• Transactions of Materials Processing
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2014

Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted to accurately evaluate the in-plane mechanical properties of fiber metal laminates (FMLs). The FMLs in the current study are comprised of a layer of self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) sandwiched between two layers of aluminum alloy 5052-H34. The nonlinear tensile behavior of the FMLs under in-plane loading conditions was investigated using both numerical simulations and a theoretical analysis. The numerical simulation was based on finite element modeling using the ABAQUS/Explicit code and the theoretical constitutive model was based on the volume fraction approach using the rule of mixture and a modification of the classical lamination theory, which incorporates the elastic-plastic behavior of the aluminum alloy and the SRPP. The simulations and the model are used to predict the inplane mechanical properties such as stress-strain response and deformation behavior of the FMLs. In addition, a post-stretching process is used to reduce the thermal residual stresses before uniaxial tensile testing of the FMLs. Through comparison of both the numerical simulations and the theoretical analysis with the experimental results, it is concluded that the numerical simulation model and the theoretical approach can describe with sufficient accuracy the actual tensile stress-strain behavior of the FMLs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.533-544
• /
• 2016

This paper provides a reference to determine the seal performance of metallic O-rings for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). A nonlinear elastic-plastic model of an O-ring was constructed by the finite element method to analyze its intrinsic properties. It is also validated by experiments on scaled samples. The effects of the compression ratio, the geometrical parameters of the O-ring, and the structure parameters of the groove on the flange are discussed in detail. The results showed that the numerical analysis of the O-ring agrees well with the experimental data, the compression ratio has an important role in the distribution and magnitude of contact stress, and a suitable gap between the sidewall and groove can improve the sealing capability of the O-ring. After the optimization of the sealing structure, some key parameters of the O-ring (i.e., compression ratio, cross-section diameter, wall thickness, sidewall gap) have been recommended for application in megakilowatt class nuclear power plants. Furthermore, air tightness and thermal cycling tests were performed to verify the rationality of the finite element method and to reliably evaluate the sealing performance of a RPV.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.101-115
• /
• 2016

We carried out laboratory material tests on two cements (KS-1 ordinary Portland and Class G) with changing W/S (Water/Solid) and the content of fly ash in order to evaluate their physical and mechanical properties. The specimens of KS-1 ordinary Portland cement were prepared with varying W/S (Solid=cement) in weight, while those of Class G cement were prepared with changing the content of fly ash in volume but maintaining W/S (Solid=cement+fly ash). The results of the material tests show that as the W/S in KS-1 ordinary Portland cement and the content of fly ash in Class G cement increase, the properties (density, sonic wave velocity, elastic constants, compressive and tensile strengths, thermal conductivity) decrease, but porosity and specific heat increase. In addition, an increase in confining pressure and in the content of fly ash leads to plastic failure behavior of the cements. The laboratory data were then used in a stability analysis of cement sheath for which an analytical solution for computing the stress distribution induced around a cased, cemented well was employed. The analysis was carried out with varying the injection well parameters such as thickness of casing and cement, injection pressure, dip and dip direction of injection well, and depth of injection well. The analysis results show that cement sheath is stable in the cases of relatively lower injection pressures and inclined and horizontal wells. However, in the other cases, it is damaged by mainly tensile failure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.275-282
• /
• 2014

Particle-reinforced metal matrix composites exhibit a strengthening effect due to the particle size-dependent length scale that arises from the strain gradient, and thus from the geometrically necessary dislocations between the particles and matrix that result from their CTE(Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) and elastic-plastic mismatches. In this study, the influence of the size-dependent length scale on the particle-matrix interface failure and ductile failure in the matrix was examined using finite-element punch zone modeling whereby an augmented strength was assigned around the particle. The failure behavior was observed by a parametric study, while varying the interface failure properties such as the interface strength and debonding energy with different particle sizes and volume fractions. It is shown that the two failure modes (interface failure and ductile failure in the matrix) interact with each other and are closely related to the particle size-dependent length scale; in other words, the composite with the smaller particles, which is surrounded by a denser dislocation than that with the larger particles, retards the initiation and growth of the interface and matrix failures, and also leads to a smaller amount of decrease in the flow stress during failure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.187-194
• /
• 2012

The strength of particle-reinforced metal matrix composites is, in general, known to be increased by the geometrically necessary dislocations punched around a particle that form during cooling after consolidation because of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the particle and the matrix. An additional strength increase may also be observed, since another type of geometrically necessary dislocation can be formed during extensive deformation as a result of the strain gradient plasticity due to the elastic-plastic mismatch between the particle and the matrix. In this paper, the magnitudes of these two types of dislocations are calculated based on the dislocation plasticity. The dislocations are then converted to the respective strengths and allocated hierarchically to the matrix around the particle in the axisymmetric finite-element unit cell model. The proposed method is shown to be very effective by performing finite-element strength analysis of $SiC_p$/Al2124-T4 composites that included ductile failure in the matrix and particlematrix decohesion. The predicted results for different particle sizes and volume fractions show that the length scale effect of the particle size obviously affects the strength and failure behavior of the particle-reinforced metal matrix composites.