International series on computational engineering

Heat transfer problems in industry are usually of a very complex nature, simultaneously involving different transfer modes such as conduction, convection, radiation and others. Because of this, very few problems can be solved analytically and one generally has to resort to numerical analysis. The boundary element method is a numerical technique which has been receiving growing attention for solving heat transfer problems because of its unique ability to confine the discretization process to the boundaries of the problem region. This allows major reductions in the data preparation and computer effort necessary to solve complex industrial problems. The purpose of this book is to present efficient algorithms used in conjunction with the boundary element method for the solution of steady and transient, linear and non-linear heat transfer problems. It represents the state-of-the-art of boundary element applications in the field of heat transfer, and constitutes essential reading for researchers and practising engineers involved with this important topic.

There is considerable practical interest in the resistance of structures to impact and shock effects generally from a variety of sources. Applications range from the high speed impact of birdstrikes in aeroengines to soft impact loads on concrete structures. This book aims to show the current state of research and experiment on several shock and impact studies, by leading scientists in the field. They have each prepared separate contributions covering a broad range of topics, as follows: Chapter 1, by J. A. Zukas, deals with the modelling of fast transient loads on structures. The second chapter, by A. Barbagelata and M. Primavori, provides a state of the art analysis of blast waves impinging on surface structures. In the next chapter N. Jones examines the perforation of metal plates under projectiles with low impact velocity. Chapter 4 by Z. Rosenberg deals with the dynamic response of ceramics to shock wave loading, and Chapter 5 by A. Miyamoto and M. W. King studies the behaviour of reinforced concrete slabs under soft impact loading. C. Ruiz and D. Hughes in Chapter 6 describe impact problems in aeroengines, including the cases of hard and soft impact. Chapter 7, by S. Cescotto and Y. Y. Zhu, discusses the use of a type of finite elements to reproduce contact problems, including Coulomb dry friction law, and numerical results are presented for dynamic analysis. The last chapter by J. Marti studies the problem of impact on transport flasks. This is a problem of great importance in highly radioactive materials, and the various engineering and licencing requirements on transport and storage of flasks are reviewed.