ABSTRACT The loads acting on mechanical components are usually complex, and the more traditional fatigue analysis criteria may be non-conservative, especially in out-of-phase and non-proportional loadings. Many multiaxial fatigue models have been developed and need to be experimentally validated. This work describes the load control mechanism of a low-cost electromechanical multiaxial fatigue testing machine, which applies variable axial and torsional loads. A load cell interconnected to the motor control system was manufactured and instrumented with extensometers. For the axial load, a four-bar mechanism coupled to a power screw was designed to apply alternating axial loads, thus ensuring a higher load frequency and preservation of the motor, which will not need to alternate its direction of rotation. The machine’s control system, focused on out-phase loading, is based on the data sent by the load cell and pulse encoders per degree for each motor, ensuring good accuracy in applied loads. Tests were carried out to check the system’s response, in which it was possible to apply load curves of torque and axial force in different phase shift angle. Therefore, several existing multiaxial fatigue models can be tested with good reliability. complex nonconservative, nonconservative non conservative, conservative non-conservative outofphase nonproportional proportional loadings validated lowcost low cost machine extensometers fourbar four bar rotation machines s outphase loading systems response angle Therefore reliability

ABSTRACT Flanged diffuser can improve hydrokinetic turbine efficiency. However, in the current literature it is still not clear if the flange allows the possibility of cavitation on its structure, and whether it can support high pressure variation. This work presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study on the effect of cavitation on a flanged diffuser. The water flow through the diffuser was evaluated using a Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes approach coupled to the Rayleigh-Plesset model to estimate the vapor production rate. The methodology was applied to a flanged diffuser and results were compared with experimental data from the literature. The minimal depth to avoid cavitation on the flanged diffuser was found. The pressure field obtained on CFD was applied as loading in structural analysis using Finite Element Method. The numerical model presented good agreement with experimental data available in the literature. The results showed that cavitation occurs more intensely at a depth of 1.0 m for the model. This intensity gradually decreases as the depth increases. Cavitation can be present in flanged diffusers, especially in the region inside the shroud, where it can directly impact the flow through the rotor. A good safety factor was obtained in the structural analysis.

ABSTRACT The Amazon has a great potential of natural resources. There is a wide diversity of plant specimens and many of them can be extracted and processed such as jute, sisal and mauve fibers. It is known that usualy small communities from Amazon build their boats using a rudimentary and ecologically incorrect method, which comes from brazilian natives. This method consists in cut of trees with large trunks, which are burned and scraped until they get the desired shape. This process is not viable due to the long time spent and also it is environmentally unacceptable nowadays. Considering these facts, it was created a project at UFPA aiming to evaluate the building viability of small boats adapted to the Amazon region. These boats have been made with composite material, polymeric resin reinforced with natural fiber fabric. Hence, this paper brings the first stage of this project, treating on the build of a small boat with reduced dimensions. This prototype was experimentally studied, using strain gages, and evaluated numerically by finite element method through the software ANSYS¨. This stage was very important to optimize the parameters used in the finite element model, which was employed to analyse the model with real dimensions. As a result, the numerical models showed a good compatibility with real tests. Additionally, the designed boat demonstrated to be able to hold the imposed loads.