Optimization of buckling load for laminated composite plates using adaptive Kriging-improved PSO: A novel hybrid intelligent method

An effective hybrid optimization method is proposed by integrating an adaptive Kriging (A-Kriging) into an improved partial swarm optimization algorithm (IPSO) to give a so-called A-Kriging-IPSO for maxi-mizing the buckling load of laminated composite plates (LCPs) under uniaxial and biaxial compressions. In this method, a novel iterative adaptive Kriging model, which is structured using two training sample sets as active and adaptive points, is utilized to directly predict the buckling load of the LCPs and to improve the efficiency of the optimization process. The active points are selected from the initial data set while the adaptive points are generated using the radial random-based convex samples. The cell-based smoothed discrete shear gap method (CS-DSG3) is employed to analyze the buckling behavior of the LCPs to provide the response of adaptive and input data sets. The buckling load of the LCPs is maximized by utilizing the IPSO algorithm. To demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methodology, the LCPs with different layers (2, 3, 4, and 10 layers), boundary conditions, aspect ratios and load patterns (biaxial and uniaxial loads) are investigated. The results obtained by proposed method are in good agreement with the literature results, but with less computational burden. By applying adaptive radial Kriging model, the accurate optimal results-based predictions of the buckling load are obtained for the studied LCPs.     

Blast resistance evaluation of urban utility tunnel reinforced with BFRP bars

To improve corrosion-resistance of shallow-buried concrete urban utility tunnels(UUTs),basalt fiber reinforced polymer(BFRP)bars are applied to reinforce UUTs.As the UUT must have excellent survival capability under accidental explosions,a shallow-buried BFRP bars reinforced UUT(BBRU)was designed and constructed.Repetitive blast experiments were carried out on this BBRU.Dynamic responses,damage evolutions and failure styles of the BBRU under repetitive explosions were revealed.The tunnel roof is the most vulnerable component and longitudinal cracks develop along the tunnel.When the scaled distance is larger than 1.10 m/kg1/3,no cracks are observed in the experiments.When the BBRU is severely damaged,there are five cracks forming and developing along the roof.The roof is simplified as a clamped-supported one-way slab,proved by the observation that the maximum strain of the transverse bar is much larger than that of the longitudinal bar.Dynamic responses of the roof slab are predicted by dynamic Euler beam theory,which can consistently predict the roof displacement under large-scaled-distance explosion.Compared with the UUT reinforced with steel bars,the BBRU has advantages in blast resistance with smaller deflections and more evenly-distributed cracks when the scaled distance is smaller than 1.260 m/kg1/3 and the steel bars enter plastic state.Longer elastic defamation of the BFRP bars endows the UUT more excellent blast resistance under small-scaled-distance explosions.     

Experimental investigation on enhanced damage to fuel tanks by reactive projectiles impact

Enhanced damage to the full-filled fuel tank,impacted by the cold pressed and sintered PTFE/AL/W reactive material projectile(RMP)with a density of 7.8 g/cm3,is investigated experimentally and theoretically.The fuel tank is a rectangular structure,welded by six pieces of 2024 aluminum plate with a thickness of 6 mm,and filled with RP-3 aviation kerosene.Experimental results show that the kerosene is ignited by the RMP impact at a velocity above 1062 m/s,and a novel interior ignition phenomenon which is closely related to the rupture effect of the fuel tank is observed.However,the traditional steel projectile with the same mass and dimension requires a velocity up to 1649 m/s to ignite the kerosene.Based on the experimental results,the radial pressure field is considered to be the main reason for the shear failure of weld.For mechanism considerations,the chemical energy released by the RMP enhances the hydrodynamic ram(HRAM)effect and provides additional ignition sources inside the fuel tank,thereby enhancing both rupture and ignition effects.Moreover,to further understand the enhanced ignition effect of RMP,the reactive debris temperature inside the kerosene is analyzed theoretically.The initiated reactive debris with high temperature provides effective interior ignition sources to ignite the kerosene,resulting in the enhanced ignition of the kerosene.     

Combustion of B4C/KNO3 binary pyrotechnic system

Presented herein is an experimental study on the combustion of B4C/KNO3 binary pyrotechnic system.Combustion products were tested using X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS).According to the results of tests and CEA calculation,the combustion reaction equation was established.The flames and burning rates were recorded by a high speed camera and a spectrophotometer.The effect of B4C particle size on the thermal sensitivity of B4C/KNO3 was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)techniques.In addition,a reliable method for calculating the flame temperature was proposed.Based on the results of experiments,the combustion reaction mechanism was briefly analyzed.The burning rate,flame temperature and thermal sensitivity of B4C/KNC3 increase with the decrease of B4C particle size.The mass ratio of B4C/KNO3 has a great effect on combustion properties.Oxidizer-rich compositions have low flame temperatures,low burning rates,and provide green light emission.The combustion reactions of fuel-rich compositions are vigorous,and the B4C/KNO3 with mass ratio of 25:75 has the highest burning rate and the highest flame temperature.     

Damage to aircraft composite structures caused by directed energy system: A literature review

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research studies on direct energy system effect on aircraft composite structures to develop a good understanding of state-of-the-art research and devel-opment in this area. The review begins with the application of composite materials in the aircraft structures and highlights their particular areas of application and limitations. An overview of directed energy system is given. Some of the commonly used systems in this category are discussed and the working principles of laser energy systems are described. The experimental and numerical studies re-ported regarding the aircraft composite structures subject to the effect of directed energy systems, especially the laser systems are reviewed in detail. In particularly, the general effects of laser systems and the relevant damage mechanisms against the composite structures are reported. The review draws attention to the recent research and findings in this field and is expected to guide engineers/researchers in future theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies.     

Fabrication and characterization of Al-CuO nanocomposites prepared by sol-gel method

In this study, Al-CuO nanocomposites were fabricated by sol-gel method. As a contrast, the thermite was prepared by physical mixing at the equivalence ratio of 0.5, 1, 2, respectively. The intermediates and samples as prepared were characterized by SEM and XRD. The exothermic properties of the two samples prepared at different equivalence ratios were tested and the reaction products were characterized by XRD. The SEM results show that the sample prepared by the sol-gel method demonstrates a micron-sized agglomerated sphere formed by a mutual wrapping of Al NPs and CuO NPs, and the particles are evenly distributed in the agglomerate. In addition, when the content of Al powder is seriously insufficient, the heat release of the sample prepared by physical mixing is 1.6 times that of by sol-gel method. With the increase of Al powder content, the exothermic properties of Al/CuO NPs prepared by sol-gel method began to increase significantly compared with physical mixing and the difference is 1.5 times when the equivalence ratio increases to 2. It can be concluded that the reason for this result may be attributed to the different mass transfer modes of components due to the different morphologies of samples.     

A cooperative interference resource allocation method based on improved firefly algorithm

To deal with the radio frequency threat posed by modern complex radar networks to aircraft, we researched the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formations radar countermeasures, aiming at the solution of radar jamming resource allocation under system countermeasures. A jamming resource allocation method based on an improved firefly algorithm (FA) is proposed. Firstly, the comprehensive factors affecting the level of threat and interference efficiency of radiation source are quantified by a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. Besides, the interference efficiency matrix and the objective function of the allocation model are determined to establish the interference resource allocation model. Finally, A mutation operator and an adaptive heuristic are integtated into the FA algorithm, which searches an interference resource allocation scheme. The simulation results show that the improved FA algorithm can compensate for the deficiencies of the FA algorithm. The improved FA algorithm provides a more sci-entific and reasonable decision-making plan for aircraft mission allocation and can effectively deal with the battlefield threats of the enemy radar network. Moreover, in terms of convergence accuracy and speed as well as algorithm stability, the improved FA algorithm is superior to the simulated annealing algorithm (SA), the niche genetic algorithm (NGA), the improved discrete cuckoo algorithm (IDCS), the mutant firefly algorithm (MFA), the cuckoo search and fireflies algorithm (CSFA), and the best neighbor firefly algorithm (BNFA).     

Partial input to output impacts in DEA: Production considerations and resource sharing among business subunits

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a methodology for evaluating the relative efficiencies of peer decision‐making units (DMUs), in a multiple input/output setting. Although it is generally assumed that all outputs are impacted by all inputs, there are many situations where this may not be the case. This article extends the conventional DEA methodology to allow for the measurement of technical efficiency in situations where only partial input‐to‐output impacts exist. The new methodology involves viewing the DMU as a business unit, consisting of a set of mutually exclusive subunits, each of which can be treated in the conventional DEA sense. A further consideration involves the imposition of constraints in the form of assurance regions (AR) on pairs of multipliers. These AR constraints often arise at the level of the subunit, and as a result, there can be multiple and often inconsistent AR constraints on any given variable pair. We present a methodology for resolving such inconsistencies. To demonstrate the overall methodology, we apply it to the problem of evaluating the efficiencies of a set of steel fabrication plants. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013     

Does Health Spending Crowd out Defense in the United States? Evidence from Wavelet Multiresolution Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the association between defense and health spending using multi-resolution analysis incorporating the structural change model. Our empirical results suggested that a negative correlation between defense and health spending persists over the entire period of 1941–2013 in the very long-run (over 16 years cycle), but there is a change in correlation between defense and health spending in the short-run (2–4 years cycle), medium-run (4–8 years cycle), and long-run (8–16 years cycle) during the same period. In particular, there appears to have been a trade-off relationship between defense and health spending during the ex-Korean War period, but there was a complementary relationship between defense and health spending during the post-Korean War period. The crowding-out effect of health spending on defense spending during the period when the Affordable Care Act was put into effect relies on the strength of the positive correlation in the long-run (8–16 years cycle) and negative correlation in the short-run (2–4 years cycle) and very long-run (over 16 years cycle).