In this paper, elastic analysis for a collinear crack problem in antiplane elasticity of functionally graded materials (FGMs) is present. An elementary solution is obtained, which represents the traction applied at a point “x” on the real axis caused by a point dislocation placed at a point “t” on the same real axis. The Fourier transform method is used to derive the elementary solution. After using the obtained elementary solution, the singular integral equation is formulated for the collinear crack problem. Furthermore, from the solution of the singular integral equation the stress intensity factor at the crack tip can be evaluated immediately. In the solution of stress intensity factor, influence caused by the materials property “α” is addressed. Finally, numerical solutions are presented.

This paper describes a computational model based on the dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) for the solution of two-dimensional incompressible viscous flow problems. The model is based on the Navier-Stokes equations in velocity-vorticity variables. The model includes the solution of vorticity transport equation for vorticity whose solenoidal vorticity components are obtained by solving Poisson equations involving the velocity and vorticity components. Both the Poisson equations and the vorticity transport equations are solved iteratively using DRBEM and combined to determine the velocity and vorticity vectors. In DRBEM, all source terms, advective terms and time dependent terms are converted into boundary integrals and hence the computational domain of the problem reduces by one. Internal points are considered wherever solution is required. The model has been applied to simulate two-dimensional incompressible viscous flow problems with low Reynolds (Re) number in a typical square cavity. Results are obtained and compared with other models. The DRBEM model has been found to be reasonable and satisfactory.

The Saint Venant equations are often merged into a single equation for being easily solvable. By doing so, the most general form of the single equation is formulated in this study if all terms are preserved. As a result, the generalized model (GM) results and contains several unexpected nonlinear terms that may impose a great limitation on model analyses. In order to identify these redundant terms, this paper discusses the employment of the linearized Saint Venant equations (LSVE) governing subcritical flow in prismatic channels. The LSVE is solved by a new procedure that separates, in the Laplace frequency domain, the governing equation of water depth from that of flow velocity and thus enables us to consider two independent equations rather than two coupled ones. This allows us to obtain analytical solutions in a much easier way. Comparisons of the response functions of LSVE and the linearized generalized model (LGM) show that the two equations provide identical solutions if the redundant terms embedded in LGM are neglected. It then follows that the response function of LGM can be utilized as a replacement for solving the analytical solution of LSVE that is valid for prismatic channels of any shape. Validity of the analytical solution is verified by repeatedly comparing with the corresponding numerical solutions of finite difference method or Crump's algorithm [1], depending on whether the flow domain is finite or semi-infinite. It is clearly demonstrated in this paper that LSVE serves as an excellent substitution for LGM whose variants have been employed for quite a few years.

Analytical closed-form solutions for the crack tip plastic zone shape have been derived for a semi-infinite crack in an isotropic elastic-perfectly plastic solid under both plane stress and plane strain conditions. Two yield criteria have been applied: the Von Mises and Tresca yield criteria. The solutions have been developed for crack modes I and III (mode II has been published previously). The results, which favorably compare to a limited number of existing experimental and analytical findings, indicate that the Tresca zone is larger in size than the Von Mises zone. Moreover, an interesting observation is that both zones are generally much larger than the ones predicted by classical Irwin and Dugdale-Barenblatt solutions.

In the analysis of simple wire-driven platform (SWDP) mechanisms, the tension and the posture of each wire can be formulated, and expressed in an integrated screw representation naturally. In this study, a unified approach for analyzing the kinematics and kinetics of SWDP mechanisms based on the screw theory is proposed and developed, which includes the screw-based Jacobian, the static and dynamic equilibrium of wires and platform, and the singularity analysis. Via using the unified screw-based approach, the investigation on the characteristics of SWDP mechanisms, therefore, can be more efficient and simplified. An example is presented to demonstrate this unified approach.

The development of biochips leads to a straightforward, fast and cost effective method to obtain valuable genetic information. A key element of the emerging biochip technology is a microarray system, which fabricates high-density samples on solid materials of a microscopic area. In particular, dots of test liquid are printed on solids by a system of pins constituting a microarray. At present, however, the technique cannot make dots of arbitrary equivalent and controllable size. On the other hand, printing pins in microarrays represent themselves as a particular example of dip coating. In the experiments of the present work, a model of tapered stainless steel needle was withdrawn from different glycerine-water mixtures. Thicknesses and volumes of the withdrawn liquid films were measured as a function of the needle geometry, immersion depth, withdrawal rate, and physical parameters of the liquid. The experimental data are analyzed as a function of the capillary number Ca based on the withdrawal speed and compared to the predictions of the modified Landau-Levich-Deryagin (LLD) theory. The results show that for Ca < 10-2 the thickness and the volume of the liquid follow the Ca2/3-scaling, while for Ca >10-2 — the Ca½-scaling, as it is expected from the LLD theory. Flow visualization is utilized to resolve the detail flow structure. The results put the key element of the pin-printing technology exploited in microarrays into a familiar hydrodynamic context of dip coating. This allows one to expect that under appropriate operational conditions, high-precision sampling could be attainable.

An experimental study of thermosolutal convection in an inclined rectangular enclosure with a partition is presented in this article. Aspect ratio, partition ratio, and inclination angle were kept constant at Ar =0.5, Ap = 0.25 and φ = 30°, respectively. The convective flow is generated by both inclined temperature and concentration gradients under limiting current condition. Both the thermal and solutal buoyancies, which either cooperated or opposed one another, were induced from the copper plates. The temperature gradient was maintained and controlled using two separate constant temperature baths that circulated heated or cooled water through a heat exchanger. We used copper sulphate-sulfuric acid solution as both the working fluid and the electrolyte. An electrochemical method based on a diffusion-controlled electrode reaction was employed to create the concentration gradient. We used the shadowgraph recording technique to visualize and analyze the flow field phenomenon. Thermal Grashof numbers ranging from 8.16 × 105 to 16.32 × 105 and a solutal Grashof number Grm = 4.36 × 106 were investigated. It is demonstrated that the mass transfer rate increases with the increasing thermal Grashof numbers within our experimental ranges. Multilayer structures are found in the cooperating case or the opposing case.

This paper focuses on the design of a weather observation constellation consisting of gravity-gradient stabilized satellites for acquiring weather images of Taiwan on an hourly basis. The CCD imaging system is made up of the imaging module, the image-processing module and the sequencing operation controller. The CCD imaging logic is designed to determine the optimal imaging opportunity according to the orbital data. In order to compare with the existing polar systems and the TUUSAT-1 mission, the Walker Constellation method is also employed to calculate the minimum number of satellites required in a constellation. The calculation results show that the 8/8/5 Walker Constellation can satisfactorily meet the coverage requirements. Compared with the design of constellations which are constituted of the existing polar weather satellites and the passive magnetic stabilized satellites respectively, the present constellation design employs a smaller number of satellites to meet the same coverage requirements.