Acta Mechanica Sinica

The present paper describes experimental investigation on the flow pattern and hydrodynamic effect of underwater gas jets from supersonic and sonic nozzles operated in correct- and imperfect expansion conditions. The flow visualizations show that jetting is the flow regime for the submerged gas injection at a high speed in the parameter range under consideration. The obtained results indicate that high-speed gas jets in still water induce large pressure pulsations upstream of the nozzle exit and the presence of shock-cell structure in the over- and under-expanded jets leads to an increase in the intensity of the jet-induced hydrodynamic pressure.

An earlier asymptotic analysis identified the flow-induced power and log singularities present when two nonmiscible, incompressible, viscous fluids contact a wall with no slip permitted. Here a parallel asymptotic analysis identifies such singularities in pressures and stresses when slip is admitted. While the singularity exponents for the two types of contact conditions are similar, the angles of interface impingement that have either power or log singularities are usually quite distinct.

This work deals with a reliability assessment of springback problem during the sheet metal forming process. The effects of operative parameters and material properties, blank holder force and plastic prestrain, on springback are investigated. A generic reliability approach was developed to control springback. Subsequently, the Monte Carlo simulation technique in conjunction with the Latin hypercube sampling method was adopted to study the probabilistic springback. Finite element method based on implicit/explicit algorithms was used to model the springback problem. The proposed constitutive law for sheet metal takes into account the adaptation of plastic parameters of the hardening law for each prestrain level considered. Rackwitz-Fiessler algorithm is used to find reliability properties from response surfaces of chosen springback geometrical parameters. The obtained results were analyzed using a multi-state limit reliability functions based on geometry compensations.

Based on the remote sensing images of algae, the present work analyzes the horizontal distribution characteristics of algal blooms in Chaohu Lake, China, which also reveals the frequency of algal blooms under different wind directions. Further, an unstructured-grid, three-dimensional finite-volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) is applied to investigate the wind-induced currents and the transport process to explain the reason why algal blooms occur at the detected places. We first deduce the primary distribution of biomass from overlaid satellite images, and explain the formation mechanism by analyzing the pollution sources, and simulating the flow field and transportation process under prevailing wind over Chaohu Lake. And then, we consider the adjustment action of the wind on the corresponding day and develop a two-time scale approach to describe the whole formation process of algae horizontal distribution in Chaohu Lake. That is, on the longer time scale, i.e., during bloom season, prevailing wind determines the primary distribution of biomass by inducing the characteristic flow field; on the shorter time scale, i.e., on the day when bloom occurs, the wind force adjusts the primary distribution of biomass to form the final distribution of algal bloom.

The parametric minimum complementary energy variational principle is given in this paper. To the problems of nonassociative flow rule in the theory of plasticity, the Drucker postulation can no longer be applied and the classical variational principles fail, the parametric variation principles can play the role instead. The parametric variational principle can be used for the finite element solution with sequential quadratic programming method to soil mechanics problems.

An fKdV equation of two-layer flow and an averaged fKdV equation (AfKdV equation) with respect to phase are derived to determine the theoretical amplitude and period of the precursor solitons in the present paper. In terms of the AfKdV equation derived by the authors, a new theory on the precursor soliton generation based on Lee et al.'s concept is presented. Concepts of asymptotic mean hydraulic fall and level are introduced in our analysis, and the theoretical amplitude and period both depend on the asymptotic mean levels and stratified parameters. From the present theoretical results, it is obtained that when the moving velocity of the topography is at the resonant points, there exist two general relations: (1) amplitude relation Å=2F, (2) period relation $$\mathop \tau \limits^ \circ = - 8m_1 m_3^{ - 1} \sqrt {6m_4 m_3^{ - 1} } \mathcal{F}$$ , in which Å and $$\tau $$ are the amplitude and period of the precursor solitons at the resonant points respectively,m 1,m 3 andm 4 are coefficients of the fKdV equation, andF is an asymptotic mean half-hydraulic fall at subcritical cutoff points. The theoretical results of this paper are compared with experiments and numerical calculations of two-layer flow over a semicircular topography and all these results are in good agreement. Due to the canonical character of the coefficients of fKdV equations, this theory also holds for any two-dimensional system, which can be reduced to fKdV equations.

Non-axisymmetric wake impact experiments were carried out after the best exciting frequency for a low speed axial compressor had been found by axisymmetric wake impact experiments. When the number and circumferential distribution of inlet guide vanes (IGV) are logical the wakes of non-axisymmetric IGVs can exert beneficial unsteady exciting effect on their downstream rotor flow fields and improve the compressor’s performance. In the present paper, four non-axisymmetric wake impact plans were found working better than the axisymmetric wake impact plan. Compared with the base plan, the best non-axisymmetric plan increased the compressor’s peak efficiency, and the total pressure rise by 1.1 and 2%, and enhanced the stall margin by 4.4%. The main reason why non-axisymmetric plans worked better than the axisymmetric plan was explained as the change of the unsteady exciting signal arising from IGV wakes. Besides the high-frequency components, the non-axisymmetric plan generated a beneficial low-frequency square-wave exciting signal and other secondary frequency components. Compared with the axisymmetric plan, multi-frequency exciting wakes arising from the non-axisymmetric plans are easier to get coupling relation with complex vortices such as clearance vortices, passage vortices and shedding vortices.

A finite element asymptotic analysis for determining the lower bound dynamic buckling estimates of imperfection-sensitive structures under step load of infinite duration is presented. The lower bound dynamic buckling loads and the corresponding displacements are sought in the form of asymptotic expansions based on the static stability criterion and they can be determined by solving numerically (FEM) several linear problems with a single nonsingular sub-stiffness matrix.

A theoretical model for the instability of turbulent boundary layer over compliant surfaces is described. The investigation of instability is carried out from a time-asymptotic space-time perspective that classifies instabilities as either convective or absolute. Results are compared against experimental observations of surface waves on elastic and viscoelastic compliant layers.