Experimental characterisation and mechanical modelling of connection details in traditional Groningen houses

Post-earthquake structural damage shows that out-of-plane wall collapse is one of the most prevalent failure mechanisms in unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. This issue is particularly critical in Groningen, a province located in the northern part of the Netherlands, where low-intensity ground shaking has occurred since 1991 due to gas...

A Continuously Updated Package-Degradation Model reflecting Thermomechanical Changes at Different Thermo-Oxidative Stages of Moulding Compound

Moulding compounds used for encapsulating electronics typically occupy a large portion of package volume and are most exposed to the external environment. Under harsh conditions such as high temperature, humidity, and mechanical vibrations, constituent materials of electronic components degrade, resulting in a change in their thermal, mechanical...

Pressure-induced nonlinear resonance frequency changes for extracting Young’s modulus of nanodrums

The resonance frequency of ultra-thin layered nanomaterials changes nonlinearly with the tension induced by the pressure from the surrounding gas. Although the dynamics of pressurized nanomaterial membranes have been extensively explored, recent experimental observations show significant deviations from analytical predictions. Here, we...

Non-Modal Growth Induced by Discrete Roughness Elements in a Swept Wing Boundary Layer: Modelling and Diagnostics

Laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transition on the wings and stabilizers of aircraft leads to a large increase in the skin-friction drag they experience during flight. This has motivated prolific research into understanding and delaying the transition process, in an effort to improve the economic and ecological impact of air travel. The swept...

Build and Experimental Characterization of a novel continuous Direct Air Capture system

The unprecedented rise in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, and the accompanying rise in global temperature, has created the need for the development of environmentally friendly sources of energy. A very promising line of research focuses in the development of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies; through which carbon-neutral...

Measuring geometric imperfections of variable–angle filament–wound cylinders with a simple digital image correlation setup

Measuring the geometric imperfections in cylindrical shells is a critical step necessary to create accurate numerical models that can capture the imperfection-sensitive behavior of these structures. Modern composite structures, such as variable–angle filament–wound (VAFW) cylinders, have a unique imperfection signature that is still unknown to...

Chemo-physical characterization and molecular dynamics simulation of long-term aging behaviors of bitumen

To further explore the long-term aging behaviors of bitumen from the multiscale perspectives, the experimental characterization and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods were performed. Series of chemical properties for the virgin and various aged bitumen were evaluated using the TCL-FID, ATR-FTIR, Elemental analysis and GPC tests. The...

Characterization of Transient behaviors and Operability study of a novel small scale Methanol Synthesis Reactor: Working on feed recycle by Natural Convection

The dwindling of natural resources, mainly fossil fuels, and the alarming increase in the global average temperatures, are the biggest concerns of the engineering and scientific community of 21st century. Studies have found that known reserves of oil and natural gas will last another 50 years. Coal will last another 110 years, which points...

Relating Process Parameters to X-Core Properties through Experimental Testing and Modelling: Gaining an In-Depth Understanding of the X-Core Cure Process

Besides building ultra-lightweight sportscars, Donkervoort Automobielen B.V. is developing a novel core material to be applied in complex shaped composite sandwich structures. This material goes by the name of X-Core and has the unique capability of generating the pressure required for facesheet consolidation, enabling a one-shot manufacturing...

Compression-Compression and Tension-Compression Fatigue of Textile Carbon-Epoxy Composites: Experimental Testing and Instrumentation

Efficient design of woven composite structures is limited by a knowledge gap in predictive modeling of their behaviour. Fatigue modeling in particular is difficult and limited by a lack of experimental data. For compression-compression (C-C) or tension-compression (T-C) fatigue, experimental results in literature are uncommon. In this master...

Experimental and numerical characterization of impact on composites for automotive applications

Following the EU-28 targets, in 2050 a reduction in total energy consumption of 70% compared to the 2008 consumption is required driven by weight reduction in the road transportation industry. Because of the high specific strength and stiffness of composite materials, introduction of advanced composites in the vehicle design is observed. However...