Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are catching the interest day by day due to their ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries. Investigating the fracture and fatigue behavior of additively manufactured parts are essential not only to understand their mechanical response but also to predict and prevent their failure. In this study, fracture and fatigue properties of additively manufactured polymers are investigated experimentally combining the servohydraulic material testing system (MTS 810) and the three-dimensional digital image correlation technology. The polymers used for the analysis are acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) and Onyx, which are readily available and more prevalent in AM applications. Both notched (i.e., pre-cracked) and unnotched specimens are printed in the edge and flat orientations by the fused deposition modeling printer in the shape of the standard ASTM sub-size flat dogbone structure. The tensile strain is studied ahead of the crack formation, and the crack propagation is observed in the photos obtained from the digital image correlation system. A finite element model of similar contemplation is generated for the validation and extended results. Results show that the orientation of manufacturing has a noticeable effect on the failure of the specimen. In the unnotched specimens, the crack occurs near the neck due to a high-stress concentration. Results for the high cycle fatigue test indicate that fatigue life decreases as the load increases for all types of specimens.

Sandwich-structured composites are extensively used in aerospace, transportation, marine, and automotive applications where mechanical performance and weight-saving features are extremely critical. Consequently, analyzing the mechanical properties including the elastic behavior of the sandwich structure is incumbent for the precise application of such composites. This paper deals with the stress analysis of a two-dimensional (2-D) rectangular sandwich-structured composite with the help of a robust numerical model. A finite difference (FD) scheme based on the displacement potential function is developed to investigate the stress-strain behavior of the sandwich structure under different loading conditions. The 2-D mixed-boundary-value elastic problem is solved by implementing special FD formulations inside the domain and at the boundaries. The mathematical intricacy of the interfaces of the sandwich structure is handled by employing modified FD formula structures. Results obtained from the FD model show that the two interfacial regions constitute the critical stress zones, and the material having a higher modulus of elasticity experiences higher stress. The proposed FD model is validated by comparing the FD results for stress distribution and displacement fields with the results obtained from a commercial finite element (FE) package. The comparison between the FE and FD results shows a good agreement which constructively establishes the proposed FD scheme as an accurate and reliable technique for conducting the structural analysis.

Hypersonic vehicles are receiving great attention in recent years due to their high speed and long-range capabilities. The shock waves come into consideration as a propagating disturbance for any aircraft when it exceeds the speed of sound. Complex environment and flight requirements of the hypersonic vehicles are leading the researchers to focus on several design considerations. Adaptive shape deformation is one of the prospective areas among them which has an impact on thermal loading, global and local load factors, vehicle acceleration, total energy dissipation, and fuel consumption. The wings play a key role in the aerodynamic performances of a flying machine; therefore, the overall performance of the hypersonic vehicle can be improved by applying morphing technologies on the wing. Morphing can help with reducing wave drag, increasing lift-to-drag ratio as well as enhancing flight endurance, and extending the range for a hypersonic vehicle. In this study, the telescopic wing morphing profile is considered for the aerodynamics and vibration analysis. The experimental validations of the aerodynamics and vibration characteristics are conducted by a wind-tunnel experiment and a vibration-testing arrangement, respectively, using a small-scale model of the wing. The computational analysis of the aerodynamics and vibration characteristics of the morphing wings are conducted and compared. Thus, a comprehensive study including the comparison between morphing modes can establish a standard to choose the appropriate morphing technique for the hypersonic vehicles.

Rotary-wing aircrafts are the best-suited option in many cases for its vertical take-off and landing capacity, especially in any congested area, where a fixed-wing aircraft cannot perform. Rotor aerodynamic loading is the major reason behind helicopter vibration, therefore, determining the aerodynamic loadings are important. Coupling among aerodynamics and structural dynamics is involved in rotor blade design where the unsteady aerodynamic analysis is also imperative. In this study, a Bo 105 helicopter rotor blade is considered for computational aerodynamic analysis. A fluid-structure interaction model of the rotor blade with surrounding air is considered where the finite element model of the blade is coupled with the computational fluid dynamics model of the surrounding air. Aerodynamic coefficients, velocity profiles, and pressure profiles are analyzed from the fluid-structure interaction model. The resonance frequencies and mode shapes are also obtained by the computational method. A small-scale model of the rotor blade is manufactured, and experimental analysis of similar contemplation is conducted for the validation of the numerical results. Wind tunnel and vibration testing arrangements are used for the experimental validation of the aerodynamic and vibration characteristics by the small-scale rotor blade. The computational results show that the aerodynamic properties of the rotor blade vary with the change of angle of attack and natural frequency changes with mode number.

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