Please find a phd position at Ecole des Mines de Douai related to the fatigue of composite materials.

From PhDComics via Entertaining Research :

This paper studies the dynamic behavior of a dielectric elastomer balloon subject to a combination of pressure and voltage.  When the pressure and voltage are static, the balloon may reach a state of equilibrium.  We determine the stability of the state of equilibrium, and calculate the natural frequency of the small-amplitude oscillation around the state of equilibrium.  When the voltage is sinusoidal, the balloon resonates at multiple frequencies of excitation, giving rise to superharmonic, harmonic, and subharmonic responses.  When the frequency of excitation varies c

http://www.livescience.com/environment/090527-science-lives-andrade.html

LiveScience is a pretty cool initiative targeted to the general public,
specially the younger generations to communicate the impact and
value of science and the people around it.

Hi dear

I am going to model a 3d dental bridge in abaqus that it is made of 2 parts:

1: a beam with 5 plys from fiber and adhesive (composite part)

2: orthotropic ceramic part which surround the composite beam

I'd appreciate if you help me and write the sequences in the modeling of this issue.

please send it to my email: kian32m [at] yahoo.com (kian32m[at]yahoo[dot]com)

thank

Mechanical energy can be converted to electrical energy by using a dielectric elastomer generator.  The elastomer is susceptible to various modes of failure, including electrical breakdown, electromechanical instability, loss of tension, and rupture by stretch.  The modes of failure define a cycle of maximal energy that can be converted.  This cycle is represented on planes of work-conjugate coordinates, and may be used to guide the design of practical cycles.

The question was raised in class as to what the appropriate equilibrium condition for a column of fluid at rest should be. Specifically, given we expect a hydrostatic gradient in pressure with height, whether  the chemical potential must be the same throughout the column was questioned. Here are my first thoughts. In brief, I assert that  the chemical potential must be everywhere identical, and that the pv term is balanced, at every height in the column, by the potential energy conferred by position in a gravitational field.

Dear colleagues,

I would like to bring to your attention the advanced course on Modeling of localized inelastic deformation that will be taught by Milan Jirasek in Prague, Czech Republic on 14-18 September 2009. 

More detailed information on the course is posted at http://mech.fsv.cvut.cz/~milan/course2009.html. We are looking forward to seeing you in Prague!

Dear All,

You are encouraged to submit abstracts for SAE 2010. The deadline for

abstract is June 1.

 http://www.sae.org/congress/techprogram/cfp.htm

2010 SAE World Congress April 12-15 • Cobo Center • Detroit, Michigan, USA

Call For Papers

PROGRAM M106: