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International audienceDiscrete Element Method (DEM) simulations are used to model the elastic properties of a continuous material. The preparation route of the particle packing is shown to have a significant effect on the macroscopic properties. We propose simple relations, generalized from the mean field solution, that are able to fit DEM results. These relations introduce only basic microstructural features such as the coordination number and the packing density. When the tangential to normal stiffness ratio increases above unity, the material becomes potentially auxetic. Buckling is also explored with DEM, and results on cylindrical bars are compared to the classic Euler results for critical stress. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Rhesus and bonnet macaques are the 2 most common and widely distributed of the 8 macaque species of India. Rhesus macaques are widely distributed across southern and southeastern Asia, whereas bonnet macaques are restricted to peninsular India. We studied the current distributional limits of the 2 species, examined patterns of their coexistence in the interspecific border zones, and evaluated losses in the distributional range of bonnet macaques over the last 3 decades. Our results indicate that whereas rhesus macaques have extended their geographical range into the southern peninsula, bonnet macaques have been displaced from many areas within their former distributional range. The southern and the northern distributional limits for rhesus and bonnet macaques, respectively, currently run parallel to each other in the western part of the country, are separated by a large gap in central India, and converge on the eastern coast of the peninsula to form a distribution overlap zone. This overlap region is characterized by the presence of mixed-species troops, with pure troops of both species sometimes occurring even in close proximity to one another. The range extension of rhesus macaque-a natural process in some areas and a direct consequence of introduction by humans in other regions-poses grave implications for the endemic and declining populations of bonnet macaques in southern India.

Gas-turbine engines are widely used in transportation, energy and defense industries. The increasing demand for more efficient gas turbines requires higher turbine operating temperatures. For more than 40 years, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been the dominant thermal barrier coating (TBC) due to its outstanding material properties. However, the practical use of YSZbased TBCs is limited to approximately 1200°C. Developing new, higher temperature TBCs has proven challenging to satisfy the multiple property requirements of a durable TBC. In this study, an advanced TBC has been developed by using the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process that generates unique engineered microstructures with the higher temperature yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) to produce a TBC that can meet and exceed the major performance standards of state-of-the-art air plasma sprayed YSZ, including: phase stability, sintering resistance, CMAS resistance, thermal cycle durability, thermal conductivity and erosion resistance. The temperature improvement for hot section gas turbine materials (superalloys & TBCs) has been at the rate of about 50°C per decade over the last 50 years. In contrast, SPPS YAG TBCs offer the near-term potential of a[200°C improvement in temperature capability.

Heat transfer has a profound influence on homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion. When a thermal barrier coating is applied to the combustion chamber, the insulating effect magnifies the wall temperature swing, decreasing heat transfer during combustion. This enables improvements in both thermal and combustion efficiency without the detrimental impacts of intake charge heating. Increasing the temperature swing requires coatings with lower thermal conductivity and heat capacity. A promising avenue for simultaneously decreasing both thermal conductivity and capacity is to increase the porosity fraction. A proprietary solution precursor plasma spray process enables discrete organization of the porosity structure, called inter-pass boundaries, which in turn produces a step-reduction in thermal conductivity for a given porosity level. In this investigation, yttria-stabilized zirconia is used to create four different thermal barrier coatings to study the potential of structured porosity as means of improving the “temperature swing” behavior in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine. The baseline coating is “dense YSZ,” applied using a standard air-plasma spray process. Next, significant reductions of the thermal conductivity are achieved by utilizing the solution precursor plasma spray process to create inter-pass boundaries with a moderate overall porosity. Performance, efficiency, and emissions are compared against both a baseline configuration with a metal piston and an air-plasma spray “dense YSZ” coating. Experiments are carried out in a single-cylinder gasoline homogeneous charge compression ignition engine with exhaust re-induction. Experiments indicate that incorporating structured porosity into thermal barrier coatings produces tangible gains in combustion and thermal efficiencies. However, there is an upper limit to porosity levels acceptable for homogeneous charge compression ignition engine application because an elevated porosity fraction leads to excessive surface roughness and undesirable fuel interactions. Comparison of the coatings showed the best results with coating thickness of up to 150  µm. Thicker coatings led to slower surface temperature response and attenuated swing temperature magnitude.

Selection of the correct type of implant for fracture fixation has become a very interesting problem in the orthopaedic community. The present work studies the biomechanical behaviour of the femur with three different implant configurations for simple transverse subtrochanteric fracture and the intact femur using finite element analysis. The implants considered in this study are as follows: dynamic hip screw (DHS), dynamic condylar screw (DCS), and proximal femur nail (PFN). The modelling software Unigraphics and finite element simulation software ANSYS are used for the present analysis. The three implants are compared for deflection, stress, and strains. The simulation also includes modelling of the cortical defect near the fracture. An estimation of the critical depth of the cortical defect based on the von Mises stress is obtained using this study on the DHS implant. The displacement and principal stress on the proximal femur have been compared for all the implant models. The stresses on the cortical screws for DCS and DHS implants have also been compared. The result shows that the DHS and DCS implants behave in a similar way to the intact femur compared with the PFN implant.

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