Exploring the mechanisms of calcium carbonate deposition on various substrates with implications for effective anti-scaling material selection

The unexpected scaling phenomena have resulted in significant damages to the oil and gas industries,leading to issues such as heat exchanger failures and pipeline clogging.It is of practical and fundamental importance to understand the scaling mechanisms and develop efficient anti-scaling strategies.However,the underlying surface interaction mechanisms of scalants(e.g.,calcite)with various substrates are still not fully understood.In this work,the colloidal probe atomic force microscopy(AFM)technique has been applied to directly quantify the surface forces between calcite particles and different metallic substrates,including carbon steel(CR1018),low alloy steel(4140),stainless steel(SS304)and tungsten carbide,under different water chemistries(i.e.,salinity and pH).Measured force profiles revealed that the attractive van der Waals(VDW)interaction contributed to the attachment of the calcium carbonate particles on substrate surfaces,while the repulsive electric double layer(EDL)interactions could inhibit the attachment behaviors.High salinity and acidic p H conditions of aqueous solutions could weaken the EDL repulsion and promote the attachment behavior.The adhesion of calcite particles with CR1018 and4140 substrates was much stronger than that with SS304 and tungsten carbide substrates.The bulk scaling tests in aqueous solutions from an industrial oil production process showed that much more severe scaling behaviors of calcite was detected on CR1018 and 4140 than those on SS304 and tungsten carbide,which agreed with surface force measurement results.Besides,high salinity and acidic p H can significantly enhance the scaling phenomena.This work provides fundamental insights into the scaling mechanisms of calcite at the nanoscale with practical implications for the selection of suitable antiscaling materials in petroleum industries.

Small-scale fire tests in the underwater tunnel section model with new sidewall smoke extraction

The Shenzhen–Zhongshan Bridge is a 24‐km‐long bridge and tunnel system,including a 6.8-km-long super cross section subsea tunnel.To solve the smoke exhaust problem of a super large cross-section subsea tunnel,the tunnel has a new smoke exhaust system that combines a horizontal smoke exhaust cross section at the top and sidewall smoke exhaust holes.In order to evaluate the potential fire hazards of this type of tunnel,a 1:30 tunnel model was established and 140 smallscale experiments on underwater tunnel fires were conducted.By changing the fire power,fire location,and fan operation mode,different scenarios of submarine immersed tunnel fire were simulated and the related key parameters such as fire smoke diffusion behavior and smoke temperature distribution were studied.On this basis,the optimal smoke control strategy was proposed for different fire scenarios.The research results indicate that the new smoke exhaust system can fully utilize the smoke flow characteristics,significantly improve smoke exhaust efficiency,and increase available evacuation time,thus further enhancing the fire safety of super large cross-section subsea tunnels.

Research on the intelligent internet nursing model based on the child respiratory and asthma control test scale for asthma management of preschool children

BACKGROUND Childhood asthma is a common respiratory ailment that significantly affects preschool children.Effective asthma management in this population is particularly challenging due to limited communication skills in children and the necessity for consistent involvement of a caregiver.With the rise of digital healthcare and the need for innovative interventions,Internet-based models can potentially offer relatively more efficient and patient-tailored care,especially in children.AIM To explore the impact of an intelligent Internet care model based on the child respiratory and asthma control test(TRACK)on asthma management in preschool children.METHODS The study group comprised preschoolers,aged 5 years or younger,that visited the hospital's pediatric outpatient and emergency departments between January 2021 and January 2022.Total of 200 children were evenly and randomly divided into the observation and control groups.The control group received standard treatment in accordance with the 2016 Guidelines for Pediatric Bronchial Asthma and the Global Initiative on Asthma.In addition to above treatment,the observation group was introduced to an intelligent internet nursing model,emphasizing the TRACK scale.Key measures monitored over a six-month period included the frequency of asthma attack,emergency visits,pulmonary function parameters(FEV1,FEV1/FVC,and PEF),monthly TRACK scores,and the SF-12 quality of life assessment.Post-intervention asthma control rates were assessed at six-month follow-up.RESULTS The observation group had fewer asthma attacks and emergency room visits than the control group(P<0.05).After six months of treatment,the children in both groups had higher FEV1,FEV1/FVC,and PEF(P<0.05).Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups(P<0.05).For six months,children in the observation group had a higher monthly TRACK score than those in the control group(P<0.05).The PCS and MCSSF-12 quality of life scores were relatively higher than those before the nursing period(P<0.05).Furthermore,the groups showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The asthma control rate was higher in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION TRACK based Intelligent Internet nursing model may reduce asthma attacks and emergency visits in asthmatic children,improve lung function,quality of life,and the TRACK score and asthma control rate.The effect of nursing was significant,allowing for development of an asthma management model.

Unstable evolution of railway slope under the rainfall-vibration joint action

Understanding the unstable evolution of railway slopes is the premise for preventing slope failure and ensuring the safe operation of trains.However,as two major factors affecting the stability of railway slopes,few scholars have explored the unstable evolution of railway slopes under the joint action of rainfall-vibration.Based on the model test of sandy soil slope,the unstable evolution process of slope under locomotive vibration,rainfall,and rainfall-vibration joint action conditions was simulated in this paper.By comparing and analyzing the variation trends of soil pressure and water content of slope under these conditions,the change laws of pore pressure under the influence of vibration and rainfall were explored.The main control factors affecting the stability of slope structure under the joint action conditions were further defined.Combined with the slope failure phenomena under these three conditions,the causes of slope instability resulting from each leading factor were clarified.Finally,according to the above conclusions,the unstable evolution of the slope under the rainfall-vibration joint action was determined.The test results show that the unstable evolution process of sandy soil slope,under the rainfall-vibration joint action,can be divided into:rainfall erosion cracking,vibration promotion penetrating,and slope instability sliding three stages.In the process of slope unstable evolution,rainfall and vibration play the roles of inducing and promoting slide respectively.In addition,the deep cracks,which are the premise for the formation of the sliding surface,and the violent irregular fluctuation of soil pressure,which reflects the near penetration of the sliding surface,constitute the instability characteristics of the railway slope together.This paper reveals the unstable evolution of sandy soil slopes under the joint action of rainfall-vibration,hoping to provide the theoretical basis for the early warning and prevention technology of railway slopes.

Real-time multibody modeling and simulation of a scaled bogie test rig

In wheel–rail adhesion studies,most of the test rigs used are simplified designs such as a single wheel or wheelset,but the results may not be accurate.Alternatively,representing the complex system by using a full vehicle model provides accurate results but may incur complexity in design.To trade off accuracy over complexity,a bogie model can be the optimum selection.Furthermore,only a real-time model can replicate its physical counterpart in the time domain.Developing such a model requires broad expertise and appropriate software and hardware.A few published works are available which deal with real-time modeling.However,the influence of the control system has not been included in those works.To address these issues,a real-time scaled bogie test rig including the control system is essential.Therefore,a 1:4 scaled bogie roller rig is developed to study the adhesion between wheel and roller contact.To compare the performances obtained from the scaled bogie test rig and to expand the test applications,a numerical simulation model of that scaled bogie test rig is developed using Gensys multibody software.This model is the complete model of the test rig which delivers more precise results.To exactly represent the physical counterpart system in the time domain,a real-time scaled bogie test rig(RT-SBTR)is developed after four consecutive stages.Then,to simulate the RT-SBTR to solve the internal state equations and functions representing the physical counterpart system in rigs used are simplified designs such as a single wheel or wheelset,but the results may not be accurate.Alternatively,representing the complex system by using a full vehicle model provides accurate results but may incur complexity in design.To trade off accuracy over complexity,a bogie model can be the optimum selection.Furthermore,only a real-time model can replicate its physical counterpart in the time domain.Developing such a model requires broad expertise and appropriate software and hardware.A few published works are available which deal with real-time modeling.However,the influence of the control system has not been included in those works.To address these issues,a real-time scaled bogie test rig including the control system is essential.Therefore,a 1:4 scaled bogie roller rig is developed to study the adhesion between wheel and roller contact.To compare the performances obtained from the scaled bogie test rig and to expand the test applications,a numerical simulation model of that scaled bogie test rig is developed using Gensys multibody software.This model is the complete model of the test rig which delivers more precise results.To exactly represent the physical counterpart system in the time domain,a real-time scaled bogie test rig(RT-SBTR)is developed after four consecutive stages.Then,to simulate the RT-SBTR to solve the internal state equations and functions representing the physical counterpart system in equal or less than actual time,the real-time simulation environment is prepared in two stages.To such end,the computational time improved from 4 times slower than real time to 2 times faster than real time.Finally,the real-time scaled bogie model is also incorporated with the braking control system which slightly reduces the computational performances without affecting real-time capability.

SINOPEC's Success in Fixed-bed Methanol-to-Propylene Pilot Scale Tests

The first in China pilot tests of fixed-bed methanol-topropylene unit were successfully implemented at the Yangzi Petrochemical Company(YPC).It is told that this technology has opened up a new process for production of propylene through coal gasification,and China has possessed both the fluidized-bed methanolto-propylene process(F-MTP)and the

Feasibility and simulation model of a pilot scale membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment and reuse from Chinese traditional medicine

The lack and pollution of water resource make wastewater reuse necessary. The pilot scale long-term tests for submerged membrane bioreactor were conducted to treat the effluents of anaerobic or aerobic treatment process for the high-strength Chinese traditional medicine wastewater. This article was focused on the feasibility of the wastewater treatment and reuse at shorter hydraulic retention time （HRT） of 5.0, 3.2 and 2.13 h. MLSS growth, membrane flux, vacuum values and chemical cleaning periods were also investigated. The experimental results of treating two-phase anaerobic treatment effluent demonstrated that the CODfilt was less than 100 mg/L when the influent COD was between 500-10000 mg/L at HRT of 5.0 h, which could satisfy the normal discharged standard in China. The experimental results to treat cross flow aerobic reactor effluent demonstrated that the average value of CODfilt was 17.28 mg/L when the average value of influent COD was 192.84 mg/L at HRT of 2.13 h during 106 d, which could completely meet the normal standard for water reuse. The maximum MLSS and MLVSS reached 24000 and 14500 mg/L at HRT of 3.2 h respectively. Membrane flux had maximal resume degrees of 94.7% at vacuum value of 0.02 MPa after cleaning. Chemical cleaning periods of membrane module were 150 d. A simulation model of operational parameters was also established based on the theory of back propagation neural network and linear regression of traditional mathematical model. The simulation model showed that the optimum operational parameters were suggested as follows： HRT was 5.0 h, SRT was 100 d, the range of COD loading rate was between 10.664-20.451 kg/（m3.d）, the range of MLSS was between 7543-13694 mg/L.

Comparative experimental investigation of chemical grouting into a fracture with flowing and static water

We present a series of experimental tests on chemical grouting into a fracture with flowing and static water,using a transparent fracture grouting experimental device.Variations of seepage pressure and grout propagation were compared in our investigation.The results show that flowing water results in drops of seepage pressure,development of penetration radii in the upstream side and drops of propagation area during the same period,compared with grouting in static water.The propagation area in static water is always round before grouts reach the joint boundaries.However,the propagation shape changes from round to an elliptic shape for grouting into a fracture with flowing water.A theoretical model for the grout penetration radius in a fracture considering flowing velocity was developed and validated by our experimental results.These results are helpful in improving understanding of fracture grouting mechanism and in guiding engineering practices.

In-Tunnel Blast Pressure Empirical Formulas for Detonations External, Internal and at the Tunnel Entrance

In order to define the loading on protective doors of an underground tunnel, the exact knowledge of the blast propagation through tunnels is needed. Thirty-three scale high-explosive tests are conducted to obtain in-tunnel blast pressure for detonations external, internal and at the tunnel entrance. The cross section of the concrete model tunnel is 0.67 m2. Explosive charges of TNT, ranging in mass from 400 g to 4 600 g, are detonated at various positions along the central axis of the model tunnel. Blast gages are flush-installed in the interior surface of the tunnel to record side-on blast pressure as it propagates down the tunnel. The engineering empirical formulas for predicting blast peak pressure are evaluated, and are found to be reasonably accurate for in-tunnel pressure prediction.

Experimental prototyping of the adhesion braking control system design concept for a mechatronic bogie

The dynamic parameters of a roller rig vary as the adhesion level changes.The change in dynamics parameters needs to be analysed to estimate the adhesion level.One of these parameters is noise emanating from wheel–rail interaction.Most previous wheel–rail noise analysis has been conducted to mitigate those noises.However,in this paper,the noise is analysed to estimate the adhesion condition at the wheel–rail contact interface in combination with the other methodologies applied for this purpose.The adhesion level changes with changes in operational and environmental factors.To accurately estimate the adhesion level,the influence of those factors is included in this study.The testing and verification of the methodology required an accurate test prototype of the roller rig.In general,such testing and verification involve complex experimental works required by the intricate nature of the adhesion process and the integration of the different subsystems(i.e.controller,traction,braking).To this end,a new reduced-scale roller rig is developed to study the adhesion between wheel and rail roller contact.The various stages involved in the development of such a complex mechatronics system are described in this paper.Furthermore,the proposed brake control system was validated using the test rig under various adhesion conditions.The results indicate that the proposed brake controller has achieved a shorter stopping distance as compared to the conventional brake controller,and the brake control algorithm was able to maintain the operational condition even at the abrupt changes in adhesion condition.

PHYSICAL SIMULATION OF INTERFACIAL CONDITIONS IN HOT FORMING OF STEELS

In the last few years,substantial experimental simulation and mumerical modelling hare been carried out in IMMPETUS to characterise the interfacial heat transfer and friction conditions during hot forging and rolling of steels. Emphasis has been placed on the influence of the oxide scale which forms on the steel workpiece. In the present paper, the experimental methods used for investigating interfacial heat transfer and friction conditions are described. Theses include hot flat rolling of steel slabs and hot axi- symmetric forging of steel cylinders and rings.Temperature measurements and computations demon- strate that for similar conditions, similar conditions, the effective interfacial heat transfer coefficients (IHTC) derived for hot rolling are significantly higher than those for forging, mainly due to the contribution of scale cracking during rolling. On the basis of experimental observations and numerical analysis,physical models for interfacial heat transfer in forging and rolling have been established. In addition, hot' sandwich' rolling and hot tensile tests with finite element modelling have been carried out to evaluate the hot ductility of the oxide scale.The results indicate that the defomation, cracking and decohesion behaviour of the oxide scale depend on deformation temperature, strain and relative strengths of the scale layer and scale - steel interface.Finaly, friction results from hot ring compression tests and from hot rolling with forward/backward slip measurements are reported.

Experimental study on full scale light frame wood house under repeated lateral load

In order to obtain a deeper understanding of the behavior of the structure under high wind load,this paper conducted an experimental study on a full-scale L-shaped single story light frame wood house under the uniform lateral load simulated using a gasbag.The investigation involved the performance of light frame wood structure after it experienced the repeated cyclic lateral wind load as well as the performance of the structure under the ultimate lateral load.Then,the study verified that light frame wood structure can resist repeated cyclic wind loads without observable degradation in stiffness during the anticipated serve life,and recommended shear wall percent drift restriction for lateral wind load design of wood structure in serviceability limit states is 1/400 drift,and in ultimate limit states is 1/80 drift.The conclusions of this paper can be benefit for the engineering practice of the light frame wood structures in high wind load regions.

Seismic hazard mitigation for nuclear power plant

The seismic safety of nuclear power plan(tNPP)has always been a major consideration in the site selection,design,operation,and more recently recertification of existing installations. In addition to the actual NPP and all their operational and safety related support systems,the storage of spent fuel in temporary or permanent storage facilities also poses a seismic risk. This seismic risk is typically assessed with state-of-the-art modeling and analytical tools that capture everything from the ground rupture or source of the earthquake to the site specific ground shaking,taking geotechnical parameters and soilfoundationstructureinteraction (SFSI) into account to the non-linear structural response of the reactor core,the containment structure,the core cooling system and the emergency cooling system(s),to support systems,piping systems and non-structural components,and finally the performance of spent fuel storage in the probabilistically determined operational basis earthquake (OBE) or the safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) scenario. The best and most meaningful validation and verification of these advanced analytical tools is in the form of full or very large scale experimental testing,designed and conducted in direct support of model and analysis tool calibration. This paper outlines the principles under which such calibration testing should be conducted and illustrates with examples the kind of testing and parameter evaluation required.

Effect of a filter cake on shear behavior of sand-concrete pile interface

A filter cake is often formed between soil and concrete during casting concrete in the ground,such as constructions of diaphragm walls and bored piles.The present study aims to investigate the effect of the filter cake on the shear behavior of the sand-concrete pile interface.A series of sand-concrete interface direct shear tests were performed with a large-direct shear apparatus while considering different roughness(I=0,10,20 and 30 mm)and filter cake thickness(Δh=0,5 and 10 mm).For a smooth interface without a filter cake,the shear stress-horizontal displacement curves showed a“softening”response.The peak shear strength and friction angle decreased exponentially with increasing theΔh.Whereas,for a rough interface withΔh=5 or 10 mm,the shear stress-horizontal displacement curves presented a“hardening”response.The peak strength,as well as friction angle,decreased linearly with increasing theΔh.Moreover,a critical roughness I_(cr)of 10 mm was observed in the tests without a filter cake.The interface shear strength initially increased with increasing I but gradually decreased when the I exceeded I_(cr).In addition,the filter cake could reduce the roughness sensitivity on shear strength.

The Safety of Cannabis Use in Pregnancy

Based on self-reported surveys conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, cannabis use in pregnant females has increased over the years. Despite the increasing trend, the relationship between cannabis use and fetal outcomes is not fully understood. This review paper evaluates the literature investigating the short-term and long-term fetal outcomes resulting from cannabis use during pregnancy. Additionally, the risk of chronic marijuana use leading to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome has been highlighted in this paper using conclusions compiled from several case studies. Several studies linked delayed mental growth and reduced cognitive function with prenatal cannabis use, but the literature was limited to lower-quality observational studies and could not establish causality. One systematic review investigated short-term outcomes of low birth rates and preterm deliveries, where marijuana use in conjunction with tobacco use was associated with more preterm deliveries. Another study found that six-year-old patients exposed to cannabis prenatally were more likely to score lower in different categories on the Stanford-Binet scale test, which measures intelligence. The exposure in the first, second, or third trimester was associated with lower composite or subcategory scores such as verbal reasoning or short-term memory. Despite these results, the studies evaluated had limitations. They could not establish a clear relationship between cannabis use and fetal outcomes, but the literature showed a similar pattern of health, social and economic inequities among the populations who self-reported cannabis and substance use and non-users. Current organization guidelines advise against the use of cannabis use during pregnancy due to mixed and limited literature. However, they emphasize the importance of the clinician in the public health efforts of education and resource-distribution in addressing these inequities.

Bogie active stability simulation and scale rig test based on frame lateral vibration control

This paper puts forward a high-speed train bogie active stability method,based on frame lateral vibration control,for improving the stability and critical speed of railway vehicles at high speeds.Two inertial actuators apply active control forces to the front and rear end beams of the bogie frame.A scale model of bogie lateral dynamics is established,as well as the state space equation of the control system.Also,the multi-objective optimization is used to construct state feedback parameters,which take hunting stability and control effort into account.Furthermore,the effects of time-delay in the control system and suspension parameters on bogie hunting stability are studied.The dynamic behaviors and the stability mechanism of the bogie control system are analyzed.Finally,a 1:5 scale test rig is used to conduct a bogie active stability experiment.The results reveal that active control of frame lateral vibration can effectively improve the bogie system's hunting stability margin at high speeds,but time-delay in the control system cannot be ignored.

Deterministic Circular Self Test Path

Circular self test path (CSTP) is an attractive technique for testing digital integrated circuits(IC) in the nanometer era, because it can easily provide at-speed test with small test data volume and short test application time. However, CSTP cannot reliably attain high fault coverage because of difficulty of testing random-pattern-resistant faults. This paper presents a deterministic CSTP (DCSTP) structure that consists of a DCSTP chain and jumping logic, to attain high fault coverage with low area overhead. Experimental re- sults on ISCAS’89 benchmarks show that 100% fault coverage can be obtained with low area overhead and CPU time, especially for large circuits.

Theory of Economic Life Prediction and Reliability Assessment of Aircraft Structures

The theory of economic life prediction and reliability assessment of aircraft structures has a significant effect on safety of air-craft structures.It is based on the two-stage theory of fatigue process and can guarantee the safety and reliability of structures.According to the fatigue damage process,the fatigue scatter factors of crack initiation stage and crack propagation stage are given respectively.At the same time,mathematical models of fatigue life prediction are presented by utilizing the fatigue scatter factors and full scale test results of aircraft structures.Furthermore,the economic life model is put forward.The model is of sig-nificant scientific value for products to provide longer economic life,higher reliability and lower cost.The theory of economic life prediction and reliability assessment of aircraft structures has been successfully applied to determining and extending the structural life for thousands of airplanes.

Dynamic response analysis of ship-bridge collisions experiment

Over the past decades, there has been continual construction of sea-crossing bridges as the technology of transportation improves. The probability of bridge pier being subjected to more vehicular impact is also growing. This study performed scale model tests and analyzed a collision mechanism considering the non-navigable span of a sea-crossing bridge in East China Sea as an engineering background. Comparing the test results with the finite element calculations, the dynamic response of the sample bridge and local damages of the fragile components under impact force were evaluated. Subsequently, the time-frequency characteristics of the vibration signal were analyzed based on wavelet packet analysis, and the multi-resolution characteristics as well as energy distribution of the vibration signal were discussed. It was observed that the impact energy transferred from ship to pier during the period of collision distributed different frequency bands with varying characteristics. The main frequency band(0–62.5 Hz) contains more than 75% of the vibration energy. The analysis can provide a basis for structural damage identification after the collision and anti-collision design of bridges.

Experimental study of hydrodynamic performance of full-scale horizontal axis tidal current turbine

In this paper, experiments of both the model turbine （1 kW） and the full scale （10 kW） turbine are carried out in a towing tank and a basin, respectively, and the test of the full scale turbine on the sea is conducted. By comparison between the model turbine （D = 0.7 m） and the full scale turbine （D = 2.0 m）, it is shown that the maximum power coefficient increases with the increase of the diameter of the turbine. The test results on the sea are used to study the hydrodynamic performances of the horizontal axis turbine, and provide a basis for the design. Experimental results can validate the accuracy of the numerical simulation results.