In this work, a formulation is developed within the phase field method for modeling interactions between interfacial damage and bulk brittle cracking in complex microstructures. The method is ...dedicated to voxel-based models of highly complex microstructures, as obtained from X-ray microtomography images. A smoothed displacement jump approximation is introduced by means of level-set functions to overcome the issue of pixelized interfaces in voxel-based models. A simple technique is proposed to construct the level-set function in that case. Compared to recent work aiming at modeling cohesive cracks within the phase field method, our framework differs in several points: the formulation is such that interfaces are not initially damaged; no additional variables are required to describe the discontinuities at the interface and fatigue cracks can be modeled. The technique allows interaction between bulk and interface cracks, e.g. nucleation from interfaces and propagation within the matrix, and for arbitrary geometries and interactions between cracks. Several benchmarks are presented to validate the model. The technique is illustrated through numerical examples involving complex microcracking in X-ray CT image-based models of concrete microstructures.
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•Application of the phase field (PP) to microcracking in concrete microstructures.•Crack initiation and propagation in complex voxel-based models of microstructures.•An enhanced ...algorithm within PP is proposed to increase the load increments.
In this work, crack initiation and propagation in 2D and 3D highly heterogeneous materials models, such as those obtained by micro-CT imagery of cementitious materials, is investigated for the first time by means of the phase field method. A shifted strain split operator algorithm is proposed to handle unilateral contact within cracks in a very efficient manner. The various advantages of the phase field method for voxel-based models are discussed. More specifically, we show that the resolution related to the initial image and thus to meshes for discretizing the same microstructure does not significantly affect the simulated crack path.
Due to the fixed and limited sampling period in the real-time system, three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives using switching-table-based direct torque control (ST-DTC) usually ...suffer from steady-state error and ripple of torque. For the case of the dual three-phase system that has been widely investigated recently, the harmonic currents inevitably occur, which can be regarded as the third issue. This harmonic currents lead to the increase of losses and the decrease of system efficiency. Previous literature has addressed the aforementioned issues but only deals with either the torque ripple issues or harmonic currents. Therefore, this paper first introduces two types of synthetic vectors, which can reduce the harmonic currents effectively, as well as the most suitable switching sequences. Then, a modified five-level torque regulator has been proposed to improve the torque performance. With the proposed method, not only the harmonic currents have been suppressed, but also the steady-state error and ripple of torque can be considerably reduced, whereas the merits of classical ST-DTC, such as simple structure and excellent dynamic performance, are preserved. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Understanding risk factors for intracranial aneurysm growth is important for patient management. We performed a meta-analysis examining risk factors for intracranial aneurysm growth in longitudinal ...studies and examined the association between aneurysm growth and rupture.
We searched the literature for longitudinal studies of patients with unruptured aneurysms. We examined the associations of demographics, multiple aneurysms, prior subarachnoid hemorrhage, family history of aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage, smoking, and hypertension; and aneurysm shape, size, and location with aneurysm growth. We studied the association between aneurysm growth and rupture. A meta-analysis was performed by using a random-effects model by using summary statistics from included studies.
Twenty-one studies including 3954 patients with 4990 aneurysms with 13,294 aneurysm-years of follow-up were included. The overall proportion of growing aneurysms was 3.0% per aneurysm-year (95% CI, 2.0%-4.0%). Patient risk factors for growth included age older than 50 years (3.8% per year versus 0.9% per year, P < .01), female sex (3.2% per year versus 1.3% per year, P < .01), and smoking history (5.5% per year versus 3.5% per year, P < .01). Characteristics associated with higher growth rates included cavernous carotid artery location (14.4% per year), nonsaccular shape (14.7% per year versus 5.2% per year for saccular, P < .01), and aneurysm size (P < .01). Aneurysm growth was associated with a rupture rate of 3.1% per year compared with 0.1% per year for stable aneurysms (P < .01).
Observational evidence provided multiple clinical and anatomic risk factors for aneurysm growth, including age older than 50 years, female sex, smoking history, and nonsaccular shape. These findings should be considered when counseling patients regarding the natural history of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
In this paper, stator/rotor pole combinations, winding configurations, and electromagnetic performance of novel variable flux reluctance machines (VFRMs), which employ a doubly salient structure ...similar to switched reluctance machines (SRMs) but with stator-located dc field windings, are investigated. VFRMs with 12 stator poles are taken as examples to illustrate the method for determining the winding connections and winding factors. The back-electromotive force (EMF), self- and mutual inductances, cogging torque, static torque, torque ripple, and unbalanced magnetic force (UMF) are investigated by finite-element analyses. It is found that many stator/rotor pole combinations, i.e., 12/8 (which may be derived from the conventional three-phase SRM), 12/10, 12/11, 12/13, and 12/14, are feasible for the 12-stator-pole VFRMs. Among these pole number combinations, the 10- and 14-rotor-pole VFRMs can eliminate the inherent UMF in 6/5 and 6/7 VFRMs and exhibit more sinusoidal back-EMF waveforms and have higher torque density than an 8-rotor-pole VFRM, whereas the 11- and 13-rotor-pole VFRMs exhibit similar torque density as the 10- and 14-rotor-pole VFRMs, but with negligible cogging torque and torque ripple, albeit with UMF. Five prototype VFRMs with 12 stator poles and different rotor poles have been designed, manufactured, and tested to verify the analyses.
In this paper, switched flux permanent magnet (SFPM) machines are analyzed from the perspective of the air-gap field harmonics. It is found that the modulation of the salient rotor to PM and armature ...reaction fields in SFPM machines is similar to that of the iron pieces to those fields in the magnetic gear and magnetically geared machine. The magnetic gearing effect is analyzed in SFPM machines with different stator/rotor pole combinations, winding configurations, and stator lamination segment types by a simple magnetomotive force-permeance model, and validated by finite-element (FE) analysis. Different from fractional-slot surface-mounted PM machines in which the working air-gap field harmonic generates 95% of the average electromagnetic torque, 95% of the average electromagnetic torque in SFPM machines having ps stator pole pairs and n r rotor poles are contributed by several dominating field harmonics, i.e., rotating ones with |kn r ± (2i - 1)p s | pole pair (k = 1, i = 1, 2, 3) and static ones with (2i - 1)ps pole pair (i = 1, 2, 3). The FE predicted average static torques in SFPM machines are validated by measurements on prototype machines.
This paper reviews the relative merits of induction, switched reluctance, and permanent-magnet (PM) brushless machines and drives for application in electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles, with ...particular emphasis on PM brushless machines. The basic operational characteristics and design requirements, viz. a high torque/power density, high efficiency over a wide operating range, and a high maximum speed capability, as well as the latest developments, are described. Permanent-magnet brushless dc and ac machines and drives are compared in terms of their constant torque and constant power capabilities, and various PM machine topologies and their performance are reviewed. Finally, methods for enhancing the PM excitation torque and reluctance torque components and, thereby, improving the torque and power capability, are described
Context.
Level population inversion of hydrogen atoms in ionized gas may lead to stimulated emission of hydrogen recombination lines, and the level populations can in turn be affected by powerful ...stimulated emissions.
Aims.
In this work the interaction of the radiation fields and the level population inversion of hydrogen atoms is studied. The effect of the stimulated emissions on the line profiles is also investigated.
Methods.
Our previous nl-model for calculating level populations of hydrogen atoms and hydrogen recombination lines is improved. The effects of line and continuum radiation fields on the level populations are considered in the improved model. By using this method the properties of simulated hydrogen recombination lines and level populations are used in analyses.
Results.
The simulations show that hydrogen radio recombination lines are often emitted from the energy level with an inverted population. The widths of Hn
α
lines can be significantly narrowed by strong stimulated emissions to be even less than 10 km s
−1
. The amplification of hydrogen recombination lines is more affected by the line optical depth than by the total optical depth. The influence of stimulated emission on the estimates of electron temperature and density of ionized gas is evaluated. We find that comparing multiple line-to-continuum ratios is a reliable method for estimating the electron temperature, while the effectiveness of the estimation of electron density is determined by the relative significance of stimulated emission.
This paper investigates the average torque separation in permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines. In order to accurately separate the PM and armature fields, and, hence, the torque components ...accounting for the magnetic saturation and crosscoupling, the frozen permeability (FP) method is often employed, while the torque can be calculated by different methods, such as Maxwell stress tensor and virtual work principle. Although these two methods result in identical torques in normal finite element (FE) analyses when appropriate FE meshes are used, the average torques calculated by these two methods are found to be different when the FP method is employed due to the influence of equivalent rotational magnetic saliency in the stator, which causes a part of PM torque being improperly attributed to the reluctance torque when Maxwell stress tensor method is employed. However, by using the virtual work principle, this is eliminated, and, hence, the average torque components can still be appropriately separated and analyzed.
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