Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Corroded High-Pressure Pipeline Repaired by Laminated Composite

Repairs of corroded high-pressure pipelines are essential for fluids transportation under high pressure.One of the methods used in their repairs is the use of layered composites.The composite used must have the necessary strength.Therefore,the experiments and analytical solutions presented in this paper are performed according to the relevant standards and codes,including ASME PCC-2,ASME B31.8S,ASME B31.4,ISO 24817 and ASME B31.G.In addition,the experimental tests are replicated numerically using the finite element method.Setting the strain gauges at different distances from the defect location,can reduce the nonlinear effects,deformation,and fluctuations due to the high pressure.The direct relationship between the depth of an axial defect and the stress concentration is observed at the inner side edges of the defect.Composite reparation reduces the non-linearities related to the sharp variation of the geometry and a more reliable numerical simulation could be performed.

Study of damage behavior and repair effectiveness of patch repaired carbon fiber laminate under quasi-static indentation loading

Damage caused due to low-velocity impacts in composites leads to substantial deterioration in their residual strength and eventually provokes structural failure.This work presents an experimental investigation on the effects of different patch and parent laminate stacking sequences on the enhancement of impact strength of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers(CFRP)composites by utilising the adhesively bonded external patch repair technique.Damage evolution study is also performed with the aid of Acoustic Emission(AE).Two different quasi-isotropic configurations were selected for the parent laminate,viz.,[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s.Quasi Static Indentation(QSI)test was performed on both the pristine laminates,and damage areas were detected by using the C-scan inspection technique.Damaged laminates were repaired by using a single-sided patch of two different configurations,viz.,[45°/45°/45°/45°]and[45°/0°/0°/45°],and employing a circular plug to fill the damaged hole.Four different combinations of repaired laminates with two configurations of each parent and patch laminate were produced,which were further subjected to the QSI test.The results reveal the effectiveness of the repair method,as all the repaired laminates show higher impact resistance compared to the respective pristine laminates.Patches of[45°/0°/0°/45°]configuration when repaired by taking[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/0°/45°/0°]s as parents exhibited 68%and 73%higher peak loads,respectively,than the respective pristine laminates.Furthermore,parent and patch of configuration[45°/0°/45°/0°]s and[45°/0°/0°/45°],respectively,attain the highest peak load,whereas[45°/45°/0°/0°]s and[45°/45°/45°/45°]combinations possess the most gradual decrease in the load.

Numerical simulation of the modulation to incident laser by the repaired damage site in a fused silica subsurface

One of the main factors of laser induced damage is the modulation to incident laser which is caused by the defect in the subsurface of the fused silica. In this work, the repaired damage site irradiated by CO2 laser is simplified to a Gaussian rotation according to the corresponding experimental results. Then, the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method is employed to simulate the electric field intensity distribution in the vicinity of this kind of defect in fused silica front subsurface. The simulated results show that the modulation is notable, the Emax is about 2.6 times the irradiated electric field intensity in the fused silica with the damage site （the width is 1.5 μm and depth is 2.3 μm） though the damage site is repaired by CO2 laser. The phenomenon and the theoretical result of the annular laser enhancement existed on the rear surface are first verified effectively, which agrees well with the corresponding experimental results. The relations between the maximal electric field intensity in fused silica with defect depth and width are given respectively. Meanwhile, the corresponding physical mechanism is analysed theoretically in detail.

Optical modulation of repaired damage site on fused silica produced by CO2 laser rapid ablation mitigation

CO2 laser rapid ablation mitigation(RAM)of fused silica has been used in high-power laser systems owing to its advantages of high efficiency,and ease of implementing batch and automated repairing.In order to study the effect of repaired morphology of RAM on laser modulation and to improve laser damage threshold of optics,an finite element method(FEM)mathematical model of 351 nm laser irradiating fused silica optics is developed based on Maxwell electromagnetic field equations,to explore the 3D near-field light intensity distribution inside optics with repaired site on its surface.The influences of the cone angle and the size of the repaired site on incident laser modulation are studied as well.The results have shown that for the repaired site with a cone angle of 73.3°,the light intensity distribution has obvious three-dimensional characteristics.The relative light intensity on z-section has a circularly distribution,and the radius of the annular intensification zone increases with the decrease of z.While the distribution of maximum relative light intensity on y-section is parabolical with the increase of y.As the cone angle of the repaired site decreases,the effect of the repaired surface on light modulation becomes stronger,leading to a weak resistance to laser damage.Moreover,the large size repaired site would also reduce the laser damage threshold.Therefore,a repaired site with a larger cone angle and smaller size is preferred in practical CO2 laser repairing of surface damage.This work will provide theoretical guidance for the design of repaired surface topography,as well as the improvement of RAM process.

Effect of structural parameters of Gaussian repaired pit on light intensity distribution inside KH_2PO_4 crystal

KH2PO4 （KDP） crystal with excellent optical properties is a very important element of inertial confinement fusion （ICF） device. However, KDP crystal surface micro-defects severely reduce the crystal laser damage threshold, affecting the crystal service life. In this paper, Gaussian repaired pit is used to replace the crystal surface micro-defects, in order to improve the laser damage resistance of the KDP crystal with surface micro-defects. At first, the physical model of Gaussian repaired pit is built by Fourier model method, and the accuracy of the method is analyzed. It is found that the calculation error can be reduced by increasing the product of the width-period ratio and the truncation constant of the repaired pit. The calculation results about the physical model of Gaussian repaired pit show that the light intensity distribution within the crystal is symmetrical, and there are evidently enhanced light intensity regions in the crystal. Meanwhile, the maximum relative intensity inside the KDP crystal decreases gradually with the increase of the width of the Gaussian repaired pit. Secondly, the Gaussian repaired pits with different widths and the same depth of 20 μm are processed by micro-milling. Their surfaces are very smooth and present the ductile cutting state under the microscope. Finally, the laser damage threshold of the Gaussian repaired pits on the surface of the KDP crystal sample is measured by a 3 ω, 6-ns laser. The results showthat the maximum threshold of the Gaussian repaired pits is 3.12 J/cm2, which is 60% higher than the threshold of initial damage point, and the laser damage threshold increases with the increase of the width of the Gaussian repaired pit.

Appropriate Heart Rate in a Patient with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

Appropriate heart rate in a failing pulmonary ventricle remains unknown, particularly in congenital heart diseasewith unique hemodynamics. A 71-year-old male with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and a pacemaker for a sinusnode dysfunction suffered from heart failure symptoms with preserved left ventricular function. Simply changingthe pacemaker’s lower rate from 60 to 75 bpm, New York Heart Association classification improved from III to II,and hemodynamic parameters drastically improved. We regarded this case as informative. Appropriate heart ratecould be higher in congenital patients with failing right and non-failing left ventricles than in adults with malfunctioningLV.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser additive repaired Ti17 titanium alloy

Laser additive manufacturing technology with powder feeding was employed to repair wrought Ti17titanium alloy with small surface defects.The microstructure,micro-hardness and room temperature tensile properties of laser additive repaired(LARed)specimen were investigated.The results show that,cellular substructures are observed in the laser deposited zone(LDZ),rather than the typicalαlaths morphology due to lack of enough subsequent thermal cycles.The cellular substructures lead to lower micro-hardness in the LDZ compared with the wrought substrate zone which consists of duplex microstructure.The tensile test results indicate that the tensile deformation process of the LARed specimen exhibits a characteristic of dramatic plastic strain heterogeneity and fracture in the laser repaired zone with a mixed dimple and cleavage mode.The tensile strength of the LARed specimen is slightly higher than that of the wrought specimen and the elongation of11.7%is lower.

Viscoelasticity of repaired sciatic nerve by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) tubes

Medical-grade synthetic poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） polymer can be used as a biomaterial for nerve repair because of its good biocompatibility, biodegradability and adjustable degradation rate. The stress relaxation and creep properties of peripheral nerve can be greatly improved by repair with poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） tubes. ＂Fen sciatic nerve specimens were harvested from fresh corpses within 24 hours of death, and were prepared into sciatic nerve injury models by creating a 10 mm defect in each specimen. Defects were repaired by anastomosis with nerve autografts and poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） tubes. Stress relaxation and creep testing showed that at 7 200 seconds the sciatic nerve anastomosed by poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） tubes exhibited a greater decrease in stress and increase in strain than those anastomosed by nerve autografts. These findings suggest that poly（lactic-co-glycolic acid） exhibits good viscoelasticity to meet the biomechanical require- ments for a biomaterial used to repair sciatic nerve injury.

Performance of Epoxy-Repaired Corroded Reinforced Concrete Beams

Reinforcement corrosion has a serious impact on the durability and safety of reinforced concrete structures.Six reinforced concrete(RC)beam specimens are constructed.After beam specimens are subjected to accelerated corrosion with the constant current,beam specimens are repaired with epoxy mortar and the flexural test of beams is investigated.Then the behaviors of repaired corroded reinforced concrete beams are evaluated.The experimental results show that cracking and ultimate loads of corroded RC beams are enhanced after being repaired.And the strain distributions measured across sections of beam specimens still obey the assumption of plane section.After being repaired,the number of cracks decreases and the crack spacing increases.

Fracture analysis of cracked metallic plate repaired with adhesive bonding composite patch

Fatigue crack growth test of cracked metallic plate repaired with adhesive bonding composite patch was conducted to study the fracture behavior of crack patching. The failure mode was that crack grows along with adhesive debonding. The crack length and debonding area were measured at different numbers of cycles. The nonlinear three- dimensional(3D)finite element(FE)model considering adhesive debonding and crack growth simultaneously was developed. The experimental and analytical results were in good agreement with each other.

Numerical and Experimental Study on Stiffened Composite Panel Repaired by Bolted Joints under Compressive Load

Numerical and experimental study was conducted to investigate the failure mode and strength performance of stiffened composite panel repaired by bolted joints under compressive load, and the results were then compared with those from virgin stiffened composite panel without any damage. A finite element analysis model was established for repaired and virgin stiffened composite panels under compressive load, the 3D Hashin criteria was applied to identify the composite structure failure, and the secondary stress criteria was adopted to identify the adhesive failure between the base laminate and the stiffener. The failure modes of repaired stiffened composite panels were stiffened composite panels breaking off along the bolt joints. The experimental results were consistent with the finite element analysis results, indicating the reliability of the finite element analysis model.

Structural Behavior of Repaired Reinforced Concrete Beams with Glued Steel Plate and Carbon Fiber

This paper investigates the strength and deformation characteristics of reinforced normal and high-strength concrete rectangular beams which failed in shear and repaired by external bonding of carbon fiber and steel plate. Five simply supported reinforced concrete beams with shear reinforcement are tested, three of which are made with NSC （normal-strength concrete） and the other two with HSC （high-strength concrete）. The span of the simply supported beams is 0.9 m with 100 mm wide by 200 mm deep cross section. All five beams are tested under four-point bending. Careful repair process is adopted and proved successful. The aim is to restore or increase shear strength of these beams and to monitor their post-repair load-deflection behavior. The effect of concrete compressive strength on the behavior and strength of beams before and after repair is also investigated. Shear cracks patterns and their evolution are observed and discussed.

Residual Stress and Fracture Toughness Study in A516 Gr70 Steel Joints Welded and Repaired by Arc Processes

Structural components made of steel are used in several areas and require welding for assembly. In some situations, repair of the weld bead, also performed by electric arc welding, can be used to correct, and eliminate any discontinuities. However, electric arc welding causes the presence of residual stresses in the joint, which can impair its performance and not meet specific design requirements. In this paper, welded joints made of ASTM A 516 GR 70 steel plates, with a thickness of 30.5 mm, welded by the MAG—Metal Active Gas process (20% CO2) and using a “K” groove were analysed. The joints were manufactured with seven welding passes on each side of the groove. After welding, one batch underwent repair of the bead by TIG welding (Tungsten Insert Gas) and another batch underwent two repairs by TIG welding. Were presented results of the behaviour of the residual stress profile measured by X-ray diffraction and the Vickers microhardness profile in the joints as well the fracture toughness in the conditions only welded and submitted to repairs. The results indicated that the greater number of repair passes reduced the residual compressive stress values obtained in the material manufacturing process and caused a stabilization on the Vickers hardness values. It was concluded that compressive residual stresses did not play a major role in the R-curve results. The presence of discontinuities in the welded joint caused greater influence on the behaviour of the R curve.

Assessment of right ventricular strain in children with repaired tetralogy of Fallot using speckle tracking imaging

To the Editor: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) was first surgically repaired in 1955. Initial TOF repairs were performed using a trans-annular right ventricular outflow tract patch to relieve the obstruction. However, this procedure resulted in long-standing pulmonary valve regurgitation and increased right ventricular (RV) volume, causing arrhythmias and sudden death.[1] Thus, pulmonary annulus preservation became the most prevalent surgical strategy for TOF repair, possibly causing a mix of pulmonary stenosis and pulmonary valve regurgitation. Currently, clinicians concerned with RV function decrease during the long-term follow-up use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to predict the appropriate timing of interventions for valve sparing. Although CMR techniques have evolved as the reference standard for assessing RV volumes and function during the last two decades, routinely monitoring the progression of repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) RV dysfunction remains difficult.

Biphasic Mechanical Properties of in vivo Repaired Cartilage

In the fast growing field of scaffold-based tissue engineering, improvement on the mechanical properties of newly formed tissues, e.g. the repaired cartilage, has always been one of the core issues. Studies on the correlations among scaffold composition, in vivo morphological changes of the construct, and the finite deformation behaviors of new tissues （e.g. creep and stress-relaxation, and equilibrium response）, have attracted increasing interests. In this paper, the correlations between the compressive biphasic mechanical properties （i.e., equilibrium elastic modulus E and permeability coefficient k） of 3D printing scaffold （consisting of collagen and fl-tricalcium phosphate） and the proteoglycans （PGs） concentration of the repaired carti- lages after 24 weeks, 36 weeks and 52 weeks of scaffold implantation were investigated. Results indicated that the repaired cartilage covered the entire cartilage surface of large cylindrical osteochondral defects （10 mm in diameter ~ 15 mm in depth） on the canine trochlea grooves after 24 weeks. The equilibrium elastic modulus of the repaired cartilage reached 22.4% at 24 weeks, 70.3% at 36 weeks, and 93.4% at 52 weeks of the native cartilage, respectively. Meanwhile, the permeability coefficient decreased with time and at 52 weeks was still inferior to that of the native cartilage in one order of magnitude. In addition, the amount of glycosaminoglycans （GAGs） of repaired cartilage increased constantly with time, which at 52 weeks approached to nearly 60% of that of native cartilage. 3D printed scaffolds have potential applications in repairing large-scale cartilage defects.

Repaired morphology of CO_(2)laser rapid ablation mitigation of fused silica and its influence on downstream light modulation

The threat of cascading damage to downstream components caused by the light modulation intensification of laser repaired morphology on the surface of fused silica optics cannot be ignored in high-power laser systems.This paper uses the angular spectrum diffraction theory based on the analysis of repaired surface morphology of CO_(2)laser rapid ablation mitigation to study the influence of different repaired morphologies on the downstream 355 nm laser transmission.Studies show that the arc-shaped laser processing lines on the repaired surface are formed by the residual height superposition of the material after laser scanning of two adjacent layers,and the short-pulse laser can substantially suppress the heat-affected zone of the repaired area.The offaxis ring caustic and on-axis hotspot are sequentially generated in the downstream modulated light fields of the conical repaired sites with different diameters.A secondary peak with modulation larger than 3 emerges downstream of the modulation curve.Meanwhile,the maximum modulation and the secondary peak increase with the diameter and cone angle of the repaired site,and the position of the secondary peak appears farther away from the rear surface.The modulations of three repaired sites with cone angles of 15°,20°,and 25°can finally be stabilized below 3.Overall,the downstream optics should be installed far away from the positions where the maximum modulation and the secondary peak emerge.Additionally,the maximum value and the secondary peak of the downstream light modulation of double repaired sites are larger than that of the single repaired site,and both rise as the repaired sizes increase.Thus,large-scale and large-size repairing of multiple surface damages in the same area should be avoided in the laser repairing of fused silica.

Stiffness-tunable biomaterials provide a good extracellular matrix environment for axon growth and regeneration

Neuronal growth, extension, branching, and formation of neural networks are markedly influenced by the extracellular matrix—a complex network composed of proteins and carbohydrates secreted by cells. In addition to providing physical support for cells, the extracellular matrix also conveys critical mechanical stiffness cues. During the development of the nervous system, extracellular matrix stiffness plays a central role in guiding neuronal growth, particularly in the context of axonal extension, which is crucial for the formation of neural networks. In neural tissue engineering, manipulation of biomaterial stiffness is a promising strategy to provide a permissive environment for the repair and regeneration of injured nervous tissue. Recent research has fine-tuned synthetic biomaterials to fabricate scaffolds that closely replicate the stiffness profiles observed in the nervous system. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms by which extracellular matrix stiffness regulates axonal growth and regeneration. We highlight the progress made in the development of stiffness-tunable biomaterials to emulate in vivo extracellular matrix environments, with an emphasis on their application in neural repair and regeneration, along with a discussion of the current limitations and future prospects. The exploration and optimization of the stiffness-tunable biomaterials has the potential to markedly advance the development of neural tissue engineering.

Polyethylene glycol has immunoprotective effects on sciatic allografts, but behavioral recovery and graft tolerance require neurorrhaphy and axonal fusion

Behavioral recovery using(viable)peripheral nerve allografts to repair ablation-type(segmental-loss)peripheral nerve injuries is delayed or poor due to slow and inaccurate axonal regeneration.Furthermore,such peripheral nerve allografts undergo immunological rejection by the host immune system.In contrast,peripheral nerve injuries repaired by polyethylene glycol fusion of peripheral nerve allografts exhibit excellent behavioral recovery within weeks,reduced immune responses,and many axons do not undergo Wallerian degeneration.The relative contribution of neurorrhaphy and polyethylene glycol-fusion of axons versus the effects of polyethylene glycol per se was unknown prior to this study.We hypothesized that polyethylene glycol might have some immune-protective effects,but polyethylene glycol-fusion was necessary to prevent Wallerian degeneration and functional/behavioral recovery.We examined how polyethylene glycol solutions per se affect functional and behavioral recovery and peripheral nerve allograft morphological and immunological responses in the absence of polyethylene glycol-induced axonal fusion.Ablation-type sciatic nerve injuries in outbred Sprague–Dawley rats were repaired according to a modified protocol using the same solutions as polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts,but peripheral nerve allografts were loose-sutured(loose-sutured polyethylene glycol)with an intentional gap of 1–2 mm to prevent fusion by polyethylene glycol of peripheral nerve allograft axons with host axons.Similar to negative control peripheral nerve allografts not treated by polyethylene glycol and in contrast to polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts,animals with loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts exhibited Wallerian degeneration for all axons and myelin degeneration by 7 days postoperatively and did not recover sciatic-mediated behavioral functions by 42 days postoperatively.Other morphological signs of rejection,such as collapsed Schwann cell basal lamina tubes,were absent in polyethylene glycol-fused peripheral nerve allografts but commonly observed in negative control and loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts at 21 days postoperatively.Loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts had more pro-inflammatory and less anti-inflammatory macrophages than negative control peripheral nerve allografts.While T cell counts were similarly high in loose-sutured-polyethylene glycol and negative control peripheral nerve allografts,loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts expressed some cytokines/chemokines important for T cell activation at much lower levels at 14 days postoperatively.MHCI expression was elevated in loose-sutured polyethylene glycol peripheral nerve allografts,but MHCII expression was modestly lower compared to negative control at 21 days postoperatively.We conclude that,while polyethylene glycol per se reduces some immune responses of peripheral nerve allografts,successful polyethylene glycol-fusion repair of some axons is necessary to prevent Wallerian degeneration of those axons and immune rejection of peripheral nerve allografts,and produce recovery of sensory/motor functions and voluntary behaviors.Translation of polyethylene glycol-fusion technologies would produce a paradigm shift from the current clinical practice of waiting days to months to repair ablation peripheral nerve injuries.

Silk-based nerve guidance conduits with macroscopic holes modulate the vascularization of regenerating rat sciatic nerve

Peripheral nerve injuries induce a severe motor and sensory deficit. Since the availability of autologous nerve transplants for nerve repair is very limited, alternative treatment strategies are sought, including the use of tubular nerve guidance conduits(tNGCs). However, the use of tNGCs results in poor functional recovery and central necrosis of the regenerating tissue, which limits their application to short nerve lesion defects(typically shorter than 3 cm). Given the importance of vascularization in nerve regeneration, we hypothesized that enabling the growth of blood vessels from the surrounding tissue into the regenerating nerve within the tNGC would help eliminate necrotic processes and lead to improved regeneration. In this study, we reported the application of macroscopic holes into the tubular walls of silk-based tNGCs and compared the various features of these improved silk^(+) tNGCs with the tubes without holes(silk^(–) tNGCs) and autologous nerve transplants in an 8-mm sciatic nerve defect in rats. Using a combination of micro-computed tomography and histological analyses, we were able to prove that the use of silk^(+) tNGCs induced the growth of blood vessels from the adjacent tissue to the intraluminal neovascular formation. A significantly higher number of blood vessels in the silk^(+) group was found compared with autologous nerve transplants and silk^(–), accompanied by improved axon regeneration at the distal coaptation point compared with the silk^(–) tNGCs at 7 weeks postoperatively. In the 15-mm(critical size) sciatic nerve defect model, we again observed a distinct ingrowth of blood vessels through the tubular walls of silk^(+) tNGCs, but without improved functional recovery at 12 weeks postoperatively. Our data proves that macroporous tNGCs increase the vascular supply of regenerating nerves and facilitate improved axonal regeneration in a short-defect model but not in a critical-size defect model. This study suggests that further optimization of the macroscopic holes silk^(+) tNGC approach containing macroscopic holes might result in improved grafting technology suitable for future clinical use.

Resting-state brain network remodeling after different nerve reconstruction surgeries:a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in brachial plexus injury rats

Distinct brain remodeling has been found after different nerve reconstruction strategies,including motor representation of the affected limb.However,differences among reconstruction strategies at the brain network level have not been elucidated.This study aimed to explore intranetwork changes related to altered peripheral neural pathways after different nerve reconstruction surgeries,including nerve repair,endto-end nerve transfer,and end-to-side nerve transfer.Sprague–Dawley rats underwent complete left brachial plexus transection and were divided into four equal groups of eight:no nerve repair,grafted nerve repair,phrenic nerve end-to-end transfer,and end-to-side transfer with a graft sutured to the anterior upper trunk.Resting-state brain functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained 7 months after surgery.The independent component analysis algorithm was utilized to identify group-level network components of interest and extract resting-state functional connectivity values of each voxel within the component.Alterations in intra-network resting-state functional connectivity were compared among the groups.Target muscle reinnervation was assessed by behavioral observation(elbow flexion)and electromyography.The results showed that alterations in the sensorimotor and interoception networks were mostly related to changes in the peripheral neural pathway.Nerve repair was related to enhanced connectivity within the sensorimotor network,while end-to-side nerve transfer might be more beneficial for restoring control over the affected limb by the original motor representation.The thalamic-cortical pathway was enhanced within the interoception network after nerve repair and end-to-end nerve transfer.Brain areas related to cognition and emotion were enhanced after end-to-side nerve transfer.Our study revealed important brain networks related to different nerve reconstructions.These networks may be potential targets for enhancing motor recovery.