Performance of Thermal Insulation of Different Composite Walls and Roofs Materials Used for Energy Efficient Building Construction in Iraq

This study numerically involves the performance of thermal insulation of different types of composite walls and roofs to demonstrate the best model that can be used for energy-efficient building construction in Iraq.The mathematical model is solved by building its code using the Transmission Matrix Method in MATLAB software.The weather data of 21st July 2022 in Baghdad City/Iraq is selected as a test day.The wall types are selected:the first type consists of cement mortar,brick,and gypsum,the second type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,and plaster and the third type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,air cavity,and sheathing timber.The roof types are chosen:the first type consists of reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster,and the second type consists of the precast concrete flag,river sand,tar,reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster.The obtained solutions are compared with previous studies for the same city but with different types of walls and roofs.The findings display that the second and third types of walls reduce the entry heat flux by 4%and 10%as compared to the first type of wall.Also,the results indicate that the second type of roof reduces the entry heat flux by 21%as compared to the first type of roof.The results confirm that the best models of walls and roofs in Iraq are the third and second types,respectively,as compared to other models and hence,the performance of insulation material strongly depends on the materials used while building them.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

Experimental and numerical study regarding H-steel all-bolted connection steel frame with composite wall boards

H-steel all-bolted connection steel frame structures with heat preservation and decoration composite wall boards were investigated and the seismic performances of three scaled specimens were studied.The failure modes,hysteresis curves,bearing capacity,ductility,energy dissipation capacity,stiffness degradation and strain distribution were discussed.The calculation method of structural theoretical internal force was presented.The results showed that the overall structural seismic performance was better,and the structural ductility met the demands of elastic-plastic inter-story drift angle for seismic design.The H-steel weak-axis connection structure obtained better energy dissipation capacity,and its bearing capacity and stiffness were slightly different from the strong-axis connection.The heat preservation and decoration performance of composite wallboard and the all-bolted connection of the steel frame realized prefabrication during the whole construction period.The plastic hinge of the steel beam can be moved outwards because of the L-angles,which effectively avoids stress concentration in joint areas and expands the plastic hinge range.The errors between the theoretical structural capacity calculated by the plastic analysis method and the test results were within 2.44%.In addition,structural failure mechanisms and bearing capacities were verified by the finite element(FE)analysis,and the effects of the main parameters on the structures were investigated.The FE verification results were the same as in the test.The research results provide theoretical support and technical guidance for the application of thermal insulation and decorative composite wall panels in H-shaped steel all-bolted steel frames.

Sodium Nitrate Passivation as a Novel Insulation Technology for Soft Magnetic Composites

Sodium nitrate passivation has been developed as a new insulation technology for the production of FeSiAl soft magnetic composites (SMCs). In this work, the evolution of coating layers grown at different pH values is investigated involving analyses on their composition and microstructure. An insulation coating obtained using an acidic NaNO_(3) solution is found to contain Fe2O_(3), SiO_(2), Al2O_(3), and AlO(OH). The Fe2O_(3) transforms into Fe3O4 with weakened oxidizability of the NO_(3)– at an elevated pH, whereas an alkaline NaNO_(3) solution leads to the production of Al2O_(3), AlO(OH), and SiO_(2). Such growth is explained from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives and is correlated to the soft magnetic properties of the FeSiAl SMCs. Under tuned passivation conditions, optimal performance with an effective permeability of 97.2 and a core loss of 296.4 mW∙cm−3 is achieved at 50 kHz and 100 mT.

Experimental study on axial compressive behaviors of prefabricated composite thermal insulation walls after single-side fire exposure

The axial bearing capacity of prefabricated composite walls composed of inner and outer concrete wythes,expandable polystyrene(EPS)boards and steel sleeve connectors is investigated.An experimental study on the axial bearing capacity of four prefabricated composite walls after fire treatment is carried out.Two of the prefabricated composite walls are normal-temperature specimens,and the others are treated with fire.The damage modes and crack development are observed,and the axial bearing capacity,lateral deformation of the specimens,and the concrete and reinforcing bar strain are tested.The results show that the ultimate bearing capacity of specimens after a fire is less than that of normal-temperature specimens;when the insulation board thicknesses are 40 mm and 60 mm,the decrease amplitudes are 20.8%and 16.8%,respectively.The maximum lateral deformation of specimens after a fire is greater than that of normal-temperature specimens,and under the same level of load,the lateral deformation increases as the insulation board thickness increases.Moreover,the strain values of the concrete and reinforcing bars of specimens after a fire are greater than those of normal-temperature specimens,and the strain values increase as the thickness of insulation board increases.

MXene@c-MWCNT Adhesive Silica Nanofiber Membranes Enhancing Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Thermal Insulation Performance in Extreme Environments

A lightweight flexible thermally stable composite is fabricated by com-bining silica nanofiber membranes(SNM)with MXene@c-MWCNT hybrid film.The flexible SNM with outstanding thermal insulation are prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate hydrolysis and condensation by electrospinning and high-temperature calcination;the MXene@c-MWCNT_(x:y)films are prepared by vacuum filtration tech-nology.In particular,the SNM and MXene@c-MWCNT_(6:4)as one unit layer(SMC_(1))are bonded together with 5 wt%polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)solution,which exhibits low thermal conductivity(0.066 W m^(-1)K^(-1))and good electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding performance(average EMI SE_(T),37.8 dB).With the increase in func-tional unit layer,the overall thermal insulation performance of the whole composite film(SMC_(x))remains stable,and EMI shielding performance is greatly improved,especially for SMC_(3)with three unit layers,the average EMI SET is as high as 55.4 dB.In addition,the organic combination of rigid SNM and tough MXene@c-MWCNT_(6:4)makes SMC_(x)exhibit good mechanical tensile strength.Importantly,SMC_(x)exhibit stable EMI shielding and excellent thermal insulation even in extreme heat and cold environment.Therefore,this work provides a novel design idea and important reference value for EMI shielding and thermal insulation components used in extreme environmental protection equipment in the future.

Evaluation of the effects of EPS composite soil replacement on the dynamic performance of caisson structure using shaking table tests

The seismic performance of a caisson structure under two types of models with a saturated sandy foundation(CSS)and an expanded polystyrene(EPS)composite soil foundation(CES)are studied using shaking table tests.The macro phenomena of the two different foundation models are described and analyzed.The effects of the replacement of EPS composite soil on seismic-induced liquefaction of backfill and the dynamic performance of a caisson structure are evaluated in detail.The results show that the excess pore water pressure generation in the CES is significantly slower than that in the CSS during the shaking.The dynamic earth pressure acting on the caisson has a triangular shape.The response of horizontal acceleration,displacement,settlement,and rotation angle of the caisson in the CES is smaller than that in the CSS,which means the caisson in the CES has a better seismic performance.Furthermore,the out-of-phase phenomenon between dynamic earth thrust and inertial force in the CES is more obvious than that in the CSS,which is beneficial to reduce the lateral force and improve the stability of the caisson structure.

Experimental investigation of engineered geopolymer composite for structural strengthening against blast loads

The recent increase in blast/bombing incidents all over the world has pushed the development of effective strengthening approaches to enhance the blast resistance of existing civil infrastructures.Engineered geopolymer composite(EGC)is a promising material featured by eco-friendly,fast-setting and strain-hardening characteristics for emergent strengthening and construction.However,the fiber optimization for preparing EGC and its protective effect on structural elements under blast scenarios are uncertain.In this study,laboratory tests were firstly conducted to evaluate the effects of fiber types on the properties of EGC in terms of workability,dry shrinkage,and mechanical properties in compression,tension and flexure.The experimental results showed that EGC containing PE fiber exhibited suitable workability,acceptable dry shrinkage and superior mechanical properties compared with other types of fibers.After that,a series of field tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of EGC retrofitting layer on the enhancement of blast performance of typical elements.The tests include autoclaved aerated concrete(AAC)masonry walls subjected to vented gas explosion,reinforced AAC panels subjected to TNT explosion and plain concrete slabs subjected to contact explosion.It was found that EGC could effectively enhance the blast resistance of structural elements in different scenarios.For AAC masonry walls and panels,with the existence of EGC,the integrity of specimens could be maintained,and their deflections and damage were significantly reduced.For plain concrete slabs,the EGC overlay could reduce the diameter and depth of the crater and spallation of specimens.

Numerical Simulation of Contamination Accumulation Characteristics of Composite Insulators in Salt Fog Environment

To investigate the fouling characteristics of the composite insulator surface under the salt fog environment,the FXBW-110/120-2 composite insulator was taken as the research object.Based on the field-induced charge mechanism,the multi-physical field coupling software COMSOL was used to numerically simulate the fouling characteristics,explored the calculation method of ESDD,and demonstrated its rationality.Based on this method,the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator under the pollution fog environment were studied,and the influence of wind speed,droplet size,and voltage type on the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator was analyzed.The results showed that:with the increase in wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution of insulator increases in the range of droplet size,and the relationship between wind speed and accumulated pollution is approximately linear;at the same wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution increases with the increase of droplet size under the action of DC voltage;when there is no voltage,the amount of dirt on the upper surface of the insulator is more than that on the lower surface,while it is the opposite under DC voltage.

Performance improvement of Fe-6.5Si soft magnetic composites with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings

Fe-6.5Si soft magnetic composites(SMCs)with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings have been designed to improve their comprehensive property via chemical coating combining sol-gel method in this work.The microstructure and magnetic performance of the Fe-6.5Si SMCs with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings were investigated.The hybrid phosphate-silica coatings with high heat resistance and high withstand pressure,formed on the surface of the Fe-6.5Si ferromagnetic powders,were found stable in the composites.Compared with Fe-6.5Si SMCs coated by single phosphate or single silica,Fe-6.5Si SMCs with hybrid phosphate-silica show much higher permeability and lower core loss.The work provides a new way to optimize the magnetic performance of soft magnetic composites.

Shear resistance performance of steel-concrete-steel composite shear wall

For a deeper understanding of the shear resistance performance of the steel-concrete-steel composite shear wall, the main influence factors such as the thicknesses of the steel plates and the concrete, the strength grades of the concrete and the span-depth ratios of the composite wall, which have impacts on the shear resistance performance of the composite shear wail, are analyzed by the numerical simulation method. Meanwhile, the simplified calculation formulae of the initial elastic lateral-resisting stiffness and the shear bearing capacity of the composite shear wall are also proposed. The research shows that with the increase in the thicknesses of the steel plates and the concrete and the increase in the strength grades of the concrete, the shear performance of the shear wall improves obviously; the span-depth ratios of the composite wall have a significant effect on the initial elastic lateral- resisting stiffness, but a small effect on the shear bearing capacity. Comparing the results of the simplified calculation formulae with those of the nonlinear finite element method, it is obvious that the presented formulae are reasonable and meet the real force state of the structure. These conclusions can serve as a preliminary design reference for the steel-concrete- steel composite shear wall.

Experimental and analytical study on seismic behavior of steel-concrete multienergy dissipation composite shear walls

In this paper, a steel-concrete multi-energy dissipation composite shear wall, comprised of steel-reinforced concrete （SRC） columns, steel plate （SP） deep beams, a concrete wall and energy dissipation strips, is proposed. In order to study the multi-energy dissipation behavior and restorability after an earthquake, two stages of low cyclic loading tests were carded out on ten test specimens. In the first stage, test on five specimens with different number of SP deep beams was carried out, and the test lasted until the displacement drift reached 2%. In the second stage, thin SPs were welded to both sides of the five specimens tested in the first stage, and the same test was carried out on the repaired specimens （designated as new specimens）. The load-bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, hysteretic behavior and failure characteristics were analyzed for both stages and the results are discussed herein. Extrapolating from these results, strength calculation models and formulas are proposed herein and simulations using ABAQUS carried out, they show good agreement with the test results. The study demonstrates that SRC columns, SP deep beams, concrete wall and energy dissipation strips cooperate well and play an important role in energy dissipation. In addition, this study shows that the shear wall has good recoverability after an earthquake, and that the welding of thin SP＇s to repair a deformed wall is a practicable technique.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ITO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

Chemical co-precipitation method was used to synthesize tin-doped indium oxide（ITO）nanoparticles,and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ITO/PVB nanocomposites.UV（Ultra-violet）-Vis（Visible）-NIR（Near Infrared） spectra show that the addition of ITO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ITO/PVB nanocomposites.With increasing ITO content,the thermal insulating efficiency is increased.UV is almost fully absorbed by all ITO/PVB nanocomposites.Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ITO/PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance over 71.3%and lower haze below 2%when ITO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.7 wt%.The UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy shows that,under the premise of over 70%transmittance to the visible light,the screening effect of the NIR can be enhanced by 80%with 0.7%ITO/PVB nanocomposite membrane compared with the undoped PVB.The thermal insulating tests indicate that,in comparison with the pure PVB film,nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.9 wt%ITO can reduce temperature by 3-8 ℃.The results show that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ATO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

The pechini method was used to synthesize antimony-doped tin oxide （ATO） nanoparticles, and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Uv-Vis-NIR spectra show that the addition ofATO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ATO/PVB nanocomposites. With the increase of ATO content, the thermal insulating efficiency is increased. Uv is almost fully absorbed by all ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ATO/ PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance of over 72.7% and lower haze of below 2% when ATO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt%. The thermal insulating tests indicate that in comparison with the pure PVB film, nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt% ATO can reduce temperature of 1-3 ℃, suggesting that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

A case study on behaviors of composite soil nailed wall with bored piles in a deep excavation

A complete case of a deep excavation was explored. According to the practical working conditions, a 3D non-linear finite element procedure is used to simulate a deep excavation supported by the composite soil nailed wall with bored piles in soft soil. The modified cam clay model is employed as the constitutive relationship of the soil in the numerical simulation. Results from the numerical analysis are fitted well with the field data, which indicate that the research approach used is reliable. Based on the field data and numerical results of the deep excavation supported by four different patterns of the composite soil nailed wall, the significant corner effect is founded in the 3D deep excavation. If bored piles or soil anchors are considered in the composite soil nailed wall, they are beneficial to decreasing deformations and internal forces of bored piles, cement mixing piles, soil anchors, soil nailings and soil around the deep excavation. Besides, the effects due to bored piles are more significant than those deduced from soil anchors. All mentioned above prove that the composite soil nailed wall with bored piles is feasible in the deep excavation.

Surface Structure of Aged Composite Insulator Studied by Slow Positron Beam

Slow positron beam was applied to study the depth profile structure of the virgin and the aged high-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber(HTV). Scanning electron microscope(SEM) images show that the surface of virgin sample is smooth, while the outdoor aged samples are all rough. According to the S(E) curves obtained by slow positron beam, in a depth of more than 1 μm, the S parameter of the sample aged at low-potential side keeps the same value with the virgin one;while the S values of the highpotential side aged sample remain rather low in a depth of about 5 μm. Thermo gravimetric analysis(TGA) results show that the sample in high potential side contains more inorganic constituents than that of other samples. The results are attributed to the strong electric field induced corona aging at high potential side of the composite insulator.

Preparation and characterization of carbonyl iron soft magnetic composites with magnesioferrite insulating coating layer

Spherical carbonyl iron(Fe)powders were coated with magnesioferrite(MgFe2O4)insulating coating layer and then mixed with epoxy-modified silicone resin(ESR).Soft magnetic composites(SMCs)were fabricated by compaction of the coated powders and annealing treatment.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)revealed that the MgFe2O4 layer was coated on the surface of the iron powders.The magnetic properties of SMCs were determined using a vibrating sample magnetometer and an auto testing system for magnetic materials.The results showed that the SMCs prepared at 800 MPa and 550℃ exhibited a significant core loss of 167.5 W/kg at 100 kHz and 50 mT.

Fiber Bragg grating monitors for thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines

Running composite insulators are prone to failure due to their harsh surrounding work environment, which directly affects the safe operation of transmission lines. This paper puts forward the method of using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) as the monitors to parameters correlated with thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines at working status. Firstly, monitoring points are found out by the mechanical test on composite insulator samples. Secondly, based on the monitoring theory, this paper introduces the feasibility design frame of the composite insulator with FBG implanted in the rod and the online monitor system. At last, it describes applications of this monitor system in the field of transmission lines.

THE ANALYSIS OF THIN WALLED COMPOSITE LAMINATED HELICOPTER ROTOR WITH HIERARCHICAL WARPING FUNCTIONS AND FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

In the present paper, a series of hierarchical warping functions is developed to analyze the static and dynamic problems of thin walled composite laminated helicopter rotors composed of several layers with single closed cell. This method is the development and extension of the traditional constrained warping theory of thin walled metallic beams, which had been proved very successful since 1940s. The warping distribution along the perimeter of each layer is expanded into a series of successively corrective warping functions with the traditional warping function caused by free torsion or free beading as the first term, and is assumed to be piecewise linear along the thickness direction of layers. The governing equations are derived based upon the variational principle of minimum potential energy for static analysis and Rayleigh Quotient for free vibration analysis. Then the hierarchical finite element method. is introduced to form a,. numerical algorithm. Both static and natural vibration problems of sample box beams axe analyzed with the present method to show the main mechanical behavior of the thin walled composite laminated helicopter rotor.

Lubrication effectiveness of composite lubricants during P/M electrostatic die wall lubrication and warm compaction

The lubrication effectiveness of the composite lubricants, 50wt% ethylene bis-stearamide （EBS） wax ＋50wt% graphite and 50wt% EBS wax ＋ 50wt% BN, during the powder metallurgy （P/M） electrostatic die wall lubrication and warm compaction was studied. The results show that the combination of 50wt% EBS wax and 50wt% graphite has excellent lubrication performance, resulting in fairly high green densities, but the mixture of 50wt% EBS wax and 50wt% BN has less beneficial effect. In addition, corresponding die temperatures should be applied when different die wall lubricants are used to achieve the highest green densities.