques from the literature as well as novel methodologies. Using these techniques we are able to gain insight into aspects of the material’s mechanical behavior such as the effects of layer orientation, flaw dependent fracture, tension-compression asymmetry, fracture toughness as a function of layer thickness, and shear behavior as a function of layer thickness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Materials Science and Engineering 2016

No description available.

This dissertation discusses the design, simulation and characterization of process-compatible accelerometers and gyroscopes for the implementation of multi-degree-of-freedom (multi-DOF) systems. All components presented herein were designed to operate under the same vacuum-sealed environment to facilitate batch fabrication and wafer-level packaging (WLP), enabling the development of small form-factor single-die inertial measurement units (IMUs). The high-aspect-ratio poly and single-crystal silicon (HARPSS) process flow was used to co-fabricate the devices that compose the system, enabling the implementation ultra-narrow capacitive gaps (< 300 nm) in thick device-layer substrates (40 um). The presented gyroscopes were implemented as high-frequency BAW disk resonators operating in a mode-matched condition. A new technique to reduced dependencies on environmental stimuli such as temperature, vibration and shock was introduced. Novel decoupling springs were utilized to effectively isolate the gyros from their substrate, minimizing the effect that external sources of error have on offset and scale-factor. The substrate-decoupled (SD) BAW gyros were interfaced with a customized IC to achieve supreme random-vibration immunity (0.012 (deg/s)/g) and excellent rejection to shock (0.075 (deg/s)/g). With a scale factor of 800 uV/(deg/s), the complete SD-BAW gyro system attains a large full-scale range (2500 deg/s) with excellent linearity. The measured angle-random walk (ARW) of 0.36 deg/rthr and bias-instability of 10.5 deg/hr are dominated by the thermal and flicker noise of the IC, respectively. Additional measurements using external electronics show bias-instability values as low as 3.5 deg/hr. To implement the final monolithic multi-DOF IMU, accelerometers were carefully designed to operate in the same vacuum environment required for the gyroscopes. Narrow capacitive gaps were used to adjust the accelerometer squeeze-film damping (SFD) levels, preventing an under-damped response. Robust simulation techniques were developed using finite-element analysis (FEA) tools to extract accurate values of SFD, which were then match with measured results. Ultra-small single proof-mass tri-axial accelerometers with Brownian-noise as low as 30 ug/rtHz were interfaced with front-end electronics exhibiting scale-factor values in the order of 5 to 10 mV/g and cross-axis sensitivities of less than 3% before any electronic compensation.

A la suite des propositions de la commission européenne, visant à concrétiser les objectifs de réduction des émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO2) des voitures. Pour atteindre cet objectif, les constructeurs automobiles doivent réduire le poids de la voiture. Ainsi l'équipementier FAURECIA, fabricant de sièges de voiture désire remplacer les structures métalliques par des structures hybrides plastique-métal (PMH). Et en plus, il désire également utiliser un matériau composite en remplacement du métal pour diminuer le poids et utiliser la technique du plasma atmosphérique pour améliore le force d'adhérence à l'interface de pièce structure hybride.C'est dans ce contexte que nous avons étudié des effets de plasma traitement sur l'adhérence dans la structure hybride pour proposer la meilleure condition de traitement. L'objectif de ce travail était de caractériser l'effet de plasma traitement par détermination des paramètres dans le processus de traitement telle que la vitesse de balayage, la distance entre le substrat et la torche plasma et le nombre de passages de la torche, puis de prédire l'initiation du délaminage sous chargement quasi-statiques dans l'éprouvette de simple recouvrement par l'utilisation le critère de la rupture. Un autre objectif était d'étudier les modèle micromécanique pour évaluer la fiabilité de leur. Et ils seront appliqués pour prévoir les comportements mécaniques de matériau thermoplastique renforcé par fibre de verre court. Afin d'atteindre les objectifs présenté, les plusieurs essais telles que l'essai de traction, l'essai simple recouvrement et l'essai de l'ARCAN-Mines sont été réalisé. En parallèle, les techniques de l'émission acoustique (EA), du rayonnement infrarouge (RI) et de la microscopie optique ont été utilisées pour suivre les mécanismes de la rupture de l'éprouvette étudiée. En enfin, la méthode des éléments finis a été utilisé pour simuler les essais et pour permettre de vérifier la fiabilité du critère de rupture. / Following the proposals of the European Commission, to achieve the goals of emission reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) from cars. To achieve this objective, automakers must reduce the weight of the car. Thus the supplier Faurecia, manufacturer of car seats desires to replace metal structures by structure plastic-metal hybrid (PMH). And they desire also to use a composite material to replace metal in order to reduce weight. Moreover in order to improve the adhesion strength at the interface piece hybrid structure,Atmospheric plasma technique was used.In this context, we studied the effects of plasma treatment on term of adhesion in the hybrid structure in order to provide the best condition of treatment. The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of plasma treatment by determination at the parameters in the process such as the scanning speed, the distance between the substrate and the plasma torch and the number of passes of the torch, then to predict the initiation of delamination under quasi-static loading test in specimen of single lap shear by using the criterion of rupture. The other objective was to study the micromechanical model to assess the reliability of them. And they will be applied to predict the mechanical behavior of Short Glass Fiber reinforced thermoplastic. In order to achieve the objectives presented, the several tests such as tensile test, single lap shear test and ARCAN-Mines test have been executed. In parallel, techniques acoustic emission (AE), infrared radiation (IR) and optical microscopy were used in order to follow the failure mechanisms of the specimen studied. Finally, the finite element method was used to simulate the tests and allow to verify the reliability of the failure criterion.