Crosslinked P84 copolyimide/MXene mixed matrix membrane with excellent solvent resistance and permselectivity

MXene is a novel 2D lamellar material with excellent hydrophilicity and permselectivity. MXene was introduced in the P84 polymer matrix and the matrix was crosslinked with triethylenetetramine(TETA) to improve the permselectivity and solvent resistance of the polyimide membrane. The membrane was characterized with SEM, AFM and ATR-FTIR, and effects of MXene content on the membrane morphology and separation performance are investigated. The membrane prepared with 18% P84 and 1% MXene shows high rejection(100%) to gentian violet(408) and high flux(268 L·m^-2·h^-1) at 0.1 MPa and ambient temperature. MXene endows the membrane with much water channel and denser functional layer which improves the membrane performance obviously. The membrane shows excellent solvent resistance to dimethylformamide(DMF), acetone and methanol after crosslinking with TETA during the 18 days of immersion.

Investigation of mechanical performance of prestressed steel arch in tunnel

In the traditional tunneling method, the steel arch are often adopted to support surrounding rock to ensure the structural stability. If the steel arch is prestressed in time, tunnel support can effectively prevent the development of rock crack, thereby increasing the overall strength of tunnel support and suppress the deformation of the surrounding rock. Based on the mechanical model of steel arch established in this paper, the stress distribution of steel arch is investigated via the numerical simulation method, and the impact on surrounding rock is also analyzed. Through a field test, the rules of the arch strain distribution are observed and discussed. The results show that the prestressed steel arch structure can provide effective support and the stress gradually decreases from stress point to another arch springing. Furthermore, the stress distribution applied by the prestressed steel arch on the surrounding rock is uniform in a certain extent, and it is suggested that this construction method utilizing the prestressed steel arch to squeeze surrounding rock is feasible from a theoretical view.

Preliminary design method for absorber pipe length of tunnel lining ground heat exchangers based on energy efficiency of heat pump

Many ongoing tunnel projects provide a favorable opportunity for the investigation and application of tunnel lining ground heat exchangers(GHEs).Tunnel lining GHEs can be connected to a heat pump to extract geothermal energy for heating and cooling buildings.Numerous studies have focused on the thermal performance of tunnel lining GHEs;however,the studies on the interaction between heat pumps and tunnel lining GHEs are relatively rare.In this study,a coupled heat transfer model of heat pumps and tunnel lining GHEs was proposed and then calibrated based on in situ test results.The model was used to evaluate the energy efficiency of a heat pump with tunnel lining GHEs under different conditions.The results show that the energy efficiency ratio(EER)increases exponentially with the absorber pipe length and thermal conductivity of the surrounding rock.The EER is governed by the convection heat transfer coefficient,which varies exponentially;meanwhile,the EER decreases approximately linearly with the annual average air temperature in the tunnel.Different types of heat pumps affect the EER significantly,and the EER of a Type-3 heat pump is higher than that of a Type-1 heat pump by 27.1%.Based on the aforementioned results,an empirical formula for the EER and absorber pipe length was established.Moreover,a preliminary design method for the absorber pipe length based on this empirical formula was developed.The method was employed to determine the appropriate absorber pipe length for the tunnel lining GHEs in the Shapu tunnel in Shenzhen,China.Finally,groups of absorber pipe layouts with a pipe spacing of 0.5 m,area of 135 m2,and length of 293.5 m were preliminarily determined.