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As an ancient paper craft originating from Japan, origami has been naturally embedded and contextualized in a variety of applications in the fields of mathematics, engineering, food packaging, and biological design. The computational and manufacturing capabilities today urge us to develop significantly new forms of folding as well as different materials for folding. In this paper, by allowing line cuts with crease patterns and creating folded hinges across basic structural units (BSU), typically not done in origami, we achieve a new multiprimitive folding framework such as using tetrahedral, cuboidal, prismatic, and pyramidal components, called “Kinetogami.” “Kinetogami” enables one to fold up closed-loop(s) polyhedral mechanisms (linkages) with multi-degree-of-freedom and self-deployable characteristics in a single build. This paper discusses a set of mathematical and design theories to enable design of 3D structures and mechanisms all folded from preplanned printed sheet materials. We present prototypical exploration of folding polyhedral mechanisms in a hierarchical manner as well as their transformations through reconfiguration that reorients the material and structure. The explicit 2D fabrication layout and construction rules are visually parameterized for geometric properties to ensure a continuous folding motion free of intersection. As a demonstration artifact, a multimaterial sheet is 3D printed with elastomeric flexure hinges connecting the rigid plastic facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miura and Miura-derivative rigid origami patterns are increasingly used for engineering and architectural applications. However, geometric modelling approaches used in existing studies are generally haphazard, with pattern identifications and parameterizations varying widely. Consequently, relationships between Miura-derivative patterns are poorly understood, and widespread application of rigid patterns to the design of folded plate structures is hindered. This paper explores the relationship between the Miura pattern, selected because it is a commonly used rigid origami pattern, and first-level derivative patterns, generated by altering a single characteristic of the Miura pattern. Five alterable characteristics are identified in this paper: crease orientation, crease alignment, developability, flat-foldability, and rectilinearity. A consistent parameterization is presented for five derivative patterns created by modifying each characteristic, with physical prototypes constructed for geometry validation. It is also shown how the consistent parameterization allows first-level derivative geometries to be combined into complex piecewise geometries. All parameterizations presented in this paper have been compiled into a matlab Toolbox freely available for research purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solving a multiple-criteria optimization problem with severe constraints remains a significant issue in multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. The problem primarily stems from the need for a suitable constraint handling technique. One potential approach is balancing the search in feasible and infeasible regions to find the Pareto front efficiently. The justification for such a strategy is that the infeasible region also provides valuable information, especially in problems with a small percentage of feasibility areas. To that end, this paper investigates the potential of the infeasibility-driven principle based on multiple constraint ranking-based techniques to solve a multi-objective problem with a small feasibility ratio. By analyzing the results from intensive experiments on a set of test problems, including the realistic multi-objective car structure design and actuator design problem, it is shown that there is a significant improvement gained in terms of convergence by utilizing the generalized version of the multiple constraint ranking techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple global trends and drivers have resulted in a steep escalation of tech-socio-economic inequities in basic human needs across industrialized as well as industrializing nations. This escalation is paralleled by the growing trend of novel and simple frugal innovations for meeting basic human needs, which are applied across various communities in the world towards bridging gaps of inequity. Frugality in this context is defined as minimizing the use of capital resources while delivering effective manufacturing product outcomes. It is noteworthy that frugal innovations are abundantly observed in the biological designs in nature. This paper is aimed at understanding the methodology of frugal engineering behind the resulting frugal manufacturing innovations through discovering the cross-section of frameworks of biological designs in nature and equitable social innovations. Authors have applied the framework of biological designs as these designs are observed to deliver multifunctionality, resilience, and sustainability, which are key to a frugal and equitable innovation platform and achieved by the frugal engineering process. As water is one of the most basic human needs, this paper uses water as an illustrative example to understand the frugal engineering process. The authors discuss designs in nature from cactus, tree roots, and human skin, and design parallels in related frugal innovations namely in fog-capturing nets, ice stupa, and Zeer (pot-in-a-pot), respectively, for equitable water access. The authors propose and discuss a resulting methodology for frugal engineering. This methodology can be utilized as a starting point for developing case-specific socially conscious manufacturing solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineers and scientists have a key role to play in the creation and implementation of government policy. Policymakers need access to the technical expertise that is critical to our national progress and security; however, this need is often overlooked by engineering students, faculty, and professionals. Even though a substantial fraction of scientists and engineers end up pursuing jobs in government, engineering curricula do not usually provide any background in policy and for many, the policy-making process remains a black box. The good news is that there are some simple ways to make it more accessible and to encourage increased involvement. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the federal policy-making process and present a collection of classroom learning activities that link policy-making and implementation to science and engineering. These can easily be added to existing courses without wholesale curricular changes. We also suggest professional development activities for engineers at all stages of their careers and discuss ways for engineers to become involved in the policy process. Introducing learning and career development activities focused on science and engineering policy will better prepare engineers to provide needed technical expertise to policymakers. It may also encourage engineers to consider careers in local, state, and federal government., (Copyright © 2020 by ASME.)

Mobile networks, constructed with simple linkages by tessellation, have great application potential in engineering as they could change their shapes according to the need of working state by one degree-of-freedom (DOF). However, the existing one-DOF networks are always composed of bar-like links, and cooperated membranes should be designed and fabricated additionally, which makes the design and the realization more complicated. This paper is to construct a one-DOF network of Bennett linkages with identical square panels. Geometric conditions to construct the network are derived by investigating the kinematic compatibility, kinematics is carried out to show the relationships among all Bennett linkages, and the discussion on the design parameter shows the extensibility and the deploying performance, which is validated by two physical prototypes. This work initials the construction of mobile networks with identical polygon-like links, which will simplify the fabrication and realization of deployable structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 90th Anniversary of the Fluids Engineering Division (FED) of ASME will he celebrated on July 10-14, 2016 in Washington, DC. The venue is ASME’s Summer Heat Transfer Conference (SHTC), Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting (FEDSM), and International Conference on Nanochannels and Microchannels (1CNMM). The occasion is an opportune time to celebrate and reflect on the origin of FED and its predecessor—the Hydraulic Division (HYD), which existed from 1926-1963. Therefore, the FED Executive Committee decided that it would be appropriate to publish concurrently a history of the HYD/FED. Accordingly, they commissioned Paul Cooper, C. Samuel Martin, and Timothy O’ Hern to prepare this paper, which would document the division’s past. A brief work in this direction had appeared in the 2010 FED Newsletter (Morgan, W. B., 2010, Brief History of ASME’s HydrauliclFluids Engineering Division, Fluids Engineering Division Newsletter, New York, pp. 6-7), and the research by Martin for the present paper had been under way for several years prior to that (Cooper, P., 2010, “Histoiy of the FED," FED Executive Committee at the ASME-CSME Fluids Engineering Summer Conference (FEDSM-2010), Montreal, OC, Canada, Aug., p. 14). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A TOBI (tangential on board injection), or preswirl, system is a critical component of a high pressure turbine cooling delivery system. Its efficient performance and characterization are critical because the blade and disk life depend on the accuracy of delivering the required flow at the correct temperature and pressure. This paper presents a TOBI flow discharge coefficient validation process applied to a low radius radial configuration starting from a 1 dimensional (1D ) network flow analysis to a 3 dimensional ( 3 D ) frozen rotor computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the rotor cooling air delivery system. The analysis domain commences in the combustor plenum stationary reference frame, includes the TOBI, transitions to the rotating reference frame as the flow travels through the rotating cover plate orifice, continues up the turbine disk into the slot bottom blade feed cavity, and terminates in the turbine blade. The present effort includes matching a 1D network model with 3D CFD results using simultaneous goal-matching of the pressure predictions throughout the circuit, defining test rig pressure measurements at critical "nondisturbing" locations for quanification of pressure ratio across the TOBI, and finally comparing the TOB1 flow coefficient resulting from stationary cold flow tests with what was obtained from the 3D CFD results. An analysis of the results indicates that the discharge coefficient varies with the pressure ratio and that the traditional method of using a constant discharge coefficient extracted from a cold flow test run under choked conditions leads to overpredicting turbine cooling flows. The TOBI flow coefficient prediction for the present study compares well with the stationary data published by other researchers for the configuration under investigation and the process described in this paper is general for any TOBI configuration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting both average flow quantities and acoustic sources ati the front window of today's ground vehicles are still a considerable challenge to automotive companies worldwide. One of the most important aspects in terms of obtaining not only trus!worthy results but also the most tedious one and therefore perhaps overlooked, is the control and outcome of the mesh generation process. Generating unstructured volume meshes suitable for large eddy simulations with high level representation of geometrical details is both a time consuming and an extremely computer demanding activity. This work investigates two different mesh generation processes with its main aim to evaluate their outcome with respect to the prediction of the two dominating dipole sources in a temporal form of the CurIe `s equation. Only a handful of papers exists that report a high level representation of the vehicle geometry and the aim of predicting the fluctuating exterior noise sources. To the author's knowledge no studies have been conducted in which both these source tenns are evaluated quantitatively against measurements. The current paper investigates the degree to which the amplitude of these two source terms can be predicted by using the traditional law–of–the–wall and hex–dominant meshes with isotropic resolution boxes for a detailed ground vehicle geometry. For this purpose, the unstructured segregated commercial FLUENT finite volume method code is used. The flow field is treated as incompressible and the Smagorinsky–Lilly model is used to compute the subgrid stresses. Mean flow quantities are measured with a 14 hole probe for 14 rakes downstream of the side mirror The dynamic pressure sensors are distributed at 16 different positions over the side window to capture the fluctuating pressure signals. All measurements in this work were conducted at Ford's acoustic wind tunnel in Cologne. All three simulations accurately predict the velocity magnitude closest to the window and downstream of the mirror head recirculation zone. Some variations in the size and shape of this recirculation zone are found between the different meshes, most probably caused by differences in the detachment of the mirror head boundary layer. The Strouhal number of the shortest simulation was computed from the fundamentalfrequency of the drag force coefficient. The computed Strouhal number agrees well with the corresponding results from similar objects and gives an indication of an acceptable simulation time. The dynamic pressure sensors at 16 different locations at the vehicle side window were also used to capture the levels of the two dipole source terms. These results are compared with the three simulations. With the exception of three positions, at least one of the three simulations accurately captures the levels of both source terms up to about 1000 Hz. The three positions with less agreement as compared with measurements were found to be in regions sensitive to small changes in the local flow direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes optimality principles for the design of an engineering bifurcating-tube tree consisting of the convection and diffusion zones to attain the most effective gas transport. An optimality principle is formulated for the diffusion zone to maximize the total diffusion mass-transfer rate of gas across tube walls under a constant total-volume constraint. This optimality principle produces a new diameter distribution for the diffusion zone in contrast to the classical distribution for the convection zone. In addition, this paper gives a length distribution for an engineering tree based on an optimality principle for minimizing the total weight of the tree under constraints of a finite surface and elastic criteria for structural stability. Furthermore, the optimum branching angles are evaluated based on local optimality principles for a single bifurcating-tube branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many applications in precision engineering require a careful isolation of the instrument from the vibration sources by adopting active vibration isolation system to achieve a very low remaining vibration level, especially for the very low frequency under 10 Hz vibration signals. This paper presents a 3-PUPU dual parallel manipulator for both rough positioning and active vibration isolation in a wide-range workspace based on our previous research experiences in the systematical modeling and study of parallel robots. The manipulator is designed as a kind of macro/micro hybrid robot. Both the kinematics model for macro motion and dynamics model for micro motion are established by using stiffness equation and the Kane's method, respectively. An active vibration control strategy is described by using the H2 method. Moreover, numerical simulations on the inverse solution for macro motion, workspace, and the active vibration control effects are performed at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of thin metal cases or tubes with a filling made of metal foams is interesting and promising for many applications, in mechanical engineering. Components made of an outer hollow thin compact metal structure and a cellular lightweight core are especially suited to energy absorption applications. In order to allow for an efficient product/process design with a concurrent engineering approach, reliable and computationally affordable finite element method (FEM) calculations are required by both product and process engineers. The structural performance of these complex composite parts must be numerically predicted, in order to find the optimal combination of outer structure and metal foam properties. While FEM simulation at large deformations of bending, crushing, etc. of thin sheets and tubes is state of the art, the accurate FEM simulation of the mechanical behavior of metal foams cannot be considered fully established. In this paper the three most common methods for FEM simulation of metal foam materials are discussed: (a) homogenization approach, (b) realistic reconstruction of tomographic data, and (c) repetition of standard unit cells. A new effective approach is proposed, suited for simulation of composite, metal foam filled, structures of realistic dimensions. The approach is based on meshing the metal foam by replicating a unit cell made of 32 triangular shell elements, and then by randomizing the nodal position in order to emulate the intrinsic homogeneity of foam morphology. The method is validated by means of different experimental tests. The results show that the proposed method correctly predicts the behavior of foam structures in axial compression. The method slightly overestimated the actual load registered in three point bending tests. Several improvements are described and discussed in the paper, such as randomization of nodal positions of the mesh, in order_ to reduce the overestimation of forces. An FEM approach for the simulation of large deformations of metal foam filled metal structure (e.g., tubes) suited for the design of realistic large dimensions structural components has been presented. The proposed method shows some innovative features with respect to the available scientific literature, such as a configuration based on octahedral unit cells with low number of triangular shell elements. Randomization of nodal positions of each unit cell has been implemented as a method for better representing the intrinsic variability of metal foams and for reducing the stiffness of the simulated structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes an attempt to devise an engineering method suitable for predicting fatigue lifetime of metallic materials subjected to both proportional and nonproportional multiaxial cyclic loadings. The proposed approach takes as a starting point the assumption that the plane experiencing the maximum shear strain amplitude (the so-called "critical plane") is coincident with the micro-/mesocrack initiation plane. In order to correctly account for the presence of both nonzero mean stresses and nonzero out-of-phase angles, the degree of multiaxiality/nonproportionalily of the stress state damaging crack initiation sites is suggested here to be evaluated in terms of the ratio between maximum normal stress and shear stress amplitude relative to the critical plane. Such a ratio is used then to define nonconventional Manson-Coffin curves, whose calibration is done through two strain-life curves generated under fully reversed uniaxial and fully reversed torsional fatigue loadings, respectively. The accuracy and reliability of our approach were systematically checked by using approximately 350 experimental data taken from the technical literature and generated by testing 13 different materials under both in-phase and out-of-phase loadings. Moreover the accuracy of our criterion in estimating lifetime in the presence of nonzero mean stresses was also investigated. Such an extensive validation exercise allowed us to prove that the fatigue life estimation technique formalized in the present paper is a reliable tool capable of correctly evaluating fatigue damage in engineering materials subjected to multiaxial cyclic loading paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we derive some analytical solutions of the Kamal cure rate differential equation. The Kamal model is a first order quasilinear ordinary differential equation, describing the progress of the curing reaction of several thermosetting polymers. All the examined cases refer to isothermal curing processes. The solutions obtained in this paper are all of implicit form. The derived solutions are applied to a repair technique based on the adhesive bonding of polymer matrix composite patches onto damaged or corroded areas. Critical duration times of realistic cure cycles corresponding to composite patch repair are estimated. The practical importance of the proposed analytic solutions is demonstrated through the presented engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a three-dimensional numerical elasto-plastic model for the contact of nominally fiat surfaces based on the periodic expandability of surface topography. This model is built on two algorithms: the continuous convolution and Fourier transform (CC-FT) and discrete convolution and fast Fourier transform (DC-FFT), modified with duplicated padding. This model considers the effect of asperity interactions and gives a detailed description of subsurface stress and strain fields caused by the contact of elasto-plastic solids with rough surfaces. Formulas of the frequency response functions (FRF) for elastic/plastic stresses and residual displacement are given in this paper. The model is verified by comparing the numerical results to several analytical solutions. The model is utilized to simulate the contacts involving a two-dimensional wavy surface and an engineering rough surface in order to examine its capability of evaluating the elasto-plastic contact behaviors of nominally flat surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate oscillations of a dynamical system containing passive dynamics driven by a positive feedback and how spatial characteristics (i.e., symmetry) affect the amplitude and stability of its nominal limit cycling response. The physical motivation of this problem is thermoacoustic dynamics in a gas turbine combustor. The spatial domain is periodic (passive annular acoustics) which are driven by heat released from a combustion process, and with sufficient driving through this nonlinear feedback a limit cycle is produced which is exhibited by a traveling acoustic wave around this annulus. We show that this response can be controlled passively by spatial perturbation in the symmetry of acoustic parameters. We find the critical parameter values that affect this oscillation, study the bifurcation properties, and subsequently use harmonic balance and temporal averaging to characterize periodic solutions and their stability. In all of these cases, we carry a parameter associated with the spatial symmetry of the acoustics and investigate how this symmetry affects the system response. The contribution of this paper is a unique analysis of a particular physical phenomena, as well as illustrating the equivalence of different nonlinear analysis tools for this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an extended stress-based forming limit curve (XSFLC) that can be used to predict the onset of necking in sheet metal loaded under non-proportional load paths, as well as under three-dimensional stress states. The conventional strain-based ϵFLC is transformed into the stress-based FLC advanced by Stoughron (1999, Int. J. Mech. Sci., 42, pp. 1–27). This, in turn, is converted into the XSFLC, which is characterized by the two invariants, mean stress and equivalent stress. Assuming that the stress states at the onset of necking under plane stress loading are equivalent to those under three-dimensional loading, the XSFLC is used in conjunction with finite element computations to predict the onset of necking during tubular hydroforming. Hydroforming of straight and pre-bent tubes of EN-AW 5018 aluminum alloy and DP 600 steel are considered. Experiments carried out with these geometries and alloys are described and modeled using finite element computations. These computations, in conjunction with the XSFLC, allow quantitative predictions of necking pressures; and these predictions are found to agree to within 10% of the experimentally obtained necking pressures. The computations also provide a prediction of final failure location with remarkable accuracy. In some cases, the predictions using the XSFLC show some discrepancies when compared with the experimental results, and this paper addresses potential causes for these discrepancies. Potential improvements to the framework of the XSFLC are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have great potential for use in the field of civil engineering. The authors of this paper have been involved, from 1996, in several experimental and theoretical studies of the application of SMAs in civil engineering, for national and international research projects. This paper provides an overview of the main results achieved, consisting of the conceptual design, implementation, and testing of three families of SMA-based devices, namely: (i) special braces for framed structures, (ii) seismic isolation devices for buildings and bridges, and (iii) smart ties for arches and vaults. The main advantage of using SMA-based devices in the seismic protection of structures comes from the double-flag shape of their hysteresis loops, which implies three favorable features, i.e., self-centering capability, good energy dissipation capability, and high stiffness at small displacements. The main advantage of smart ties comes from the thermal behavior of SMA superelastic wires, which is opposite to that of steel rod. This implies a strong reduction of the force changes caused by variations of air temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a summary of our most recent advances in Thermoeconomic Diagnosis, developed during the last three years, and how they can be integrated in a zooming strategy oriented toward the operational diagnosis of complex systems. In fact, this paper can be considered a continuation of the work presented at the International Conference ECOS'99 in which the concepts of malfunction (intrinsic and induced) and dysfunction were analyzed in detail. These concepts greatly facilitate and simplify the analysis, the understanding, and the quantification of how the presence of an anomaly, or malfunction, affects the behavior of the other plant devices and of the whole system. However what remains unresolved is the so-called inverse problem of diagnosing, i.e., given two states of the plant (actual and reference operating conditions), find the causes of deviation of the actual conditions with respect to the reference conditions. The present paper tackles this problem and describes significant advances in addressing how to locate the actual causes of malfunctions, based on the application of procedures for filtering induced effects that hide the real causes of degradation. In this paper a progressive zooming thermoeconomic diagnosis procedure, which allows one to concentrate the analysis in an ever more specific zone is described and applied to a combined cycle. In an accompanying paper the accuracy of the diagnosis results is discussed, depending on choice of the thermoeconomic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major drawbacks of present cost estimation models is their incapability of embracing effectively complete product development stage. Parametric estimation works well in early design stage, but when it comes to detail design stage, a more complete estimation is provided by process model based and detail estimation techniques. A major paradigm shift is proposed in this paper whereby "Cost" is to be considered as a design parameter from scientific perspective and it is to be treated as a design consequence rather than as an operational outcome. A comprehensive framework using System Analysis fundamentals is designed to study "Process Cost" aspects of a part or a design. The paper gives detailed implementation of this new approach for objects manufactured largely by milling operation. The paper also suggests a methodology to extend this approach to other manufacturing processes. The proposed Generic Cost Estimation Model shows good agreement with cost estimation by commercial estimation software when applied to the objects manufactured by milling process. It also promises integration of "Cost" with other disciplines in Multidisciplinary Optimization and Collaborative Engineering. The integration is achievable through new information technology interface tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibration is an environmental factor with hazardous effects on the instruments' precision, structural stability, and service life in engineering fields. Many kinds of energy dissipation devices have been invented to reduce the dynamic responses of structures and instruments due to environmental excitations. In this paper, a new kind of vibration isolation and suppression device with high damping performance, fine deformation recoverability, and bearing capacity for platform structures is developed, which is designed by considering the combination of the energy dissipation mechanisms of viscoelastic material, viscous fluid, and air spring. A series of dynamic properties tests on the device are carried out under different excitation frequencies and displacement amplitudes, and a mathematical model considering the coupling effects of energy dissipation of viscoelastic material, viscous liquid, and air spring is proposed. The research results indicate that the vibration isolation and suppression device has high damping capacity, and the proposed mathematical model can well describe the mechanical properties affected by excitation frequency and displacement amplitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fillet weld joint is widely used in engineering structures, but a lot of failures have been generated in the fillet joint affected greatly by weld residual stress, and it is very important to decrease the residual stress. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method using overlay welding and cutting (OWC) to reduce the residual stress in the fillet weld. First, the overlay welding is applied on the root surface of fillet weld, and then the overlaid metal is removed again by cutting. In order to verify this method, a thermal-elasto-plastic analysis method, using finite-element analysis (FEA) techniques, is developed to evaluate the residual stress change during the process of OWC. The impact indention measurement is also used to measure the surface residual stress. The results of FEA were compared with experimental data to confirm the accuracy of the developed finite-element method (FEM). In order to provide a guideline for design, the dimension effects including overlay weld width and height on residual stress have been investigated. It finds that OWC can decrease 25-40% of the as-weld residual stress, and increasing the overlay width and height is helpful to decrease the residual stress, which provides a reference for the reduction of residual stress in the fillet weld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear matching method (LMM), a direct numerical method for determining shakedown and ratchet limits of components, has seen significant development in recent years. Previous verifications of these developments against cyclic nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) have shown favorable results, and now this verification process is being extended to include comparisons with experimental results. This paper presents a comparison of LMM analysis with experimental tests for limit loads and shakedown limits available in the literature. The limit load and shakedown limits were determined for pipe intersections and nozzle-sphere intersections, respectively, thus testing the accuracy of the LMM when analyzing real plant components. Details of the component geometries, materials and test procedures used in the experiments are given. Following this a description of the LMM analysis is given which includes a description of how these features have been interpreted for numerical analysis. A comparison of the results shows that the LMM is capable of predicting accurate yet conservative limit loads and shakedown limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral structures have many technologically significant applications in engineering. In this paper, we investigate, both theoretically and experimentally, the structural transformation from a symmetric X-shaped tensegrity to a chiral structure under uniaxial tension. When the applied tensile force exceeds a critical value, the initially achiral structure would exhibit snap-through buckling. At the critical state, the in-plane deformation mode of the tensegrity switches into an off-plane one. The critical condition of the structural transformation is provided in terms of structural parameters. An experiment was performed to validate the theoretical model. This work may not only deepen our understanding of the stability of tensegrities but also help design chiral structures for engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure mode and fatigue behavior of dissimilar friction stir spot welds in lap-shear specimens of transformation-induced plasticity steel (TRIP780) and hot-stamped boron steel (HSBS) sheets are examined in this paper. Optical micrographs of the dissimilar TRIP780IHSBS friction stir spot welds made by a concave silicon nitride tool before and after testing are obtained and examined. These micrographs indicate that subject to quasi-static and cyclic loading conditions, the TRIP780/HSBS welds fail from cracks growing through the TRIP780 sheets where the tool was plunged into and the thickness was reduced. The bending moments and the transverse shear force near the welds are derived with consideration of the load offset, the weld gap, and the bend distance for calculation of analytical global stress intensity factor solutions for the welds in lap-shear specimens. A fatigue model of kinked crack growth is used to estimate fatigue lives based on the local stress intensity factor solutions for kinked cracks. The estimated fatigue lives with consideration of the weld gap and the bend distance are in agreement with the fatigue test results under low-cycle loading conditions and lower than the fatigue test results under high-cycle loading conditions. The estimated fatigue lives suggest that the weld gap and the bend distance can significantly affect fatigue lives of the friction stir spot welds in lap-shear specimens under cyclic loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roller clinching is an effective way to join continuous sheet metal components. In contrast to translational clinching, joining with rotational tool movement is a continuous process in which the semifinished parts can be fed through the joining device at a constant high velocity without stopping and accelerating. Because of the special kinematics, which differs from translational clinching, the clinchpoint reveals an asymmetric joint formation. This paper deals with the influence of different rolling radii of the tools and stripping forces on the clinchpoint formation and the resulting mechanical joint properties. Experiments are performed to determine tensile and shear strengths of the rotational clinchpoints. They are compared to the properties of translational clinchpoints. Furthermore, the kinematic mechanisms during roller clinching influencing the clinchpoint geometiy are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the mechanical properties of defect-free thin walled elbows (TWE), and evaluate impacts of the intermediate principal stress effect, tension/compression ratio, and strain-hardening of materials into logical consideration, this research, in the framework of finite deformation theory, derived the computational formula of burst pressure for defect-free TWE according to unified strength theory (UST). In addition, influences of various factors on burst pressure were analyzed, which include strength disparity (SD) effect of materials, intermediate principal stress, curvature influence coefficient, strain-hardening exponent, yield to tensile (Y/T) and thickness/radius ratio. The results show that the greater the tension/compression ratio is, the higher the burst pressure is. The influence of the SD effect of materials is more obvious with the increase of elbow curvature and intermediate principal stress. The intermediate principal stress effect can bring the self-bearing capacities and strength potential of materials into a full play, which can achieve certain economic benefits for projects. Moreover, the burst pressure of defect-free TWE increases with the growth of yield ratio and thickness/radius ratio, while decreases with the rise of curvature influence coefficient and strain-hardening exponent. It is also concluded that the Tresca-based and Mohr-Coulomb-based solutions of TWE are the lower bounds of the burst pressure, the twin shear stress (TSS)-based solution is the upper bound of the burst pressure, and the solutions based on the other yield criteria are between the above two. The unified solution in this paper is suitable for all kinds of isotropous materials which have the SD effect and intermediate principal stress effect. As the deduced formula has unified various burst pressure expressions proposed on the basis of different yield criteria for elbows of any curvature (including straight pipelines), and has established the quantitative relationships among them, its applicability is broader. Therefore, the unified solution is of great significance in security design and integrity assessment of defect-free TWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable manufacturing requires simultaneous consideration of economic, environmental, and social implications associated with the production and delivery of goods. Fundamentally, sustainable manufacturing relies on descriptive metrics, advanced decision-making, and public policy for implementation, evaluation, and feedback. In this paper, recent research into concepts, methods, and tools for sustainable manufacturing is explored. At the manufacturing process level, engineering research has addressed issues related to planning, development, analysis, and improvement of processes. At a manufacturing systems level, engineering research has addressed challenges relating to facility operation, production planning and scheduling, and supply chain design. Though economically vital, manufacturing processes and systems have retained the negative image of being inefficient, polluting, and dangerous. Industrial and academic researchers are re-imagining manufacturing as a source of innovation to meet society's future needs by undertaking strategic activities focused on sustainable processes and systems. Despite recent developments in decision making and process- and systems-level research, many challenges and opportunities remain. Several of these challenges relevant to manufacturing process and system research, development, implementation, and education are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the mixing enhancement of a micromixer consisting of a step channel and a shuttlecock rotor suspended in the step is numerically analyzed. Asymptotic mixing performance is investigated as a function of Strouhal and Peclet numbers by particle tracking simulation and the Eulerian approach. The simulation results show that the rotor creates downward and inward flows in behind the rotor paddles, whereas the upward and outward flows are produced in front of the rotor paddles. At a small Strouhal number, convective mixing is very poor. However, the mixing direction is rotated by 90 deg, which can reduce the mixing time by the square of the aspect ratio of the cross section of the channel. In contrast, at a relatively large Strouhal number, good convective mixing occurs. Quantitative analysis of mixing performance of the mixer demonstrates that the mixing structures are similar for the same Strouhal number and mixing is improved with increasing Strouhal number. The mixing efficiency of the mixer decreases linearly with increasing log of the Peclet number at a relatively large Strouhal number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]