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Railway in-train forces are an essential element in assessing multiple aspects of rolling stocks. Conventional methods for obtaining the forces can be time-consuming and require significant investment in manpower and domain expertise, while only gathering the force data for specific service conditions one at a time. However, automatic train operation (ATO) systems can measure real-time information for trains and tracks by on-board and trackside devices, which could provide an opportunity for in-train forces monitoring. This paper presents a data-driven approach that uses ATO-measured data and a neural network model to monitor in-train forces under service conditions. To develop this approach, longitudinal train dynamics simulations (LTSs) for a freight train were conducted to establish the relationship between ATO measurements and in-train forces on specific couplers, which was embedded in a large amount of training data. After that, a specially developed self-attention-based causal convolutional neural network (SA-CNN) was employed to learn the underlying relationship and estimate the in-train force histories considering temporal dependencies. The comparative evaluation between the SA-CNN against four alternative neural network models revealed that the SA-CNN exhibits a slightly higher level of accuracy. Furthermore, the generalisation capability of the well-trained SA-CNN model was confirmed by numerical LTSs under four different service conditions. The results indicated that the data-driven approach has superior compatibility for arbitrarily combined inputs with significantly reduced computational time compared to LTSs. This approach holds the potential for achieving reliable in-situ monitoring of railway in-train forces, which is beneficial to both in-train force-related research and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the mean contact force difference and the standard deviation of the contact force were minimised in the presented optimised design of a pantograph–catenary system for the purposes of improving of the current collection quality and the reduction of the contact wear. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) was applied to optimise the pantograph–catenary interaction system. The adopted NSGA-II algorithm was improved by avoiding repetition of FEM simulations with the duplicated input parameters and retaining only one of the duplicated results for the next generation selection. Either the catenary or the pantograph can be optimised individually by using the proposed versatile approach. In this research, the design optimisation of the catenary system was conducted first. After that, the pantograph was further optimised based on the optimised design of the catenary system. A case study indicated that the standard deviation of the contact force was reduced by 33.4% in the optimised catenary design and 39% in the optimised pantograph design, and the contact force differences were reduced by 98.3% and 99.9% in the optimised catenary design and the optimised pantograph design, respectively. Highlights Both the standard deviation of the contact force and the difference between the actual mean contact force and the ideal mean contact force are minimised in the optimisation design of a pantograph–catenary system. Either the catenary or the pantograph can be optimised separately by using the proposed versatile approach. Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) was improved by avoiding repetition of finite element method simulations with the same input parameter combinations and retaining only one of the same results for the next generation selection. A case study indicates that the standard deviation of the contact force can be reduced by 33.4% in the optimised catenary design and 39% in the optimised pantograph design, and the contact force difference can be reduced by 98.3% and 99.9% in the optimised catenary design and the optimised pantograph design, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effects of different cladding materials, processing parameters and heating regimes on the underlying microstructural features and mechanical properties of laser-cladded premium rails were investigated by using a hypereutectoid rail grade as a substrate, which is extensively used in heavy-haul rail systems. Cladding materials of 410L, 420SS, Stellite 6 and Stellite 21 with single and double depositions were considered for the comparative study of different cladding materials and processing parameters. To ensure the constant thickness of the claddings for comparison purposes, transverse speed and powder feed rate were modified concurrently in the ranges of 1000–1200 mm/min and 3–4 RPM, respectively. Two heating conditions, i.e. preheating only (HTA) and a combination (HTB) of preheating and post weld heat treatment (PWHT) were applied after the preferable parameters for each cladding material were obtained. The most suitable cladding material for rail-wheel contact was established by assessing all crucial aspects, i.e. surface defects, hardness, microstructural and mechanical properties. Process parameters for each considered cladding material were determined to achieve no surface defects. For cladding layers, application of HTA was not able to significantly modify the microstructures of the deposits, whereas HTB was observed to cause severe cracks in Co-base alloys, i.e. Stellite 6 and Stellite 21. In the heat affected zones (HAZs), irrespective of the cladding materials, the formation of untempered martensite was not avoided by the application of preheating at 350 °C. Consequentially, cracking in the HAZ was observed. An uncracked and desirable microstructure in the HAZs was established using HTB, regardless of the depositing materials. The addition of a second layer did not change the thickness of the HAZs but refined the HAZ’s microstructures. Shear punch testing (SPT) and Vickers hardness testing were utilized to characterize mechanical properties for the considered cladding materials and good correlations with the obtained microstructural morphologies were shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whole industry chain of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has gained worldwide attention because of their important role in energy storage and electric vehicles. The purpose of this research is to systematically overview the evaluation methodologies for LIBs industry. Under this basis, carbon emission intensity in the whole industry is understood, and the development trend can be presumed. Herein, an efficient zero-pollution, low-carbon process, and green manufacturing evaluation methodology for the whole LIBs industry chain are proposed. To improve the comprehensive evaluation efficiency, the battery structure, design parameters, material composition in the production process and material source, recycling methods and battery types in the recovery process are considered. The investigation shows that environmental impact can mainly be attributed to the production and use stages, which reached 12–15% and 80% respectively in the whole industry chain. The average profit of recycling waste batteries is more than 10%, which is conductive to the development of recycling industry. Based on this situation, a 4 A multi-angle comprehensive evaluation system, considering environmental impact assessment, resource criticality assessment, economic analysis and materials flow analysis, can be established by implementing the developmental mode of resource cyclic utilization. It is expected that this research could provide a guideline for the comprehensive evaluation for LIBs and stimulate further discussions on sustainable development and low-carbon technology improvement. [Display omitted] • A number of sustainability evaluation for LIBs are systematically overviewed. • Carbon emission intensity and develop trend in the whole industry is understood. • The green manufacturing is topping the list for research requiring profound. • A 4 A multi-angle comprehensive evaluation system is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of preheating conditions and carbon dilution on the microstructural and mechanical properties of laser cladded rails using single and double cladding layers have been investigated for a hypereutectoid steel grades typically used under heavy haul conditions. The microstructures in the HAZ showed that formation of martensite, which has a detrimental effect on behaviour in wheel-rail contact, was successfully inhibited by increasing the length of the preheated region using a preheating temperature of 350 °C. Dilution of carbon from the hypereutectoid substrate was observed and its effect on the microstructures of the 410L ferritic stainless-steel deposits was investigated. The formation of ferrite in the 410L cladding layers was attributed to the very low carbon content, and no carbide formation was observed on boundaries of the ferritic grains. The thickness of dilution band was determined to be approximately equal to the thickness of the first cladding layer. Texture measurement obtained by EBSD showed a random trend owing to the formation of martensite in diluted bands. Strong solidification fibre texture was developed for double deposition, particularly in the second deposit. Mechanical characterization of the 410L deposits undertaken in terms of Vickers microhardness, shear and tensile yield strengths, and ultimate tensile and shear strengths were correlated with the observed microstructural morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiple crack weight technique with a level set method is proposed to model multiple cracks using a coarse meshfree nodal discretization. A new level-set structure is presented to handle multiple cracks and their propagation using the maximum tangential principal stress criterion. The level sets are updated with respect to the new crack tip positions. The problem of modelling interacting cracks in isotropic and bi-materials is studied using a new variant of the element-free Galerkin method. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) and energy release rates for interacting cracks in isotropic and homogenous materials, including a crack at a bi-material interface are determined using the standard interaction integral. Case studies involving crack-crack interactions, doubly and triply kinked cracks are analysed to demonstrate the simplicity and the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing and maintenance procedures in the railway industry regularly implement welding and metal deposition operations to produce joints, coatings and repair structures. During these processes, residual stresses arise through the generation of heat affected zones and plastic deformation. This makes accurate measurements of the internal stresses a critical aspect of manufacturing, monitoring, repair and model validation in the develop new metallic coating and joining technologies. Selection of an appropriate residual stress measurement method has many important factors including component size, resolution and the magnitude and location of internal stresses, often resulting in a combination of techniques required to obtain complete assessment of the stress state. This paper offers a review of residual stress measurement techniques for railway components including rail joints and coatings through comparison of destructive and non-destructive approaches, their measurement capabilities, benefits and limitations. A comprehensive discussion of different applications is provided with a summary of facilities available to both research and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tram or light rail systems are heavily relied upon for passenger transit; however, low-carbon steel grades commonly used in special trackwork, such as in switches, are prone to wear, rolling contact fatigue (RCF), and deformation under cyclic wheel–rail contact. To address this, laser cladding can be used to apply a metal coating to protect the underlying substrate and rebuild the worn rail profiles. Laser cladding may also be applied to remove cracking by rebuilding the rail head. The tribological characteristics of light rail components after laser cladding with Stellite 6 and a newly developed martensitic stainless steel were investigated, using roller-on-disc wear testing. Analysis of the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear performance was undertaken to develop a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the laser cladding type on the wear and surface fatigue performance. Both cladding alloys significantly improved the tribological performance. These findings were compared to those for a laser cladded hypereutectoid rail type (reported in our previous study). It was found that laser cladding with a suitable alloy was an effective technique for improving the tribological properties, increasing the wear resistance, and increasing the retardation of cracking on both substrates. These findings suggest laser cladding may be used to repair light rail components, and this technique can be optimized to suit different rail grades. This makes laser cladding a flexible and versatile maintenance strategy, in both coating and repair applications, to prolong the operational lifetime of critical components for the railway industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymeric composites provide a promising future in structural engineering. To understand the bridging effect of CNT in the events of the fracture of CNT reinforced composites, the finite element method was applied to simulate a single CNT pullout from a polymeric matrix using cohesive zone modelling. The numerical results indicate that the debonding force during the CNT pullout increases almost linearly with the interfacial crack initiation shear stress. Specific pullout energy increases with the CNT embedded length, while it is independent of the CNT radius. In addition, a saturated debonding force exists corresponding to a critical CNT embedded length. A parametric study shows that a higher saturated debonding force can be achieved if the CNT has a larger radius or if the CNT/matrix has a stronger interfacial bonding. The critical CNT embedded length decreases with the increase of the interfacial crack initiation shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First work on the effect of varied notch locations on FCGR for SS316 WAAM-substrate interface. • Deposition direction cracks deviate towards WAAM region due to asymmetric material distribution. • Build direction cracks experience crack growth rate acceleration when entering WAAM. • WAAM's FCGR behaviour comparable with wrought alloy shows potential for repair and fabrication of SS316. The tensile and fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) behavior of SS316L wire deposited on SS316 substrate using wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) was studied to assess its potential for fabrication and repair applications. Five initial notch locations near the WAAM-substrate interface were considered for FCGR. Cracks in the deposition direction propagated towards the WAAM region. FCGR of cracks in the build direction accelerated in the WAAM region due to its favorable columnar grain orientation. Overall, FCGR behavior near the WAAM-substrate interface is comparable with wrought alloy, suggesting WAAM's viability for SS316 fabrication and repair, with satisfactory structural integrity observed in tensile and FCGR behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing of chips and their associated products is a complex and multi-step process where evaluation on the materials and environmental efficiencies is difficult, and a typical life cycle assessment cannot fulfil the role. In this research, a multiple evaluation scheme in view of green manufacturing is developed by combining critical evaluation, mass flow analysis and environmental impact assessment, in order to define the green degree for chips and lamps production of light-emitting diodes (LED). Mass and energy flow are identified with a subsequent critical evaluation for the whole process to determine the importance of 160 kinds of substances, energies, waters, pollutants, and procedures. In 96 kinds of substances, the organics and metal contained substances have higher criticality and accounting for 33.49% and 56.54%, respectively. To understand the effects of critical pollutants, a comprehensive environmental assessment factor (CEA) is then implemented, and waste water in chip preparation section has larger CEA value. As a result, ten green manufacturing level is defined through a grading decision function, and LED filament lamp reaches a higher manufacturing level than surface-mounted device (SMD) based LED lamp. By defining three scenarios, the manufacturing level of largest environmental effect scenarios is 7, reflecting the CEA of the pollutants is the most critical parameter. With this evaluation system, the green manufacturing level of one manufacturing section or different manufacturing processes can be evaluated, which can guide the identification and classification of LED lamps and other products. [Display omitted] • A multiple evaluation scheme in view of green manufacturing was developed. • Critical evaluation, mass flow analysis and environmental assessment were combined. • The green manufacturing level of LED filament lamp is higher than SMD LED lamp. • Environmental impact of the pollutants largely affects the green level of LED lamp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a laser cladding repair strategy is critical for the continued growth of heavy-haul railway networks. Premium hypereutectoid rails have undergone laser cladding using a new martensitic stainless-steel alloy, 415SS, developed for high carbon rails after standard cladding metals were found to be incompatible. Non-destructive neutron diffraction techniques were used to measure the residual stress in different layers generated across a dissimilar metal joint during laser cladding. The internal stress distribution across the cladding, heat-affected zone (HAZ), and substrate was measured in the untempered rail, after 350 °C and 540 °C heat treatment procedures and two surface grinding operations. The martensitic 415SS depositions produce compressive stress in the cladding, regardless of tempering procedures, which may inhibit fatigue crack propagation whilst grinding operations locally relive surface stress. Balancing tensile stresses were recorded below the fusion boundary in the HAZ due to thermal gradients altering the microstructure. The combination of 540 °C tempering and 0.5 mm surface layer removal produced a desirable combination of compression in the cladding deposition with significantly reduced tensile stresses in the HAZ. A comparison with the current literature shows that this alloy achieves a unique combination of desirable hardness, low tensile stress, and compression in the cladding layer. Data obtained during strain scanning has been used to determine the location of microstructural changes at the fusion boundary and HAZ through correlation of the stress, strain, full width at half maximum (FWHM), and intensity profiles. Therefore, neutron diffraction can be used for both the accurate measurement of internal residual stress and to obtain microstructural information of a metallurgical join non-destructively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In powder-based additive manufacturing, the unused powder must be removed after printing. Topology optimization has been applied to designs for additive manufacturing, which may lead to designs with enclosed voids, where the powder will be trapped inside during printing. A topology optimization method incorporating a powder removal passageway is developed to avoid the powder being trapped inside the structure. The passageway is generated by connecting the entrance, all voids, and the exit sequentially. Each void is limited to have only one pair of inlet and outlet to guarantee a single-path flow to facilitate powder removal after the additive manufacturing. The path of the passageway is optimized to minimize its influence on structural stiffness. The proposed optimization method was applied to two practical case studies where the powder removal passageways were generated successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT)–hybridized carbon fibre (CF) composite is a new generation composite, where CNTs grow radially on carbon fibres to form a hybrid reinforcing phase. To evaluate the bridging effect of this new reinforcing phase, a numerical method is proposed to theoretically investigate the pullout of a hybrid fibre. There are two finite element models developed in this method, which are applied to simulate a single CNT pullout from the matrix at microscale and the pullout of the hybrid fibre at macroscale. The bridging effect of the CNTs during the hybrid fibre pullout is simulated by spring elements in the macroscale finite element model, where the properties of spring elements are obtained from the microscale finite element simulation. The numerical results indicate that the apparent interfacial shear strength of the hybrid fibre and the specific pullout energy can be significantly increased due to the additional bonding of the CNT–matrix interface. A parametric study indicates that the bridging effect of the hybrid fibre can be further enhanced by improving the interfacial bonding between CNT and matrix and increasing the size or length of CNTs. This study provides a new numerical method to simulate the multiscale CNT/CF hybrid fibre pullout. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Critical metal sustainability is a worldwide issue whose extraction relies on hydrometallurgy mostly. The significance of metal ion species evolution in critical metal hydrometallurgy-extraction has got more and more attention. Here, the importance of the metal ion species during the whole vanadium recycling process has been evaluated quantitatively for the first time. Metal ion species as the key parameter was investigated through efficiency, material and energy accounting, and emission accounting to illustrate the effect of the metal ion species, which donated as ion species contribution (ISC). Specifically, 7 types of vanadium ion species were assessed in the process of V 2 O 5 production from leachate, including H 2 VO 4 −, HV 2 O 6 −, V 4 O 12 4−, H 2 V 5 O 14 −, V 10 O 28 6−, HVO 4 2− and VO2+. The results demonstrated that different vanadium ion species were closely related to recovery efficiency and purity, and they impact separation section, materials and energy consumption mostly in whole process. Consequently, V 4 O 12 4− occupied the highest ISC which was 1.11 times than V 10 O 28 6−, 1.37 times than VO2+ and 4.85 times than H 2 VO 4 −. Correspondingly, control of V 4 O 12 4− as dominant species appeared to be the most potential in the vanadium extraction process, which showed the feasibility of whole process optimization. With this research, ISC can help to point out dominant ion species in holistic critical metals supply chain, thus promote sustainability of critical metals in a new perspective. • Evaluating in detail the contribution of ion species to the whole V 2 O 5 production. • Covering comprehensive indicators related to ion species evolution. • An effective method for ion species regulation in critical metal resources recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An integrated framework developed to model the key physical aspects of DED: laser-powder interaction; melt pool formation; powder catchment and deposition geometry; dilution and residual stresses. • A novel analytical formulation for gravity-dependent powder flux exiting a co-axial nozzle. • Developed a comprehensive analytical-computational model to predict deposition geometry, contact angle, dilution, and residual stress. • Identified physics-based metrics for favorable depositions and developed data-driven process maps of favorable parameter space. Laser directed energy deposition (DED) is an innovative additive manufacturing technology with tremendous potential for remanufacturing and repairing critical components. For sustainable repair, it is necessary to control the deposition geometry and integrity in terms of residual stresses and dilution. Obtuse contact angles and inadequate dilution can lead to inter-track porosity and cracks at the edge of the deposition-substrate interface. In addition, the fatigue life of the restored part is compromised if tensile residual stresses are induced in the deposited layer. A comprehensive modeling approach presented in this paper integrates analytical formulations for the laser-powder interaction and the powder entrapment in the melt pool, with the finite element models for determining the melt pool characteristics and the residual stresses. This model captures the physics of the key phenomena in DED, namely, power attenuation due to laser-particle interaction, melt-pool formation, powder catchment in the melt pool, and the residual stress evolution due to differential thermal contraction and metallurgical transformations. The model predictions have been experimentally validated for residual stresses, dilutions, catchment efficiencies, powder flux, and deposition geometries for crucible particle metallurgy (CPM 9V) steel powder on H13 tool steel. CPM 9V is a preferred material for repairing H-13 molds. Extensive simulations have been carried out using the comprehensive analytical-computational model to develop data-driven expressions for deposition geometry, normalized dilution, and residual stress as a function of process parameters (laser power, scan speed, and powder feed rate). For identifying the preferred deposition regime, these relations are employed to bifurcate the entire operating space into obtuse and acute contact angle, insufficient and sufficient dilution, tensile and compressive residual stress. Higher P v / m ˙ values yield depositions with the desired acute contact angles and higher specific energies (P / v d) induce favorable compressive longitudinal residual stress in the depositions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although concussions can result in persistent neurological post-concussion symptoms, they are typically invisible on routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Our study aimed to investigate the use of ultra-high-field diffusion tensor imaging (UHF-DTI) in discerning severity-dependent microstructural changes in the mouse brain following a concussion. Twenty-three C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated into three groups: the low concussive (LC, n = 9) injury group, the high concussive (HC, n = 6) injury group, and the sham control (SC, n = 7) group. Mice were perfused on day 2 post-injury, and the brains were scanned on a 16.4T MRI scanner with UHF-DTI and neurite orientation dispersion imaging (NODDI). Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to determine the pattern and extent of the physical impact on the brain tissue. MRI findings were correlated with histopathological analysis in a subset of mice. In the LC group, increased fractional anisotropy (FA) and decreased orientation dispersion index (ODI) but limited neurite density index (NDI) changes were found in the gray matter, and minimal changes to white matter (WM) were observed. The HC group presented increased mean diffusivity (MD), decreased NDI, and decreased ODI in the WM and gray matter (GM); decreased FA was also found in a small area of the WM. WM changes were associated with WM degeneration and neuroinflammation. FEA showed varying region-dependent degrees of stress, in line with the different imaging findings. This study provides evidence that UHF-DTI combined with NODDI can detect concussions of variable intensities. This has significant implications for the diagnosis of concussion in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research experimentally studied the granular flow in the optimised curved hoppers obtained from our recently published optimisation method. A series of optimised hoppers were manufactured by CNC machining and an experimental apparatus was constructed to measure the MDR of various granular materials in the hoppers. Our experiment confirmed that the MDR of the optimised curved hoppers has increased more than 100% from that of those conventional conical hoppers. The critical prefill level for reaching a steady discharge rate in the curved hoppers is related to a fixed ratio to the diameter of the hopper orifice, which increases with the initial half-angle of a curved hopper. Three types of granular materials, i.e. rice, urea powders and sands, differing in shape, density and surface roughness, all gained improved MDR in the same curved hoppers, which demonstrates the flexibility of the optimised curved hoppers to maximize MDR for different granular materials. Unlabelled Image • The discharge rate of optimised curved hoppers obtained from our published optimisation method is studied experimentally. • The optimised curved hoppers can increase the discharge rate over 100%. • The same curved hoppers work well for three different granular materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass discharging rate (MDR) is a critical aspect of hopper's performance in bulk solids handling. A shape optimization method is established in this study to increase the MDR of cohesionless granular materials from hoppers. This method is based on a continuum model of granular matter and the Eulerian Finite Element Method (FEM) which can efficiently simulate the discharging process and predict the MDR. In this work with the focus on conical hoppers, the widths of silo and hopper outlet as well as the vertical height of hopper are fixed. The meridian of the hopper, however, evolves from a straight line to some optimal curve, guided by a combined genetic algorithm (GA) and gradient descent method (GDM). Cubic spline function is employed to parametrize the hopper shape. The effectiveness of the shape optimization is examined by comparing the MDRs of the optimal hopper and conventional conical hopper, obtained by both FEM and discrete element method (DEM) respectively. It is shown that this shape optimization method can automatically search the optimal shape of the hopper in a given range of constraints, and increase the MDR substantially. In a typical hopper with an initial half angle of 45°, the MDR is increased by over 130% after the shape optimization. Notably, the optimal shape depends mainly on the geometrical factors, i.e. the allowed width and height for the hopper, whilst insensitive to the material properties, which favors its general use for different particles. Such curved hoppers are particularly useful for increasing the discharge rate of hoppers ranging from 30° to 50°, which, facilitated with advanced manufacturing technology, will find wide potential applications in bulk solids handling. Unlabelled Image • Shape optimization based on FEA was performed on conical hoppers to maximize the MDR. • An optimal concave hopper shape was obtained, which can increase the MDR by over 130% in a case study. • The optimal hopper shape depends on the initial hopper half-angle and the height of hoppers. • The optimal hopper shape is insensitive to granular material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flange tip lift crossings are widely utilized in modern tramlines to replace traditional crossings to enhance commuters' comfort and prevent crossing nose failures. However, due to altered contact conditions between wheel flanges and ramps of crossings, the use of flange tip lift crossing has led to the critical issue of ramp wear. To resolve this issue, this paper investigated the dynamic contact response of a ramp during in-service loading, as well as the resultant wear of the ramp. With a dynamic finite element model, the local contact pressure and local sliding distance were computed and subsequently applied in a local contact-based wear model to evaluate the nominal wear of the ramp. Our findings indicate that under typical in-service loading conditions, the ramp exhibited up to 120 times more wear than the rail head, owing to increased contact pressure and reduced contact area during the ramp contact. To mitigate this issue, a design change of a gentler ramp inclination from the default 1:100 ramp to a 1:150 ramp could provide approximately 10% wear reduction. In addition, increasing the flange radius by 1 mm could reduce the wear by up to 13%. Conversely, increasing the speed to 45 km/h from the recommended 15 km/h speed may cause up to 5 times more wear. Furthermore, an empty tram showed 56% less wear on the ramp when compared to the condition of the maximum allowable axle load. These results offer an insight into the detrimental wear of ramps used in flange tip lift crossings of tramlines and can assist in the development of new designs and operating guidelines to mitigate ramp wear. • Ramp wear of a tram crossing was investigated using dynamic finite element simulation and a local contact-based wear model. • The wear of the ramp was found to be up to 120 times greater than that on the rail head of tram rails. • Gentler ramp inclination, increased flange radius, reduced vehicle speed and lower axle load can reduce the wear of the ramp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A thermo-mechanically coupled cyclic constitutive model is constructed for super-elastic NiTi shape memory alloys. • New transformation kinetics equations are established by introducing the residual martensite volume fraction. • The evolution equations of critical transformation temperatures are established. • The rate-dependent super-elastic degeneration is reasonably simulated. A 3D thermo-mechanically coupled constitutive model is constructed in the framework of continuum thermodynamics to describe the uniaxial and multiaxial rate-dependent cyclic super-elastic degeneration of NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs). To capture the anisotropic martensitic transformation, a J 2 - J 3 type phase transformation surface with a correction tensor is introduced into the proposed constitutive model. As an internal variable, the residual martensitic volume fraction is introduced into the transformation kinetics equations to improve the simulation to the shape of hysteresis loop. A new evolution equation of residual martensitic volume fraction is constructed by introducing the saturated residual strain and maximum temperature rise. The accumulation of residual strain with the increasing number of cycles and loading rate can be reasonably described. Evolution equations of critical transformation temperatures during the cyclic loading are established by introducing a maximum temperature rise in current loading history, which reflects the evolutions of critical transformation stresses and the increasing transformation hardening modulus. Comparison of simulated and experimental results shows that the proposed model can reasonably describe the uniaxial and multiaxial rate-dependent cyclic stress-strain curves and temperature oscillations of NiTi SMAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A first study of the effect of full creepage on RCF crack growth behaviour. • Predicted crack growth directions show a good agreement with field observation. • Lateral and spin creepages can significantly affect K II and K III evolutions. • Increase in spin creepage is more detrimental to RCF crack driving force. In heavy-haul railway systems, the experience of high traction force of rails in curved tracks significantly accelerates the rolling contact fatigue crack growth. The overall level of traction force and its detailed distribution within a contact patch can be determined by the extent of wheel slips in different directions, also referred to as creepage. However, few studies have focused on quantifying the influence of creepage on rolling contact fatigue crack growth behaviour. In this paper, a numerical method is proposed to investigate the non-proportional mixed-mode rolling contact fatigue crack growth behaviour in the presence of severe longitudinal, lateral and spin creepages. To partially validate the proposed numerical method, the predicted crack growth directions on the rail surface are compared with the cracking patterns obtained from field observations. A parametric study is also conducted to further quantify the influence of different creepage combinations on the evolution of stress intensity factors at the crack front. Results show that both lateral and spin creepages can significantly affect the phase and maximum magnitude of K II and K III during one complete loading cycle. Moreover, the increase of spin creepage is found to have a more detrimental effect on overall RCF crack driving force than the increase of the other two creepage components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid deterioration of critical rail components due to wear and fatigue is a significant challenge faced by the railway industry. Laser cladding has been applied to straight and curved light rail substrates which are particularly prone to these methods of degradation using a Stellite 21 hardfacing alloy. The influence of multi-layer cladding depositions, grinding-based finishing procedures and substrate rail grade on residual stress was analyzed using non-destructive neutron diffraction techniques. As cladding is a thermal process, microstructural changes from the heat inputs can result in a high internal stress state which reduces the loading capacity whilst a high hardness increases the likelihood of brittle failure. Stellite laser cladding depositions were found to result in low tensile residual stresses within the cladding layer, which become compressive in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Repeated thermal inputs from multi-layer cladding depositions did not negatively impact the hardness or microstructure after double layer laser cladding and increased the residual stress to 100 MPa at the cladding surface after grinding. Laser cladding on a curved rail substrate also produced increased internal stress after cladding due to higher strains resulting from the rail geometry but remained below the yield limit of the cladding and substrate material. These outcomes were compared to current literature indicating this critical combination of low internal strain and a cladding and HAZ hardness complementing the substrate material is difficult to achieve. Therefore, ensuring laser cladding is compatible with a variety of light rail components is essential in developing viable maintenance techniques to recondition critical railway infrastructure to avoid disruptive replacement procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a laser cladding technique for repairing rail surface damages due to rolling contact, wear and rolling contact fatigue characteristics of a set of laser cladded rails were investigated using a roller-on-disc test machine. Three deposition materials 410L, SS420 and Stellite 6, were chosen to clad a premium hypereutectoid steel rail under two different heat treatment processes. In the first heat treatment, only preheating at 350 °C was conducted and in the second heat treatment, preheating at 350 °C, post-heating at 350 °C (1 h) then slow-cooling to room temperature was conducted. Preheating the substrate was insufficient to prevent martensite formation resulting from the rapid cooling rate, whereas post heat treatment was beneficial for refining the lamellar spacing and eliminating martensite formation in the clad layer and heat affected zone. Following the roller-on-disc tests, wear loss was calculated from wear track profiles using a laser optical profilometer. The level of surface degradation, surface cracking and spalling was investigated using an optical microscope. Experimental results revealed that SS420 cladding had the highest wear resistant behaviour but severe surface cracks and spalling were found in the worn area. Stellite 6 cladding showed similar wear resistance as the parent substrate rail and the best fatigue resistance behaviour among the three cladded rail samples. Based on this research, Stellite 6 is the most promising deposition material for repairing rails by laser cladding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing has been receiving attention as it is capable of producing complex geometries previously unmanufacturable, particularly those resulting from topology optimisation. However, additive manufacturing processes like Selective Laser Melting result in materials that have varying ratios of anisotropy. Currently, the majority of topology optimisation algorithms utilise an isotropic assumption. Through a case study, the present study confirms the hypothesis that anisotropy in the stiffness of the material has a significant detrimental effect on the optimisation outcome where (1) increasing ratio of anisotropy; and/or (2) increasing deviation of the building angle away from being parallel or perpendicular to the principal loading direction results in the decrease of volume reduction achievable through topology optimisation. Material with an out-of-plane shear modulus which is very different from the “near isotropic” value also performed poorly. Compared with the 50% weight reduction of an isotropic case, the worst anisotropic case only managed approximately 27% weight saving. However, in the cases where both the building angle is small (<30°) and the degree of anisotropy is low (≤±10%), the impact on resultant volume reduction was small (<10%). This study indicates that, in general, material anisotropy should be considered in topology optimisation for additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing processes, of which Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is one, provide an increased design freedom and the ability to build structures directly from CAD models. There is a growing interest in using optimization methods to design structures in place of manual designs. Three design optimization problems were addressed in this paper. The first related to axisymmetric structures and the other two addressing important design constraints when manufacturing using SLM. These solutions were developed and applied to a case study of a turbine containment ring. Firstly, many structural components such as a turbine containment ring are axisymmetric while they are subjected to a non-axisymmetric load. A solution was presented in this paper to generate optimized axisymmetric designs for a problem in which the mechanical model was not axisymmetric. The solution also worked equally well for generating a prismatic geometry with a uniform cross section, requiring no change in the procedure from axisymmetric designs to achieve this. Secondly, the SLM process experiences difficulties manufacturing structures with internal voids larger than a certain upper limit. A method was developed that allowed the designer to provide a value for this upper limit to the optimization method which would prevent the generation of internal voids larger than this value in any optimized design. The method calculated the sizes of all the voids and did not increase their size once they reached this limit. It was also aware of voids near each other, providing a minimum distance between them. Finally, in order to remove the metal powder, that fills the internal voids of structures built using SLM to reduce unnecessary weight, a method was developed to build paths to join the internal voids created during the optimization process. It allowed the analyst to nominate suitable path entrance locations from which powder could be removed, then found the shortest path connecting all voids and these locations. For axisymmetric structures it also distributed this path around the circumference to avoid generating weak points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rail corrugation is one of the most serious problems in metro lines, and its formation is affected by several factors. According to the field investigations and research reviews, rail corrugations generally occur on the low rails of sharp curved tracks. Based on the viewpoint of frictional self-excited vibration causing rail corrugation in the present paper, both the field measurement and numerical simulation are performed to study the formation mechanism of rail corrugation found on the rubber-booted short sleeper section of a sharp curved track. In the field measurement, the vibration signals of rails at three different positions are measured when the vehicle runs across the sharp curved track supported by the rubber-booted short sleepers. In the numerical simulation, an elastic vibration model of a leading wheelset-track system on a sharp curved track supported by the rubber-booted short sleepers is established. The dynamic responses and unstable vibration modes are calculated utilizing the transient dynamic analysis together with the complex eigenvalue analysis. The good agreement between the results of the field measurement and numerical simulation further verifies that the saturated creep forces between the leading wheelset and rails can induce the frictional self-excited vibration of the wheelset-track system on a sharp curved track, which is able to cause rail corrugation. It can be found that the vertical vibration acceleration on the rail surface has a significant fluctuation when the wheelset travels through the relevant measuring point, which means that the friction-induced vibration is happening. Meanwhile, the oscillation amplitude of vibration acceleration and normal contact force on the low rail is much larger than that on the high rail. Therefore, the rail corrugation caused by the frictional self-excited vibration mainly occurs on the low rail of sharp curved track. And the wavelength of rail corrugation caused by frictional self-induced vibration is consistent with that measured at the test site in the actual metro line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model was applied to predict damage initiation in twin-disc tests of premium rail steels. • Wear- and RCF-dominated damages are distinguished by the depth of the ratcheting mechanism-based damage initiation locations. • A higher creepage results in a shallower damage initiation location and a shorter damage initiation life. • The initial wear rate increases with a higher creepage for wear-dominated damage. • HE2 rail steel presents the longest damage initiation life and the lowest initial wear rate compared to HE1 and LAHT. This work presents a ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model to study the initiation location and initiation life of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) or wear damage and the initial wear rate of premium rail steels under the laboratory twin-disc test conditions. Twin-disc tests are widely used in the studies of rail steels due to their ability to reproduce critical aspects of full-scale wheel-on-rail contact under controlled conditions and a relatively short test period compared to field tests. This study introduces a computational model to simulate the cyclic rolling contact for three premium rail steels (HE1, HE2, and LAHT) against wheel steel AAR Class-C under twin-disc test conditions. The cyclic rolling contact is achieved by repeatedly moving a non-Hertzian distribution of contact pressure and the calculated longitudinal surface traction upon a segment of the circumferential surface of the lower disc until a stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate is reached. The RCF or wear damage initiation location is determined by the location showing the stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate, and the damage initiation life is estimated by applying the ratcheting failure mechanism. Wear and RCF damages are distinguished by the depth of the damage initiation location. Wear damage is dominant when the location is near the surface. Otherwise, the damage will be RCF-dominated. The initial wear rate due to wear-dominated damage is estimated by identifying a critical profile and affected volume of worn material within the ratcheting strain rate field. The predicted initial wear rate is compared with the experimental result of the examined contact pair. This research can assist in a more profound understanding of the experiment results of a twin-disc test and provide a numerical basis for an experimental twin-disc test design. Furthermore, it may provide significant references for choosing rail steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A macroscale thermal modelling strategy has been developed by combining a published characteristic time-based heat input (CTI) model with an adaptive mesh re-mapping method. • The strategy is capable to accurately capture the peak temperatures of the thermal cycles induced by deposited tracks. • The predicted temperature histories agree well with in-situ measurements by thermocouples in both the printed part and powder bed. • Case studies demonstrate that our strategy can improve computational efficiency at least 6 times. Numerical modelling is an effective tool to investigate the rapid temperature cycling in laser powder bed fusion. However, the high computational cost limits the modelling of part-scale components due to the significantly different scales between the highly local energy input region and the global field response region. This study presents a macroscale finite element thermal simulation strategy with a track-scale resolution by combining the recently developed characteristic time-based heat input (CTI) model with a currently proposed adaptive mesh re-mapping method. Due to the uniformly distributed power density along the scan direction in the CTI model, the optimized mesh strategy allows one element to capture the temperature solutions over the majority of a scan track except at the two ends. The adaptive mesh re-mapping method is used to map simulated results from a previous scan track model to a current scan track model with a new mesh configuration. This strategy has been implemented for a Ti-6Al-4V part with the dimensions of 20 × 40 × 3 m m 3. The predicted temperature histories agree well with the in-situ measurements at the points in both the printed part and powder bed. Three case studies demonstrate that our strategy can improve computational efficiency between 6 and 30 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated on short glass fibres (SGFs) through a one-step flame synthesis technique. Then, these CNT coated SGF (CNT-SGF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite filaments were processed as a new fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing feedstock. Tensile tests were conducted on FDM 3D-printed specimens with two raster angles (±45° and 0°/90°) each containing pure PLA filaments, SGF/PLA and CNT-SGF/PLA composite filaments separately. Compared to the pure 3D-printed PLA samples, experimental results showed that the 3D-printed specimens using SGFs (≥5 wt%) and CNT-SGFs (1–5 wt%) reinforced PLA filaments exhibited higher Young's modulus and tensile strength values due to the enhanced interface adhesion. Furthermore, the FDM printing raster angles (±45° and 0°/90°) did not noticeably affect the tensile properties of the samples made of the same material, which could be attributed to the complete fusion between adjacent rasters during printing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images on the fracture surfaces of the tensile specimens indicated that the filler distribution within the printed samples was random. Theoretical calculations of the Young's modulus and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation on SGF reinforced PLA samples further verified a random distribution of the fillers within the matrix due to the high printer nozzle diameter to SGF length ratio compared to the short SGF aspect ratio. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates topology optimization of energy absorbing structures in which material damage is accounted for in the optimization process. The optimization objective is to design the lightest structures that are able to absorb the required mechanical energy. A structural continuity constraint check is introduced that is able to detect when no feasible load path remains in the finite element model, usually as a result of large scale fracture. This assures that designs do not fail when loaded under the conditions prescribed in the design requirements. This continuity constraint check is automated and requires no intervention from the analyst once the optimization process is initiated. Consequently, the optimization algorithm proceeds towards evolving an energy absorbing structure with the minimum structural mass that is not susceptible to global structural failure. A method is also introduced to determine when the optimization process should halt. The method identifies when the optimization method has plateaued and is no longer likely to provide improved designs if continued for further iterations. This provides the designer with a rational method to determine the necessary time to run the optimization and avoid wasting computational resources on unnecessary iterations. A case study is presented to demonstrate the use of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D intralaminar continuum damage mechanics based material model, combining damage mode interaction and material nonlinearity, was developed to predict the damage response of composite structures undergoing crush loading. This model captures the structural response without the need for calibration of experimentally determined material parameters. When used in the design of energy absorbing composite structures, it can reduce the dependence on physical testing. This paper validates this model against experimental data obtained from the literature and in-house testing. Results show that the model can predict the force response of the crushed composite structures with good accuracy. The simulated energy absorption in each test case was within 12% of the experimental value. Post-crush deformation and the damage morphologies, such as ply splitting, splaying and breakage, were also accurately reproduced. This study establishes the capability of this damage model for predicting the responses of composite structures under crushing loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the strain-controlled cyclic tension-unloading tests at various strain rates (3.3 × 10 −4 –3.3 × 10 −2 /s), the effect of strain rate on the uniaxial cyclic deformation of a super-elastic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) was investigated. It is concluded that apparent degeneration of super-elasticity occurs during the cyclic loading, i.e., the residual strain and transformation hardening increase, but the start stress of forward transformation and the maximum responding stress decrease with the increasing number of cycles and strain rate, and finally reach to their saturated states after certain cycles. Although the dissipation energy per cycle decreases progressively during the cyclic loading and is saturated after certain cycles, it does not change monotonically with the increasing strain rate. Moreover, the temperature oscillation is observed due to the internal heat production from the inelastic dissipation and transformation latent heat, and the extent of temperature variation increases monotonically with the increasing strain rate, which is the physical nature of rate-dependent cyclic deformation of the NiTi SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix failure in composite structures has not been widely presented in literature. Their failure has often been overlooked due to focus directed at fiber failure. With increasing attention on progressive damage models for composite structures it is important that matrix failure is well understood as this is often the characteristic of initial failure in these advanced materials. In this paper the authors perform several four point bend tests on a typical stacking sequence used in composite structures [−45/0/45/90] 2S . Inspection techniques involving a FLIR thermal camera are used to detect matrix failure. Two methods are then employed to establish a suitable failure criterion to predict matrix failure. The first compares several failure criteria at the lamina level, whilst the second uses micromechanical analysis to predict matrix failure. It was found that matrix failure was poorly predicted at the lamina level, whilst a hybrid failure criterion incorporating the 1st Stress Invariant and Drucker–Prager failure criterion at the micromechanical level gave a much better prediction. The proposed hybrid failure criterion can be used in various progressive damage models to give a better prediction of initial failure in composite structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure envelope of the matrix in composite laminates under tensile loads has not received much attention in literature. There are very little to no experimental results to show a suitable failure envelope for this constituent found in composites. With increasing popularity in the use of micromechanical analysis to predict progressive damage in composite structures, it is important that matrix behaviour under tension is modelled correctly. In this paper, the authors present and test a new biaxial specimen design to investigate tensile matrix failure in composite structures. Through the use of micromechanical analysis, the authors developed a method in which the matrix stresses at failure can be extracted. Comparing to the existing off-axis test, it was shown that the presented specimen design and test methodology can improve the accuracy of the obtained matrix failure stresses, i.e., the matrix failure envelope for EP280 resin. Additionally, the results indicate that matrix failure takes place earlier than that predicted by von-Mises failure criterion and that the 1st Stress Invariant criterion can better predict matrix failure under tensile loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid high peel stresses around the perimeter of a bonded composite patch repair, the patch thickness often tapers to a fine edge. This paper investigates and compares the damage tolerance of two different configurations of taper design under fatigue loading with different size of initial bondline flaws. The bondline damage at the tip of the doubler repair was simulated by an initial flaw which was created through a Teflon tape. A constant amplitude fatigue loading was applied to all specimens. The crack propagation against the number of cycles was recorded and the fatigue life when the crack reached 100 mm from the doubler tip was reported. Microscope investigations were conducted and provided micro scale evidence on the effects of initial flaw size on the crack initiation pattern of the two doubler design configurations. Finally, the damage tolerance of the two configurations were compared and conclusions were drawn with implications for the design of composite patch repairs. It was found that ply-drop doubler joints showed better damage tolerance than stepped doubler joints under fatigue loading. The experimental results suggested a threshold size of 5 mm for the doubler tip flaw, if any inspection technology should be adopted for damage detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the abundance of studies investigating the performance of composite structures under crush loading, disagreement remains in the literature regarding the effect of increased strain rate on the crush response. This study reports an experimental investigation of the behaviour of a carbon–epoxy composite energy absorber under static and dynamic loading with a strain rate of up to 100 s - 1 . Consistent damage modes and measured force responses were obtained in samples tested under the same strain rate. The energy absorption was found to be independent of strain rate as the total energy absorption appeared to be largely associated with fibre-dominated fracture, which is independent of strain rate within the studied range. The results from this study are beneficial for the design of energy absorbing structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the theory and implementation of a composite damage model, addressing damage within a ply (intralaminar) and delamination (interlaminar), for the simulation of crushing of laminated composite structures. It includes a more accurate determination of the characteristic length to achieve mesh objectivity in capturing intralaminar damage consisting of matrix cracking and fibre failure, a load-history dependent material response, an isotropic hardening nonlinear matrix response, as well as a more physically-based interactive matrix-dominated damage mechanism. The developed damage model requires a set of material parameters obtained from a combination of standard and non-standard material characterisation tests. The fidelity of the model mitigates the need to manipulate, or “calibrate”, the input data to achieve good agreement with experimental results. The intralaminar damage model was implemented as a VUMAT subroutine, and used in conjunction with an existing interlaminar damage model, in Abaqus/Explicit. This approach was validated through the simulation of the crushing of a cross-ply composite tube with a tulip-shaped trigger, loaded in uniaxial compression. Despite the complexity of the chosen geometry, excellent correlation was achieved with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FaStrip algorithm is modified to estimate elastic-plastic traction distribution. • Softened zones of rail welds experience the highest ratcheting strain rate. • Ratcheting strain rates in the sampled 2000 m radius curved track are higher than those in the sampled tangent track. • The RCF initiation location is highly dependent on the magnitude and pattern of traction distribution. Ratcheting at the rail heads due to cyclic rolling contact stresses is often observed in heavy haul railways, especially when there are large steering forces developed in low-radius curves. Additionally, ratcheting behaviour can be exacerbated when associated with material strength loss in the heat affected zones of rail welds. However, the numerical evaluation of this failure mode requires a sophisticated representation of elastic–plastic contact pressures and traction distributions, which, to the best of the authors' knowledge, cannot be directly measured by any existing tools. In this paper, in order to accurately evaluate the ratcheting performance at rail welds in curved tracks, attempts were conducted to modify the FaStrip algorithm to analytically estimate the traction distributions based on contact pressures and creepages obtained from static finite element analysis and multi-body dynamic simulations, respectively. Cyclic rolling contact was then simulated by repeatedly applying contact pressure and traction on the rail surface consisting of both the rail weld and the parent rail regions. The weld region was divided into 23 sub-zones in the rolling direction to represent the material inhomogeneity within the heat affected zones. Cases on a 2000 m radius curved track and a tangent track were studied for comparison. It was found that the ratcheting strain rate in curved tracks can be significantly elevated due to the higher magnitude of traction, and the location of the elements with the highest ratcheting strain rate was dependent on the traction distribution patterns. The proposed method provides a general tool for predicting rolling contact fatigue initiation life and location, which will benefit the maintenance efficiency of heavy haul rail welds in curved track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was carried out to numerically evaluate the ratcheting performance of three high strength pearlitic rail steels under different wheel–rail cyclic rolling contact conditions, i.e. free rolling, partial slip, and full slip conditions, different friction coefficients and different axle loads. The wheel–rail cyclic rolling contact was simulated by repeatedly passing a distributed contact pressure and a distributed tangential traction on the rail surface. This study combined the non-Hertzian contact pressure from finite element analysis with the longitudinal tangential traction from Carter’s theory to simulate the wheel–rail cyclic rolling contact problems. A cyclic plasticity material model considering the non-proportionally loading effect developed recently by the authors was applied to simulate the ratcheting behaviour of rail steels. The ratcheting performance of the rail steels was evaluated by the crack initiation life which was determined from the stabilized ratcheting strain rate and the ductility limit of the rail materials. The numerical results indicate that the crack initiation life decreases with the increase of the normalized tangential traction, the friction coefficient and the axle load for all three rail steels. Among the three rail steels, the hypereutectoid rail steel grade with a lower carbon content provides the best ratcheting performance under higher axle loads such as those used railway transport of mineral products in Australia. Furthermore, the numerical results obtained in this study are in reasonable agreement with the in-service performance of the three rail steels. This indicates that the developed approach has the capacity to evaluate the ratcheting performance of other rail steels under service loading conditions. The outcomes can provide useful information to the development and application of rail steels and the development of effective rail maintenance strategies in order to mitigate rail degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue life study of structures constructed by laser cladding using two types of hardfacing alloy, Stellite 6 (Co base) and Deloro 40G (Ni base) on AISI 4130 steel substrate was conducted using rotary bending fatigue test at ambient temperature 20 °C. The laser clad specimens showed a reduced fatigue life compared to the specimen without cladding but of the same size due to the presence of residual stresses in substrate and coating regions. The presence of higher compressive residual stresses in substrate region and lower tensile residual stress in coating region of specimen laser clad with Stellite 6 generated longer fatigue life compared to the specimens laser clad with Deloro 40G, at a similar coating thickness level. With the same final structure size, coating thickness produced an inversely proportional effect on fatigue life where thinner coatings result in less reduction of fatigue life compared to thicker coating. The analytical model employed in this study demonstrated that thinner coatings alters axial residual stress by generating lower tensile residual stress in coating region which enhance fatigue life, compared to thicker coatings. This work has demonstrated the influence of coating type, coating thickness and load level on the fatigue life of the laser clad structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An approach to investigate fatigue performance of heavy-duty truck trailers based on the damage tolerance concept is proposed. • An approach to develop a representative simulated loading spectrum from both multi-body dynamics simulation analysis and static stress analysis is proposed. • Simple geometric modification of local regions in trailer structure can improve their fatigue resistance and extend their fatigue life. • Damage tolerance approach can be further utilized to improve the structural integrity of truck trailer structures when integrated with an advanced optimization algorithm. To understand and analyse fatigue cracking that occurred in heavy truck trailers, a framework based on the damage tolerance concept was proposed to investigate the structural integrity of a high-strength steel trailer structure and to improve its fatigue resistance through local geometric modifications. To illustrate the framework, the fatigue behaviour at a critical region located at a circular cut-out in the trailer was studied. Firstly, a simulated loading spectrum was developed based on the dynamic analysis of a trailer under different driving scenarios together with the FEA analysis of the trailer structure. After that, for the fatigue analysis, crack growth rate at the critical region was computed using the NASGRO equation, and the fatigue life associated with the simulated loading spectrum was predicted. This damage tolerance approach was further applied to explore possible new designs of trailer structures with either improved fatigue performance or reduced tare weight. The results indicate that the proposed framework can be utilised to both monitor the structural integrity of current vehicle structures and design future trailers with longer life and lighter weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A shape optimization method was developed to improve the flow pattern in silo/hopper discharging. • The optimized curved design can increase the fraction of mass flow zone over 90%. • The extent of segregation can be reduced by 70% in the optimized curved design. • The same optimized curved design works well for different granular materials. A shape optimization method is presented in this paper to re-design hopper shapes for improving the flow patterns in silos. This method combines a continuum model of granular matter based on the Eulerian Finite Element Method, the optimization algorithms of genetic algorithm and the gradient descent method. Starting from a classic conical shape, the optimization method searches for the optimal shape of the hopper under given geometrical constraints. An optimized curve design can increase the mass flow zone in the hopper by more than 90%. The sensitivity of this method suggests that the shape optimization is of particular significance for initially funnel flow hoppers and granular materials with high internal friction. The optimized design was further characterized by using the Discrete Element Method. The DEM results demonstrate that the optimized hopper can also dramatically reduce particle segregation by around 70% during hopper discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Compression–torsion ratchetting is dominated by stress amplitude and loading path. [•] HE steel with a higher carbon content gives a lower ratchetting strain and rate. [•] A modified cyclic plasticity model has the capacity to capture ratchetting features. [•] Method for calibrating material parameters from experimental results is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A robust multiscale scheme referred to as micro–macro method has been developed for the prediction of localized damage in fiber reinforced composites and implemented in a finite element framework. The micro–macro method is based on the idea of partial homogenization of a structure. In this method, the microstructural details are included in a small region of interest in the structure and the rest is modeled as a homogeneous continuum. The solution to the microstructural fields is then obtained on solving the two different domains, simultaneously. This method accurately predicts local stress fields in stress concentration regions and is computationally efficient as compared with the solution of a full scale microstructural model. This scheme has been applied to obtain localized damage at high and low stress zones of a V-notched rail shear specimen. The prominent damage mechanisms under shear loading, namely, matrix cracking and interfacial debonding, have been modeled using Mohr–Coulomb plasticity and traction separation law, respectively. The average stress at the notch has been found to be 44% higher than the average stresses away from the notch for a 90N shear load. This stress rise is a direct outcome of the geometry of the notch. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]