Synthesis and microwave absorption performance of heat-treated RF/SiO_(2)aerogels

The well-designed composite with satisfactory electromagnetic microwave absorption at high temperatures remains a serious challenge.Herein,we fabricated a resorcinol-formaldehyde/silica dioxide composite aerogel(RF/SiO_(2))with a three-dimensional network structure using sol-gel,atmospheric pressure drying technique as well as heat-treated processes to achieve enhanced microwave absorption capabilities in the low frequency range.The pristine RF/SiO_(2)aerogel presented a typical micropores structure with a surface area,porous volume,and density of 146.82 m^(2)/g,62.40%,and 0.28 cm^(3)/g,respectively.Remarkably,the RF/SiO_(2)aerogel showed an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.56 GHz and a minimum reflection loss value of-46.10 d B at 2.25 mm after being heat-treated at 1500°C,while the maximum effective absorption bandwidth was 3.60 GHz at 2.30 mm.The intricate three-dimensional networks possessed remarkable impedance matching,multiple attenuation mechanisms,interfacial polarization,and dielectric loss,which were attributed to the exceptional ability to absorb electromagnetic microwaves.It offered a fresh approach to creating adaptable and effective microwave absorption materials in military defense.

Heat-treated wood and its development in Europe

Efficient use of timber is a vital concern problem, especially in these regions where the forestry coverage ratio is decreasing. Studies on physical modification of wood have been taken more attention due to the increasing attentions on environmental protection. Thermal modification is emphasized and developed quickly in developing countries, especially in European countries. A large number of researches have been conducted and some industrial production plants have been built. This paper reviewed the history of heat treatment, exemplifies the industrial developments in several European countries, summarized the basic principle of heat treatment and describes the environmental characteristics. The properties of heat-treated wood and its usage are also summed up.

Effect of Ca addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y-0.7Zr alloy

In this study,the effects of Ca addition on the microstructure,thermal properties,and mechanical properties of a Mg-6.0Zn-1.2Y-0.7Zr(ZWK611)alloy at room temperature and 150℃ were investigated.With an increase in the Ca content,the ignition resistance of the ZWK611 alloy improved and the grains became finer.The as-cast ZWK611 alloy consisted mainly of the dendriticα-Mg matrix and I-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(6)Y)at the grain boundaries.On the other hand,theτ-(Ca_(2)Mg_(6)Zn_(3))and I-phases were formed in the Ca-added ZWK611 alloy.The fraction of theτ-phase increased with an increase in the Ca content.After the solid-solution treatment,these phases remained partially at the grain boundaries of the Ca-added ZWK611 alloys and an additional W-phase(Mg_(3)Zn_(3)Y)was observed.The phases remaining at the grain boundaries restricted the grain growth through the grain boundary pinning effect.The aging treatment resulted in the formation of MgZn'precipitates in theα-Mg matrix of the alloys.These precipitates were more uniformly distributed in the Ca-added alloys than in the alloys without Ca.Thus,the heat treatment-induced precipitation improved the tensile and creep properties of the T6-treated alloys.The T6-treated ZWK611+0.7Ca alloy exhibited the best mechanical properties at room temperature and 150℃ among all the tested alloys.

Microstructure and cutting performance of Ti(C, N)-based cermets heat-treated in nitrogen

Ti（C, N）-based cermets were treated using hot isostatic pressing （HIP） at 1423 K in nitrogen. The microstructures compared with the as-sintered cermets were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and electron microprobe analysis. It was found that high nitrogen activity in the surface zone resulted in the formation of gradient structure. Approximately 20-1am-deep, nitrogen-rich and titanium-rich hard surface zone was introduced by the heat treatment. The nitrogen activity was the driving force that caused the transportation of the atoms through the binder, titanium towards the surface, and tungsten and molybdenum inwards. In the surface zone, the particle size became fine, the inner rim disappeared, and the volume fraction of the outer rim and the binder phase considerably reduced. Small grains of TiN, WC, Mo2C, and nitrogen-rich carbonitlide phases formed in the surface zone during the heat treatment, improving the tlibological property of the heat-treated cermet.

Human intrusion detection for high-speed railway perimeter under all-weather condition

Purpose – The paper aims to solve the problem of personnel intrusion identification within the limits of highspeed railways. It adopts the fusion method of millimeter wave radar and camera to improve the accuracy ofobject recognition in dark and harsh weather conditions.Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the fusion strategy of radar and camera linkage toachieve focus amplification of long-distance targets and solves the problem of low illumination by laser lightfilling of the focus point. In order to improve the recognition effect, this paper adopts the YOLOv8 algorithm formulti-scale target recognition. In addition, for the image distortion caused by bad weather, this paper proposesa linkage and tracking fusion strategy to output the correct alarm results.Findings – Simulated intrusion tests show that the proposed method can effectively detect human intrusionwithin 0–200 m during the day and night in sunny weather and can achieve more than 80% recognitionaccuracy for extreme severe weather conditions.Originality/value – (1) The authors propose a personnel intrusion monitoring scheme based on the fusion ofmillimeter wave radar and camera, achieving all-weather intrusion monitoring;(2) The authors propose a newmulti-level fusion algorithm based on linkage and tracking to achieve intrusion target monitoring underadverse weather conditions;(3) The authors have conducted a large number of innovative simulationexperiments to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article.

YOLO-O2E:A Variant YOLO Model for Anomalous Rail Fastening Detection

Rail fasteners are a crucial component of the railway transportation safety system.These fasteners,distinguished by their high length-to-width ratio,frequently encounter elevated failure rates,necessitating manual inspection and maintenance.Manual inspection not only consumes time but also poses the risk of potential oversights.With the advancement of deep learning technology in rail fasteners,challenges such as the complex background of rail fasteners and the similarity in their states are addressed.We have proposed an efficient and high-precision rail fastener detection algorithm,named YOLO-O2E(you only look once-O2E).Firstly,we propose the EFOV(Enhanced Field of View)structure,aiming to adjust the effective receptive field size of convolutional kernels to enhance insensitivity to small spatial variations.Additionally,The OD_MP(ODConv and MP_2)and EMA(EfficientMulti-Scale Attention)modules mentioned in the algorithm can acquire a wider spectrum of contextual information,enhancing the model’s ability to recognize and locate objectives.Additionally,we collected and prepared the GKA dataset,sourced from real train tracks.Through testing on the GKA dataset and the publicly available NUE-DET dataset,our method outperforms general-purpose object detection algorithms.On the GKA dataset,our model achieved a mAP 0.5 value of 97.6%and a mAP 0.5:0.95 value of 83.9%,demonstrating excellent inference speed.YOLO-O2E is an algorithm for detecting anomalies in railway fasteners that is applicable in practical industrial settings,addressing the industry gap in rail fastener detection.

Study on Weathering Behavior of Jack Pine Heat-Treated under Different Conditions

It is of considerable importance to investigate the influence of weathering on the degradation processes of heat-treated wood. Kiln-dried （untreated）jack pine （Pinus banksiana） and jack pine heat-treated at three different temperatures （190 ℃, 200 ℃, and 210 ℃） were exposed to artificial weathering for different periods in order to understand the degradation processes due to weathering. Before and after exposure, their color and wettability by water were determined. Structural changes and chemical modifications at exposed surfaces were also investigated using SEM （scanning electron spectroscopy）, FTIR （Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy）, and XPS （X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy）. The results revealed that the photo-degradation of lignin and the presence of extractives play important roles in color change and wetting behavior of heat-treated wood surfaces during weathering. The structural changes also influence the wettability. The effects of weathering for woods heat-treated under different conditions were similar, but different from those for untreated wood.

Research and design of an expert diagnosis system for rail vehicle driven by data mechanism models

Purpose-The aim of this work is to research and design an expert diagnosis system for rail vehicle driven by data mechanism models.Design/methodology/approach-The expert diagnosis system utilizes statistical and deep learning methods to model the real-time status and historical data features of rail vehicle.Based on data mechanism models,it predicts the lifespan of key components,evaluates the health status of the vehicle and achieves intelligent monitoring and diagnosis of rail vehicle.Findings-The actual operation effect of this system shows that it has improved the intelligent level of the rail vehicle monitoring system,which helps operators to monitor the operation of vehicle online,predict potential risks and faults of vehicle and ensure the smooth and safe operation of vehicle.Originality/value-This system improves the efficiency of rail vehicle operation,scheduling and maintenance through intelligent monitoring and diagnosis of rail vehicle.

Understanding the Resilience of Urban Rail Transit:Concepts,Reviews,and Trends

As the scale of urban rail transit(URT)networks expands,the study of URT resilience is essential for safe and efficient operations.This paper presents a comprehensive review of URT resilience and highlights potential trends and directions for future research.First,URT resilience is defined by three primary abilities:absorption,resistance,and recovery,and four properties:robustness,vulnerability,rapidity,and redundancy.Then,the metrics and assessment approaches for URT resilience were summarized.The metrics are divided into three categories:topology-based,characteristic-based,and performance-based,and the assessment methods are divided into four categories:topological,simulation,optimization,and datadriven.Comparisons of various metrics and assessment approaches revealed that the current research trend in URT resilience is increasingly favoring the integration of traditional methods,such as conventional complex network analysis and operations optimization theory,with new techniques like big data and intelligent computing technology,to accurately assess URT resilience.Finally,five potential trends and directions for future research were identified:analyzing resilience based on multisource data,optimizing train diagram in multiple scenarios,accurate response to passenger demand through new technologies,coupling and optimizing passenger and traffic flows,and optimal line design.

Physics Guided Deep Learning-Based Model for Short-Term Origin–Destination Demand Prediction in Urban Rail Transit Systems Under Pandemic

Accurate origin–destination(OD)demand prediction is crucial for the efficient operation and management of urban rail transit(URT)systems,particularly during a pandemic.However,this task faces several limitations,including real-time availability,sparsity,and high-dimensionality issues,and the impact of the pandemic.Consequently,this study proposes a unified framework called the physics-guided adaptive graph spatial–temporal attention network(PAG-STAN)for metro OD demand prediction under pandemic conditions.Specifically,PAG-STAN introduces a real-time OD estimation module to estimate real-time complete OD demand matrices.Subsequently,a novel dynamic OD demand matrix compression module is proposed to generate dense real-time OD demand matrices.Thereafter,PAG-STAN leverages various heterogeneous data to learn the evolutionary trend of future OD ridership during the pandemic.Finally,a masked physics-guided loss function(MPG-loss function)incorporates the physical quantity information between the OD demand and inbound flow into the loss function to enhance model interpretability.PAG-STAN demonstrated favorable performance on two real-world metro OD demand datasets under the pandemic and conventional scenarios,highlighting its robustness and sensitivity for metro OD demand prediction.A series of ablation studies were conducted to verify the indispensability of each module in PAG-STAN.

An internal ballistic model of electromagnetic railgun based on PFN coupled with multi-physical field and experimental validation

To accelerate the practicality of electromagnetic railguns,it is necessary to use a combination of threedimensional numerical simulation and experiments to study the mechanism of bore damage.In this paper,a three-dimensional numerical model of the augmented railgun with four parallel unconventional rails is introduced to simulate the internal ballistic process and realize the multi-physics field coupling calculation of the rail gun,and a test experiment of a medium-caliber electromagnetic launcher powered by pulse formation network(PFN)is carried out.Various test methods such as spectrometer,fiber grating and high-speed camera are used to test several parameters such as muzzle initial velocity,transient magnetic field strength and stress-strain of rail.Combining the simulation results and experimental data,the damage condition of the contact surface is analyzed.

Kinematic-mapping-model-guided analysis and optimization of 2-PSS&1-RR circular-rail parallel mechanism for fully steerable phased array antennas

This paper presents a systematic methodology for analyzing and optimizing an innovative antenna mount designed for phased array antennas, implemented through a novel 2-PSS&1-RR circular-rail parallel mechanism. Initially, a comparative motion analysis between the 3D model of the mount and its full-scale prototype is conducted to validate effectiveness. Given the inherent complexity, a kinematic mapping model is established between the mount and the crank-slider linkage, providing a guiding framework for subsequent analysis and optimization. Guided by this model, feasible inverse and forward solutions are derived, enabling precise identification of stiffness singularities. The concept of singularity distance is thus introduced to reflect the structural stiffness of the mount. Subsequently, also guided by the mapping model, a heuristic algorithm incorporating two backtracking procedures is developed to reduce the mount's mass. Additionally, a parametric finite-element model is employed to explore the relation between singularity distance and structural stiffness. The results indicate a significant reduction(about 16%) in the antenna mount's mass through the developed algorithm, while highlighting the singularity distance as an effective stiffness indicator for this type of antenna mount.

Running safety assessment method of trains under seismic conditions based on the derailment risk domain

The accurate assessment of running safety during earthquakes is of significant importance for ensuring the safety of railway lines.Currently,assessment methods based on a single index suffer from issues such as misjudgment of operational safety and difficulty in evaluating operational margin,making them unsuitable for assessing train safety during earthquakes.Therefore,in order to propose an effective evaluation method for the running safety of trains during earthquakes,this study employs three indexes,namely lateral displacement of the wheel–rail contact point,wheel unloading rate,and wheel lift,to describe the lateral and vertical contact states between the wheel and rail.The corresponding evolution characteristics of the wheel–rail contact states are determined,and the derailment forms under different frequency components of seismic motion are identified through dynamic numerical simulations of the train–track coupled system under sine excitation.The variations in the wheel–rail contact states during the transition from a safe state to the critical state of derailment are analyzed,thereby constructing the evolutionary path of train derailment and seismic derailment risk domain.Lastly,the wheel–rail contact and derailment states under seismic conditions are analyzed,thus verifying the effectiveness of the evaluation method for assessing running safety under earthquakes proposed in this study.The results indicate that the assessment method based on the derailment risk domain accurately and comprehensively reflects the wheel–rail contact states under seismic conditions.It successfully determines the forms of train derailment,the risk levels of derailment,and the evolutionary paths of derailment risk.

Effectiveness of Bark Extracts and CeO2 Nano Particles as Coating Additives for the Protection of Heat-Treated Jack Pine

High temperature heat-treatment of wood, which is value-added green product, is one of the altematives to chemical treatment. It has better dimensional stability, thermal insulating properties and biological resistance compared to kiln dried wood. It also has dark brown color which is very important for decorative purposes. Unfortunately, this color changes during weathering. Developing a transparent and non-toxic coating for the protection of heat-treated wood against discoloration without changing its natural appearance is the main objective of this study. For this purpose, waterborne acrylic polyurethane base was chosen because of its durability against weathering and non-toxic nature. Natural antioxidants which are extracted from barks and CeO2 nano particles （alone or together with lignin stabilizer） were used as additives to develop different coatings. The protective characteristics of these coatings were compared with highly pigmented and toxic industrial coating under accelerated weathering conditions. The results showed that acrylic polyurethane coatings protected wood better compared to commercially available coating tested in this study. The chemical modifications during accelerated weathering of coated and heat-treated wood surfaces were monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The morphological changes took place during weathering were studied by fluorescence microscope analysis.

On the Polygonal Wear Evolution of Heavy-Haul Locomotive Wheels due to Wheel/Rail Flexibility and Its Mitigation Measures

Wheel polygonal wear can immensely worsen wheel/rail interactions and vibration performances of the train and track,and ultimately,lead to the shortening of service life of railway components.At present,wheel/rail medium-or high-frequency frictional interactions are perceived as an essential reason of the high-order polygonal wear of railway wheels,which are potentially resulted by the flexible deformations of the train/track system or other external excitations.In this work,the effect of wheel/rail flexibility on polygonal wear evolution of heavy-haul locomotive wheels is explored with aid of the long-term wheel polygonal wear evolution simulations,in which different flexible modeling of the heavy-haul wheel/rail coupled system is implemented.Further,the mitigation measures for the polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels are discussed.The results point out that the evolution of polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels can be veritably simulated with consideration of the flexible effect of both wheelset and rails.Execution of mixed-line operation of heavy-haul trains and application of multicut wheel re-profiling can effectively reduce the development of wheel polygonal wear.This research can provide a deep-going understanding of polygonal wear evolution mechanism of heavy-haul locomotive wheels and its mitigation measures.

Experimental study on the acoustic roughness spectrum of high-speed railway rails

Purpose–This study aims to investigate the acoustic roughness of rails on China’s high-speed railways,with a focus on short-wavelength irregularities(less than 80 cm),which are known to significantly contribute to noise.The goal is to develop a specific acoustic roughness spectrum tailored for China’s high-speed railway system,as no such spectrum currently exists.Design/methodology/approach–A long-term tracking study was conducted on major railway lines in China,monitoring rail roughness throughout the initial operational period and the rails’service life.Data preprocessing techniques such as peak removal and curvature correction were applied for acoustic adjustments.A spatial-wavelength domain transformation was performed,providing the distribution patterns and statistical characteristics of acoustic roughness on China’s high-speed rails.Based on these analyses,a model for constructing the acoustic roughness spectrum was developed.Findings–The study found that the acoustic roughness of China’s high-speed railway rails follows aχ2 distribution with six degrees of freedom.For wavelengths greater than 8 cm,the acoustic roughness spectrum remains below the ISO specified limits.In the wavelength range of 3.2 cm to 6.3 cm,the roughness is comparable to or within the limits specified by ISO 3095:2005 and ISO 3095:2013.However,for wavelengths shorter than 2.5 cm,the roughness exceeds ISO limits.Originality/value–This research fills the gap in the lack of a specific acoustic roughness spectrum for China’s high-speed railways.By establishing a tailored spectrum based on long-term data analysis,the findings provide valuable insights for noise control and rail maintenance in the context of China’s high-speed rail system.

Design and verification of an improved experimental platform for stray current in urban rail transit

With the rapid development of urban rail transit,there have been an urgent problem of excessive stray current.Because the stray current distribution is random and difficult to verify in the field,we designed an improved stray current experimental platform by replacing the simulated aqueous solution with a real soil environment and by calculating the transition resistance by measuring the soil resistivity,which makes up for the defects in the previous references.Firstly,the mathematical models of rail-drainage net and rail-drainage netground were established,and the analytical expressions of current and voltage of rail,drainage net and other structures were derived.In addition,the simulation model was built,and the mathematical analysis results were compared with the simulation results.Secondly,the accuracy of the improved stray current experimental platform was verified by comparing the measured and simulation results.Finally,based on the experimental results,the influence factors of stray current were analyzed.The relevant conclusions provide experimental data and theoretical reference for the study of stray current in urban rail transit.

Measured dynamic load distribution within the in situ axlebox bearing of high-speed trains under polygonal wheel–rail excitation

The dynamic load distribution within in-service axlebox bearings of high-speed trains is crucial for the fatigue reliability assessment and forward design of axlebox bearings. This paper presents an in situ measurement of the dynamic load distribution in the four rows of two axlebox bearings on a bogie wheelset of a high-speed train under polygonal wheel–rail excitation. The measurement employed an improved strain-based method to measure the dynamic radial load distribution of roller bearings. The four rows of two axlebox bearings on a wheelset exhibited different ranges of loaded zones and different means of distributed loads. Besides, the mean value and standard deviation of measured roller–raceway contact loads showed non-monotonic variations with the frequency of wheel–rail excitation. The fatigue life of the four bearing rows under polygonal wheel–rail excitation was quantitatively predicted by compiling the measured roller–raceway contact load spectra of the most loaded position and considering the load spectra as input.

High-speed railway and safety: Insights from a bibliometric approach

High-Speed Rail(HSR)systems represent a significant advancement in modern transportation.They offer rapid,efficient,and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional rail,air travel and road transportation.Even if highspeed trains appeared approximately in the middle of the previous century,several aspects concerning safety remain.This study aims to comprehensively review the scientific literature related to the safety issues of high-speed railways.A bibliometric analysis was carried out utilizing 2358 publications from the last two decades(2004-2023)to understand better the existing research on HSR and safety.Future trends and thematic areas of research are identified and analyzed.Chinese researchers and universities have led the total number of current publications related to the context of HSR safety.While most of the publications come from Chinese institutions,a significant international collaboration can be identified.The main areas of research on HSR and safety can be classified into four main clusters based on the keywords co-occurrence analysis and are related to risk management,structural dynamics and resilience in railway systems,geotechnical engineering and tunnelling and maintenance technologies.Researchers and policymakers can use the results of this study to better understand the dynamics of scientific research in the field of highspeed railways and safety and make decisions about future directions and funding priorities.

KL-SG High-Speed Rail-a catalyst for national economic development Sri Viknesh Permalu and Karthigesu Nagarajoo

Purpose-In an increasingly interconnected world,transportation infrastructure has emerged as a critical determinant of economic growth and global competitiveness.High-speed rail(HSR),characterized by its exceptional speed and efficiency,has garnered widespread attention as a transformative mode of transportation that transcends borders and fosters economic development.The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore(KL-SG)HSR project stands as a prominent exemplar of this paradigm,symbolizing the potential of HSR to serve as a catalyst for national economic advancement.Design/methodologylapproach-This paper is prepared to provide an insight into the benefits and advantages of HSR based on proven case studies and references from global HSRs,including China,Spain,France and Japan.Findings-The findings that have been obtained focus on enhanced connectivity and accessibility,attracting foreign direct investment,revitalizing regional economies,urban development and city regeneration,boosting tourism and cultural exchange,human capital development,regionai integration and environmental and sustainability benefits.Originality/value-The KL-SG HSR,linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore,epitomizes the potential for HSR to be a transformative agent in the realm of economic development.This project encapsulates the aspirations of two dynamic Southeast Asian economies,united in their pursuit of sustainable growth,enhanced connectivity and global competitiveness.By scrutinizing the KLSG High-Speed Rail through the lens of economic benchmarking,a deeper understanding emerges of how such projects can drive progress in areas such as cross-border trade,tourism,urban development and technological innovation.