The energy crisis has forced researchers to look for various non-conventional energy sources. Wind energy is one of the potential sources, and researchers have invested resources in developing different kinds of wind turbines. Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) have received less attention than their horizontal-axis counterparts. A helical-bladed VAWT is preferred because it makes perfect sense as an improvement in design, as they have higher azimuth angles of power generation capabilities. This paper studies the effects of the helix angle of blades in the aerodynamic performance of VAWT using 3D numerical simulations. Three different helix angles of 60°, 90°, and 120° of a three-bladed VAWT operating across different tip speed ratios were studied. Turbulence is modelled using a four-equation transition SST k-ω model (shear stress transport). The 60° helical-bladed VAWT was found to be better performing in comparison with all other helical-bladed and straight-bladed VAWT. The ripple effects on the shaft are also analysed using a standard deviation plot of the moment coefficient generated by a single blade over one complete cycle of its rotation. It was observed that the greater the helix angle, the lower the standard deviation. The paper also tries to analyse the percentage of power generated by each quartile of flow and the contribution of each section of the blade. Ansys FLUENT was employed for the entire study. A comparative study between different helical-bladed VAWT and straight-bladed VAWT was carried out along with wake structure analysis and flow contours for a better understanding of the flow field.

In this paper, the influence of machining parameters, Cutting Speed, Feed Rate, and Depth of cut, on surface finish during dry orthogonal turning of Al 6061 – T6 alloy, is studied using the response surface methodology (RSM). This paper proposes a unique way to predict the surface finish in turning, using the effective plastic strain (PEEQ) values obtained from the simulations. A comprehensive finite element model was proposed to predict the surface finish accurately, by correlating the variance of the PEEQ. The Johnson-Cook damage model is used to define the damage criteria and Johnson-Cook material model is used to explain the material constitutive behavior. A dynamic, explicit method is used along with the Adaptive Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method to predict material flow accurately. The influence of machining parameters was studied by assuming Central Composite Design (CCD). The output response, PEEQ, was fitted into analytical quadratic polynomial models using regression analysis, which shows that feed rate was the most dominant factor for PEEQ than the other parameters considered in this study. Using the individual desirability function method, the objective, optimal setting of the machining parameters was obtained for better surface finish.

This paper presents a detailed finite element model to predict deformation and other machining characteristics involved in high-speed orthogonal machining (cutting speed > 54 m/min) of hard-to-deform materials like Ti6Al4V. The influence of various cutting parameters like feed rate, spindle speed, and rake angle, on the output parameters like cutting force and surface finish, was analysed. The paper tries to relate the degree of surface finish with the variance of the effective plastic strain. The Johnson-Cook material model is used to describe the material constitutive behaviour, and the Johnson-Cook damage model is used to establish the damage criteria. Due to the high machining costs associated with the titanium alloy, the model is first validated using aluminium alloy (Al2024-T351), and the same model is then extended to predict the results for titanium alloy. The matrix for the design of experiments (DOE) considers a full factorial approach, with about 48 simulations, for a proper understanding on the influence of the major machining parameters. A dynamic, explicit integration scheme is used along with the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) technique to accurately predict material flow. This paper also presents a unique method to tackle the commonly encountered numerical issues involved in modelling self-contact.

Cryo-rolled aluminum alloys have a much higher strength-to-weight ratio than cold-rolled alloys, which makes them invaluable in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, this strength gain is frequently accompanied by a formability loss. When uniformly applied to the blank surface, hydroforming provides a solution by generating geometries with constant thickness, making it possible to produce complex structures with “near-net dimensions”, which are difficult to achieve with conventional approaches. This study delves into the cavity die sheet hydroforming (CDSHF) process for high-strength cryo-rolled AA5083 aluminum alloy, focusing on two primary research questions. Firstly, we explored the utilization of a nonlinear 3D finite-element (FE) model to understand its impact on the dimensional accuracy of hydroformed components within the CDSHF process. Specifically, we investigated how decreasing fluid pressure and increasing the holding time of peak fluid pressure can be quantitatively assessed. Secondly, we delved into the optimization of process parameters—fluid pressure (FP), blank holding force (BHF), coefficient of friction (CoF), and flange radius (FR)—to achieve dimensional accuracy in hydroformed square cups through the CDSHF process. Our findings reveal that our efforts, such as reducing peak fluid pressure to 22 MPa, implementing a 30 s holding period, and utilizing an unloading path, enhanced component quality. We demonstrated this with a 35 mm deep square cup exhibiting a 16.1 mm corner radius and reduced material thinning to 5.5%. Leveraging a sophisticated nonlinear 3D FE model coupled with response surface methodology (RSM) and multi-objective optimization techniques, we systematically identified the optimal process configurations, accounting for parameter interactions. Our results underscore the quantitative efficacy of these optimization strategies, as the optimized RSM model closely aligns with finite-element (FE) simulation results, predicting a thinning percentage of 5.27 and a corner radius of 18.64 mm. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into enhancing dimensional accuracy and process optimization in CDSHF, with far-reaching implications for advancing metal-forming technologies.

Flow forming is an incremental forming process used for making long, thin-walled seamless tubes with high strength and dimensional accuracy. This is carried out by compressing the pre-formed tube using one or more rollers, leading to the plastic flow of material in the radial, axial, and tangential directions. This ultimately results in reduction in thickness and elongation of the tube. In order to achieve the required accuracy and to reduce the shop floor costs, a better understanding of the influence of process parameters on part geometry, deformation mechanism, and stress-strain patterns will be required. This paper describes the development of a detailed finite element model, using Abaqus/Explicit, to accurately simulate the flow forming process for AISI-1045 MC-Steel, and attempts to predict the influence of process parameters like axial stagger, feed ratio, and percentage reduction, on output parameters like ovality, diametral growth, and spring back. The effect of multi-pass on surface finish is also investigated. [Received 26 August 2015; Revised 1 July 2016; Accepted 12 July 2016]

Industries operating in extreme conditions demand materials with exceptional strength, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and formability. While AA5052 alloy is widely used in such industries due to its high fatigue strength and corrosion resistance, its strength frequently falls short of stringent standards. For AA5052 alloy, this study explores the combined use of solutionizing and cryo-rolling, followed by annealing, to improve strength. Although several alloys have been reported to undergo solution treatment before cryo-rolling, this study focuses on how post-processing via annealing can lessen the formability constraints usually connected to conventional cryo-rolling. The study sheds light on the ways that solutionizing, cryo-rolling, and annealing interact to affect the alloy’s mechanical characteristics. Microstructure analysis shows that solutionizing improves the grain structure by reducing dynamic recovery, promoting dislocation density, and facilitating precipitate formation. Sheets subjected to solutionizing + cryo-rolling and partially annealed at 250 °C produce optimal results. Interestingly, formability is decreased when cryo-rolling alone is used instead of cold rolling, whereas formability is successfully increased when solutionizing is used. Comparing solutionized + cryo-rolled sheets that are partially annealed at 250 °C to cold-rolled sheets that are annealed at the same temperature, the former show notable quantitative improvements: a notable 17% increase in ultimate strength, a 10% boost in yield strength, and a noteworthy 13% enhancement in microhardness. Formability has improved with the solutionized + cryo-rolled specimens by annealing. This proposed approach led to noticeable gains in formability, hardness, and strength, which would significantly improve material performance for industrial applications.