Evaluation of moisture absorption in foodstuffs such as black chickpea is an important stage for skinning and cropping practices. Water uptake process of black chickpea was discussed through normal soaking in four temperature levels of 20, 35, 50 and 65 °C for 18 hours, and then the hydration kinetics was predicted by Peleg’s model and finite difference strategy. Model results showed that with increasing soaking temperature from 20 to 65 °C, Peleg’s rate and Peleg’s capacity constant reduced from 13.368×10-2 to 5.664×10-2 and 9.231×10-3 to 9.138×10-3, respectively. Based on key results, a rise in the medium temperature caused an increase in the diffusion coefficient from 5.24×10-10 m2/s to 4.36×10-9 m2/s, as well. Modelling of moisture absorption of black chickpea was also performed employing finite difference strategy. Comparing the experimental results with those obtained from the analytical solution of the theoretical models revealed a good agreement between predicted and experimental data. Peleg’s model and finite difference technique revealed their predictive function the best at the temperature of 65 °C.
This paper compares numerical solutions of transient two-dimensional unsaturated flow equation by using different averaging schemes for internodal conductivities. Averaging methods such as arithmetic mean, geometric mean, upstream weighting, and integrated mean are taken into account, as well as a recent approach based on steady-state approximation. The latter method proved the most flexible, producing relatively accurate solutions for both downward and upward flow cases.
The paper presents the dynamic behaviour of three-layer annular plates with damaged facings. The plate is composed of thin laminated, fibre-reinforced composite facings and thicker, foam core. Failure of the plate facings is modelled as fibre or matrix cracks. The plate loaded in the plane of facings with quickly increasing radially compressed forces loses its dynamic stability. Evaluation of the critical state of the plate with failures was carried out using both analytical and numerical solutions. The comparison of results between plates with material properties treated as isotropic, quasi-isotropic and composite has been conducted. Presented tables and figures create the image of dynamic responses of examined composite plates with structure failures.
The deformation modulus of the rock mass as a very important parameter in rock mechanic projects generally is determined by the plate load in-situ tests. While this test is very expensive and time-consuming, so in this study a new method is developed to combin artificial neural networks and numerical modeling for predicting deformation modulus of rock masses. For this aim, firstly, the plate load test was simulated using a Finite Difference numerical model that was verified with actual results of the plate load test in Pirtaghi dam galleries in Iran. Secondly, an artificial neural network is trained with a set of data resulted from numerical simulations to estimate the deformation modulus of the rock mass. The results showed that an ANN with five neurons in the input layer, three hidden layers with 4, 3 and 2 neurons, and one neuron in the output layer had the best accuracy for predicting the deformation modulus of the rock mass.
Thin metal film subjected to a short-pulse laser heating is considered. The parabolic two-temperature model describing the temporal and spatial evolution of the lattice and electrons temperatures is discussed and the melting process of thin layer is taken into account. At the stage of numerical computations the finite difference method is used. In the final part of the paper the examples of computations are shown.
Three-layered, annular plate with viscoelastic core is subjected to loads acting in the plane of the plate facings. One formulates the dynamic, stability problem concerning the action of time-dependent compressive stress on a plate with imperfection. This problem has been solved. One created the basic system of differential equations in which the approximation finite difference method was used for calculations. The essential analysis of the problem was concentrated on evaluation of the influence of the plate imperfection rate and the rate of plate loading growth on the results of calculation of critical parameters at the moment of loss of plate stability. It determines the analysed problem of sensitivity of the plate to imperfection and loading. In the evaluation of the dynamics of this problem, the dynamic factor defined as the quotient of the critical, dynamic load to the static one was used. The idea of dynamic factor and the type of the accepted criterion of the loss of plate stability were taken from the Volmir's work. The observations were confirmed by comparable results of calculations of plate models built in finite element method using the ABAQUS system. The analysis of the stress state in an exemplary plate model calculated in FEM demonstrated the importance of the strength condition in total evaluation of the plate work. One achieved satisfactory correctness of results in both methods.