Three dimensional discrete element modelling of the conventional compression behavior of gas hydrate bearing coal

To analyze the relationship between macro and meso parameters of the gas hydrate bearing coal(GHBC)and to calibrate the meso-parameters,the numerical tests were conducted to simulate the laboratory triaxial compression tests by PFC3D,with the parallel bond model employed as the particle contact constitutive model.First,twenty simulation tests were conducted to quantify the relationship between the macro–meso parameters.Then,nine orthogonal simulation tests were performed using four meso-mechanical parameters in a three-level to evaluate the sensitivity of the meso-mechanical parameters.Furthermore,the calibration method of the meso-parameters were then proposed.Finally,the contact force chain,the contact force and the contact number were examined to investigate the saturation effect on the meso-mechanical behavior of GHBC.The results show that:(1)The elastic modulus linearly increases with the bonding stiffness ratio and the friction coefficient while exponentially increasing with the normal bonding strength and the bonding radius coefficient.The failure strength increases exponentially with the increase of the friction coefficient,the normal bonding strength and the bonding radius coefficient,and remains constant with the increase of bond stiffness ratio;(2)The friction coefficient and the bond radius coefficient are most sensitive to the elastic modulus and the failure strength;(3)The number of the force chains,the contact force,and the bond strength between particles will increase with the increase of the hydrate saturation,which leads to the larger failure strength.

Integration of GIS with the Generalized Reciprocal Method(GRM)for Determining Foundation Bearing Capacity:A Case Study in Opolo,Yenagoa Bayelsa State,Nigeria

This study addresses the pressing need to assess foundation bearing capacity in Opolo,Yenagoa,Bayelsa State,Nigeria.The significance lies in the dearth of comprehensive geotechnical data for construction planning in the region.Past research is limited and this study contributes valuable insights by integrating Geographic Information System(GIS)with the Generalized Reciprocal Method(GRM).To collect data,near-surface seismic refraction surveys were conducted along three designated lines,utilizing ABEM Terraloc Mark 6 equipment,Easy Refract,and ArcGIS 10.4.1 software.This methodology allowed for the determination of key geotechnical parameters essential for soil characterization at potential foundation sites.The results revealed three distinct geoseismic layers.The uppermost layer,within a depth of 0.89 to 1.50 meters,exhibited inadequate compressional and shear wave velocities and low values for oedometric modulus,shear modulus,N-value,ultimate bearing capacity,and allowable bearing capacity.This indicates the presence of unsuitable,soft,and weak alluvial deposits for substantial structural loads.In contrast,the second layer(1.52 to 3.84 m depth)displayed favorable geotechnical parameters,making it suitable for various construction loads.The third layer(15.00 to 26.05 m depth)exhibited varying characteristics.The GIS analysis highlighted the unsuitability of the uppermost layer for construction,while the second and third layers were found to be fairly competent and suitable for shallow footing and foundation design.In summary,this study highlights the importance of geotechnical surveys in Opolo’s construction planning.It offers vital information for informed choices,addresses issues in the initial layer,and suggests secure,sustainable construction options.

Improved finite difference method for pressure distribution of aerostatic bearing

An improved finite difference method （FDM）is described to solve existing problems such as low efficiency and poor convergence performance in the traditional method adopted to derive the pressure distribution of aerostatic bearings. A detailed theoretical analysis of the pressure distribution of the orifice-compensated aerostatic journal bearing is presented. The nonlinear dimensionless Reynolds equation of the aerostatic journal bearing is solved by the finite difference method. Based on the principle of flow equilibrium, a new iterative algorithm named the variable step size successive approximation method is presented to adjust the pressure at the orifice in the iterative process and enhance the efficiency and convergence performance of the algorithm. A general program is developed to analyze the pressure distribution of the aerostatic journal bearing by Matlab tool. The results show that the improved finite difference method is highly effective, reliable, stable, and convergent. Even when very thin gas film thicknesses （less than 2 Win）are considered, the improved calculation method still yields a result and converges fast.

THE 3-D BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD OF ROLLER BEARING BY PLATE ELEMENT ANALOGUE

The mill roller bearing is made up of an internal ring, middlerolls and an external ring, the analysis of which is a multi-bodiescontact problem. In this paper, based on the three-dimensionalelastic contact BEM without friction, and using the structuralcharacteristics of roller bearings, middle rolls are de- scribed byelastic plate units of different shapes, which is placed on theinternal ring.

Lateral Bearing Capacity of Modified Suction Caissons Determined by Using the Limit Equilibrium Method

The modified suction caisson(MSC) adds a short-skirted structure around the regular suction caissons to increase the lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection. The MSC is suitable for acting as the offshore wind turbine foundation subjected to larger lateral loads compared with the imposed vertical loads. Determination of the lateral bearing capacity is a key issue for the MSC design. The formula estimating the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC was proposed in terms of the limit equilibrium method and was verified by the test results. Parametric studies on the lateral bearing capacity were also carried out. It was found that the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC increases with the increasing length and radius of the external skirt, and the lateral bearing capacity increases linearly with the increasing coefficient of subgrade reaction. The maximum lateral bearing capacity of the MSC is attained when the ratio of the radii of the internal compartment to the external skirt equals 0.82 and the ratio of the lengths of the external skirt to the internal compartment equals 0.48, provided that the steel usage of the MSC is kept constant.

Analysis of the Temperature Characteristics of High-speed Train Bearings Based on a Dynamics Model and Thermal Network Method

High-speed trains often use temperature sensors to monitor the motion state of bearings.However,the temperature of bearings can be affected by factors such as weather and faults.Therefore,it is necessary to analyze in detail the relationship between the bearing temperature and influencing factors.In this study,a dynamics model of the axle box bearing of high-speed trains is established.The model can obtain the contact force between the rollers and raceway and its change law when the bearing contains outer-ring,inner-ring,and rolling-element faults.Based on the model,a thermal network method is introduced to study the temperature field distribution of the axle box bearings of high-speed trains.In this model,the heat generation,conduction,and dispersion of the isothermal nodes can be solved.The results show that the temperature of the contact point between the outer-ring raceway and rolling-elements is the highest.The relationships between the node temperature and the speed,fault type,and fault size are analyzed,finding that the higher the speed,the higher the node temperature.Under different fault types,the node temperature first increases and then decreases as the fault size increases.The effectiveness of the model is demonstrated using the actual temperature data of a high-speed train.This study proposes a thermal network model that can predict the temperature of each component of the bearings on a high-speed train under various speed and fault conditions.

Seismic stability of reinforced soil walls under bearing capacity failure by pseudo-dynamic method

In order to evaluate the seismic stability of reinforced soil walls against bearing capacity failure,the seismic safety factor of reinforced soil walls was determined by using pseudo-dynamic method,and calculated by considering different parameters,such as horizontal and vertical seismic acceleration coefficients,ratio of reinforcement length to wall height,back fill friction angle,foundation soil friction angle,soil reinforcement interface friction angle and surcharge.The parametric study shows that the seismic safety factor increases by 24-fold when the foundation soil friction angle varies from 25°to 45°,and increases by 2-fold when the soil reinforcement interface friction angle varies from 0 to 30°.That is to say,the bigger values the foundation soil and/or soil reinforcement interface friction angles have,the safer the reinforced soil walls become in the seismic design.The results were also compared with those obtained from pseudo-static method.It is found that there is a higher value of the safety factor by the present work.

Revisiting the analytical solutions for ultimate bearing capacity of pile embedded in rocks

This paper investigates the validity and shortcomings of the existing analytical solution for the ultimate bearing capacity of a pile embedded in a rock mass using the modified HoekeBrown failure criterion.Although this criterion is considered a reference value for empirical and numerical calculations,some limitations of its basic simplifications have not been clarified yet.This research compares the analytical results obtained from the novel discontinuity layout optimization(DLO)method and the numerical solutions from the finite difference method(FDM).The limitations of the analytical solution are considered by comparing different DLO failure modes,thus allowing for the first time a critical evaluation of its scope and conditioning for implementation.Errors of up to 40%in the bearing capacity and unrealistic failure modes are the main issues in the analytical solution.The main aspects of the DLO method are also analyzed with an emphasis on the linearization of the rock failure criterion and the accuracy resulting from the discretization size.The analysis demonstrates DLO as a very efficient and accurate tool to address the pile tip bearing capacity,presenting considerable advantages over other methods.

Development of mathematically motivated hybrid soft computing models for improved predictions of ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations

Ultimate bearing capacity(UBC)is a key subject in geotechnical/foundation engineering as it determines the limit of loads imposed on the foundation.The most reliable means of determining UBC is through experiment,but it is costly and time-consuming which has led to the development of various models based on the simplified assumptions.The outcomes of the models are usually validated with the experimental results,but a large gap usually exists between them.Therefore,a model that can give a close prediction of the experimental results is imperative.This study proposes a grasshopper optimization algorithm(GOA)and salp swarm algorithm(SSA)to optimize artificial neural networks(ANNs)using the existing UBC experimental database.The performances of the proposed models are evaluated using various statistical indices.The obtained results are compared with the existing models.The proposed models outperformed the existing models.The proposed hybrid GOA-ANN and SSA-ANN models are then transformed into mathematical forms that can be incorporated into geotechnical/foundation engineering design codes for accurate UBC measurements.

The use of the node-based smoothed finite element method to estimate static and seismic bearing capacities of shallow strip footings

The node-based smoothed finite element method(NS-FEM)is shortly presented for calculations of the static and seismic bearing capacities of shallow strip footings.A series of computations has been performed to assess variations in seismic bearing capacity factors with both horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations.Numerical results obtained agree very well with those using the slip-line method,revealing that the magnitude of the seismic bearing capacity is highly dependent upon the combinations of various directions of both components of the seismic acceleration.An upward vertical seismic acceleration reduces the seismic bearing capacity compared to the downward vertical seismic acceleration in calculations.In addition,particular emphasis is placed on a separate estimation of the effects of soil and superstructure inertia on each seismic bearing capacity component.While the effect of inertia forces arising in the soil on the seismic bearing capacity is non-trivial,and the superstructure inertia is the major contributor to reductions in the seismic bearing capacity.Both tables and charts are given for practical application to the seismic design of the foundations.

Bearing capacity analysis using the method of characteristics

Using the method of characteristics,the bearing capacity for a strip footing is analyzed.The method of characteristics leads to an exact true limit load when the calculations of the three terms in the bearing capacity formula are consistent with one collapse mechanism and the soil satisfies the associated flow rule.At the same time,the method of characteristics avoids the assumption of arbitrary slip surfaces,and produces zones within which equilibrium and plastic yield are simultaneously satisfied for given boundary stresses.The exact solution without superposition approximation can still be expressed by Terzaghi＇s equation of bearing capacity,in which the bearing capacity factor N γλ is dependent on the dimensionless parameter λ and the friction angle φ.The influence of groundwater on the bearing capacity of the shallow strip footing is considered,which indicates that when the groundwater effect is taken into account,the error induced by the superposition approximation can be reduced as compared with dry soil condition.The results are presented in the form of charts which give the modified value（Nwγλc /Nγλc） of bearing capacity factor.Finally,an approximated analytical expression,which provides results in close agreement with those obtained by numerical analysis in this paper,has been suggested for practical application purposes.

Random failure mechanism method for assessment of working platform bearing capacity with a linear trend in undrained shear strength

A bearing capacity evaluation for the surface strip foundation on a working platform modelled on a twolayered substrate is considered in the study.The upper layer is assumed as man-made and wellcontrolled and thus non-variable.The lower layer modelling natural cohesive soil is subjected to spatial variability of undrained shear strength.The random failure mechanism method(RFMM)is used to evaluate the bearing capacity.This approach employs a kinematic assessment of the critical load and incorporates the averaging of three-dimensional(3 D)random field along dissipation surfaces that result from the failure mechanism geometry.A novel version of the approach considering an additional linear trend of undrained shear strength in the spatially variable layer is proposed.The high efficiency of the RFMM algorithm is preserved.The influences of foundation length,trend slope in the spatially variable layer,fluctuation scales,and thickness of the homogenous sand layer on the resulting bearing capacity evaluations are analysed.Moreover,for selected cases,verification of the RFMM based assessment obtained using random finite difference method(RFDM)based on 3 D analysis is provided.Two types of analyses are performed using RFDM based on associated and non-associated flow rules.For associated flow rule which corresponds to RFMM,the RFMM is conservative and efficient and thus it seems preferable.However,if RFDM employs non-associated flow rule(much lower dilation angle for sand layer),the efficient RFMM is no longer conservative.For this situation,a combined approach that improves the efficiency of the numerical method is suggested.

Chemical Analysis Method for Carbon Bearing Refractory Products——Determination of the Total Carbon by Combustion Gravimetric Method

GB/T 13245-91 1 Theme and Scope This standard specifies the method abstract, reagents, apparatus, specimen, analyzing procedure, result calculation and permissible tolerance used for determination of the total carbon with combustion gravimetric method.

Finite Element Analysis of the Influence of Artificial Cementation on the Strength Parameters and Bearing Capacity of Sandy Soil under a Strip Footing

Artificial cementation is a method commonly used to enhance and improve soil properties. This paper investigates the effect of using different amounts of cement on soil strength parameters and soil bearing capacity, using the finite element method. Experimental tests are conducted on soil samples with different amounts of Portland cement. A 2-D numerical model is created and validated using the numerical modelling software, COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software. The study finds that the cohesion, and the angle of the internal friction of the soil samples increase significantly as a result of adding 1%, 2%, and 4% of Portland cement. The results demonstrate that the stresses and strain under the strip footing proposed decrease by 3.24% and 7.42%. Moreover, the maximum displacement also decreases by 1.47% and 2.97%, as a result of adding cements of 2% and 4%. The bearing capacity values obtained are therefore excellent, especially when using the 2% and 4% cement. The increase identified is due to the increased values of the bearing capacity factors. It is concluded that from an economic viewpoint, using 2% cement is the best option.

A Transient Thermohydrodynamics Study of Plain Journal Bearings Using Newton-Raphson Method Analysis

The present paper proposes three-dimensional model necessary to calculate the transient temperature field in a journal bearing submitted to a sudden change in speed and load and analyzes the bearing performance numerically. Thermal deformation of the bush and realistic thermal boundary conditions at oil and bush interface are considered. At each time step a Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the Reynolds equation, film thickness equation and the motion equation of the journal simultaneously to obtain the pressure distribution and the velocity of the journal center. Then the fluid film force is acquired through integral of fluid film force and the acceleration and position of the journal center are acquired through differences of the velocity. The energy equations of the oil film and the bush are solved simultaneously by using an efficient finite difference scheme. Then the transient three dimensional temperature field of the bearing is acquired by combining the energy equations and the Reynolds equation through the nodal temperature and pressure. It is found that the approaches introduced here converge quickly and save calculation time greatly.

Calculation methods of lubricant film pressure distribution of radial grooved thrust bearings

In order to calculate the pressure distribution of radial grooved thrust bearing, analytical and numerical methods were applied respectively. Grooved region and land region were linked by u- sing the mass conservations principle at the groove/land boundary in each method. The block-weight approach was implemented to deal with the non-coincidence of mesh and radial groove pattern in nu- merical method. It was observed that the numerical solutions had higher precision as mesh number exceed 70 x 70, and the relaxation iteration of differential scheme presented the fastest convergence speed when relaxation factor was close to 1.94.

New Start-up Method for a Closed-Cycle Compression System with Gas Bearings and Its Characteristics

Gas bearings,which have the advantages of low frictional resistance and power loss,high rotational speed and high temperature operation,and long life,are more suitable than are traditional liquid lubricated bearings because of their high precision,high rotational speed,and special condition support.However,the problem of starting a closed-cycle compression system with gas bearings still needs to be solved for practical application.Thus,a new start-up method for a closed-cycle compression system with aerostatic gas bearings is proposed in this paper.Further,this paper presents a numerical simulation and experimental investigation of the method’s feasibility and characteristics during the start-up process when the gas tank’s initial pressure is fixed.The results show that the gas tank volume is approximately directly proportional to the start-up time allowable,and a gas tank volume sufficiently small,which not only ensures the feasibility of start-up,but also affects other components only slightly,can be obtained.A perfect combination of radial and axial loads also can be achieved to make the start-up time allowable as long as possible.R134a is a better choice for the working medium than is air,as the start-up time allowable is longer,which leads to a smaller gas tank.This research proposes a new start-up method for a closed-cycle compression system with aerostatic gas bearings which has sufficient load capacity to support system during the start-up method.

Hydrodynamic Lubrication of Elastic Foil Gas Bearing Using Over Relaxation Iteration Method and Non-Dimensional Equation

The purpose is to accurately predict the performance of foil bearing and achieve accurate results in the design of foil bearing structure.A new type of foil bearing with surface microstructure is used as experimental material.First,the lubrication mechanism of elastic foil gas bearing is analyzed.Then,the numerical solution process of the static bearing capacity and friction torque is analyzed,including the discretization of the governing equation of rarefied gas pressure based on the non-dimensional modified Reynolds equation and the over relaxation iteration method,the grid planning within the calculation range,the static solution of boundary parameters and static solution of the numerical process.Finally,the solution program is analyzed.The experimental data in National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)public literature are compared with the simulation results of this exploration,so as to judge the accuracy of the calculation process.The results show that under the same static load,the difference between the minimum film thickness calculated and the test results is not obvious;when the rotor speed of the bearing is 60000 r/min,the influence of the boundary slip effect increases with the increase of the micro groove depth on the flat foil surface;when the eccentricity or the micro groove depth of the bearing increases,the bearing capacity will be strengthened.When the eccentricity is 6µm and 14µm,the viscous friction torque of the new foil bearing increases significantly with the increase of the depth of the foil micro groove,but when the eccentricity is 22µm,the viscous friction torque does not change with the change of the depth of the foil micro groove.It shows that the bearing capacity and performance of foil bearing are improved.

Methods for Estimating the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Layered Foundations

The Meyerhof and Hanna′s(M-H) method to estimate the ultimate bearing capacity of layered foundations was improved. The experimental results of the load tests in Tianjin New Harbor were compared with predictions with the method recommended by the code for the foundations of harbor engineering, i.e. Hansen′s method and the improved M-H method. The results of the comparisons implied that the code and the improved M-H method could give a better prediction.

Line-shape calculation method for suspension bridge catwalk considering different states of bearing cables

The line-shape of catwalk of long-span suspension bridge is obtained by using the segmental catenary method to carry out the iterative calculation, where all the bearing cables are considered as one cable, and transversal passages and gantry are treated as nodes which divide the catwalk into several segments. The difference of line-shape and force between catwalk bearing cable and gantry bearing cable is not usually considered, but the line-shape of two kinds of cables is actually inconsistent because of the constraints from gantries. Based on the segmental catenary method, considering the different states of bearing cables （ DSB calculation method）, fine calculation is carried out. This method is applied to the design of a suspension bridge＇ s catwalk, and is compared with the traditional calculation method. It is obtained that the result is more reasonable and accurate by the coordination calculation method considering different states for two kinds of load-bearing cables, which is worth considering in the nrocess of design and optimization for catwalk.