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The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) performances are strongly impacted by the compression of the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL). Despite its fibrous microstructure, this material is usually considered as a continuous medium and characterized with uniform loading. However, the GDL is subjected to a heterogeneous compression onto rib/channel patterns in the fuel cell assembly. In the present study, a complex behavior of the GDL response is experimentally revealed when the material is loaded with a rib/channel pattern, compared to uniform compression. The tests are simulated by finite element modeling using a classical strain-dependent elastic law, using parameters fitted from uniform compression experiments. It is shown that the numerical results do not reproduce the effect of pattern observed experimentally. Hypotheses to interpret these results involve mechanisms at the fiber microscale including fiber fracture, cross-link breakage and fiber rearrangement, which are exacerbated by larger material deformation caused by the heterogeneous loading. • Unexpected impact of rib/channel patterns on GDL compression. • Experimental investigation of the effect of rib/channel width on GDL deformation. • Numerical study with classical model unable to reproduce experimental results. • Interpretations based on mechanisms at the fiber microscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic mechanical behavior and cushioning performance of honeycomb sandwich panels, which are extensively employed in product cushioning packaging due to their exceptional energy absorption capabilities, were examined using a combination of experimental and numerical methods. Several factors, such as maximum acceleration–static stress, cushioning coefficient–static stress, and other curves, were analyzed under various impact conditions. The simulated stress–strain, deformation modes, cushioning coefficients, and other parameters demonstrate consistency with the experimental results. The acceleration, maximum compression, and cushioning coefficient obtained from the experiment and simulation calculation were 30.68 g, 15.44 mm, and 2.65, and 31.96 g, 14.91 mm, and 2.79, respectively. The results indicate that all error values were less than 5%, confirming the precision and reliability of the model. Furthermore, the model was utilized to simulate and predict the cushioning performance of honeycomb sandwich panels with different cell structures and paper thicknesses. These results provide a solid basis for enhancing the design of subsequent honeycomb element structures.

Today, the toilet paper market offers product types with varying number of plies, providing better mechanical strength and liquid absorption. Several tissue paper perforation systems exist, and the best commonly applied is a top-cutting mechanism that includes an oblique blade, a combined oblique blade, or a simple spiral blade. The perforation efficiency must be high to have an easy sheet separation from the roll of the toilet paper, which does not always occur. Hence, consumer satisfaction can depend on the perforation performance. To study this, a laboratory perforation system was used to perforate different commercial toilet papers (in brands and number of plies) and evaluate their perforation efficiency. A finite element method (FEM) was used to simulate the curve of the progression of perforation efficiency as a function of the cut distance. The main findings were a stabilization of the perforation efficiency from a cut distance of 6 mm and a 15% increase in the cut distance for the laboratory blade to match the industrial perforation efficiency. The FEM analysis confirmed the behavior of the evolution of perforation efficiency with the increase of the cut distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic mechanical behavior and cushioning performance of honeycomb sandwich panels, which are extensively employed in product cushioning packaging due to their exceptional energy absorption capabilities, were examined using a combination of experimental and numerical methods. Several factors, such as maximum acceleration–static stress, cushioning coefficient–static stress, and other curves, were analyzed under various impact conditions. The simulated stress–strain, deformation modes, cushioning coefficients, and other parameters demonstrate consistency with the experimental results. The acceleration, maximum compression, and cushioning coefficient obtained from the experiment and simulation calculation were 30.68 g, 15.44 mm, and 2.65, and 31.96 g, 14.91 mm, and 2.79, respectively. The results indicate that all error values were less than 5%, confirming the precision and reliability of the model. Furthermore, the model was utilized to simulate and predict the cushioning performance of honeycomb sandwich panels with different cell structures and paper thicknesses. These results provide a solid basis for enhancing the design of subsequent honeycomb element structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to present the results of paper compression under an axial load. Different heights of samples subjected to compression were taken into account. The main goal of the analysis was to determine experimentally the maximum compression load. In addition, numerical models based on the finite element method (FEM) were validated to refer to empirical results. The performed numerical simulations were founded on Green–Lagrangian nonlinear equations for large displacements and strains. The progressive failure of the compressed orthotropic material after exceeding maximum stresses was based on Hill's anisotropy theory. Nonlinear calculations were conducted by using a typical Newton–Raphson algorithm for achieving a sequence convergence. The accuracy of the developed model was confirmed experimentally in compression tests. The technique of analysing the shape of the compressed paper sample on the basis of images recorded during the measurement was used. The obtained test results are directly applicable in practice, especially in the calculation of the mechanical properties of corrugated cardboard and in determining the load capacity of cardboard packaging. Knowing the maximum compressive stress that packaging paper can withstand allows packaging to be properly designed and its strength assessed in the context of the transport and storage of goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To substantiate the breakdown mechanism of capacitor paper on the basis of numerical-field models with segmented cross-sections of cylindrical volumes of air and water, and also use the proposed models to determine the breakdown strength of air in micron-sized gaps under normal conditions. Methodology. The model bases on a finite element solution to an electrostatic problem in a volume of capacitor paper consisting of cellulose and pores with air and water. First, the possible scenarios for the growth of breakdown in capacitor paper are analyzed and to the conclusion is made, that complete breakdown developed from a partial breakdown in the air cavity. A brand of capacitor paper is chosen in such a way that when its thickness changed, the breakdown strength of the electric field changed over a wide range. Then, for the paper with the lowest average electric field intensity the possibility of explaining the complete breakdown by the breakdown of air segments on the basis of the Paschen dependence is checked. Further points of the obtained dependence by constructing models of papers of the same brand and a different thickness under the assumption of the similarity of electrostatic fields are determined. As such a criterion, the constancy of the equivalent effective permittivity are taken. Results. The dependence of the breakdown strength of the air in the range of 1.36...5.54 μm under normal conditions is determined. The obtained relationship is between the Peschot and Taev curves. Originality. For the first time, the possibility of indirectly estimation the breakdown strength of an insulating material using an electrostatic field model is indicated. Practical value. The proposed method for the numerical calculation of the breakdown voltage of air inclusions in the presence of water inclusions in the thickness of solid insulation can be applied to other types of solid thin-layer insulation.

Ultrathin devices are rapidly developing for skin‐compatible medical applications and wearable electronics. Powering skin‐interfaced electronics requires thin and lightweight energy storage devices, where solution‐processing enables scalable fabrication. To attain such devices, a sequential deposition is employed to achieve all spray‐coated symmetric microsupercapacitors (μSCs) on ultrathin parylene C substrates, where both electrode and gel electrolyte are based on the cheap and abundant biopolymer, cellulose. The optimized spraying procedure allows an overall device thickness of ≈11 µm to be obtained with a 40% active material volume fraction and a resulting volumetric capacitance of 7 F cm−3. Long‐term operation capability (90% of capacitance retention after 104 cycles) and mechanical robustness are achieved (1000 cycles, capacitance retention of 98%) under extreme bending (rolling) conditions. Finite element analysis is utilized to simulate stresses and strains in real‐sized μSCs under different bending conditions. Moreover, an organic electrochromic display is printed and powered with two serially connected μ‐SCs as an example of a wearable, skin‐integrated, fully organic electronic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumina-based multilayer laminates with layers of varied porosities and ceramic fiber reinforcements, which can be achieved by including paper-derived ceramic layers, are interesting candidates for chemically stable and thermal shock resistant materials. In order to investigate the complex sintering behavior of these laminates, the sintering of each alumina layer contained within a laminate, each one with its individual sintering anisotropy and sintering shrinkage, has to be considered separately. For this purpose, sintering curves are determined by dilatometry measurements, serving a consecutive examination by an analytical model. Modeling parameters specific to each layer, are applied in finite-element-type sintering simulations for symmetrical multilayer laminates. Differences in the sintering shrinkages may cause internal stresses at layer interfaces and, in turn, may influence the thermal and mechanical properties of multilayer laminates after sintering. Accordingly, the prediction of developing internal stresses within alumina-based multilayer laminates by the presented sintering simulations is a key aspect of this study. [Display omitted] • Individual laminates sintering dilatometry. • Anisotropic sintering assessment by analytic modeling. • Finite element simulation of multilayer laminates sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible sensors have versatile applications in a home environment to create better ambient intelligence, which still have high fabrication costs and disposable value. As a proof‐of‐concept example to resolve these problems, the graphite‐based sensors on a disposable paper cup by laser patterning to measure the water level and temperature are proposed. The optimal process parameters of graphitic film, sensing mechanisms, and the sensor performance are investigated in the experiments. Moreover, the paper cup with graphitic sensors is simulated by the finite element method to analyze the experimental results. This fast and low‐cost manufacturing method may open up avenues for the development of disposable flexible electronics in smart home necessities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article provides a comprehensive analysis of the aging phenomenon of transformer insulation and the corresponding changes in insulation performance that occur over time. The present manuscript outlines diverse insulating materials that are employed in transformers, the fundamental aging mechanism of the insulation, the function of space charges in the aging of the insulation, and various simulation methodologies utilized for diagnosing the insulation status of the transformer. The primary focus of this paper is to examine the various numerical techniques employed in modeling and analyzing the aging characteristics of transformer insulation. The mechanisms underlying the accumulation of charge and distortion of electric fields in insulation are explained through the utilization of numerical modeling techniques. This paper focuses on understanding the mechanism of insulation aging, thereby facilitating the optimization and maintenance of insulation performance throughout its operational lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air filters are placed upstream of internal combustion engines to remove dust particles in the suction air. In this article, we examine the acoustic characterization of an air-filtering unit in the absence of mean flow. For this purpose, a circular air-filtering unit with an axial inlet and side outlet widely used in the automobile industry is considered. The air-filter element is modeled as an equivalent acoustic fluid with finite flow resistivity. The flow resistivity of the region is estimated from the permeability of the filter paper and the geometrical arrangement of the paper folds (pleats) inside the air-filter element using an electrical analogy. A numerical model based on the finite element method (FEM) and an analytical model using classical one-dimensional plane wave analysis (1-D PWA) was developed. Experiments were carried out using an impedance tube to estimate transmission loss. A good correlation is observed between the FEM model and the experiments. The results obtained from the 1-D PWA are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from the other two methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with fracture mechanisms in quasi-brittle materials, focusing on the characterization of the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) of specimens under tensile load. Particularly, paper was used as model material. Experiments were conducted on notched and unnotched specimens. Based on an image analysis of these observations, a stochastic finite element model was developed, using both a nonlocal stress-based approach and a discretized random field modeling of the Young's modulus. The proposed methodology allowed characterizing the damage zone and the size of the FPZ, analyzing the influence of the mesostructure, composed of flocs (fiber aggregates where the basis weight is larger than the average one) and antiflocs (complement of flocs). The area of the active FPZ and the normalized stress drop were linked using a surface energy dissipated in the active FPZ. The stress drop, until limiting value, increased with the width of the active FPZ. Finally, a relationship between the surface energy and the nonlocal internal length was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this discussion is to establish a connection between the model for sandwich beams presented in Schöftner (Acta Mech 234:2543–2560, 2023) and the so-called Krajcinovic model. Although the two models turn out to be quite similar, Krajcinovic model displays a richer kinematics and has been developed in the literature by following slightly different methodologies with respect to that adopted by Schöftner, the latter having the merit of providing equilibrium equations that allow the computation of the interfacial stresses. We also offer some remarks on the capabilities and accuracies of the models discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper has always been of great importance as a printing and packaging material. Due to its potential for recyclability and reusability, which result in a low environmental impact, it is expected that this importance will soar over the coming years. Nevertheless, even though paper has been in use for decades, many research questions are still open, especially in the field of mechanics. One of these questions is the appropriate size of a representative volume element (RVE) of the microstructure of paper. Therefore, a finite element network model of interconnected fibers was developed which represents the microstructure of paper. In order to create the network model realistically, geometry and material quantities were taken from experimental investigations. Additionally, single fibers and fiber bonds were investigated beforehand in order to incorporate their proper behavior into the network. Based on this, the networks were generated and subsequently loaded by applying mixed displacement and traction boundary conditions. The resulting effective stresses were compared to determine the necessary RVE size. Two approaches were considered for modeling the RVE: (i) one single "large" network, and (ii) a certain number of smaller networks whose average yielded a statistically representative effective response. As a result, the second approach turned out to be less computationally intensive due to smaller models and the possibility to run calculations simultaneously. Concluding, it was possible to determine the size of the RVE which will be used to investigate various individual microstructural effects on the macrostructure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of digital twins in bridge engineering is still vague and even confused with the Bridge Information Model (BrIM). Therefore, this study provides a detailed review of 42 papers related to digital twins in bridge engineering, focusing on a proper definition, key features and creation techniques for bridge digital twin (BDT). The paper also compares BDT and BrIM from the perspectives of their elements, features, fidelity, services provided, and degree of development. The applications of BDT at different life cycle stages are identified, and the related technologies are analyzed in detail. The results show that the research clusters of BDT are divided into geometric model generation, finite element model updating, and management and are focused on the operation and maintenance phase while lacking attention in the design and construction phase. Besides, a reference framework of BDT based on the life cycle of bridges is proposed, and directions for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embossing is a converting process in which the surface of a tissue paper sheet is changed under high pressure, allowing different functions. In this work, the authors intend to study how the embossing pressure affects the main properties of tissue paper, using a laboratory embossing system. An optimum pressure was achieved at 2.8 bar to this embossing laboratory set-up. The effect of pressure when densifying the paper sheet gives it a gain in mechanical strength but no differences in terms of liquid absorbency. The two embossing patterns present different behaviors but both evidence losses in mechanical and softness properties. On the other hand, the finite element method (FEM) does not show clear evidence of how the pressure affects the paper strength. For the deco die, it is possible to observe that the amount of yielding is slightly higher for lower pressure (2.4 bar), but this plasticity state parameter is very similar for 2.8 bar and 3.2 bar. For the micro die, FEM simulations of the manufacturing pressure do not show a considerable impact on the amount of plasticity state of the material; only for 3.2 bar, it shows a change in the pattern of the plasticity state of the paper during the embossing processes. In the end, to achieve a final product with excellent quality, it is important to make a compromise between the various properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through porous media with active surfaces takes place in many important applications, such as in cellulose-based materials for packaging. Generally, it is a complex process that combines diffusion with sorption at any time. To date, the data needed to use and validate the mathematical models proposed in literature to describe the mentioned processes are scarce and have not been systematically compiled. As an extension of the model of Ramarao et al. (Dry Technol 21(10):2007–2056, 2003) for the water vapor transport through paper, we propose to describe the transport of VOCs by a nonlinear Fisher–Kolmogorov–Petrovsky–Piskunov equation coupled to a partial differential equation (PDE) for the sorption process. The proposed PDE system contains specific material parameters such as diffusion coefficients and adsorption rates as multiplication factors. Although these parameters are essential for solving the PDEs at a given time scale, not all of the required parameters can be directly deduced from experiments, particularly diffusion coefficients and sorption constants. Therefore, we propose to use experimental concentration data, obtained for the migration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) through a stack of paper sheets, to infer the sorption constant. These concentrations are considered as the outcome of a model prediction and are inserted into an inverse boundary problem. We employ Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to find the underlying sorption constant of DMSO on paper from this inverse problem. We illustrate how to practically combine PINN-based calculations with experimental data to obtain trustworthy transport-related material parameters. Finally we verify the obtained parameter by solving the forward migration problem via PINNs and finite element methods on the relevant time scale and show the satisfactory correspondence between the simulation and experimental results. Article Highlights: A mathematical model to describe transport of polar volatile organics through paper is proposed. Based on experimental data, the deep learning method of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) is used to solve the inverse problem of finding the sorption time constant. Solutions for the forward problem are obtained by the standard finite element method (FEM) and PINN methods. These solutions are compared with each other as well as with the experimental data to verify the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embossing is a functional and strategic process for creating high-quality multi-sensory tissue-paper products. Embossing modifies the sheet surface by generating hill and/or valley designs, changing the third-dimension z with a compressive die. This research work specifically concerns the impact study of the engraving finishing geometry on the final properties of tissue paper. This work led us to conclude that, even though the sheets individually present a higher hand-feel (HF) value for the straight finishing geometry, the highest softness was obtained in the two-ply prototype for the round finishing geometry. Moreover, this study confirmed that the HF value reduces with the increase of the bulk, being more accentuated for the micropattern. Relevant differences could not be seen in the spreading kinetics of the liquid droplets over time. Thus, the finishing geometry of the 3D plates did not impact the absorption kinetics on these samples. The finite element model allows us to understand the effect of the plate pattern and its finishing geometry on the paper, and the simulation results were in accordance with the experimental results, showing the same trend where patterns with a round finishing geometry marked the tissue-paper sheet more than patterns with a straight finishing did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]