A Coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model was employed to simulate the possible effects of varying laser scanning parameters on the surface hardening process for AISI 1045 and AISI 4140 steels. We took advantage of the high-power density of laser beams to heat the surface of workpieces quickly to achieve self-quenching effects. The finite element model, along with the temperature-dependent material properties, was applied to characterize the possible quenching and tempering effects during single-track laser surface heat treatment. We verified the accuracy of the proposed model through experiments. The effects of laser surface hardening parameters, such as power variation, scanning speed, and laser spot size, on the surface temperature distribution, hardening width, and hardening depth variations during the single-track surface laser treatment process, were investigated using the proposed model. The analysis results show that laser power and scanning speed are the key parameters that affect the hardening of the material. The numerical results reveal that the proposed finite element model is able to simulate the laser surface heat treatment process and tempering effect of steel.

Milling with minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is now a commonly used machining technique in industry. The application of the MQL significantly reduces the temperature on the machined surface, while the cost of the lubricants is limited and the pollution caused by the lubricants is better controlled. However, the fast prediction of the milling temperature during the process has not been well developed. This paper proposes an analytical model for milling temperature prediction at the workpiece flank surface with MQL application. Based on the modified orthogonal cutting model and boundary layer lubrication effect, the proposed model takes in the process parameters and can generate the temperature profile at the workpiece surface within 1 min. The model is validated with experimental data in milling AISI D2 steel. With an average absolute error of 10.38%, the proposed model provides a reasonable temperature prediction compared to the experimental results. Based on the proposed model, this paper also investigates the effect of different cutting parameters on the cutting temperature. It is found that the application of the MQL decreases the temperature at the cutting zone, especially at the flank surface of the workpiece, which is due to the heat loss led by air-oil flow.

Temperature history and hardening depth are experimentally characterized in the rotational laser hardening process for an AISI 1045 medium carbon steel specimen. A three-dimensional finite element model is proposed to predict the temperature field distribution and hardening zone area. The laser temperature field is set up for an average distribution and scanned along a circular path. Linear motion also takes place alongside rotation. The prediction of hardening area can be increased by increasing the rotational radius, which in turn raises the processing efficiency. A good agreement is found between the experimental characterized hardness value and metallographic composition. The uniformity of the hardening area decreases with increasing laser scanning speed. The increased laser power input could help to expand the hardening depth.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has been widely implemented in electric vehicle bodies and aircraft fuselage structures. The purpose of CFRP is to reduce the weight and impart rigidity in the final product. A beam structure is typically used to bear the structural load, and the rigidity of the beam can be changed by arranging the laminated fibers at different angles. In this study, a composite I-beam is used as an example in engineering components. Because the theoretical model of the superimposed composite I-beam is established, the theoretical formula is based on the theoretical assumptions of the two-dimensional composite beam, and is combined with the traditional composite plate theory to analyze the maximum bending stress, strain, and deflection. During the theoretical derivation, it is assumed that the flanges of the I-beams are divided into narrow and wide flanges. The beams are considered as structures of beams and flatbeds. When a narrow flange is loaded in the side, the wide flange has no lateral deformation, and the lateral moments are neglected. Therefore, the accuracy of this formula needs to be verified. The purpose of this study is to verify the accuracy of theoretical solutions for the deflection and stress analysis of composite beams. A finite element analysis model is used as the basis for comparing the theoretical solutions. The results indicate that when the aspect ratio of the beam is >15, the theoretical solution will have better accuracy. Without the addition of the material, when 0° ply is placed on the outermost layer of the flange of the nonsymmetric beam, the effective rigidity of the beam is increased by 4–5% compared with the symmetrical beam. The accuracy range of the theoretical solution for the composite beams can be accurately defined based on the results of this study.

A parallel planetary gear train design is proposed to construct the wind turbine system that has double inputs and one output. The proposed system is flexible for the application, which may use a combination of two rotors, as used for horizontal axis or vertical axis wind turbines. The proposed transmission mechanism merges the dual time varied input wind powers to a synchronous generator. The effect of the gear train parameters on the dynamic power flow variation is modeled and simulated for the proposed wind turbine system. Results indicate the proposed planetary gear train system is a feasible and efficient design for its application to wind turbine systems. The dynamic torque equilibrium equations between meshed gear pairs are employed to analyze the dynamic power flow. The nonlinear behavior of a synchronous generator is also included in the modeling. The dynamic responses of the dual input transmission mechanism are simulated using the 4th order Runge–Kutta method. The study also investigates the effect of system parameters used in this wind turbine system (i.e., the wind speed, the magnetic flux synchronous generator, and the inertia of flywheels) on variations in electrical power output.