Oliver K. Johnson¹, Calvin J. Gardner¹, David T. Fullwood¹, Brent L.Adams¹, Nathan Hansen², George Hansen²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 87-112, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.087

Abstract A novel nickel nanostrand-silicone composite material at an optimized 15 vol% filler concentration demonstrates a dramatic piezoresistive effect with a negative gauge factor (ratio of percent change in resistivity to strain). The composite volume resistivity decreases in excess of three orders of magnitude at a 60% strain. The piezoresistivity does decrease slightly as a function of cycles, but not significantly as a function of time. The material's resistivity is also temperature dependent, once again with a negative dependence.
The evidence indicates that nickel strands are physically separated by matrix material even at high volume fractions, and points to a charge… More >

Y.B. Zhang¹, A. Godfrey², D. Juul Jensen¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 197-208, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.197

Abstract Two methods to quantify protrusions/retrusions and to estimate local boundary curvature from sample plane sections are proposed. The methods are used to evaluate the driving force due to curvature of the protrusions/retrusions for partially recrystallized pure nickel cold rolled to 96% reduction in thickness. The results reveal that the values calculated by both these methods are reasonable when compared with the stored energy measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The relationship between protrusions and the average stored energy density in the deformed matrix is also investigated for partially recrystallized pure aluminum cold rolled to 50%. The results show that the local… More >

Brent L. Adams, Joshua Kacher

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 185-196, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.185

Abstract Consideration is given to the resolution of dislocation density afforded by EBSD-based scanning electron microscopy. Comparison between the conventional Hough- and the emerging high-resolution cross-correlation-based approaches is made. It is illustrated that considerable care must be exercised in selecting a step size (Burger's circuit size) for experimental measurements. Important variables affecting this selection include the dislocation density and the physical size and density of dislocation dipole and multi-pole components of the structure. It is also illustrated that simulations can be useful to the interpretation of experimental recoveries. More >

D.P. Field¹, L. Behrens², J.M. Root¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 171-184, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.171

Abstract Mechanical properties of polycrystalline metals are dependent upon the arrangement of microstructural features in the metal. Recrystallization is an important phenomenon that often occurs during thermo-mechanical processing of metals. This work focuses upon aluminum alloy 7050 and uses crystallographic texture and pair correlation functions of recrystallized grains to characterize the dominance of particle stimulated nucleation in the recrystallization process. The randomization of the recrystallization texture and similar pair correlation functions for the particle distribution and the recrystallization nuclei distribution indicate that particle stimulated nucleation controls the recrystallization behavior in this alloy. More >

Stephen R. Niezgoda¹, Surya R. Kalidindi^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 79-98, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.079

Abstract The generalized Hough transform is a common technique for feature detection in image processing. In this paper, we develop a size invariant Hough framework for the detection of arbitrary shapes in three dimensional digital microstructure datasets. The Hough transform is efficiently implemented via kernel convolution with complex Hough filters, where shape is captured in the magnitude of the filter and scale in the complex phase. In this paper, we further generalize the concept of a Hough filter by encoding other parameters of interest (e.g. orientation of plate or fiber constituents) in the complex phase, broadening the applicability of Hough transform… More >

Nadipuram R. Prasad¹, Salvador Almanza-Garcia¹, Thomas T. Lu²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.1, pp. 1-22, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.001

Abstract The paper presents a revolutionary framework for the modeling, detection, characterization, identification, and machine-learning of anomalous behavior in observed phenomena arising from a large class of unknown and uncertain dynamical systems. An evolved behavior would in general be very difficult to correct unless the specific anomalous event that caused such behavior can be detected early, and any consequence attributed to the specific anomaly following its detection. Substantial investigative time and effort is required to back-track the cause for abnormal behavior and to recreate the event sequence leading to such abnormal behavior. The need to automatically detect anomalous behavior is therefore… More >

Dyi-Cheng¹, Syuan-Yi Syong¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 191-200, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.013.191

Abstract Finite element simulations are performed to investigate the plastic deformation behavior of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy during its indirect extrusion through a four-hole die. The simulations assume the die, mandrel and container to be rigid bodies and ignore the temperature change induced during the extrusion process. Under various extrusion conditions, the present numerical analysis investigates the effective stress and profile of product at the exit. The relative influences of the friction factors, the temperature of billet and the eccentricity of four-hole displacement are systematically examined. The simulations focus specifically on the effects of the friction factor, billet temperature and eccentricity ratio… More >

Xiaoyi Liang¹, Zhen Yang^1,2, Xingsheng Gu³, Licheng Ling¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.13, No.2, pp. 135-152, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.013.135

Abstract Supercapacitors, also called electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), occupy a region between batteries and dielectric capacitors on the Ragone plot describing the relation between energy and power. BET specific surface area and specific capacitance are two important electrochemical property parameters for activated carbon EDLCs, which are usually tested by experimental method. However, it is misspent time to repeat lots of experiments for EDLCs' studies. In this investigation, we developed one theoretical model based on improved particle swarm optimization algorithm back propagation (PSO-BP) neural network (NN) to simulate and optimize BET specific surface area and specific capacitance. Comparative studies between the predicted… More >

Chih-Ping Wu^1,2, Shao-En Huang²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 251-282, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.012.251

Abstract A modified Pagano method is developed for the three-dimensional (3D) coupled analysis of simply-supported, doubly curved functionally graded (FG) piezo-thermo-elastic shells under thermal loads. Four different loading conditions, applied on the lateral surfaces of the shells, are considered. The material properties of FG shells are regarded as heterogeneous through the thickness coordinate, and then specified to obey an exponent-law dependent on this. The Pagano method, conventionally used for the analysis of multilayered composite elastic plates/shells, is modified to be feasible for the present analysis of FG piezo-thermo-elastic plates/shells. The modifications include that a displacement-based formulation is replaced by a mixed… More >

Hao-Miao Zhou^1,2, You-He Zhou¹, Xiao-Jing Zheng¹, Jing Wei³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 237-250, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.012.237

Abstract From the viewpoint of energy, a general magnetoelastic coupling theory including magnetic forces and magnetostriction effects is proposed for deformable magnetized medium. Firstly, a Taylor series expansion of independent variables of stress and magnetization in the elastic Gibbs free energy function is applied to obtain a polynomial expression; and then based on the magnetoelastic coupling mechanism, appropriate transcendental functions are substituted for some terms in a polynomial constitutive relationship derived by way of substituting the polynomial Gibbs free energy function in thermodynamic equations to achieve a more compact magnetostrictive constitutive relationship. The numerical simulation exhibits that the predicted magnetostrictive strain… More >