the mechanical aspect of entropy-exergy relationship, together with the thermal aspect usually consid-ered, leads to an extended formulation of physical exergy based on both maximum useful work and maximum useful heat that are the outcome of available energy of a thermodynamic system. this approach suggests that a mechanical entropy can be studied, in addition to the already used thermal entrop...

in saturated soils, heating induces thermal expansion of both grains and the pore fluid. lower thermal expansion coefficient of aggregates results in the increase of pore pressure and reduction of the effective stress besides subsequent volume changes due to the dissipation of pore pressure and heat transfer. dissipation of thermally induced pore pressure with time is a coupled thermo-hydro-mec...

This paper presents a comprehensive case study on electro-mechanical analysis of MEMS[1] variable capacitors. Using the fundamental mechanical and electrical equations, static and dynamic behaviors of the device are studied. The analysis is done for three different modes, namely: dc (static mode), small signal ac and large signal regime. A complete set of equations defining dynamic behavior of ...

Micro-thermal analysis combines the imaging capabilities of atomic force microscopy with the ability to characterise, with high spatial resolution, the thermal behaviour of materials. The conventional AFM tip is replaced by a miniature heater/thermometer which enables a surface to be visualised according to its response to the input of heat (in addition to measuring its topography). Areas of in...

This study deals with the effect of coupled thermal and cyclic mechanical loadings on the viscoelastic response of carbon black filled nitrile rubber. For this purpose, cyclic loading tests were performed at different temperatures by means of Dynamic Mechanical and Thermal Analysis (DMTA). The type and level of the thermomechanical loadings applied were chosen in order to determine the relative...

In this paper, we develop the second-order two-scale (SOTS) analysis method and numerical algorithm for dynamic thermo-mechanical problems of composite materials with 3-D periodic configuration. In the problem considered, there exists a mutual interaction between the displacement and temperature fields. By the asymptotic expansion of temperature and displacement fields, the cell problems, effec...

Distinct affinities between the organic and inorganic phases were observed in nanocomposites prepared through a colloidal route with carboxylated nitrile rubber and modified silica nanoparticles, which resulted in variable mechanical properties and improved thermal stability. Nanoparticles with modified surface affected the macromolecular arrangements of the elastomeric matrix, changing the fin...

In materials research, the development of polymer nanocomposites (PN) is rapidly emerging as a multidisciplinary research field with results that could broaden the applications of polymers to many different industries. PN are polymer matrices (thermoplastics, thermosets or elastomers) that have been reinforced with small quantities of nano-sized particles, preferably characterized by high aspec...