research

In this review of particularly readworthy papers in EFM, I have selected a paper about the tearing of large ductile plates, namely:

”Cohesive zone modeling and calibration for mode I tearing of large ductile plates”  by P.B. Woelke, M.D. Shields, J.W. Hutchinson, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 147 (2015) 293-305.

Deformation Mechanics of Granular Materials:

Local deformation of Polymer-bonded sugar at high strain rate loading

 Addis Kidane, Suraj Ravindran

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 300 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29208

Introduction

Thanks to the efforts of the associate editors and reviewers, JAM continues to publish very fast.  Among ~800 submissions in 2015, there are only 19 papers that are still under review as of February 1, 2016.  In addition, the acceptance rate continues to decline, to ~16% in 2015. 

Below are references to some of our ongoing work that is published and is related to study the role of microcracking (in particular) and porosity to the thermo-mechanical response of functional ceramics. This study is  relevant to understand the structural reliability of the systems such as the SOFC's (solid oxide fuel cells) and DPF's (diesel particulate filters).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npjcompumats.2015.16

Abstract

 The 64 m diameter Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT), located near Cagliari (Italy), is the world’s second largest fully steerable radio telescope with an active surface. Among its peculiarities is the capability of modifying the configuration of the primary mirror surface by means of electromechanical actuators. This capability enables, within a fixed range, balancing of the deformation caused by external loads. In this way, the difference between the ideal shape of the mirror (which maximizes its performance) and the actual surface can be reduced.