B. Tomas Johansson¹, Liviu Marin²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.13, No.2, pp. 153-190, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.013.153

Abstract We propose two algorithms involving the relaxation of either the given Dirichlet data or the prescribed Neumann data on the over-specified boundary, in the case of the alternating iterative algorithm of Kozlov, Maz'ya and Fomin(1991) applied to Cauchy problems for the modified Helmholtz equation. A convergence proof of these relaxation methods is given, along with a stopping criterion. The numerical results obtained using these procedures, in conjunction with the boundary element method (BEM), show the numerical stability, convergence, consistency and computational efficiency of the proposed methods. 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 >

De-Shin Liu¹, Zhen-Wei Zhuang^1,2, Cho-LiangChung³, Ching-Yang Chen⁴

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.13, No.2, pp. 89-114, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.013.089

Abstract This paper employs a novel numerical technique, designated as the hybrid moisture element method (HMEM), to model and analyze moisture diffusion in a heterogeneous epoxy resin containing multiple randomly distributed particles. The HMEM scheme is based on a hybrid moisture element (HME), whose properties are determined by equivalent moisture capacitance and conductance matrixes calculated using the conventional finite element formulation. A coupled HME-FE scheme is developed and implemented using the commercial FEM software ABAQUS. The HME-FE scheme is then employed to analyze the moisture diffusion characteristics of a heterogeneous epoxy resin layer containing particle inclusions. The analysis commences by comparing… 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 >

S.H. Kwon¹, H.K. Lee²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 197-222, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.012.197

Abstract The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of steel fiber-reinforced mortar was numerically examined in this study. A series of numerical analysis on twenty-seven types of specimens of different diameters, lengths, and volume fractions of fibers were conducted using the FE program HFSS to investigate the effect of the dimensions of steel fibers and the amount of fibers added to the mortar on the shielding effectiveness. S-parameters of some specimens were experimentally measured by the free space method and the experimentally measured S-parameters were compared with those computed in order to verify the present numerical analysis method. It was found that smaller diameters… More >

Aimin Jiang^1,2, Yili Wu²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 101-120, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.012.101

Abstract This paper presents a development of the boundary contour method (BCM) for piezoelectric media. Firstly, the divergence-free of the integrand of the piezoelectric boundary element method is proved. Secondly, the boundary contour method formulations are obtained by introducing quadratic shape functions and Green's functions (Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering1998;158: 65-80) for piezoelectric media and using the rigid body motion solution to regularize the BCM and avoid computation of the corner tensor. The BCM is applied to the problem of piezoelectric media. Finally, numerical solutions for illustrative examples are compared with exact ones. The numerical results of the BCM… More >

Chyanbin Hwu¹, T.L. Kuo, Y.C. Chen

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 165-184, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.011.165

Abstract In this paper the near tip solutions for interface corners written in terms of the stress intensity factors are presented in a unified expression. This single expression is applicable for any kinds of interface corners including corners and cracks in homogeneous materials as well as interface corners and interface cracks lying between two dissimilar materials, in which the materials can be any kinds of linear elastic anisotropic materials or piezoelectric materials. Through this unified expression of near tip solutions, the singular orders of stresses and their associated stress/electric intensity factors for different kinds of interface problems can be determined through… More >

D. S. Liu¹, C. Y. Tsai¹, S. R. Lyu²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 147-164, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.011.147

Abstract This study presents a novel numerical method for extracting the tempe -rature-dependent mechanical properties of the gold and aluminum thin-films. In the proposed approach, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to establish the load-displacement response of the thin substrate nanoindented at temperatures ranging from 300-900 K. A simple but effective procedure involving genetic algorithm (GA) and finite element method (FEM) is implemented to extract the material constants of the gold and aluminum substrates. The material constants are then used to construct the corresponding stress-strain curve, from which the elastic modulus, yield stress and the tangent modulus of the thin film… More >

Hsien-Chie Cheng¹, Yu-Chen Hsu², Wen-Hwa Chen²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 127-146, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.011.127

Abstract Due to the limitation of fabrication technologies nowadays, structural or atomistic defects are often perceived in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) during the manufacturing process. The main goal of the study aims at providing a systematic investigation of the effects of atomistic defects on the nanomechanical properties and fracture behaviors of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Furthermore, the correlation between local stress distribution and fracture evolution is studied. Key parameters and factors under investigation include the number, type (namely the vacancy and Stone-Wales defects), location and distribution of defects. Results show that the nanomechanical properties of the CNTs, such… More >

Yeau-Ren Jeng¹,Ping-Chi Tsai¹,Guo-Zhe Huang¹, I-Ling Chang¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.11, No.2, pp. 109-126, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.011.109

Abstract This study performs a series of Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Molecular Statics (MS) simulations to investigate the mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under a uniaxial tensile strain. The simulations focus specifically on the effects of the nanotube helicity, the nanotube diameter and the percentage of vacancy defects on the bond length, bond angle and tensile strength of zigzag and armchair SWCNTs. In this study, a good agreement is observed between the MD and MS simulation results for the stress-strain response of the SWCNTs in both the elastic and the plastic deformation regimes. The MS simulations reveal that in… More >