In this paper, we extended Blondeaux [1], Liu, et al. [2] and Mei and Yu's [3] theories to study the porous effect on instability of rippled bed under the partially standing surface waves. Comparisons are made with both Blondeaux and Mei & Yu's theoretical predictions and experimental data performed by many other authors. We found that based on the linear instability analysis and the parameter regimes we explored the percolation effect can change the threshold conditions by 10 ∼ 20 percent and the seepage force is negligible up to O(∈). Furthermore, the steady streamings with or without porous effect show the considerable difference in intensities at the same locations and it might change the sediment transport rate especially the suspended load.

A new 3C duct design method is proposed for designing a high quality, energy-efficiency cost-effective air duct system. It not only considers the demand of volume flow rate, but also takes into consideration a number of issues including system pressure balance, noise, vibration, space limitation and total system cost. This new method comprises three major calculation procedures: initial computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided simulation (CAS) and correction processes (CP). An example is presented in this study to understand the characteristics of 3C method. It shows that 3C duct design method provides a simple computation procedure for an optimum air duct system. It also shortens the design schedule, prevents human calculation errors, and reduces the dependence on designer experience. In addition to apply in a new duct system design, 3C duct design method is also a powerful design tool for the expansion of an existing duct system.

In this paper, based on a variational formalism which originally proposed by Mei [1] for infinite elastic medium and extended by Yeh, et al. [2,3] for elastic half-plane, a hybrid method which combines the finite element and series expansion method is implemented to solve the diffraction of plane waves by a cavity buried in an elastic half-plane. The finite domain which encloses all inhomogeneities including the cavity can be easily formulated by finite element methods. The unknown boundary data obtained by subtracting the known free fields from the total fields which include the boundary nodal displacements and tractions at the interface between the finite domain and the surrounding elastic half-plane are not independent of each other and can be correlated through a series representation. Due to the continuity condition at the interface, the same series representation is still valid for the exterior elastic half-plane to represents the scattered wave. The unknown coefficients of this series are treated as generalized coordinates and can be easily formulated by the same variational principle. The expansion function of the series is composed of basis function. Each basis function is constructed from the basis function for an infinite plane by superimposing an additional homogeneous reflective term to satisfy both traction free conditions at ground surface and radiation conditions at infinity. The numerical results are made against those obtained by boundary element methods, and good agreements are found.

In this paper, the FEM with the incremental endochronic cyclic plasticity (EndoFEM) and the rc controlled node-released strategy are employed to study the fatigue crack opened/closed load (Pop) of Al 2024-T3 CCT specimens provided by Mageed and Pandey under several crack lengths and the constant amplitude with various load ratio (R). After statisfactory results are achieved by comparisons of computed Pop values and cited experimental data, the simulations will be extended to the crack lengths with significant bending effect due to short ligaments or high peak (Pmax) or high positive or very low negative R cyclic loads. Through these simulations, the complete map of Pop/Pmax vs. Kmax and R can be constructed and thereafter its correspondant empirical formulae can be proposed. Using these formulae and selecting the traditional fatigue crack growth parameter ΔKeff, the Al 2024-T3 fatigue crack growth rate da/dN vs. ΔK and R data, provided by Hiroshi and Schijve, can be employed to proposed empirical formulae of da/dN vs. ΔKeff and R. After integration, fatigue-crack-growth length a vs. N curves computed by EndoFEM can be obtained. The results are agreed very well with the existing experimental curves.

According to the above procedures of simulation and steps of comparions with experiment, this paper may provides an integrate methodology of numerical simulation in the studies of fatigue crack growth for academic and industrial researches and design analysis.

Multilayer piezoelectric stack actuators are widely used in many industrial applications and the investigation on the dynamic behavior of this element is needed. In this study, two optical interferometric techniques called amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) and laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) are used to experimentally investigate the vibration characteristics of a single-layer piezoelectric disc and a multilayer piezoelectric stack actuator. These two techniques are full-field measurement for AF-ESPI and point-wise displacement measurement for LDV. Because the clear fringe patterns obtained by the AF-ESPI method will be shown only at resonant frequencies, both the resonant frequencies and corresponding vibration mode shapes of the piezoelectric disc and the multilayer piezoelectric stack actuator are obtained simultaneously by the AF-ESPI method. Interferometric fringe patterns for both the in-plane and out-of-plane vibration mode shapes are demonstrated. In addition to the proposed two optical techniques, numerical computations based on a commercially available finite element package are presented for comparison with the experimental results. Good agreement between the measured data by experimental methods and the numerical results predicted by FEM is found in resonant frequencies and mode shapes for the single-layer piezoelectric disc. However, some discrepancies are observed for the results obtained by AF-ESPI and impedance analysis for the multilayer piezoelectric stack actuator. A detailed discussion is made to address important issues of this problem.

The effect of stress distribution due to the changes of the distal screw alignment in relation to the Gamma nail and the femoral shaft is thoroughly studied in this paper. Failure of the Gamma nail composite occurs through the cranial aperture of the distal screws and the insertion hole for the lag screw due to nonunion, delayed-union and continued weight-bearing. A three-dimensional finite element model was used to study the fractured femur, the Gamma nail, the lag screw and the distal locking screws. The first and the second distal screws were inserted into the Gamma nail in four different configurations. We found that the stress of the Gamma nail composite was substantially reduced with the two screws configured in the anterior to posterior direction. This alignment can bear greater loading in the more demanding fracture types. In the subtrochanteric fracture or the comminuted fractures at the proximal femur, the optimal alignment of the two distal screws was in the anterior to posterior direction.