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The small‐scale‐dependent nonlinear dynamical attributes of microplate‐type laminated piezoelectric systems of harvesting energy subjected to a triangular mechanical actuation are explored in the current exploration. The core of harvesting systems is supposed to be made of nanocomposites reinforced by randomly oriented carbon nanotubes (CNTs) having various degrees of agglomeration coated by piezoelectric layers. In this regard, the microplate‐type systems of harvesting energy are modeled via a quasi‐3D plate theory combined with the modified strain gradient elasticity in the presence of various microsize‐dependent strain gradient tensors. Thereafter, the solution of the developed coupled electromechanical size‐dependent nonlinear problem is obtained numerically by utilizing the meshless collocation approach employing incorporation of the polynomial and radial basis functions to remove any feasible singularity for the associated moment matrices. It comes to the conclusion that by elevating the quantity of CNTs disclosed within the clusters, the significance of the microsize dependency in the achieved voltage enhances from 22.06% to 22.73% toward the simply supported bridge‐type context, and from 33.00% to 33.92% toward the clamped bridge‐type context. Highlights: Development of a microstructural‐dependent quasi‐3D shear flexible energy harvester model.Incorporating the roles of various strain gradient tensors in the nonlinear dynamics of microharvesters.Size‐dependent time‐histories of achieved voltage from triangular mechanical‐loaded microharvesters.Influence of the CNT reinforcement clustering on the nonlinear dynamic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a forensic numerical study on hydro-fracturing at three locations within an excavation in a clayey till underlain by an aquifer in Ontario, Canada. The pioneering forensic studies were based on continuum mechanics using finite element method (FEM) combined with an effective medium approach, which did not explicitly simulate the physical process of fracture propagation. This has overestimated the size of the venting holes (i.e., model aperture approximately 8 m, observed approximately 0.1 m), hindering accurate assessment of the venting locations at the excavation base. For this reason, a coupled hydro-mechanical XFEM analysis, which explicitly models fracture propagation, was performed in this study to revisit the case history from the perspective of fracture mechanics. Parametric study is also performed to investigate the influence of flow rate on the direction of the fracture propagation, and thus location of venting holes. It is shown that the coupled hydro-mechanical XFEM analysis offers better predictions than previous FEM analysis for both, locations and sizes of the three observed venting holes. The parametric study reveals that an increase in the flow rate from 5 to 10 L/min (which is within the reported range) leads to a wider and less curved fracture, altering the predictions of the venting locations at the excavation base by around 8 m. This is because an increasing flow rate causes wider aperture and higher shear stress near the fracture tip, which intensifies the re-orientation of maximum principle stress that facilitates the re-direction of the propagating fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To harvest the full potential of the peridynamic approach, the state‐of‐the‐art material models should be usable without redeveloping or reimplementing them from classical continuum mechanics theory. User materials (UMAT) in finite element codes allow the researchers or engineers to apply their own material routines. Simple interfaces are specified to allow the utilization of material behaviors in software. In order to use these already existing and often validated models with Peridynamics, a UMAT interface is presented. It allows the simplified use of already existing material routines in the peridynamic framework Peridigm. The interface is based on the finite element (FE) software Abaqus UMAT definition and allows the integration of Fortran routines directly into Peridigm. In addition, the same material model implementations are applicable in finite element applications as well as peridynamic simulations. In the presentation, the interface is presented and various material models are utilized and compared between Peridynamics and FE methods. The effect of the horizon and nonlocal boundaries are analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neglecting small fragments in space debris evolutionary models can lead to a significant underestimation of the collision risk for operational satellites. However, when scaling down to the millimetre range, the debris population grows to over a hundred million objects, making deterministic approaches too computationally expensive. On the contrary, probabilistic models provide a more efficient alternative, which however typically works under some simplifying assumptions on the dynamics, limiting their field of applicability. This work proposes an extension of the density-based collision risk models to any orbital dynamics and impact geometry. The impact rate with a target satellite is derived from a multi-dimensional phase space density function in orbital elements, which discretely varies over both phase space and time. The assumption of a bin-wise constant cloud density allows for the analytical transformation of the six-dimensional distribution in orbital elements into the three-dimensional spatial density function, guaranteeing an efficient and accurate evaluation of the fragments flux. The proposed method is applied to the assessment of the collision risk posed by occurred fragmentation events in different orbital regions on a high-risk target object. The effect on the impact rate of the modelling improvements, compared to previous probabilistic formulations, is discussed. • Density-based model used for the propagation of space debris clouds in different orbital regimes. • Piece-wise analytical method for the estimation of the in-orbit collision probability is derived. • Impact risk posed by occurred fragmentation events on a target spacecraft is assessed. • Density-based models allow the required computational cost to be independent of objects size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meshless methods are a type of numerical method used to simulate continuum mechanics problems. These methods have been applied to several types of problems, there are a few works using meshless method focused on dynamic problems, but most works study static loading conditions. The current work aims at using two different meshless methods, the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM) and the Natural Neighbours RPIM (NNRPIM), in a dynamic problem, specifically forced vibrations. This problem requires time integration, therefore three different time integration methods have also been tested, namely: the Central Difference Method (CDM), the Wilson method, and the Newmark method. The CDM is an explicit method, while the other two are implicit. A discretization study was performed to assess the ideal nodal discretization before the numerical and time integration methods are validated. For the implicit methods, different time step lengths were also tested. In the final example damping was introduced. The results prove the validity of the two meshless methods by having similar results to the Finite Element Method (FEM) using the three distinct time integration methods, different loading conditions, and damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present exploration, the unconventional tensors of nonlocal stress and couple stress are incorporated simultaneously in the in-plane nonlinear stability analysis of functionally graded (FG) multilayer shallow micro/nano-arches under thermomechanical loading conditions. For this purpose, the nonlocal couple stress (NCS) mechanics of continuum is implemented into the third-order shear flexible arch theory incorporating the von Karman kinematical nonlinearity. The nanocomposite material of FG multilayer shallow micro/nano-arches is reinforced with graphene nanofillers in accordance with different patterns of FG lamination. The generalized differential quadrature numerical strategy in conjunction with the pseudo arc-length continuation procedure are employed to deduce the roles of unconventional nonlocal and couple stress tensors in the NCS-based nonlinear stability paths of thermomechanical loaded FG multilayer shallow micro/nano-arches. It is found that for all patterns of the lamination, the contributions associated with the nonlocality and couple stress small scale effects on the value of the upper limit as well as the first bifurcation compressive loads are less than those on the lower limit and the second bifurcation ones. Also, it is demonstrated that by combining a temperature rise with the applied compressive lateral load, the upper limit lateral load increases, while the lower limit one decreases. Furthermore, it is seen that by applying a temperature rise, an initial lateral deflection is induced in the shallow micro/nano-arch before applying the compressive lateral load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate stability and optimization of an axially loaded nonlocal beam that is simply supported at one end and elastically restrained against rotation on the other. Nonlocal continuum mechanics is a theoretical framework that extends classical continuum mechanics to account for the influence of small length scales, especially in nanostructures. We analyze elastically buckling nanobeam based on Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory. The Euler method of adjacent equilibrium configuration is used to derive the nonlinear governing equations. The critical axial force and postbuckling shape are obtained for the beam with the unit cross-sectional area. The shape of the nonlocal beam stable against buckling that has minimal volume is determined by using Pontryagin's maximum principle. The optimality conditions are derived. The cross-sectional area for optimally designed beam is found from the solution of a nonlinear boundary value problem. New numerical results are obtained. The first integral (Hamiltonian) is used to monitor the accuracy of the integration. The numerical analysis includes the influence of the characteristic parameter of the small length scale on the critical load, the postbuckling shape and the optimal shape of the analyzed beams. It is shown that there are the saving materials for optimally designed nanobeam in all numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonlinear phenomenological model of flexoelectricity in thermoelastic solids is presented within the frame of continuum mechanics and extended thermodynamics, incorporating the quasi-electrostatic approximation where the time derivative of the electric displacement vector can be neglected in Maxwell–Ampère's law. An expression for the energy flux is proposed, including many internal variables. An advantage of the proposed model is that it presents a unified approach to study several thermo-electromechanical couplings, including electrostriction, piezoelectricity, dependence of entropy and spontaneous polarization on flexoelectricity, among others. The model may be of interest in revealing the effects of such couplings on the properties of polarizable media, in particular ferroelectrics, when simple boundary conditions prevail. For a fully dynamic description of flexoelectricity, Hamilton's principle and the variational principle for external forces should be used instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The compressive buckling analysis of cracked nanosheets is performed by XFEM, considering small-scale effect. • The contribution of this work is the study of buckling of nanosheets in the presence of a crack. • The studied variables include small-scaling parameter, crack length, nanosheet dimensions, and boundary supports. • The results show that the cracking phenomenon and the increase of its length intensify the nonlocal effect. The process used to produce nanosheets may cause damage such as cracks in them. These cracks can adversely affect the buckling capacity of nanosheets. The main contribution of this research endeavor is to extend the previous studies on undamaged nanosheets to the cracked ones concerning the size-dependent effect. On the nanoscale, the assumption of material continuity, which is the fundamental assumption in classical continuum mechanics, is not valid. In this case, nonlocal non-classical theories are employed to analyze nanosheets. The present paper examines the nonlocal buckling of cracked graphene sheets under uniaxial and biaxial loads. To this end, the governing equations are developed based on the first-order shear deformation theory and using Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory. Moreover, cracked nanosheets with various boundary conditions are analyzed via the extended finite element method. The variables under study are the small scaling parameter, crack length, nanosheet dimensional parameters, and support conditions. The results indicate that while the small scaling parameter reduces the critical buckling capacity of nanosheets, the presence of a crack in the nanosheet and the increase in its length intensify the nonlocal effect. In addition, as the aspect ratio of the nanosheet increases from one, the nonlocal effect decreases gradually. The small-scale effect increases by constraining the edges of the cracked nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After defining the fractional Λ -derivative, having all the prerequisites for corresponding to a differential, the fractional Λ -strain has already been established. Furthermore, only globally variational principles are allowed in the context of fractional analysis. Hence, balance laws, yielding the various field equations in Λ -fractional continuum mechanics, are derived, allowing corners in their fields. The basic balance laws of mass, linear and rotational momentum, and energy conservation with jump conditions are derived in the context of Λ -fractional analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depending on the material properties of the system at hand, in some circumstances the application of a short pulse laser may initially bring a system into a highly non-equilibrium state wherein either the electron temperature may rise up while the lattice still remains cold, or conversely, because the heat capacity of electrons is usually different from that of lattice. In order to correctly describe the heat transport in those situations, therefore, one should properly split the non-equilibrium temperature into two different contributions: the electron temperature and the phonon temperature. By means of a recent two-temperature model (which fully agrees with the Maxwell-Cattaneo theory), in this paper we show that the values of those two temperatures may be always predictable during the thermal-shock propagation in nanowires, after having illustrated both that the employed theoretical model agrees with the basic tenets of continuum mechanics, and that it is mathematically well posed in the case of particular initial and boundary conditions. The main results of this paper could be used to deepen the concept of non-equilibrium temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The friction-assisted lateral extrusion process (FALEP) is gaining attention as a candidate for fabricating high-performance ultrafine grain alloys for potential industrial applications. It consists of extruding metal in bulk or powder form into a solid sheet in a single operation to obtain ultrafine-grained (UFG) structures. The sheet has high yield strength due to its UFG microstructure and a shear-type crystallographic texture that is fundamentally different from the textures of sheets obtained by rolling. Apart from its single-step feature, FALEP requires lower forces than in rolling, so less energy is required to achieve large reductions. The present work introduces analytical elastic/plastic continuum calculations for the mechanics of the FALEP process. The results of the calculations demonstrate the great advantages of FALEP with respect to rolling and equal/non-equal channel angular pressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a straightforward computational method to estimate the rotational diffusion coefficient (Dr) of cells and particles of various sizes using the continuum fluid mechanics theory. We calculate the torque (Γ) for cells and particles immersed in fluids to find the mobility coefficient μ and then obtain the Dr by substituting Γ in the Einstein relation. Geometries are constructed using triangular mesh, and the model is solved with computational fluid dynamics techniques. This method is less intensive and more efficient than the widely used models. We simulate eight different particle geometries and compare the results with previous literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of fixed Poisson's ratio is a critical problem plaguing bond–based peridynamic (BB–PD) models. The popular approach of introducing the bond's tangential stiffness cannot completely remove Poisson's ratio limitation, but instead leads to some additional troubles, such as negative tangential stiffness and bond force density misalignment in finite rigid body rotation problems. To address the issue of fixed Poisson's ratio thoroughly, a unified bond–based peridynamics (UPD) was originally proposed. In the proposed model, a novelty pairwise force density function has been developed, in which dilatation and distortion are distinguished, and the model assigns different stiffnesses to the two deformation components. Arbitrary and reasonable values of Poisson's ratio can be achieved by adjusting the PD parameters that control the bulk and shear moduli of the material. The theoretical range of Poisson's ratio in the proposed model is (-1, 0.5], which is consistent with those in continuum mechanics. In addition, the absence of tangential stiffness prevents the proposed model from misalignment of bond force density due to rigid body rotation. Several numerical examples, including four two–dimensional and three–dimensional deformation analyses and three quasi–static fracture analyses, were implemented to verify the accuracy and reliability of the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model can accurately simulate the elastic properties of the material and obtain the deformation with high accuracy. The numerical examples also demonstrate the fracture prediction capability of the proposed model. • The problem of fixed Poisson's ratio is addressed without introducing tangential stiffness. • The proposed model distinguishes between dilatation and distortion in deformation. • The proposed model avoids misalignment of bond force due to rigid body rotation. • The proposed model can accurately predict fractures in various modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel analytical approach based on nonlocal strain gradient theory is proposed to investigate small-scale effects on the radial vibration of isotropic spherical nanoparticles interacting with a viscoelastic fluid. The viscoelastic fluid is assumed to be compressible and takes into account both compressional and shear relaxation processes. The frequency equation is derived by imposing the fluid-nanosphere interface continuity conditions. To demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the approach, a comparison is made with the literature results in some particular cases, which shows a good agreement. Numerical examples are finally conducted to reveal the significance of small-scale effects in the radial vibrations, which need to be included in the nonlocal strain gradient model of submerged spherical nanoparticles. It is found that the vibration behavior greatly depends on the nanosphere size, nonlocal parameter, strain gradient parameter and glycerol-water mixture. Particularly, the small-scale effects play a very pronounced role when the spherical gold nanoparticle radius is smaller than 3 nm. Thus, the obtained frequency equation is very useful to interpret the experimental measurements of vibrational characteristics of nanospheres submerged in a viscoelastic fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution at hand focuses on the introduction of a novel approach to model biological growth. The proposed formulations are chosen to represent plant like structures. Therefore, thermomechanically open systems are considered. The balance laws are presented for such systems. Furthermore, the proposed formulations are coupled with an adaptive meshing framework. Therefore, a so-called structural generator is presented and utilized in this work. Since no growth formulations within the framework of continuum mechanics exist so far for plant like systems, a novel set of constitutive equations is shown. The newly described principles are the phototropism and graviotropism. In the numerical examples, it is shown that the proposed formulation yields physically meaningful results. The combination of different growth principles results in plausible interactions of the aforementioned principles. Furthermore, results of numerical simulations are shown, which represent the growth process of plant like biological structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A coupled electromagnetic-mechanical model is built to calculate the coupling behaviors of superconducting coils. • Mechanical deformation impacts the motion of magnetic flux and changes the critical current of superconductors. • The roles of contact conditions in the superconducting coils are derived theoretically. • A mechanical homogenization model is proposed to simplify the model containing hundreds of contact pairs. Rare-earth based barium copper oxide (REBCO) superconducting coated conductors are promising candidates for the design of high field magnets. In a high magnetic field, these conductors have to withstand huge Lorentz force, which would threaten the safety of superconducting devices. Recently, researchers have found that the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling has a significant impact on the overall response of the magnet system. It has been demonstrated that mechanical deformation can lead to the movement of magnetic flux in superconductors and changes in the critical current of superconductors. To take into account the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling effects, REBCO coated conductors are modeled as deformable conductors based on continuum mechanics of electromagnetic solids. Then, a fully coupled electromagnetic-mechanical model is developed in this paper, which is verified with the experimental results. Furthermore, during the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling simulation, contact separation occurs in REBCO pancake coils. To characterize the global mechanical performance of the REBCO pancake coils (containing hundreds of contact conditions), the concept of flexural rigidity in elastic shell theory is employed. Then, a mechanical homogeneous model is proposed to simplify the model containing hundreds of contact pairs and enable the effective simulation of large-scale HTS systems. This framework can provide theoretical support to the mechanical research of high field magnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The modified energy method evaluated the elastic properties of SWBNNT, and the inversion energy term was considered. • Temperature's impact on BNNT's elastic properties was explored by incorporating it as an independent variable. • MSM and continuum mechanics models are used to evaluate the changes in different bonds, bond angles, and reaction angles. The elastic properties of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were investigated utilizing an enhanced energy method. By considering small deformations and applying the principle of minimum potential energy, the variations in atomic bonds and bond angles within the nanotube structure were determined. The modified model incorporated the contribution of inversion energy to the overall potential energy of the system, leading to the derivation of analytical expressions for the Young's modulus, shear modulus, and strain energy of both armchair and zigzag BNNTs under varying temperatures. The results indicate that compared to zigzag BNNTs, the impact of inversion energy on the elastic constants of armchair BNNTs is more significant, especially at small diameters (<1 nm). In thermal environment, this study demonstrates that the change in Young's modulus of BNNTs is lower than that of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), confirming the superior thermal stability of BNNTs over CNTs. Furthermore, molecular structure mechanics (MSM) and continuum mechanics models were employed to analyze the strain energy of BNNTs. The effects of different bonds, bond angles, and inversion angles on strain energy were analyzed in a thermal environment, revealing distinct differences between the two types of BNNTs. These findings provide more accurate theoretical guidance for thermal applications based on the stretching of BNNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a diverse and well-constructed application of energy harvesting systems due to their innovate technology to provide the necessary power for low-energy electronics. In this regard, the prime objective of the current study is to analyze the size-dependent nonlinear dynamic performance of piezoelectric beam-type energy harvesters at nanoscale subjected to a time-dependent mechanical uniform load. A laminated structure containing an agglomerated nanocomposite core integrated with top and bottom piezoelectric surface layers is considered for the nanoscale bridge-type energy harvesters. To take the size dependency into account, the nonlocal strain gradient continuum elasticity is formulated based upon a quasi-3D beam theory incorporating the both features of size effects. Thereafter, the size-dependent nonlinear problem is then solved numerically relevant to simply supported and clamped end conditions via employing the meshless collocation technique. Accordingly, the numerical solving procedure is established without any background meshes as well as eliminating the integration and singularity by using proper multiquadric radial basis functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a large body of rock-physics research, seismic wave velocity dispersion and attenuation in fluid-saturated porous rock are studied by constructing analytical or numerical models for time- or frequency-dependent dynamic (effective, or viscoelastic) moduli. A key and broadly used model of such kind is the Zener's, or the standard linear solid (SLS). This model is qualitatively successful in explaining many field and laboratory observations and serves as the key element of many generalizations such as the Burgers model for plastic deformations or the generalized SLS explaining band-limited or near-constant seismic attenuation. However, as a physical model of fluid-saturated porous rock, the SLS has several major limitations: disregard of inertial effects, absence of secondary wave modes and lack of key physical parameters such as porosity and Skempton coefficients. Grainy and porous rock is an unconsolidated material in which the effective density is frequency-dependent, and its effects on wave velocities may exceed those of the dynamic modulus. To overcome these limitations of the empirical SLS, we propose a rigorous rheologic model based on classical continuum mechanics and called the extended SLS, or eSLS. This rheology explains the available attenuation and dispersion observations equally well, but it is also close to Biot's model, honours all poroelastic relations, includes inertial effects, and reveals several new physical properties of the material. Detailed comparison of the eSLS and Biot's models gives a physical-mechanism-based classification of wave-induced fluid flow (WIFF) phenomena. In this classification, the so-called 'global-scale' flows occur in Biot's type structures within the material, whereas the 'local-scale' WIFF occurs in eSLS-type structures. Combining Biot's and eSLS models gives a broad class of rheologies for linear anelastic phenomena within rock with a single type of porosity. The model can be readily generalized to multiple porosities and different types of internal variables, such as describing squirt flows, wetting or thermoelastic effects. Modelling is conducted with relatively little effort, using a single matrix equation similar to a mechanical form of the standard SLS. By combining the eSLS and Biot's models, observations of dynamic-modulus dispersion and attenuation can be inverted for macroscopic mechanical properties of porous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In a previous work, the problem of identifying residual stresses through relaxation methods was demonstrated to be mathematically ill-posed. In practice, it means that the solution process is affected by a bias-variance tradeoff, where some theoretically uncomputable bias has to be introduced in order to obtain a solution with a manageable signal-to-noise ratio. Objective: As a consequence, an important question arises: how can the solution uncertainty be quantified if a part of it is inaccessible? Additional physical knowledge could—in theory—provide a characterization of bias, but this process is practically impossible with presently available techniques. Methods: A brief review of biases in established methods is provided, showing that ruling them out would require a piece of knowledge that is never available in practice. Then, the concept of average stresses over a distance is introduced, and it is shown that finding them generates a well-posed problem. A numerical example illustrates the theoretical discussion Results: Since finding average stresses is a well-posed problem, the bias-variance tradeoff disappears. The uncertainties of the results can be estimated with the usual methods, and exact confidence intervals can be obtained. Conclusions: On a broader scope, we argue that residual stresses and relaxation methods expose the limits of the concept of point-wise stress values, which instead works almost flawlessly when a natural unstressed state can be assumed, as in classical continuum mechanics (for instance, in the theory of elasticity). As a consequence, we are forced to focus on the effects of stress rather than on its point-wise evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martensitic steels are widely used as a structural material in critical components of fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, such as boilers, pipes, and fittings. Martensitic steels are known to have a hierarchical microstructure that follows the Kurdjumov–Sachs (K–S) orientation relationship, where a prior austenite grain is composed of packets separated by high angle grain boundaries or packet boundaries, which are, in turn, divided into blocks or variants segregated by high angle grain boundaries called block boundaries. Blocks themselves are an agglomeration of laths divided by low angle grain boundaries named lath boundaries which have precipitates scattered on them. This work seeks to examine, using a couple dislocation dynamics—continuum mechanics approach called multiscale dislocation dynamics plasticity (MDDP), the interactions between dislocations and packet, block, lath boundaries, and precipitates under uniaxial tension loading and their effect on the mechanical response of the material. The simulations are conducted at a strain rate of 105 s−1 at room temperature. The main crystallographic features that arise during the deformation process were extracted and analyzed in terms of their contribution to the mechanical response of the material. The orientation relationship governing the microstructure of martensitic steels, namely, the K–S orientation relationship, was incorporated in MDDP in an effort to accurately capture the deformation behavior of the material in question. The strength of lath martensitic steel was analyzed as a function of the lath width, block size, and packet size to determine the appropriate effective grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the multi-dimensional variational phase transition problem of continuum mechanics we propose a method for splitting the problem into two parts one of which is used to find a candidate for the volume fraction of one of the phases in the equilibrium state, whereas the other is used to find the corresponding equilibrium displacement field and equilibrium phase distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lubricants are usually utilized to decrease wear, reduce friction, and release heat. Although the lubrication approximation originated from thin-film studies, it has limitations because of continuum mechanics assumptions. To overcome these limitations, for the first time, this article employs a hierarchical multiscale approach to study the frictional sliding contact considering elastohydrodynamic lubrication. This multiscale model consists of a molecular model of lubricant and a continuum model of sliding contact components. Specifically, the molecular dynamics method is used at the nanoscale to model the lubricant and analyze the friction coefficient in contacted surfaces. Through MD simulation, the effects of hydrocarbon chain lengths, temperature, and sliding velocity on a constant friction coefficient are studied in this article. The calculated friction coefficients from the molecular model are passed to the continuum model, in which the finite element method is employed to conduct stress and strain analysis of the sliding contact components. Although variations in the frictional sliding response are invariably coupled with the friction coefficients, the molecular-to-continuum hierarchical approach enables us to isolate the relative contributions from the chemical formulation of the lubricant and the temperature. This approach has further potential implications for the evaluation of tribological damage. The results demonstrate that an increase in temperature or the chain length of lubricant hydrocarbon molecules can significantly decrease the friction coefficient and, as a result, reduce contact shear stress, plastic deformation, and pile-up height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a family of coercive Korn-type inequalities for generalized incompatible fields in the superlinear growth regime under sharp criteria. This extends and unifies several previously known inequalities that are pivotal to the existence theory for a multitude of models in continuum mechanics in an optimal way. Different from our preceding work [F. Gmeineder, P. Lewintan and P. Neff, Optimal incompatible Korn–Maxwell–Sobolev inequalities in all dimensions, Calc. Var. PDE 62 (2023) 182], where we focused on the case p = 1 and incompatibilities governed by the matrix curl, the case p > 1 considered in this paper gives us access to substantially stronger results from harmonic analysis but conversely deals with more general incompatibilities. Especially, we obtain sharp generalizations of recently proved inequalities by P. Lewintan, S. Müller and P. Neff [Korn inequalities for incompatible tensor fields in three space dimensions with conformally invariant dislocation energy, Calc. Var. PDE 60 (2021) 150] in the realm of incompatible Korn-type inequalities with conformally invariant dislocation energy. However, being applicable to higher-order scenarios as well, our approach equally gives the first and sharp inequalities involving Kröner's incompability tensor inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article focuses on the Rayleigh surface wave propagation in homogeneous isotropic thermoelastic medium. This works aims to develop a new nonlocal elasticity model based on three-phase-lag model of hyperbolic thermoelasticity under double porosity structure. New constitutive relations and equations are derived using nonlocal continuum mechanics. State space approach is employed to solve the problem. Frequency equation is derived using appropriate boundary conditions. Path of surface particles is found elliptical at the time of Rayleigh surface wave propagation. Different characteristics of Rayleigh waves are calculated numerically and presented graphically for different wave number. Various characteristics of wave for different thermoelastic models are also presented graphically. The effect of nonlocal parameters and void parameters on phase velocity, attenuation coefficient, penetration depth, and specific loss of Rayleigh waves are shown graphically. Some special cases are deduced from this study which agree with the existing literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, an original numerical procedure for the nonlinear peridynamics on arbitrarily shaped two-dimensional (2D) closed manifolds is proposed. When dealing with non-parameterized 2D manifolds at the discrete scale, the problem of computing geodesic distances between two non-adjacent points arise. Here, a routing procedure is implemented for computing geodesic distances by reinterpreting the triangular computational mesh as a non-oriented graph, thus returning a suitable and general method. Moreover, the time integration of the peridynamics equation is demanded to a P-(EC)k formulation of the implicit\beta-Newmark scheme. The convergence of the overall proposed procedure is questioned and rigorously proved. Its abilities and limitations are analyzed by simulating the evolution of a 2D sphere. The performed numerical investigations are mainly motivated by the issues related to the insurgence of singularities in the evolution problem. The obtained results return an interesting picture of the role played by the nonlocal character of the integrodifferential equation in the intricate processes leading to the spontaneous formation of singularities in real materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-classical local gradient theory of nonferromagnetic thermoelastic dielectrics is presented, incorporating both the local mass-displacement process and the heat-flux gradient effect. The process of local mass displacement is related to the changes in material microstructure. The nonlocal heat conduction law is also addressed in the model. Thus, the generalized relationship between the higher-grade heat and entropy fluxes is adopted. The gradient-type constitutive relations and governing equations are derived using the fundamental principles of continuum mechanics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and electrodynamics. Due to the contribution of higher-grade flux, the nonlocal law of heat conduction is obtained. The constitutive relations for isotropic materials with the corresponding additional material constants are derived. To illustrate the local gradient theory and to show the electro-thermo-mechanical coupling effect in isotropic materials, a straightforward problem is analytically solved for a layered non-piezoelectric structure under non-uniform temperature distribution. The analytical results reveal that the thermal polarization effect can also be pronounced in isotropic materials. To illustrate the model considering the effect of nonlocal heat conduction, the propagation of spherical thermoelastic harmonic waves in a homogeneous and isotropic elastic medium with non-classical heat conduction law is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the 200 th birthday of Gustav Robert Kirchhoff: The plate theory was finalised 175 years ago Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824–1887) is remembered for five important achievements in 19th century physics: – Circuit laws (Kirchhoff's current and voltage law), 1845 – Theory of the thin, elastic plate, 1850 – Theory of the thin, elastic rod with large deformations, 1859 – Foundation of spectroscopy with Robert W. Bunsen (1811–1899), 1859 – Law of thermal radiation, 1859 There is also the Piola‐Kirchhoff stress tensor from continuum mechanics. This list of Kirchhoff's impact on physics could be continued. In addition to the biography, the following focuses on the genesis of the theory of the thin, elastic plate, which is important for reinforced concrete construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the generation of mechanical stress in drying, particle-laden films is important for a wide range of industrial processes. One way to study these stresses is through the cantilever experiment, whereby a thin film is deposited onto the surface of a thin plate that is clamped at one end to a wall. The stresses that are generated in the film during drying are transmitted to the plate and drive bending. Mathematical modelling enables the film stress to be inferred from measurements of the plate deflection. The aim of this paper is to present simplified models of the cantilever experiment that have been derived from the time-dependent equations of continuum mechanics using asymptotic methods. The film is described using nonlinear poroelasticity and the plate using nonlinear elasticity. In contrast to Stoney-like formulae, the simplified models account for films with non-uniform thickness and stress. The film model reduces to a single differential equation that can be solved independently of the plate equations. The plate model reduces to an extended formof the Föppl-von Kármán (FvK) equations that accounts for gradients in the longitudinal traction acting on the plate surface. Consistent boundary conditions for the FvK equations are derived by resolving the Saint-Venant boundary layers at the free edges of the plate. The asymptotically reduced models are in excellent agreement with finite element solutions of the full governing equations. As the Péclet number increases, the time evolution of the plate deflection changes from t to t1/2, in agreement with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article pertains to the assessment of thermoelastic damping (TED) in rectangular nanoplates by incorporation of size effect within the constitutive and heat conduction relations. With the purpose of establishing size-dependent coupled thermoelastic equations, nonlocal elasticity theory and dual-phase-lag heat conduction model are utilized. By considering time-harmonic vibrations, nonclassical frequency equation affected by thermoelastic coupling is derived. By solving this equation and extracting the real and imaginary parts of damped natural frequency via some mathematical operations, an explicit expression for description of TED in circular nanoplates is obtained. With the goal of better understanding the small-scale effect on TED, a comparison is made between the results predicted by the size-dependent formulation and those determined according to classical continuum mechanics and heat conduction theories for two kinds of boundary constraints. Considerable difference between classical and nonclassical results, especially at smaller sizes, implies the necessity of incorporating small-scale effect into both structural and thermal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional model for the mechanics of elastic/hyperelastic materials reinforced with bidirectional fibers is presented in finite elastostatics. This includes the constitutive formulation of matrix–fiber composite system and the derivation of the corresponding Euler equilibrium equation. The responses of the matrix material and reinforcing fibers are characterized, respectively, via the Neo-Hookean model and quadratic strain energy potential of the Green–Lagrange type. These are further refined by the Mooney–Rivlin strain energy model and the high-order polynomial energy potential of fibers to incorporate the nonlinear behaviors of the matrix material and fibers. Within the framework of differential geometry and strain-gradient elasticity, the general kinematics of bidirectional fibers, including the three-dimensional bending of a fiber and twist between the two adjoining fibers, are formulated, and subsequently integrated into the model of continuum deformation. The admissible boundary conditions are also derived by virtue of variational principles and virtual work statement. In particular, a dimension reduction process is applied to the resulting three-dimensional model through which a compatible two-dimensional model describing both the in-plane and out-of-plane deformations of thin elastic films reinforced with fiber mesh is obtained. To this end, model implementation and comparison with the experimental results are performed, indicating that the proposed model successfully predicts key design considerations of fiber mesh reinforced composite films including stress–strain responses, deformation profiles, shear strain distributions and local structure (a unit fiber mesh) deformations. The proposed model is unique in that it is formulated within the framework of differential geometry of surface to accommodate the three-dimensional kinematics of the composite, yet the resulting equations are reframed in the orthonormal basis for enhanced practical unitality and mathematical tractability. Hence, the resulting model may also serve as an alternative Cosserat theory of plates and shells arising in two-dimensional nonlinear elasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study couples peridynamic (PD) theory with strain gradient elasticity (SGE) theory to investigate the combined effect of PD and SGE length scale parameters on size effect. The SGE theory introduces a length scale parameter in the stress–strain relations to account for size effect. The solution to the classical form of SGE equation of motion requires two additional non-classical boundary conditions arising from the presence of fourth-order spatial derivatives. The wave dispersions level off as the wave number increases as observed in real materials. The PD theory allows for nonlocal interactions of a material point within its horizon which serves as the PD length scale parameter. The equation of motion emerges in the form of an integral equation and the internal forces are expressed through nonlocal interactions (bonds) between the material points within a continuous body. It is a reformulation of classical continuum mechanics which is free of spatial derivatives. The numerical results concern a previously considered carbon nanotube (CNT). Under quasi-static axial loading, the results indicate an increased strengthening effect along the length of the tube. Under dynamic loading, its longitudinal vibration response is captured through explicit time integration. The numerical predictions capture the reference solutions corresponding to the classical SGE equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is aimed at the analysis of the development of flotation technology by applying carrier minerals. Based on the concepts of continuum mechanics, a theoretical analysis of the influence of the carrier minerals (wall) on the motion of a single solid particle is provided, taking into account their hydrodynamic interaction (in the case of low Reynolds numbers). A correction was obtained in the form of a ratio of the particle size to its distance from the wall to take into account the influence of the wall on the hydrodynamic force acting on the particle. The influence of the wall is manifested through a rapid approximation of the liquid vortex flow in the gap between the solid wall and the particle to the steady-state mode, accompanied by the suppression of the transverse movement of particles. When the liquid slides along a wall-mounted gas–liquid layer with a reduced viscosity, the liquid flow increases in the interfacial gap, which can be analyzed by a dimensionless correction that includes values describing the properties of a continuous medium (dynamic viscosity) and a disperse phase (geometric particle size). The reason for the decrease in the induction time when gold grains adhere to each other is assumed to be due to the forces of hydrophobic attraction (when the grains have a mirror-smooth surface) and the sliding of the flow along the hydrophobic surface of the particles along the gas layer (when the grains have a rough surface). When polydisperse particles are aggregated, the threshold energy of the fast coagulation was established to be lower than that arising during the interaction of monodisperse particles, whose aggregation requires a large depth of the potential pit. Performing natural experiments on the ore using a rougher concentrate as a carrier material showed that the concentrate yield decreases by 20.52% rel. In the second case, the gold extraction was higher by 4.69% abs. While maintaining the achieved level of gold extraction, the double mixing of the rougher concentrate and the initial feed increased the gold content in the rougher concentrate from 4.97 to 6.29 g/t. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a seminal paper in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (A244, 87–112). Eshelby (Eshelby 1951 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 244, 87–112. (doi:10.1098/rsta.1951.0016)) introduced the concept of 'the force on an elastic singularity' and suggested that the extensions to dynamics include the application of the momentum flux. In this direction, it is shown that, in the non-uniformly motion of a dislocation there is a loss in quasi-momentum (or pseudo-momentum) across the scales ε to ε2, which induces an effective mass of the dislocation, and a loss in kinetic energy across the scales. It is shown through Noether's theorem that the rate of change of quasi-momentum in the volume enclosing the dislocation is equal to the flux of it through the surface minus a quasi-force, which is the dynamic J integral. The connection between the variation in the Hamiltonian and in the Lagrangian relates the quasi-force to the energy-release rate, yielding the same effective mass, while providing physical meaning both through momentum and energy. The effective mass of a dislocation is important in relating the energetics of defects from the micro to the macro scales, and the loss of quasi-momentum can have wider applications in continua. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we deal with a one-dimensional stress-rate type model for the response of viscoelastic materials, in relation to the strain-limiting theory. The model is based on a constitutive relation of stress-rate type. Unlike classical models in elasticity, the unknown of the model under consideration is uniquely the stress, avoiding the use of the deformation. Here, we treat the case of periodic boundary conditions for a linearized model. We determine an optimal function space that ensures the local existence of solutions to the linearized model around certain steady states. This optimal space is known as the Gevrey-class 3/2 , which characterizes the regularity properties of the solutions. The exponent 3/2 in the Gevrey-class reflects the specific dispersion properties of the equation itself. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

They prove that a rectifiable curve has finite HT ht -curvature for some HT ht if and only if the pertinent "curve" of oriented unit tangent vectors is a Sobolev map with the same exponent HT ht . However, it is not our purpose to propose here a history of ideas in mechanics[1]; rather, we just aim at underlying that continuum mechanics is a dynamic variegate field at various conceptual levels, a land that can flourish even in unexpected places. Keywords: continuum mechanics; mathematical analysis; geometry EN continuum mechanics mathematical analysis geometry 1 8 8 11/07/23 20231225 NES 231225 Continuum mechanics - we can say - is a class of field theories, based on causality, which describe bodies extended in space and do not account directly for the quantum structure of the matter. As a class of classical (in the sense of non-quantized) field theories, continuum mechanics has been so far an attractive playground for researchers working on calculus of variations, differential geometry, numerical analysis and partial differential equations. [Extracted from the article]

We look at a mechanical dissipation inequality differing from the standard one by what we call a relative power, a notion that is appropriate in the presence of material mutations. We prove that a requirement of structural invariance for such an inequality under the action of diffeomorphism-based changes of observers (covariance) implies (i) the representation of contact actions in terms of the first Piola–Kirchhoff stress, (ii) local balances of standard and configurational actions, (iii) a priori constitutive restrictions in terms of free energy, and (iv) a representation of viscous-type stress components. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we formulate a geometric nonlinear theory of the mechanics of accreting–ablating bodies. This is a generalization of the theory of accretion mechanics of Sozio & Yavari (Sozio & Yavari 2019 J. Nonlinear Sci.29, 1813–1863 (doi:10.1007/s00332-019-09531-w)). More specifically, we are interested in large deformation analysis of bodies that undergo a continuous and simultaneous accretion and ablation on their boundaries while under external loads. In this formulation, the natural configuration of an accreting–ablating body is a time-dependent Riemannian 3 -manifold with a metric that is an unknown a priori and is determined after solving the accretion–ablation initial-boundary-value problem. In addition to the time of attachment map, we introduce a time of detachment map that along with the time of attachment map, and the accretion and ablation velocities, describes the time-dependent reference configuration of the body. The kinematics, material manifold, material metric, constitutive equations and the balance laws are discussed in detail. As a concrete example and application of the geometric theory, we analyse a thick hollow circular cylinder made of an arbitrary incompressible isotropic material that is under a finite time-dependent extension while undergoing continuous ablation on its inner cylinder boundary and accretion on its outer cylinder boundary. The state of deformation and stress during the accretion–ablation process, and the residual stretch and stress after the completion of the accretion–ablation process, are computed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a framework for the kinematics of a material body undergoing anelastic deformation. For such processes, the material structure of the body, as reflected by the geometric structure given to the set of body points, changes. The setting we propose may be relevant to phenomena such as plasticity, fracture, discontinuities and non-injectivity of the deformations. In this framework, we construct an unambiguous decomposition into incompatible and compatible factors that includes the standard elastic–plastic decomposition in plasticity. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a general causal relativistic theory of divergence type in the framework of rational extended thermodynamics (RET) for a compressible, possibly dense, gas. We require that the system converges in the Maxwellian iteration's first step to the parabolic Eckart equations. This requirement implies a constraint between the two coefficients present in the triple tensor evaluated at equilibrium. Moreover, the production tensor is determined for prescript thermal and caloric state equations and given heat conductivity, shear and bulk viscosities. In the second part, we prove that if the original hyperbolic system satisfies the universal principles of RET, as can be put in the symmetric form using the main field, it always satisfies the previous compatibility condition. Therefore, any causal system of divergence type that satisfies the entropy principle with a convex entropy converges to the Eckart system in the Maxwellian iteration also when we have no information at the mesoscopic scale from the kinetic theory. The obtained results are tested on the RET theories of rarefied monatomic and polyatomic gases. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A weak notion of elastic energy for (not necessarily regular) rectifiable curves in any space dimension is proposed. Our p -energy is defined through a relaxation process, where a suitable p -rotation of inscribed polygons is adopted. The discrete p -rotation we choose has a geometric flavour: a polygon is viewed as an approximation to a smooth curve, and hence its discrete curvature is spread out into a smooth density. For any exponent p greater than 1, the p -energy is finite if and only if the arc-length parametrization of the curve has a second-order summability with the same growth exponent. In that case, moreover, the energy agrees with the natural extension of the integral of the p th power of the scalar curvature. Finally, a comparison with other definitions of discrete curvature is provided. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Man and Du, in the context of classical texture analysis where the orientation distribution function (ODF) is defined on the rotation group SO(3), presented a systematic procedure by which the classical expansion of an ODF truncated at the order l=L can be directly rewritten as a tensorial Fourier expansion truncated at the same order. In classical texture analysis, the groups of crystallite and texture symmetries are assumed to be subgroups of SO(3), which is unreasonable, say, for aggregates of crystallites in a crystal class defined by an improper point group. In this paper, we consider ODFs defined on the orthogonal group O(3) and extend the aforementioned procedure to write down tensorial Fourier expansions for polycrystals with crystallite symmetry defined by any of the 21 improper point groups. Examples that illustrate the general procedure are given. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a sharp-interface model for a hyperelastic material consisting of two phases. In this model, phase interfaces are treated in the deformed configuration, resulting in a fully Eulerian interfacial energy. In order to penalize large curvature of the interface, we include a geometric term featuring a curvature varifold. Equilibrium solutions are proved to exist via minimization. We then use this model in an Eulerian topology optimization problem that incorporates a curvature penalization. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a continuum framework applicable to solid-state hydrogen storage, cell biology and other scenarios where the diffusion of a single constituent within a bulk region is coupled via adsorption/desorption to reactions and diffusion on the boundary of the region. We formulate content balances for all relevant constituents and develop thermodynamically consistent constitutive equations. The latter encompass two classes of kinetics for adsorption/desorption and chemical reactions—fast and Marcelin–De Donder, and the second class includes mass action kinetics as a special case. We apply the framework to derive a system consisting of the standard diffusion equation in bulk and FitzHugh–Nagumo type surface reaction–diffusion system of equations on the boundary. We also study the linear stability of a homogeneous steady state in a spherical region and establish sufficient conditions for the occurrence of instabilities driven by surface diffusion. These findings are verified through numerical simulations which reveal that instabilities driven by diffusion lead to the emergence of steady-state spatial patterns from random initial conditions and that bulk diffusion can suppress spatial patterns, in which case temporal oscillations can ensue. We include an extension of our framework that accounts for mechanochemical coupling when the bulk region is occupied by a deformable solid. This article is part of the theme issue 'Foundational issues, analysis and geometry in continuum mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual strain generated in grains during the propellant manufacturing process can significantly impact the safety and stability of solid rocket motors. Pressure curing molding technology has been employed as an effective approach to mitigate residual strain. This research paper focuses on deriving a strain prediction function for grains based on continuum mechanics, taking into account the influence of pressure curing molding technology. The accuracy of the prediction function is verified through finite element analysis. The results show that the proposed function accurately predicts strain distribution at critical positions within the grains. And the effects of curing pressure and the elastic modulus of the case on residual strain are analysed. Specifically, for a given material of case, an optimal curing pressure is identified that minimizes residual strain in the grains. Moreover, it is observed that materials with lower hoop elastic modulus, such as composites, tend to require lower optimal curing pressures. The outcomes of this study provide valuable guidance for grain shape design and the selection of optimal curing pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]