Determination of gross α and β activities in Zouma River based on online HPGe gamma measurement system

This paper describes a low-cost and fast method to evaluate gross α and β^(-) radioactivities in natural water based on an online high-purity germanium detector gamma measurement system.The major gamma activities in natural water are provided by natural and artificial radionuclides such as ^(40) K,^(137)Cs,and radionuclides belonging to ^(238)U and ^(232)Th series.The main a emitters related to gamma emissions in natural water are ^(224)Ra(240.98 keV)and ^(226)Ra(186.21 keV),and the β^(-) emitters are ^(40) K(1460.85 keV),^(214)Bi(609.31 keV),^(208)Tl(583.19 keV),and ^(214)Pb(351.93 keV).The formula for gross α and β^(-) activity concentration is based on these radionuclides,and the short half-life decay products are considered in the calculation.The detection efficiency of the device across energy region(0–3 MeV)is obtained through Monte Carlo simulation,and a calibration experiment is conducted to verify the simulation results.Gamma radioactivity is measured continuously for 114 d in Pixian County and Dongfeng Canal located in the Zouma River,Chengdu,Sichuan Province,China.A comparison of the calculation results and monitoring data from the Sichuan Management and Monitoring Center Station of Radioactive Environment indicates that the percentage and absolute error of a activity concentration is lower than 53%and 0.02 Bq/L,respectively,and that of β-activity concentration is lower than 33.2%and 0.016 Bq/L,respectively.The method can rapidly determine gross α and β^(-) activity concentrations in natural water online.

Numerical Simulation of Flow in Flowrate Measurement Section of Natural Gas Pipelines

The orifice-plate flowmeter and ultrasonic flowmeter are used widely for natural gas flowrate measurement, and the measurement accuracy is affected greatly by flow state. Numerical simulation was used to study the flow of natural gas in the diffusion pipe, and the length of the irregular flow induced by the diffuser or rectifier was computed. Simulation results indicated that the flow in the diffusion pipe was three-dimensional turbulent flow and the steady state flow was restored at 17 pipe-diameters downstream of the diffuser. The rectifiers equipped in the diffusion pipe showed good rectification effect, notwithstanding the induced irregular flow. Downstream the rectifier, the flow became symmetrical and uniform in a shorter length than the case without a rectifier. For the diffusion pipe equipped with plate rectifier, tube rectifier and tube-plate rectifier, the lengths at which uniformly distributed flow was restored were 12, 6 and 5 pipe-diameters downstream the rectifier respectively. On the basis of simulation results, the minimum installation length for flowmeters equipped in the diffusion pipe was determined. This provides a new method for improving natural gas measurement accuracy.

Damage Identification in Footbridges from Natural Frequency Measurements

The present study aims to develop a robust structural damage identification method that can be used for the evaluation of bridge structures. An approach for the structural damage identification based on the measurement of natural frequencies is presented. The structural damage model is assumed to be associated with a reduction of a contribution to the element stiffness matrix equivalent to a scalar reduction of the material modulus. A computational procedure for the direct iteration technique based on the non-linear perturbation theory is proposed to identify structural damage. The presented damage identification technique is applied to the footbridge over the Slunjcica River near Slunj to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Using a limited number of measured natural frequencies, reduction in the stiffness of up to 100% at multiple sites is detected. The results indicate that the proposed approach can be successful in not only predicting the location of damage but also in determining the extent of structural damage.

Coal measure metallogeny:Metallogenic system and implication for resource and environment

Coal,coal measure gas,coal conversion to oil and gas,and coal-based new materials are reliable guarantees for stable energy supply and economic and social development in China.The coal-dominated resource endowment and the economic and social development stage determine the irreplaceable position of coal resources in the energy system.Coal measure resources,including aggregated or dispersed solids,liquid and gaseous multitype energies,and metal as well as nonmetallic minerals,are the products of multisphere interaction and metallogenetic materials generation,migration,and accumulation.Coal measures record rich deep-time geological information of transitional and terrestrial peat bogs,which is a crucial carrier to reveal ecosystem evolution,significant organic carbon sequestration,atmospheric O_(2)/CO_(2)variation,and wildfire events.Coal measure evolution is accompanied by the migration and transformation of various materials during diagenesis-metamorphism,forming differentiated coal compositions besides properties and various mineral resources in its adjacent strata.The enrichment condition,occurrence state,and separation potential are the premise for level-by-level use and efficient development of coal measure resources.Coal measure metallogeny is based on the metallogenic system of multiple energy and mineral resources in coal measures and their environmental effects.Fully understanding coal measure metallogeny is beneficial for promoting the coal transition from fuel to raw materials and strengthening its attribute of multiple mineral resources.The metallogeny comprises various aspects,including:(1)the symbiosis mechanism,co-exploration and co-mining conditions of various resources;(2)the source-sink system of ore-forming materials;(3)the differential carbon accumulation and hydrogen enrichment effect;(4)organic(coal and hydrocarbon)and inorganic(mineral)interactions;and(5)combination of minerals naturally enrichment during the metallogenic process and artificial enrichment during the ore processing process.The coal measure metallogeny belongs to the geoscience disciplines,and studies the types,formation,distribution,enrichment mechanisms,evaluation methods,and development strategies of resources related to coal measures.The key scientific problems include geological records related to mineral enrichment processes,metallogenic mechanisms,resource distribution,occurrence evaluation,and accurate development.Developing coal measure metallogeny is significant in improving the critical mineral metallogenic theory,revealing various deep-time earth systems and realizing the national energy transformation and high-quality development.