Determination of the coefficient of rolling friction of an irregularly shaped maize particle group using physical experiment and simulations

The coefficient of rolling friction is an important physical property of a maize particle. It is difficult to obtain the value of this coefficient because of the irregular shape of maize particles. This paper describes an approach that combines the discrete-element method （DEM） and a physical test to determine the coefficient of rolling friction of irregularly shaped maize particles. A novel test platform was used to obtain the maize particle＇s coefficient of restitution and the coefficient of static friction. EDEM software （DEM- Solutions, United Kingdom） was used to simulate the accumulation of maize particles on particles and on a zincified plate. The golden-section method was used to determine the range of the maize particle＇s coefficient of roiling friction. A single-factor test was used to determine the relationship between the maize particle＇s coefficient of rolling friction and their angle of repose. The results obtained from the EDEM simulation were compared with physical test results to determine the intergranular coefficient of rolling friction and the coefficient of roiling friction between maize particles and the zincified plate. Our study demonstrates that the angle of repose increases linearly with the coefficient of rolling friction of maize particles. The effect of the coefficient of rolling friction on the particle movement is studied. The physical verification test indicates that the obtained rolling friction of the maize particles is accurate. The findings of this paper provide a theoretical basis for maize-processing machine design and a discrete-element studv of the motion of maize particles inside such machines.

Experimental observation on water entry of a sphere in regular wave

This paper presents a novel experiment to observe the whole water entry process of a free-falling sphere into a regular wave.A time-accurate synchronizing system modulates the moment elaborately to ensure the sphere impacting onto the water surface at the desirable wave phase.Four high-speed cameras focus locally to measure the high-precision size of the cavity evolution.Meanwhile,the aggregated field view of the camera array covers both the splash above the free surface and the entire cavity in the wave.The detailed methodologies are described and verified for the hardware set-up and the image post-processing.The theoretical maximum deviation is 1.7%on the space scale.The integral morphology of the cavity is captured precisely in the coordinate system during the sphere penetrates through the water at four representative wave phases and the still water.The result shows that the horizontal velocity of the fluid particle in the wave impels the cavity and changes the shape distinctly.Notably,the wave motion causes the cavity to pinch offearlier at the wave trough phase and later at the wave crest phase than in the still water.The wave motion influences the falling process of the sphere slightly in the present parameters.

Sliding and damming properties of granular debris with different geometric configurations and grain size distributions

Granular debris plays a significant role in determining damming deposit characteristics. An indepth understanding of how variations in grain size distribution(GSD) and geometric configurations impact the behavior of granular debris during the occurrence of granular debris is essential for precise assessment and effective mitigation of landslide hazards in mountainous terrains. This research aims to investigate the impact of GSD and geometric configurations on sliding and damming properties through laboratory experiments. The geometric configurations were categorized into three categories based on the spatial distribution of maximum volume: located at the front(Type Ⅰ), middle(Type Ⅱ), and rear(Type Ⅲ) of the granular debris. Our experimental findings highlight that the sliding and damming processes primarily depend on the interaction among the geometric configuration, grain size, and GSD in granular debris. Different sliding and damming mechanisms across various geometric configurations induce variability in motion parameters and deposition patterns. For Type Ⅰ configurations, the front debris functions as the critical and primary driving component, with energy dissipation primarily occurring through inter-grain interactions. In contrast, Type Ⅱ configurations feature the middle debris as the dominant driving component, experiencing hindrance from the front debris and propulsion from the rear, leading to complex alterations in sliding motion. Here, energy dissipation arises from a combination of inter-grain and grain-substrate interactions. Lastly, in Type Ⅲ configurations, both the middle and rear debris serve as the main driving components, with the rear sliding debris impeded by the front. In this case, energy dissipation predominantly results from grainsubstrate interaction. Moreover, we have quantitatively demonstrated that the inverse grading in damming deposits, where coarse grain moves upward and fine grain moves downward, is primarily caused by grain sorting due to collisions among the grains and between the grain and the base. The impact of grain on the horizontal channel further aids grain sorting and contributes to inverse grading. The proposed classification of three geometric configurations in our study enhances the understanding of damming properties from the view of mechanism, which provides valuable insights for related study about damming granular debris.

Experimental Investigation of Wave Load and Run-up on the Composite Bucket Foundation Influenced by Regular Waves

In the design of wind turbine foundations for offshore wind farms, the wave load and run-up slamming on the supporting structure are the quantities that need to be considered. Because of a special arc transition, the interaction between the wave field and the composite bucket foundation(CBF) becomes complicated. In this study, the hydrodynamic characteristics, including wave pressure, load, upwelling, and run-up, around the arc transition of a CBF influenced by regular waves are investigated through physical tests at Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Ocean University of China. The distributions of the wave pressures and upwelling ratios around the CBF are described, and the relationship between the wave load and the wave parameters is discussed. New formulae based on the velocity stagnation head theory with linear wave theory and the second-order Stokes wave theory for wave kinematics are proposed to estimate the wave run-up. Moreover, the multiple regression method with nonlinear technology is employed to deduce an empirical formula for predicting run-up heights. Results show that the non-dimensional wave load increases with the increase in the values of the wave scattering parameter and relative wave height. The wave upwelling height is high in front of the CBF and has the lowest value at an angle of 135? with the incoming wave direction. The performance of the new formulae proposed in this study is compared using statistical indices to demonstrate that a good fit is obtained by the multiple regression method and the analytical model based on the velocity stagnation head theory is underdeveloped.

Numerical simulation of non-Archie electrophysical property of saturated rock with lattice Boltzmann method

The electrophysical property of saturated rocks is very important for reservoir identification and evaluation. In this paper, the lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） was used to study the electrophysical property of rock saturated with fluid because of its advantages over conventional numerical approaches in handling complex pore geometry and boundary conditions. The digital core model was constructed through the accumulation of matrix grains based on their radius distribution obtained by the measurements of core samples. The flow of electrical current through the core model saturated with oil and water was simulated on the mesoscopic scale to reveal the non-Archie relationship between resistivity index and water saturation （I-Sw）. The results from LBM simulation and laboratory measurements demonstrated that the I-Sw relation in the range of low water saturation was generally not a straight line in the log-log coordinates as described by the Archie equation. We thus developed a new equation based on numerical simulation and physical experiments. This new equation was used to fit the data from laboratory core measurements and previously published data. Determination of fluid saturation and reservoir evaluation could be significantly improved by using the new equation.

The influence of inter-band rock on rib spalling in longwall panel with large mining height

In order to improve rib stability,failure criteria and instability mode of a thick coal seam with inter-band rock layer are analysed in this study.A three-dimensional mechanical model is established for the rib by considering the rock layer.A safety factor is defined foy the rib,and it is observed that the safety factor exhibits a positive correlation with the thickness and strength of the inter-band rock.A calculation method for determining critical parameters of the rock layer is presented to ensure the rib stability.It is revealed that incomplete propagation of the fracture at the hard rock constitutes a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the rib stability.The influence of the position of the inter-band rock in the coal seam on failure mechanism of the rib was thoroughly investigated by developing a series of physical models for the rib at the face area.The best position for the inter-band rock in the coal seam is at a height of 1.5 m away from the roof line,which tends to provide a good stability state for the rib.For different inter-band rock positions,two ways of controlling rib by increasing supports stiffness and flexible grouting reinforcement are proposed.

Formation mechanism of fault accommodation zones under combined stress in graben basin:Implications from geomechanical modeling

A fault accommodation zone is a type of structure that is defined as regulating displacement and strain between faults structure.Increasing numbers of fault accommodation zones are being identified in graben basins,indicating the potential exploration target and petroleum accumulation areas.This study aims to analyze the formation mechanism and development of fault accommodation zones under combined stress by a numerical simulation method considering geomechanical modeling.Using three-dimensional(3-D)seismic interpretation and fractal dimension method,exampled with the Dongxin fault zone,the fault activity and fault combination pattern were conducted to quantitatively characterize the activity difference in fault accommodation zones.Combined with mechanical experiment test,a geomehcanical model was established for fault accommodation zones in a graben basin.Integrating the paleostress numerical simulations and structural physical simulation experiment,the developmental characteristics and genetic mechanism of fault accommodation zones were summarized.Influenced by multi movements and combined stresses,three significant tectonic evolution stages of the Dongxing Fault Zone(DXFZ)were distinguished:During the E_(s)^(3)sedimentary period,the large difference in the stress,strain,and rupture distribution in various faults were significant,and this stage was the key generation period for the prototype of the DXFZ,including the FAZ between large-scale faults.During the E_(s)^(2)sedimentary period,the EW-trending symmetric with opposite dipping normal faults and the NE-SW trending faults with large scale were furtherly developed.The junction area of two secondary normal faults were prone to be ruptured,performing significant period for inheriting and developing characteristics of fault accommodation zones.During the Es1 sedimentary period,the high-order faults in the DXFZ exhibited the obvious fault depressions and strike-slip activity,and the fault accommodation zones were furtherly inherited and developed.This stage was the molded and formative period of the FAZ,the low-order faults,and the depression in the DXFZ.

Western fault zone of South China Sea and its physical simulation evidences

The western fault zone of the South China Sea is a strike-slip fault system and consists of four typical strike-slip faults. It is the western border of the South China Sea. The formation of the system is due to the extrusion of Indo - China Peninsula caused by the collision of India with Tibet and the spreading of the South China Sea in Cenozoic. There are five episodes of tectonic movement along this fault zone, which plays an important role in the Cenozoic evolution of the South China Sea. By the physical modeling experiments, it can be seen the strike-slip fault undergoes the sinistral and dextral movement due to the relative movement velocity change between the South China Sea block and the Indo - China block. The fault zone controls the evolution of the pull basins locating in the west of the South China Sea.

Physical Model of Drying Shrinkage of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

We prepared concretes（RC0, RC30, and RC100） with three different mixes. The poresize distribution parameters of RAC were examined by high-precision mercury intrusion method（MIM） and nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） imaging. A capillary-bundle physical model with random-distribution pores（improved model, IM） was established according to the parameters, and dry-shrinkage strain values were calculated and verified. Results show that in all pore types, capillary pores, and gel pores have the greatest impacts on concrete shrinkage, especially for pores 2.5-50 and 50-100 nm in size. The median radii are 34.2, 31, and 34 nm for RC0, RC30, and RC100, respectively. Moreover, the internal micropore size distribution of RC0 differs from that of RC30 and RC100, and the pore descriptions of MIM and NMR are consistent both in theory and in practice. Compared with the traditional capillary-bundle model, the calculated results of IM have higher accuracy as demonstrated by experimental verifi cation.

Can a Michelson-Morley Experiment Designed with Current Solar Velocity Distinguish between Non-Relativistic and Relativistic Theories?

If Michelson were to answer the question posed in the title, given the line of reasoning he used in 1881, Michelson would seat at his desktop computer to calculate the expected fringeshifts for several solar speeds around 400 km/s and various directions of motion. Present author did exactly the same in 2001 to plan his repetition of Michelson and Morley’s (MM) 1887 experiment. The paper sketchedly summarizes the procedure to calculate expected fringeshifts in the MM interferometer for solar speeds available at Miller’s epoch. In a pre-relativistic context, amplitudes of several fringeshifts may be expected in both MM and Miller experiments. However, all interferometer experiments up to 1930 were designed under the (incorrect from a modern viewpoint) assumption that fringeshifts would be smaller than one fringe-width. The inescapable conclusion is that those experiments were not appropriate to measure the true value of solar motion, always yielding a small, but lower than expected, value for solar speed. The ensuing “negative” interpretation led to the birth of relativity theory and to a new series of experiments implicitly designed to test the relativistic hypothesis of length-contraction, while the earlier “positive” experiments were designed to test a different hypothesis: whether the motion of Earth relative to some preferred frame can be measured using an interferometer of constant dimensions. With the benefit of hindsight this writer repeated the MM experiment, correcting main weaknesses identified up to the Michelson-Morley-Miller (MMM) measurements at Mount Wilson from April 1925 to February 1926. A new possible reinterpretation of the MMM data as a sequence of stationary measurements is pointed out. Our Michelson-Morley-Miller-Munera (MMMM) experiment at Bogota (Colombia) from January 2003 to June 2005 gave values for solar absolute velocity in the same range as those obtained by astronomical means. Surprisingly, our results are compatible with modern third-party MM-type experiments designed and interpreted within relativistic contexts. Thus, a so far unexplored possibility arises: can interferometric experiments distinguish between pre-relativistic and relativistic theories? Our answer is negative.

Tight sandstone gas accumulation mechanisms and sweet spot prediction, Triassic Xujiahe Formation, Sichuan Basin, China

The prediction of continental tight sandstone gas sweet spots is an obstacle during tight sandstone gas exploration. In this work, the classic physical fluid charging experimental equipment is improved, the combination of the gas migration and accumulation process with the pore network numerical simulation method is investigated, and application of the permeability/porosity ratio is proposed to predict the gas saturation and sweet spots of continental formations. The results show that (1) as the charging pressure increases, the permeability of the reservoir increases because more narrow pore throats are displaced in the percolation process;and (2) based on pore network numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, the natural gas migration and accumulation mechanisms are revealed. The gas saturation of tight sandstone rock is controlled by the gas charging pressure and dynamic percolation characteristics. (3) The ratio of permeability/porosity and fluid charging pressure is proposed to predict the gas saturation of the formation. The ratio is verified in a pilot and proven to be applicable and practical. This work highlights the tight sandstone gas migration and accumulation mechanisms and narrows the gap among microscale physical experiments, numerical simulation research, and field applications.

Real-time localization for underwater equipment using an extremely low frequency electric field

A new real-time underwater equipment location method adopting an electric field induced by a standard current source is proposed.Our goals were real-time tracking and location of stationary or moving underwater equipment both in shallow and deep seas,under noisy conditions.The main features of this method are as follows:(1)a standard current source on the water surface,which can be towed by a vehicle,consisting of two electrodes,a signal generator,and a GPS unit;(2)measurement of the extremely low frequency(ELF)electric field emitted by the current source,made possible by electric field sensors on the underwater equipment;(3)position of the underwater equipment is estimated in real time based on a progressive update extended Kalman filter(PUEKF),which is carried out using the propagation model of an ELF electric field because the electric field at the position of the underwater equipment and the current source position are known.We verified the accuracy of our method and confirmed real-time location feasibility through numerical,physical scale,and real-time sea experiments.Through numerical experiments,we verified that our method works for underwater equipment location in real-world conditions,and the location error can be less than 0.2 m.Next,real-time location experiments for stationary underwater measuring equipment in water tank were conducted.The result shows that the location error can be less than 0.1 m.We also confirmed real-time location feasibility through the use of offshore experiment.We expect that our method will complement conventional underwater acoustic location methods for underwater equipment in acoustically noisy environments.

Hydrodynamic Performance and Power Absorption of A Coaxial DoubleBuoy Wave Energy Converter

As an important wave energy converter(WEC),the double-buoy device has advantages of wider energy absorption band and deeper water adaptability,which attract an increasing number of attentions from researchers.This paper makes an in-depth study on double-buoy WEC,by means of the combination of model experiment and numerical simulation.The Response Amplitude Operator(RAO)and energy capture of the double-buoy under constant power take-off(PTO)damping are investigated in the model test,while the average power output and capture width ratio(CWR)are calculated by the numerical simulation to analyze the influence of the wave condition,PTO,and the geometry parameters of the device.The AQWA-Fortran united simulation sy stem,including the secondary developme nt of AQWA software coupled with the flowchart of the Fortran code,models a new dynamic system.Various viscous damping and hydraulic friction from WEC system are measured from the experimental results,and these values are added to the equation of motion.As a result,the energy loss is contained in the final numerical model the by united simulation system.Using the developed numerical model,the optimal period of energy capture is identified.The power capture reaches the maximum value under the outer buoy's natural period.The paper gives the peak value of the energy capture under the linear PTO damping force,and calculates the optimal mass ratio of the device.

Gas-water stratified flow patterns from electromagnetic tomography

Because of gravitational differentiation of multi-phase fluids, gas-water flow is usually stratified in highly inclined or horizontal gas wells. By using electrode arrays to scan flowing fluids, electromagnetic tomography can identify the flow patterns of mixed fluid from the different electrical properties of gas and water. The responses for different gas-water interface locations were calculated and then physical measurements were undertaken. We compared the results of the numerical simulation with the experimental data, and found that the response characteristics were consistent in the circumstances of uniform physical fields and stratified flows. By analyzing the signal characteristics, it is found that, with the change of the interface location, the response curves showed ＂steps＂ whose position and width were decided by the location of fluid interface. The measurement accuracy of this method depended on the vertical distance between adjacent electrodes. The results showed that computer simulation can simulate the measurement of the electromagnetic tomography accurately, so the physical experiment can be replaced.

Simple analytical model for depth-averaged velocity in meandering compound channels

A simple but applicable analytical model is presented to predict the lat- eral distribution of the depth-averaged velocity in meandering compound channels. The governing equation with curvilinear coordinates is derived from the momentum equation and the flow continuity equation under the condition of quasi-uniform flow. A series of experiments are conducted in a large-scale meandering compound channel. Based on the experimental data, a magnitude analysis is carried out for the governing equation, and two lower-order shear stress terms are ignored. Four groups of experimental data from different sources are used to verify the predictive capability of this model, and good predictions are obtained. Finally, the determination of the velocity parameter and the limitation of this model are discussed.

Hydrodynamic Performance of A Dual-Floater Integrated System Com-bining Hybrid WECs and Floating Breakwaters

The high investment and low return of wave energy converters(WECs)seriously hamper their large-scale commercial application.The integration of WECs and floating breakwaters is conducive to enhance the competitiveness of wave energy conversion.The objective of this paper is to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of a WEC-breakwater integrated system combining an upstream oscillating water column(OWC)and a downstream oscillating buoy(OB)via numerical simulations and physical experiments.A nonlinear numerical wave flume using Star-CCM+software is employed to obtain calculated results,where a tiny transverse gap is set between the flume wall and the block surface to simulate a similar two-dimensional(2D)model.The corresponding physical experiments are also carried out in a practical wave flume to verified the numerical results.The comparison of the isolated and hybrid system shows that the hybrid design leads to the decreased conversion efficiency of each WEC,but improves the transmission performance of the hybrid system.The wave resonance between two devices causes the abrupt reduction of OWC efficiency and a positive correlation exists with the OB efficiency.The total efficiency of the hybrid system is raised by an optimal opening ratio,a shallow OWC draft and a short spacing distance.Except for the OWC draft,other design parameters have weak effect on the wave attenuation of the hybrid system.This paper can help understand hydrodynamics of the hybrid WECs integrated with breakwaters and improve their performances.

Study on Wave Dissipation of the Structure Combined by Baffle and Submerged Breakwater

This paper proposes a structure combined by baffle and submerged breakwater （abbreviated to SCBSB in the following texts）. Such a combined structure is conducive to the water exchange in the harbor, and has strong capability on wave dissipation. Our paper focuses on the discussion of two typical structures, i.e., the submerged baffle and rectangular breakwater combined with the upper baffle respectively, which are named as SCBSB 1 and SCBSB2 for short. The eigenfunction method corrected by experimental results is used to investigate the wave dissipation characteristics. It shows that the calculated results agree well with the experimental data and the minimum value of the wave transmission coefficient can be obtained when the distance between the front and rear structures is from 1/4 to 1/2 of the incident wave length.

Design and physical model experiment of an attitude adjustment device for a crawler tractor in hilly and mountainous regions

To address the problems of difficult leveling and poor stability of hill crawler tractors,an attitude adjustment device based on a parallel four-bar mechanism was designed,and the mechanical reasons for the sideslip instability of hill crawler tractors were analyzed.On this basis,a posture adjustment mechanism based on a parallel four-bar mechanism was proposed,and the structure of the complete attitude adjustment device was designed.To ensure that this device meets the strength requirements during operation,a mechanical analysis of the key components(active rocker and slave rocker)was carried out to accommodate the load during leveling.Based on ANSYS software,a finite element simulation analysis was used to determine the maximum stress position of the active and slave rockers.Finally,to verify the accuracy of the above simulation analysis results and determine the influence rules of the lateral slope angle,longitudinal slope angle and loading quality on the abovementioned maximum stress,a physical model test bench of the attitude adjustment device was built.An orthogonal regression experiment was carried out with the maximum stresses of the active and slave rockers as the test indices.The experimental data were analyzed by Design-Expert 10 software,and the results show that the order of the primary and secondary factors influencing the maximum stress of the active rocker was the loading mass,lateral slope angle and longitudinal slope angle.The order of the factors influencing the maximum stress of the slave rocker was the longitudinal slope angle,lateral slope angle and loading mass.The active and slave rockers meet the strength requirements.This work provides technical support for the production of hill crawler tractor physical prototypes.

A 5.12-GHz LC-based phase-locked loop for silicon pixel readouts of high-energy physics

There is an urgent need for high-quality and high-frequency clock generators for high-energy physics experiments.The transmission data rate exceeds 10 Gbps for a single channel in future readout electronics of silicon pixel detectors.Others,such as time measurement detectors,require a high time resolution based on the time-to-digital readout architecture.A phase-locked loop(PLL)is an essential and broadly used circuit in these applications.This study presents an application-specific integrated circuit of a low-jitter,low-power LC-tank that is PLL fabricated using 55-nm CMOS technology.It includes a 3rd-order frequency synthesis loop with a programmable bandwidth,a divide-by-2 pre-scaler,standard low-voltage differential signaling interfaces,and a current mode logic(CML)driver for clock transmissions.All the d-flip-flop dividers and phase-frequency detectors are protected from single-event upsets using the triple modular redundancy technique.The proposed VCO uses low-pass filters to suppress the noise from bias circuits.The tested LC-PLL covers a frequency locking range between 4.74 GHz and 5.92 GHz with two sub-bands.The jitter measurements of the frequency-halved clock(2.56 GHz)are less than 460 fs and 0.8 ps for the random and deterministic jitters,respectively,and a total of 7.5 ps peak-to-peak with a bit error rate of 10^(-12).The random and total jitter values for frequencies of 426 MHz and 20 MHz are less than 1.8 ps and 65 ps,respectively.The LC-PLL consumed 27 mW for the core and 73.8 mW in total.The measured results nearly coincided with the simulations and validated the analyses and tests.

Fault reactivation in No.4 structural zone and its control on oil and gas accumulation in Nanpu sag,Bohai Bay Basin,China

Based on seismic and drilling data,the reactivation mechanism of the pre-existing basement F4 strike-slip faultin Nanpu sag and its controlling effect on hydrocarbon accumulation difference are systematically studied.By defining fault activation stages,back-stripping fault throw and physical modeling,it is found that the Nanpu No.4 structural zone formed by the Cenozoic reactivity of the F4 fault grew from south to north,with strike-slip deformation dominated in the south and extensional deformation dominated in the north.Faults in the No.4 structural zone and those in the adjacent No.2 and No.3 structural zones were different fault systems,which grew separately,contacted and connected,and finally interwove under the action of unified stress field.By constructing the identification chart of deformation mechanisms of reactivation of pre-existing faults,it is concluded that during the sedimentary period of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation,F4 fault was reactivated by strike-slip faulting,and during the sedimentary period of Paleogene Dongying Formation and Neogene Guantao-Minghuazhen formations,it was reactivated by oblique extension.The controlling effects of Cenozoic reactivation of F4 fault on hydrocarbon accumulation include:(1)As the oil-source fault,it controlled the vertical cross-layer migration of oil and gas.(2)It gave rise to strike-slip transfer zone to control the distribution of sand bodies.(3)It grew upward and interacted with faults in the neighboring area,controlling the formation of two types of traps,and was favorable for oil and gas accumulation.