Corrosion is a phenomenon observed in structural components in corrosive environments such as pipelines, bridges, aircrafts, turbines, etc. The computational model of corrosion should enjoy two features: a) accurately considering the electrochemistry of corrosion and b) properly dealing with the moving interface between solid and electrolyte. There are several approaches to model corrosion such as using FEM with mesh refinement algorithms, combining FEM and level-set method, employing finite volume methods, adopting peridynamic formulation, and utilizing phase field models. Because of its accuracy, lower computational cost, and robust dealing with multiple pit merging, the model which combines FEM with level-set method is selected to be more extensively assessed in this paper. Part I focuses on demonstrating the model's capabilities of simulating pitting corrosion through a set of numerical examples which include numerical solution verification, experimental validation, and uncertainty quantification of model parameters and properties.

Structural components in corrosive environments such as pipelines, bridges, aircrafts, and turbines are imposed to stress corrosion. A stress corrosion model for pit growth should a) accurately consider the electrochemistry of the corrosion process, b) properly deal with the moving interface between solid and electrolyte, and c) effectively incorporates the synergism between corrosion and mechanical field at the interface. In Part II, the influence of mechanical loading is added to the approach described in Part I. Part II investigates the model's capabilities of simulating stress corrosion via a set of numerical examples of corrosion pitting which include experimental validation and uncertainty quantification of model parameters and properties.

In the bioelectronic medicine field, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising technique that is expected to treat numerous inflammatory conditions, in addition to the currently FDA approved treatment for epilepsy, depression and obesity [1]. However, current VNS techniques are still limited in the spatial resolution that they can achieve, which limits its therapeutic effect and induces side effects such as coughing, headache and throat pain. In our prior work, we presented a curved ultrasound (US) transducer array with a diameter of 2 mm and with 112 miniature US transducer elements, small enough to be wrapped around the vagus nerve for precise ultrasound nerve stimulation [2]. Due to the curved alignment of the US transducers with 48 of the elements simultaneously excited, the emitted US was naturally focused at the center of the curvature. Building on this work, we employ a beam steering technique to move the focal spot to arbitrary locations within the focal plane of the transducer array. The beam steering was controlled through an in-house built US driver system and was visualized using a pulsed laser schlieren system. The propagation of the US pulse in water was imaged and recorded. This method was found to be a rapid and effective means of visualizing the US propagation.