• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권11호
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• pp.2422-2430
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• 2020

In order to improve calculational efficiency of the CAPP code in the analysis of the hexagonal reactor core, we have tried to implement a refined AFEN method with transverse gradient basis functions and interface flux moments in the hexagonal geometry. The numerical scheme for the refined AFEN method adopted here is the response matrix method that uses the interface partial currents as nodal unknowns instead of the interface fluxes used in the original AFEN method. Since the response matrix method is single-node based, it has good properties such as good calculational efficiency and parallel computing affinity. Because a refined AFEN method equivalent nonlinear FDM response matrix method tried first could not provide a numerically stable solution, a direct formulation of the refined AFEN response matrix were developed. To show the numerical performance of this response matrix method against the original AFEN method, the numerical error analyses were performed for several benchmark problems including the VVER-440 LWR benchmark problem and the MHTGR-350 HTGR benchmark problem. The results showed a more than three times speedup in computing time for the LWR and HTGR benchmark problems due to good convergence and excellent calculational efficiency of the refined AFEN response matrix method.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.147-159
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• 2019

In present article, a size-dependent refined thick beam element has been established based upon nonlocal elasticity theory. Next, it is used to explore vibration response of porous metal foam nanobeams on elastic medium. The established beam element introduces ten degrees of freedom. Different porosity distributions called uniform, symmetric and asymmetric will be employed. Herein, introduced thick beam element contains shear deformations without using correction factors. Convergence and verification studies of obtained results from finite element method are also provided. The impacts of nonlocality factor, foundation factors, shear deformation, slenderness ratio, porosity kinds and porosity factor on vibration frequencies of metal foam nano-sized beams have been explored.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제84권3호
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• pp.423-435
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• 2022

In this article, we present torsion-bending analysis of a composite FGM beam with an open section, according to the advanced and refined theory of 1D / 3D beams based on the 3D Saint-Venant's solution and taking into account the edge effects. The (initially one-dimensional) model contains a set of three-dimensional (3D) displacement modes of the cross section, reflecting its 3D mechanical behaviour. The modes are taken into account depending on the mechanical characteristics and the geometrical form of the cross-section of the composite FGM beam. The model considered is implemented on the CSB (Cross-Section and Beam Analysis) software package. It is based on the RBT/SV theory (Refined Beam Theory on Saint-Venant principle) of FGM beams. The mechanical and physical characteristics of the FGM beam continuously vary, depending on a power-law distribution, across the thickness of the beam. We compare the numerical results obtained by the three-beam theories, namely: The Classical Beam Theory of Saint-Venant (Classical Beam Theory CBT), the theory of refined beams (Refined Beam Theory RBT), and the theory of refined beams, using the higher (high) modes of distortion of the cross-section (Refined Beam Theory using distorted modes RBTd). The results obtained confirm a clear difference between those obtained by the three models at the level of the supports. Further from the support, the results of RBT and RBTd are of the same order, whereas those of CBT remains far from those of higher-order theories. The 3D stresses, strains and displacements, obtained by the present study, reflect the 3D behaviour of FGM beams well, despite the initially 1D nature of the problem. A validation example also shows a very good agreement of the proposed models with other models (classical or higher-order beam theory) and Carrera Unified Formulation 1D-beam model with Lagrange Expansion functions (CUF-LE).

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.755-786
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• 2016

The hygro-thermo-mechanical bending behavior of sigmoid functionally graded material (S-FGM) plate resting on variable two-parameter elastic foundations is discussed using a four-variable refined plate theory. The material characteristics are distributed within the thickness direction according to the two power law variation in terms of volume fractions of the constituents of the material. By employing a four variable refined plate model, both a trigonometric distribution of the transverse shear strains within the thickness and the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate are respected without utilizing shear correction factors. The number of independent variables of the current formulation is four, as against five in other shear deformation models. The governing equations are deduced based on the four-variable refined plate theory incorporating the external load and hygro-thermal influences. The results of this work are compared with those of other shear deformation models. Various numerical examples introducing the influence of power-law index, plate aspect ratio, temperature difference, elastic foundation parameters, and side-to-thickness ratio on the static behavior of S-FGM plates are investigated.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• 제1권3호
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• pp.291-310
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• 2014

An advanced model for the linear flutter analysis is introduced in this paper. Higher-order beam structural models are developed by using the Carrera Unified Formulation, which allows for the straightforward implementation of arbitrarily rich displacement fields without the need of a-priori kinematic assumptions. The strong form of the principle of virtual displacements is used to obtain the equations of motion and the natural boundary conditions for beams in free vibration. An exact dynamic stiffness matrix is then developed by relating the amplitudes of harmonically varying loads to those of the responses. The resulting dynamic stiffness matrix is used with particular reference to the Wittrick-Williams algorithm to carry out free vibration analyses. According to the doublet lattice method, the natural mode shapes are subsequently used as generalized motions for the generation of the unsteady aerodynamic generalized forces. Finally, the g-method is used to conduct flutter analyses of both isotropic and laminated composite lifting surfaces. The obtained results perfectly match those from 1D and 2D finite elements and those from experimental analyses. It can be stated that refined beam models are compulsory to deal with the flutter analysis of wing models whereas classical and lower-order models (up to the second-order) are not able to detect those flutter conditions that are characterized by bending-torsion couplings.

• Advances in materials Research
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.77-89
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• 2014

In the present article, the thermal buckling of zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is studied using a nonlocal refined shear deformation beam theory and Von-Karman geometric nonlinearity. The model developed simulates both small scale effects and higher-order variation of transverse shear strain through the depth of the nanobeam. Furthermore the present formulation also accommodates stress-free boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the nanobeam. A shear correction factor, therefore, is not required. The equivalent Young's modulus and shear modulus for zigzag SWCNTs are derived using an energy-equivalent model. The present study illustrates that the thermal buckling properties of SWCNTs are strongly dependent on the scale effect and additionally on the chirality of zigzag carbon nanotube. Some illustrative examples are also presented to verify the present formulation and solutions. Good agreement is observed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.659-683
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• 2014

The static analysis of structures with arbitrary cross-section geometry and material lamination via a refined one-dimensional (1D) approach is presented in this paper. Higher-order 1D models with a variable order of expansion for the displacement field are developed on the basis of Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). Classical Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories are obtained as particular cases of the first-order model. Numerical results of displacement, strain and stress are provided by using the finite element method (FEM) along the longitudinal direction for different configurations in excellent agreement with three-dimensional (3D) finite element solutions. In particular, a layered thin-walled cylinder is considered as first assessment with a laminated conventional cross-section. An atherosclerotic plaque is introduced as a typical structure with arbitrary cross-section geometry and studied for both the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous material cases through the 1D variable kinematic models. The analyses highlight limitations of classical beam theories and the importance of higher-order terms in accurately detecting in-plane cross-section deformation without introducing additional numerical problems. Comparisons with 3D finite element solutions prove that 1D CUF provides remarkable three-dimensional accuracy in the analysis of even short and nonhomogeneous structures with arbitrary geometry through a significant reduction in computational cost.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제75권2호
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• pp.247-269
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• 2020

A finite strip formulation was developed for buckling and free vibration analysis of laminated composite plates based on different shear deformation plate theories. The different shear deformation theories such as Zigzag higher order, Refined Plate Theory (RPT) and other higher order plate theories by variation of transverse shear strains through plate thickness in the parabolic form, sine and exponential were adopted here. The two loaded opposite edges of the plate were assumed to be simply supported and remaining edges were assumed to have arbitrary boundary conditions. The polynomial shape functions are applied to assess the in-plane and out-of-plane deflection and rotation of the normal cross-section of plates in the transverse direction. The finite strip procedure based on the virtual work principle was applied to derive the stiffness, geometric and mass matrices. Numerical results were obtained based on various shear deformation plate theories to verify the proposed formulation. The effects of length to thickness ratios, modulus ratios, boundary conditions, the number of layers and fiber orientation of cross-ply and angle-ply laminates were determined. The additional results on the same effects in the interaction of biaxial in-plane loadings on the critical buckling load were determined as well.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제9권6호
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• pp.499-519
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• 2020

The effect of porosity on the thermo-mechanical behavior of simply supported functionally graded plate reposed on the Winkler-Pasternak foundation is investigated analytically in the present paper using new refined hyperbolic shear deformation plate theory. Both even and uneven distribution of porosity are taken into account and the effective properties of FG plates with porosity are defined by theoretical formula with an additional term of porosity. The present formulation is based on a refined higher order shear deformation theory, which is based on four variables and it still accounts for parabolic distribution of the transverse shearing strains and stresses through the thickness of the FG plate and takes into account the various distribution shape of porosity. The elastic foundation is described by the Winkler-Pasternak model. Anew modified power-law formulation is used to describe the material properties of FGM plates in the thickness direction. The closed form solutions are obtained by using Navier technique. The present results are verified in comparison with the published ones in the literature. The results show that the dimensionless and stresses are affected by the porosity volume fraction, constituent volume fraction, and thermal load.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.199-209
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• 2012

An advanced aeroelastic formulation for flutter analyses is presented in this paper. Refined 1D structural models were coupled with the doublet lattice method, and the g-method was used for flutter analyses. Structural models were developed in the framework of the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). Higher-order 1D structural models were obtained by using Taylor-like expansions of the cross-section displacement field of the structure. The order (N) of the expansion was considered as a free parameter since it can be arbitrarily chosen as an input of the analysis. Convergence studies on the order of the structural model can be straightforwardly conducted in order to establish the proper 1D structural model for a given problem. Flutter analyses were conducted on several wing configurations and the results were compared to those from literature. Results show the enhanced capabilities of CUF 1D in dealing with the flutter analysis of typical wing structures with high accuracy and low computational costs.