Small-Scale Morphological Features on a Solid Surface Processed by High-Pressure Abrasive Water Jet
Being subjected to a high-pressure abrasive water jet, solid samples will experience an essential variation of both internal stress and physical characteristics, which is closely associated with the kinetic energy attached to the abrasive particles involved in the jet stream. Here, experiments were performed, with particular emphasis being placed on the kinetic energy attenuation and turbulent features in the jet stream. At jet pressure of 260 MPa, mean velocity and root-mean-square (RMS) velocity on two jet-stream sections were acquired by utilizing the phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) technique. A jet-cutting experiment was then carried out with Al-Mg alloy samples being cut by an abrasive water jet. Morphological features and roughness on the cut surface were quantitatively examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical profiling techniques. The results indicate that the high-pressure water jet is characterized by remarkably high mean flow velocities and distinct velocity fluctuations. Those irregular pits and grooves on the cut surfaces indicate both the energy attenuation and the development of radial velocity components in the jet stream. When the sample is positioned with different distances from the nozzle outlet, the obtained quantitative surface roughness varies accordingly. A descriptive model highlighting the behaviors of abrasive particles in jet-cutting process is established in light of the experimental results and correlation analysis.
Analysis of orthogonal metal cutting processes
The orthogonal metal cutting process for a controlled contact tool is simulated using a limit analysis theorem. The basic principles are stated in the form of a primal optimization problem with an objective function subjected to constraints of the equilibrium equation, its static boundary conditions and a constitutive inequality. An Eulerian reference co-ordinate is used to describe the steady state motion of the workpiece relative to the tool. Based on a duality theorem, a dual functional bounds the objective functional of the primal problem from above by a sharp inequality. The dual formulation seeks the least upper bound and thus recovers the maximum of the primal functional theoretically. A finite element approximation of the continuous variables in the dual problem reduces it to a convex programming. Since the original dual problem admits discontinuous solutions in the form of bounded variation functions, care must be taken in the finite element approximation to account for such a possibility. This is accomplished by a combined smoothing and successive approximation algorithm. Convergence is robust from any initial iterate. Results are obtained for a wide range of control parameters including cutting depth, rake angle, rake length and friction. The converged solutions provide information on cutting force, chip thickness, chip stream angle and shear angle which agree well both in values and trend with the published data. But the available data represent only a small subset in the range of parameters exhaustively investigated in this paper.
Experimental study on bond behavior between high-strength grout and deformed steel bars
Abstract Engineers use high-strength grout to connect precast concrete members for its low shrinkage and good fluidity. This paper designed 87 central pull-out specimens using the control variable method to investigate the influence of factors on the rebar-grout bond property such as compressive strength, steel grade, bar diameter, transverse stirrups, and bond length. The test result showed that improving grout compressive strength (85.8 MPa–122.7 MPa) cannot improve the bond strength, which was different from the previous conclusions of concrete pull-out tests. Simplified formulas were presented for calculating the characteristic values of bond strength, residual strength, peak slip, and relative slip of load-holding platform based on parameter analysis. Then, a constitutive model was proposed to predict the full-range bond stress-slip curve of high-strength grout and steel bar specimens from bearing to failure. Finally, FEA models were established to evaluate the applicability and accuracy of the constitutive model.