Evaluation of the Economic Loss Caused by Zhouqu Debris Flow

[Objective] The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic loss caused by Zhouqu debris flow. [Method] After the large debris flows happened on August 7, 2010 in Zhouqu, Gansu Province, we collected data at the first time after the disaster, and then built an assessment model to estimate the potential economic losses. [Result] The total loss reached 16.57×10^2 million Yuan, in which indirect economic loss was up to 2.42×10^2 million yaun while the actual direct economic loss was around 14.15×10^2 million Yuan. [Conclusion] The proportional coefficient method is a rapid and efficient method for evaluating the indirect loss caused by disasters.

The Relation between Performance and Flows of Mutual Funds: Case of the Croatian Fund Market

With pre 2008 euphoria and present depression, inflows to open investment funds and outflows from it shaped general market conditions on the Croatian fund market. This article studies the relationship between performance of open ended investment funds and inflows (outflows) to them on Croatian funds data in an environment without long fund data history, with small number of funds and relatively illiquid underlying equity market. The results suggest that the driving forces behind funds’ flows encompass the combined influence of present month fund’s performance and persistency of past performances. At the end of our analysis we test the significance of the introduced explanatory variables on the data sets that include data for each particular fund. The significance of the introduced explanatory variables varies among different funds, although a general level of the explanatory power is maintained on average.

Contribution of GIS to Hydromorphometric Characterization of the Nkoup Watershed(Nun Plain-Cameroon)

The Nkoup watershed(10°35’-10°47’E and 5°27’-5°42’N)is a volcanic zone situated in Nun Plain West Came­roon.The high fertility of the soils makes it a strategic agropastoral area where water resources are heavily exploited and used for several purposes.Due to human activities,soils and water resources are deteriorating,giving birth to wa­ter pollution and hydromorphological hazards.This work aims to determine the hydromorphometric parameters of the Nkoup watershed so that the data obtained help in the sustainable management of water resources and conservation of soil.To achieve this aim,various data were collected from DEM dataset derived from SRTM and processed in specia­lized software(QGIS and ArGIS).The simplified hydrological balance was calculated using the upstream approach.The Nkoup watershed has:Axial length L_(ax)=25.8 km,Axial Width W_(ax)=11.1 km,Perimeter P=132.6 km,Area A=173.7 km^(2),Average Altitude Ha=1726.3 m,Compactness Index Icomp=2.8,Relief ratio Rr=3.9 m/km,Circularity ratio Rc=0.1,Elongation ratio R=0.1,Drainage texture ratio Rt=0.6,Drainage density Dd=0.5 km/km^(2).Stream Frequency Fs=0.4,Channel Sinuosity Index CSI=0.8,Stream gradient Sg=0.6 and global slope Index Ig=6.8 m/km.The specific height Difference Ds=89.4 m shows moderate relief.The precipitation and evapotranspiration are unevenly distributed.With P=187.7 mm/an,ETP=953.4 mm/an,Q=4.2 m3/s,R=762.5 mm/an,ETR=832.3 mm/an and I=282.9 mm/an.The Nkoup,36.9 km long,has a sinuous aspect due to the low slope and the high CSI.The piezometric levels vary according to the seasons and the groundwater flow follows the N-S direction as surface flow.

Mechanism of controlling turbulent channel flow with the effect of spanwise Lorentz force distribution

A direct numerical simulation（DNS） is performed to investigate the control effect and mechanism of turbulent channel flow with the distribution of spanwise Lorentz force. A sinusoidal distribution of constant spanwise Lorentz force is selected, of which the control effects, such as flow characters, mean Reynolds stress, and drag reductions, at different parameters of amplitude A and wave number k_x are discussed. The results indicate that the control effects vary with the parameter A and k_x. With the increase of A, the drag reduction rate D_r first increases and then decreases rapidly at low k_x,and slowly at high k_x. The low drag reduction（or even drag increase） is due to a weak suppression or even the enhancements of the random velocity fluctuation and mean Reynolds stress. The efficient drag reduction is due to the quasi-streamwise vortex structure induced by Lorentz force, which contributes to suppressing the random velocity fluctuation and mean Reynolds stress, and the negative vorticity improves the distribution of streamwise velocity. Therefore, the optimal control effect with a drag reduction of up to 58% can be obtained.

Solute redistribution and Rayleigh number in the mushy zone during directional solidification of Inconel 718

The interdendritic segregation along the mushy zone of directionally solidified superalloy Inconel 718 has been measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersion analysis spectrometry (EDAX) techniques and the corresponding liquid composition profile was presented. The liquid density and Rayleigh number (Ra) profiles along the mushy zone were calculated as well. It was found that the liquid density difference increased from top to bottom in the mushy zone and there was no density inversion due to the segregation of Nb and Mo. However carbide formation in the freezing range and the preferred angle of the orientated dendrite array could prompt the fluid flow in the mushy zone although there was no liquid density inversion. The largest relative Rayleigh number appeared at 1,326 degrees C for Inconel 718 where the fluid flow most easily occurred.

Validation of the RANS-SOM Combustion Model Using Direct Numerical Simulation of Incompressible Turbulent Reacting Flows

The second-order moment combustion model, proposed by the authors is validated using the direct numerical simulation （DNS） of incompressible turbulent reacting channel flows. The instantaneous DNS results show the near-wall strip structures of concentration and temperature fluctuations. The DNS statistical results give the budget of the terms in the correlation equations, showing that the production and dissipation terms are most important. The DNS statistical data are used to validate the closure model in RANS second-order moment （SOM） combustion model. It is found that the simulated diffusion and production terms are in agreement with the DNS data in most flow regions, except in the near-wall region, where the near-wall modification should be made, and the closure model for the dissipation term needs further improvement. The algebraic second-order moment （ASOM） combustion model is well validated by DNS.

Effects of finite-size neutrally buoyant particles on the turbulent channel flow at a Reynolds number of 395

A direct-forcing fictitious domain(DFFD) method is used to perform fully resolved numerical simulations of turbulent channel flows laden with large neutrally buoyant particles. The effects of the particles on the turbulence(including the mean velocity,the root mean square(RMS) of the velocity fluctuation, the probability density function(PDF) of the velocity, and the vortex structures) at a friction Reynolds number of 395 are investigated. The results show that the drag-reduction effect caused by finite-size spherical particles at low particle volumes is negligibly small. The particle effects on the RMS velocities at Re_τ = 395 are significantly smaller than those at Re_τ = 180, despite qualitatively the same effects, i.e., the presence of particles decreases the maximum streamwise RMS velocity near the wall via weakening the large-scale streamwise vortices,and increases the transverse and spanwise RMS velocities in the vicinity of the wall by inducing smaller-scale vortices. The effects of the particles on the PDFs of the fluid fluctuating velocities normalized with the RMS velocities are small, regardless of the particle size, the particle volume fraction, and the Reynolds number.

Effect of particles on turbulent thermal field of channel flow with different Prandtl numbers

The direct numerical simulation （DNS） of heat transfer in a fully developed non-isothermal particle-laden turbulent channel flow is performed. The focus of this paper is on the modulation of the particles on turbulent thermal statistics in the particle-laden flow with three Prandtl numbers （Pτ = 0.71, 1.5, and 3.0） and a shear Reynolds number （Reτ = 180）. Some typical thermal statistics, including normalized mean temperature and their fluctuations, turbulent heat fluxes, Nusselt number and so on, are analyzed. The results show that the particles have less effects on turbulent thermal fields with the increase of Prandtl number. Two reasons can explain this. First, the correlation between fluid thermal field and velocity field decreases as the Prandtl number increases, and the modulation of turbulent velocity field induced by the particles has less influence on the turbulent thermal field. Second, the heat exchange between turbulence and particles decreases for the particle-laden flow with the larger Prandtl number, and the thermal feedback of the particles to turbulence becomes weak.

政府R&D资助对OFDI逆向绿色创新的影响机制研究

应用中国分省区层面数据并采用面板门槛模型,实证考察了政府R&D资助影响OFDI逆向绿色创新的动态效应。研究发现,OFDI对国内绿色创新产生了显著的驱动效应,但这种影响呈现出明显的先负后正的“U”型动态演化特征;政府R&D资助会正向调节OFDI逆向绿色创新溢出,且存在最适宜于OFDI逆向绿色创新的政府R&D资助区间(0.366,0.428],过高或过低强度的政府R&D资助均会在一定程度上造成OFDI逆向绿色创新的红利损失;政府R&D资助调节下OFDI对绿色创新的动态影响具有显著时空异质性,即在时空维度上存在“激励效应”与“挤出效应”交替演化的鲜明特征。

Influence of coherent structures in the gas-particle circular cylinder wake flow

To investigate the influence of coherent structures in the gas-particle wake flow, direct numerical simulation (DNS) method was adopted to compute a two-dimensional particle laden wake flow. A high accuracy spectral element method (SEM) was employed to simulate the gas flow field and a Lagrangian approach was used to compute the particles movement. Numerical results showed that at the same Stokes numbers, particles would be greatly impacted by the development of the coherent structure. But with different Stokes numbers, it can be seen that the large-scale vortex structures would influence the particle flow differently. While under different Reynolds numbers (150 and 200), there are no great changes in the particle laden flow.

Studying the Influence of Mean Field and NN Cross Section on Collective Flow in Heavy Ion Collision

The collective flow at high and intermediate energy in a relativistic Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck(RVUU)approach based on Walecka’s QHD-1 model is studied with the aim ofprobing the nuclear matter equation of state.A systematic study of the dependence of the radialflow on the mean field as well as the in-medium two-body cross section is presented.Theinterplay between the radial flow and the directed flow is also studied.

Financial frictions and the cash flow – external financing sensitivity: evidence from a panel of Pakistani firms

This paper uses a large panel of Pakistani non-financial firms over the period 2000-2013 to examine the role of financial constraints in establishing the relationship between cash flow and external financing.The results reveal that there exists a negative and significant relationship between external financing and cash flow.The finding of the substitutionary relation between internal funds availability and external financing has been viewed as evidence supporting the pecking order theory of capital structure.Yet,we show that this negative relationship is weak in case of financially constrained firms.We also analyze how credit multiplier affects external financing decisions of financially constrained and unconstrained firms.The results show that for financially unconstrained firms,the negative sensitively of external financing increases with asset tangibility.However,for financially constrained firms,the negative sensitivity of external financing to cash flow either decreases or turns positive as the tangibility of assets increases.This finding implies that financially constrained firms benefit more from investing in tangible assets because such assets not only help relax financial constraints but also having a potential to be a direct source of funds in periods of negative cash flow shocks.

Phase-field simulation of forced flow effect on random preferred growth direction of multiple grains

The random distribution problem of dendrite preferred growth direction was settled by random grid method.This method was used to study the influence of forced laminar flow effect on multiple grains during solidification.Taking high pure succinonitrile （SCN） undercooled melt as an example,the forced laminar flow effect on multiple grains was studied by phase-field model of single grain which coupled with flow equations at non-isothermal condition.The simulation results show that the random grid method can reasonably settle the problem of random distribution and is more effective.When the solid fraction is relatively low,melt particles flow around the downstream side of dendrite,and the flow velocity between two dendrite arms becomes high.At the stage of solidification time less than 1800Δt,every dendrite grows freely;the upstream dendrites are stronger than the downstream ones.The higher the melt flow rate,the higher the solid fraction.However,when the solid fraction is relatively high,the dendrite arm intertwins and only a little residual melt which is not encapsulated can flow;the solid fraction will gradually tend to equal to solid fraction of melt without flow.

Controlling the Flow of Microscopic Particles—The Role of Beam Size

Flow of micro particles and fluids is important in many microscopic systems. Here we present details of our finding of a directional flow of micro particles due to a single beam optical trap. It was found that the directional flow depends upon the size of optical trap, the number density of particles in the solution and the time after the trap was created. We suggest controlling the motion of microscopic particles in a fluid by varying a simple parameter like beam size for microfluidics applications.

Influence of thermal flow field of cooling tower on recirculation ratio of a direct air-cooled system for a power plant

In order to get thermal flow field of direct air-cooled system,the hot water was supplied to the model of direct air-cooled condenser(ACC). The particle image velocimetery (PIV) experiments were carried out to get thermal flow field of a ACC under different conditions in low velocity wind tunnel,at the same time,the recirculation ratio at cooling tower was measured,so the relationship between flow field characteristics and recirculation ratio of cooling tower can be discussed. From the results we can see that the flow field configuration around cooling tower has great effects on average recirculation ratio under cooling tower. The eddy formed around cooling tower is a key reason that recirculation produces. The eddy intensity relates to velocity magnitude and direction angle,and the configuration of eddy lies on the geometry size of cooling tower. So changing the flow field configuration around cooling tower reasonably can decrease recirculation ratio under cooling tower,and heat dispel effect of ACC can also be improved.

AN EFFICIENT METHOD FOR SOLVING THE MIXED DIRECT-INVERSE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSONIC ROTATIONAL FLOW IN PLANE CASCADES

The method in [1] has been extended to the case of rotational flow in this paper. A new method for dealing with the shock wave is presented. This method has the advantages of both the shock-fitting and the shock capturing methods. The direct problem and the mixed direct-inverse prob- lem of the rotational flow in a transonic plane cascade at both design and off design conditions are solved, and the results show that the present method has rapid convergence rate and high accuracy even for the flow with moderately strong shocks. The calculations have been carried out on the DPS-8 computer, and for the direct problem, only 50-80 iterations are needed, and 50-80 seconds of CPU time are required.

Parallelization strategies for resolved simulations of fluid-structure-particle interactions

Fluid-structure-particle interactions in three spatial dimensions happen in many environmental and engineering flows.This paper presents the parallel algorithms for the hybrid diffuse and sharp interface immersed boundary(IB)method developed in our previous work.For the moving structure modeled using the sharp interface IB method,a recursive box method is developed for efficiently classifying the background grid nodes.For the particles modeled using the diffuse interface IB method,a‘master-slave’approach is adopted.For the particle-particle interaction(PPI)and particle-structure interaction(PSI),a fast algorithm for classifying the active and inactive Lagrangian points,which discretize the particle surface,is developed for the‘dry’contact approach.The results show that the proposed recursive box method can reduce the classifying time from 52seconds to 0.3 seconds.Acceptable parallel efficiency is obtained for cases with different particle concentrations.Furthermore,the lubrication model is utilized when a particle approaches a wall,enabling an accurate simulation of the rebounding phenomena in the benchmark particle-wall collision problem.At last,the capability of the proposed computational framework is demonstrated by simulating particle-laden turbulent channel flows with rough walls.

A New Kind of Pilot Controlled Proportional Direction Valve with Internal Flow Feedback

Proportional direction valve is one of the most fundamental elements in electronic-hydraulic control technique. Its function is to control the operating speed, direction, position, and strength of output force of the hydraulic actuator continuously. Considering the different application and the cost, the existing technique mainly includes the internal feedback valve used in open loop system, and the electronic closed loop controlled valve used in closed loop system. Because of their different mechanical structure and the gre at different in performance, it brings inconvenience for customer to select, also inconvenience for enterprise to produce. Aiming at this problem, the idea of combining the above two kinds of valves into one body is proposed first, and then the new valve＇s structure to realize this target is designed. The idea intends to apply the displacement pilot flow feedback control principle in present 2-position 2-way valve system to the proportional direction valve of 3-position 4-way system. Newly designed feed forward controller can decouple the interference between the internal feedback and the electronic closed loop. Redundant conversion is designed to electronic switch mode. Experiment on dynamic and static characteristic of new proportional direction valve in internal feedback control mode and electronic closed loop control mode is discussed to prove the new theory is correct. Although the new valve is of excellent dynamic response characteristic, its steady control characteristic in open loop control mode needs to be improved further. The research results prepare one new fundamental element for electronic-hydraulic control technology.

FLOW DIRECTION OF PIEZOELECTRIC PUMP WITH NOZZLE/DIFFUSER-ELEMENTS

The piezoelectric pump with nozzle/diffuser-elements, which oscillating formdiffering from regular volumetric reciprocating or rotating pumps because there arenozzle/diffuser-elements substituted for regular valves, is a new type pump whose actuator is apiezoelectric ceramal part with verse piezoelectric effect In recent year, piezoelectric pump ispaid increasing attention to because it is an ideal candidate in application in such area as medicalhealth, mechanical tools and micro-mechanism. The fundamental research on it, however, is still notmade through. Focuses on the phenomenon of different directions of flow among Germany pump, Chinesepump and Swiss pump, which are all fitted with nozzle/diffuser-elements, and analyzes the coneangle of nozzle/diffuser-elements based on the flow equation of valve-less piezoelectric pump withnozzle/diffuser-elements. As a result, the concepts of diffuser toss coefficient and losscoefficient are introduced to explain these phenomena, from which a discussion is given on theoptimization of the cone angle of nozzle/diffuser-element aiming at the maximum of pump flow.

Effect of Flow Directions on Multiphase Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Enhanced by Suspending Particles in a Circulating Evaporation System

A circulating fluidized bed evaporator(including down-flow, horizontal, and up-flow beds) was constructed to study the effect of flow directions on multiphase flow boiling heat transfer. A range of experimental investigations were carried out by varying amount of added particles(0-2%), circulation flow rate(2.15-5.16 m^3/h) and heat flux(8-16 kW/m^2). The comparison of heat transfer performance in different vertical heights of the horizontal bed was also discussed. Results reveal that the glass bead particle can enhance heat transfer compared with vapor-liquid two-phase flow for all beds. At a low heat flux(q = 8 kW/m), the heat-transfer-enhancing factor of the horizontal bed is obviously greater than those of the up-flow and down-flow beds. With the increase in the amount of added particles, the heat-transfer-enhancing factors of the up-flow and down-flow beds increase, whereas that of the horizontal bed initially increases and then decreases. However, at a high heat flux(q=16 kW/m), the heat-transfer-enhancing factors of the three beds show an increasing tendency with the increase in the amount of added particles and become closer than those at a low heat flux. For all beds, the heat-transfer-enhancing factor generally increases with the circulation flow rate but decreases with the increase in heat flux.