Research Publications Authored by SLIIT Staff
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This collection includes all SLIIT staff publications presented at external conferences and published in external journals. The materials are organized by faculty to facilitate easy retrieval.
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Publication Open Access Effect of electric boundary conditions on crack propagation in ferroelectric ceramics(The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2014-04) Rajapakse, R. K. N. D; Li, F-X; Sun, YIn this paper, the effect of electric boundary conditions on Mode I crack propagation in ferroelectric ceramics is studied by using both linear and nonlinear piezoelectric fracture mechanics. In linear analysis, impermeable cracks under open circuit and short circuit are analyzed using the Stroh formalism and a rescaling method. It is shown that the energy release rate in short circuit is larger than that in open circuit. In nonlinear analysis, permeable crack conditions are used and the nonlinear effect of domain switching near a crack tip is considered using an energy-based switching criterion proposed by Hwang et al. (Acta Metal. Mater., 1995). In open circuit, a large depolarization field induced by domain switching makes switching much more difficult than that in short circuit. Analysis shows that the energy release rate in short circuit is still larger than that in open circuit, and is also larger than the linear result. Consequently, whether using linear or nonlinear fracture analysis, a crack is found easier to propagate in short circuit than in open circuit, which is consistent with the experimental observations of Kounga Njiwa et al. (Eng. Fract. Mech., 2006).Publication Embargo Atomistic and continuum modelling of stress field at an inhomogeneity in graphene(Elsevier, 2018-12-15) Dewapriya, M. A. N; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DThe influence of an atomic inhomogeneity on the resulting stress field of a nanoscopic matrix material can be remarkably different from the corresponding continuum descriptions due to the significance of surface energy and the discrete nature of matter at the nanoscale. In this work, we conducted a comprehensive molecular dynamics study to investigate the stress field at an atomic inhomogeneity, in the form of an elliptical hole or a circular hexagonal boron-nitride inclusion, in graphene. The results show that stress concentration factor at an inhomogeneity is higher than the corresponding classical continuum solution. We estimated the surface elastic constants for a modified continuum framework using the molecular dynamics results. Comparison between the atomic simulations and the modified continuum model reveals the limitations of such continuum-based models for the two-dimensional materials. Molecular dynamics results imply that the underlying atomic structure softens the effect of inhomogeneity compared to a continuum description thus causing an amplification of the stress filed. The molecular dynamics and modified continuum solutions for stress concentration are presented in simplified forms and design charts to facilitate preliminary design of graphene-based hybrid materials.Publication Open Access Numerical modelling of piezoelectric actuators exposed to hydrogen(Springer Vienna, 2014-10) Sapsathiarn, Y; Singh, Y; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DModern fuel injectors have been developed based on piezoelectric stack actuators. Performance and durability of actuators in a hydrogen environment are important considerations in the development of hydrogen injectors. 2D plane stress and 3D models for analysis of coupled diffusion and thermo-electromechanical response of actuators are presented. Chemical potential, electric field and temperature gradients are taken as driving forces for hydrogen transport. The explicit Euler finite difference method is used to solve the nonlinear diffusion governing equation. The finite element method is used for time-dependent analysis of fully coupled mechanical, electric and thermal fields. The diffusion process and thermo-electromechanical deformations are coupled through the dependence of piezoelectric properties on hydrogen concentration. Experimental results for the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 of PZT ceramics exposed to different hydrogen concentrations are used. A comparison of a fully coupled 2D model with 2D and 3D models with reduced coupling is made to examine the significance of coupling and computational efficiency. Selected numerical results are presented for time histories of hydrogen concentration, temperature and stroke of an idealized actuator unit cell to obtain a preliminary understanding of the performance of actuators exposed to hydrogen.Publication Embargo Performance of piezoelectric actuators in a hydrogen environment: Experimental study and finite element modelling(Pergamon, 2015-03-02) Singh, Y; Rajapakse, R. K. N. D; Kjeang, E; Mumford, DSignificant improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions can be achieved in internal combustion engines (ICE) by electronically controlling the fuel injector opening valves with piezoelectric actuators. Hydrogen is considered an attractive alternative fuel with near-zero emissions at the point of use; however, the current understanding of the performance of piezoelectric actuators in a hydrogen environment is very limited. Variation in the performance of piezoelectric actuators due to their continuous and cyclic exposure to hydrogen at 100 °C and 10 MPa is experimentally investigated in the present work. The actuator's stroke-voltage relationship is evaluated under quasi-static as well as dynamic electric loading conditions within the ambient temperature range of 5–80 °C. A 3-D finite element model is also developed to simulate the behaviour of a single stack of an actuator exposed to hydrogen by using experimentally determined piezoelectric coefficients. The importance of coating technology to protect the actuator material from hydrogen is confirmed by the experimental study and numerical modelling.Publication Embargo An improved theoretical process-zone model for delayed hydride cracking initiation at a blunt V-notch(Pergamon, 2018-04-01) Huang, Y; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DDelayed hydride cracking (DHC) is an important concern for pressure tubes used in nuclear reactors. In this paper, an improved analytical process-zone model is developed based on the deformation fracture criteria. A V-notch with rounded root, which is widely adopted in mechanical testing of DHC, is considered and the proposed model includes the effect of both notch angle and tip radius. Comparisons with experiments show that the proposed model has a prediction accuracy closer to the current engineering process-zone model but with slightly less conservatism. The model is extended to account for plasticity and constraint effects at the flaw tip by introducing an empirical factor that depends on key material and geometric parameters.Publication Embargo Mechanistic models for nanobeams with surface stress effects(American Society of Civil Engineers, 2018-11-01) Sapsathiarn, Y; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DIn this paper, a mechanistic model for nanobeams with surface energy effects is developed by using a variational formulation. Thiswork is motivated by the unusual response of nanocantilevers predicted by models based on the Young-Laplace equation for surface stress.The governing equation and boundary conditions derived from the variational methods are compared with the governing equations andboundary conditions used in the Young-Laplace models and other formulations. A key difference in the shear force boundary condition isnoted. Analytical solutions for simply supported, cantilevered, and fixed-fixed beams are reexamined. It is shown that the unusual behavior ofnanocantilevers predicted by the Young-Laplace models is due to the shear force boundary condition used. The current formulation leads toconsistent solutions for beams under different boundary conditions.DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001520.© 2018 AmericanSociety of Civil EngineersPublication Open Access Atomic-scale finite element modelling of mechanical behaviour of graphene nanoribbons(Springer Netherlands, 2019-03) Damasceno, D. A; Mesquita, E; Rajapakse, R. K. N. D; Pavanello, RExperimental characterization of Graphene NanoRibbons (GNRs) is still an expensive task and computational simulations are therefore seen as a practical option to study the properties and mechanical response of GNRs. Design of GNR elements in various nanotechnology devices can be approached through molecular dynamics simulations. This study demonstrates that the atomic-scale finite element method (AFEM) based on the second generation REBO potential is an efficient and accurate alternative to the molecular dynamics simulation of GNRs. Special atomic finite elements are proposed to model graphene edges. Extensive comparisons are presented with MD solutions to establish the accuracy of AFEM. It is also shown that the Tersoff potential is not accurate for GNR modeling. The study demonstrates the influence of chirality and size on design parameters such as tensile strength and stiffness. Graphene is stronger and stiffer in the zigzag direction compared to the armchair direction. Armchair GNRs shows a minor dependence of tensile strength and elastic modulus on size whereas in the case of zigzag GNRs both modulus and strength show a significant size dependency. The size-dependency trend noted in the present study is different from the previously reported MD solutions for GNRs but qualitatively agrees with experimental results. Based on the present study, AFEM can be considered a highly efficient computational tool for analysis and design of GNRs.Publication Embargo Atomistic modelling of crack-inclusion interaction in graphene(Pergamon, 2018-05-15) Dewapriya, M. A. N; Meguid, S. A; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DIn continuum fracture mechanics, it is well established that the presence of crack near an inclusion leads to a significant change in the crack-tip stress field. However, it is unclear how atomistic crack-inclusion interaction manifests itself at the nanoscale where the continuum description of matter breaks down. In this work, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interactions of an atomic-scale boron nitride inclusion with an edge crack in a graphene sheet. Numerical simulations of nanoscale tensile tests were obtained for graphene samples containing an edge crack and a circular inclusion. Stress analysis of the samples show the complex nature of the stress state at the crack-tip due to the crack-inclusion interaction. Results reveal that the inclusion results in an increase (amplification) or a decrease (shielding) of the crack-tip stress field depending on the location of the inclusion relative to the crack-tip. Our numerical experiments unveil that inclusions of specific locations could lead to a reduction in the fracture resistance of graphene. Results of the crack-inclusion interaction study were compared with the corresponding results of crack-hole interaction problem. The study also provides an insight into the applicability of well-established continuum crack-microdefect interaction models for the corresponding atomic scale problems.Publication Embargo Static and dynamic analyses of nanoscale rectangular plates incorporating surface energy(Springer Vienna, 2017-08) Sapsathiarn, Y; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DIn this paper, the Gurtin–Murdoch continuum theory is applied to develop a new continuum mechanics model for static and dynamic analyses of nanoscale rectangular plates. The relevant governing equations are established from basic principles. Analytical solutions for static and free vibration of nanoscale rectangular plates are presented for selected boundary conditions. A finite element method for the analysis of rectangular nanoplates is also developed to solve general cases that cannot be solved analytically. Expressions for stiffness and mass matrices and the load vector are derived by using a weighted residual formulation. A selected set of numerical results is presented to investigate the size-dependent static and free vibration response of plates and the influence of surface material properties and boundary conditions.Publication Embargo Vertical vibrations of an elastic foundation with arbitrary embedment within a transversely isotropic, layered soil(Elsevier, 2014) Labaki, J; Mesquita, E; Rajapakse, R. K. N. DAnalytical methods based on linear elasticity have been used to model the dynamic response of foundations. These solutions commonly assume that soils are isotropic and elastic. Incorporation of anisotropy and the twophased nature of soils (solid skeleton with pores filled with water) is important in the study of dynamic response of foundations. This paper presents the explicit analytical solutions for a transversely isotropic poroelastic soil half-space under a buried time-harmonic vertical load and a time-harmonic pore pressure discontinuity. These versatile fundamental solutions are derived by using Hankel integral transforms. They can be used to analyze a variety of dynamic problems in geomechanics. The fundamental solutions are then applied to solve the timeharmonic vertical vibration of a flexible circular foundation by using variational methods. Selected numerical results are presented to demonstrate the influence of soil anisotropy, poroelasticity, foundation flexibility, depth of embedment and frequency of excitation on the vertical dynamic response of foundation and the force transmitted to soil.