A study has been made of the electrical characteristics and optical emission spectra exhibited when discharge events take place during plasma electrolytic oxidation processing. Both conventional and small area experimental arrangements have been employed, allowing detailed measurement of durations, and temporal distributions, as well as such characteristics as charge transfer, and power. Individual discharges are of short duration, typically tens to hundreds of microseconds, but there is a strong tendency for them to occur in cascades that commonly last between several ms and several tens of ms. The composition, temperature and electron density of the plasma formed during PEO processing are inferred from characteristics of the emission spectra. This confirms that there are two distinct regions of plasma; a lower density peripheral region at~3500 K, and a higher density core at 16,000 ± 3500 K. The implications of these results are considered in terms of the interpretation of different types of experimental measurement, and attention is also briefly given to how such behaviour might relate to the mechanisms of growth.
Axisymmetric finite element models have been developed for the simulation of negative discharges in air without and with the presence of dielectrics. The models are based on the hydrodynamic drift-diffusion approximation. A set of continuity equations accounting for the movement, generation and loss of charge carriers (electrons, positive and negative ions) is coupled with Poisson's equation to take into account the effect of space and surface charges on the electric field. The model of a negative corona discharge (without dielectric barriers) in a needle-plane geometry is analysed first. The results obtained show good agreement with experimental observations for various Trichel pulse characteristics. With dielectric barriers introduced into the discharge system, the surface discharge exhibits some similarities and differences to the corona case. The model studies the dynamics of volume charge generation, electric field variations and charge accumulation over the dielectric surface. The predicted surface charge density is consistent with experimental results obtained from the Pockels experiment in terms of distribution form and magnitude.
A sintering model is presented for prediction of changes in the microstructure and dimensions of free-standing, plasma-sprayed (PS) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). It is based on the variational principle. It incorporates the main microstructural features of PS TBCs and simulates the effects of surface diffusion, grain boundary diffusion and grain growth. The model is validated by comparison with experimental data for shrinkage, surface area reduction and porosity reduction. Predicted microstructural changes are also used as input data for a previously developed thermal conductivity model. Good agreement is observed between prediction and measurement for all these characteristics. The model allows separation of the effects of coating microstructure and material properties, and captures the coupling between densifying and non-densifying mechanisms. A sensitivity analysis is presented, which highlights the importance of the initial pore architecture. Predictions indicate that the microstructural changes which give rise to (undesirable) increases in thermal conductivity and stiffness are very sensitive to surface diffusion.
Numerical methods of finding transient solutions to diffusion problems in two distinct phases that are separated by a moving boundary are reviewed and compared. A new scheme is developed, based on the Landau transformation. Finite difference equations are derived in such a way as to ensure that solute is conserved. It is applicable to binary alloys in planar, cylindrical, or spherical geometries.The efficiency of algorithms which implement the scheme is considered. Computational experiments indicate that the algorithms presented here are of first order accuracy in both time and space.
A means of enhancing electrical and thermal conductivities of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites is investigated for the purpose of reducing damage when electric current and/or heat is introduced into a CFRP structure. The addition of commercially available graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes dispersed into an epoxy resin is studied; quantities up to 6.3 vol% are used in a vacuum infusion process with carbon fibre fabric to form CFRP laminates. Measurements of the anisotropic electrical and thermal conductivity of the laminate were conducted on CFRP specimens with and without the GO nano-flakes. It is shown that the electrical conductivity in the through-thickness direction increased markedly, reaching values up to 0.18 S/cm, when 6.3 vol% of GO was added into the epoxy, showing a threefold increase compared to the neat CFRP. Similar improvement was also found in the thermal throughthickness conductivity for the same filler content, where the laminate exhibited identical values in both transverse and through-thickness directions. However, the properties transverse to the fibres were not greatly affected by the GO addition. To assess the effect of the GO on the mechanical properties, interlaminar shear strength tests were conducted that showed that the addition of the GO significantly enhanced the through-thickness shear strength.
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