Static strength and crashworthiness analysis of a train cowcatcher at a running speed of 160 km/h

The cowcatcher is one of the unique devices at the front end of the train, which can remove obstacles on the track by crashing before the vehicle body to ensure the safety of the train. When a collision accident happens, the cowcatcher serves as the first energy-absorbing structure to dissipate and guide the collision energy. The design of the existing cowcatcher of multiple units generally focuses on the good ability to remove obstacles, while the secondary function, the crashworthiness of orderly deformation under collision, still needs further research. In this study, a finite element model of structural static load and collision analysis was established under standard EN 15227, with the cowcatcher for 160 km/h train as the prototype. Then the solution and simulation process was accomplished under the environment of ANSYS and LS-DYNA. The analysis results showed that the structural static strength of the current cowcatcher met the requirements of the standard EN 15227, and the longitudinal stiffness was evenly distributed. When removing the obstacles with low mass, the impact force was small and the structure would not produce obvious deformation;when removing the obstacles with large mass, the impact force was large and the shear fracture might occur at the connection of the cowcatcher.

A comparative study on the hull strength of a ship with thin-walled box girders

Based on the Finite Element Analysis and Thin Walled-Box girder Mechanics, two design concepts of adding box girders under main deck in order to increase the hull strength of ship are presented. By comparison and analysis on the longitudinal strength, torsion strength and deck buckling between designed concepts and the original concept, it is found that by adding box girders under the main deck, the weight of hull structure is increased by lower than 10%, but the stress on the plate of the main deck is reduced by about 10%, the stress on the plating of the second deck is reduced about 20%. The shear stress on the plating of both of the main deck and second deck is reduced, but the shear stresses in several nodes are increased. Also the capability of resisting damage to ship is obviously increased by adding box girders under the main deck. The deck buckling is also increased by more than 90%. Consequently, the box girders added under the main deck are useful and effective to increase the strength of hull and ship survivability.

Strength differential effect and influence of strength criterion on burst pressure of thin-walled pipelines

In the framework of the finite deformation theory, the plastic collapse analysis of thin-walled pipes subjected to the internal pressure is conducted on the basis of the unified strength criterion （USC）. An analytical solution of the burst pressure for pipes with capped ends is derived, which includes the strength differential effect and takes the influence of strength criterion on the burst pressure into account. In addition, a USC- based analytical solution of the burst pressure for end-opened pipes under the internal pressure is obtained. By discussion, it is found that for the end-capped pipes, the influence of different yield criteria and the strength differential effect on the burst pressure are significant, while for the end-opened pipes, the burst pressure is independent of the specific form of the strength criterion and strength difference in tension and compression.

Microstructures and Properties of 550 MPa Grade High Strength Thin-walled H-beam Steel

The microstructures and mechanical properties of 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin-walled H-beam steel were experimentally studied. The experimental results show that the microstructure of the air-cooled H-beam steel sample is consisted of ferrite, pearlite and a small amount of granular bainites as well as fine and dispersive V（C,N） precipitates. The microstructure of the water-cooled steel sample is consisted of ferrite and bainite as well as a small amount of fine pearlites. The microstructure of the water-cooled sample is finer than that of the air-cooled sample with the average intercept size of the surface grains reaching to 3.5 gna. The finish rolling temperature of the thin-walled high strength H-beam steel is in the range of 750 ~C-850 ~C. The lower the finish rolling temperature and the faster the cooling rate, the finer the ferrite grains, the volume fraction of bainite is increased through water cooling process. Grain refinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening are used as major strengthening means to develop 550 MPa grade lightweight high strength thin- walled H-beam steel. Vanadium partially soluted in the matrix and contributes to the solution strengthening. The 550 MPa grade high-strength thin-walled H-beam steel could be developed by direct air cooling after hot rolling to fully meet the requirements of the target properties.

Design of a test structure based on chevron-shaped thermal actuator for in-situ measurement of the fracture strength of MEMS thin films

A novel test structure to characterize the fracture strength of MEMS(Micro-electro-Mechanical Systems)thin films is presented.The test structure is comprised of a micro fabricated chevron-shaped thermal actuator and test specimen.The test structure is capable of producing large displacement and stresswhile keeping a relatively low temperature gradient across the test specimen.A voltage is applied across the beams of the chevron-shaped actuator,producing thermal expansion force to fracture the test specimen.Actuator deflection is computed based on elastic analysis of structures.To verify the test structure,simulations have been implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics.A 620μmlong,410μm wide,10μm thick test structure produced stress of 7.1 GPawhile the applied voltage is 5 V.The results indicate that the test structure is suitable for in-situ measurement of the fracture strength of MEMS thin films.

Optimal Design for Thin-Walled Box Beam Based on Material Strength Reliability

According to the reliability of material strength,the optimal design for the cross sectional size of thin walled box beam was studied.Firstly the cross sectional size as design random variable was determined,then its stochastic nature was researched,with which the objective function is to seek the maximum reliability of the beam under given constraint conditions.This way is not the same as the conventional optimal design for the minimum weight of the material.With establishing the optimal objective,the reliability of the material under conditions of static and fatigue was considered.The corresponding calculated expressions are given.Normally the cross section sizes are fitted to the normal distribution,for the simplification of the design variable,the variation of the section size is assumed as a dependent variable proportional to the mean of the size.The way is different not only with the conventional optimal design but also with the common reliability design.The maximum reliability of material is obtained,meanwhile the area of the cross section is reduced,i.e.,the weight of the material is decreased.

Adhesive strength of CVD diamond thin films quantitatively measured by means of the bulge and blister test

Large advancement has been made in understanding the nucleation and growth of chemical vapor deposition （CVD） diamond, but the adhesion of CVD diamond to substrates is poor and there is no good method for quantitative evaluation of the adhesive strength. The blister test is a potentially powerful tool for characterizing the mechanical properties of diamond films. In this test, pressure was applied on a thin membrane and the out-of-plane deflection of the membrane center was measured. The Young＇s modulus, residual stress, and adhesive strength were simultaneously determined using the load-deflection behavior of a membrane. The free-standing window sample of diamond thin films was fabricated by means of photolithography and anisotropic wet etching. The research indicates that the adhesive strength of diamond thin films is 4.28±0.37 J/m^2. This method uses a simple apparatus, and the fabrication of samples is very easy.

Effect of Molecular Weight and Molecular Distribution on Skin Structure and Shear Strength Distribution near the Surface of Thin-Wall Injection Molded Polypropylene

In this study, the relationship between skin structure and shear strength distribution of thin-wall injection molded polypropylene (PP) molded at different molecular weight and molecular distribution was investigated. Skin-core structure, cross-sectional morphology, crystallinity, crystal orientation, crystal morphology and molecular orientation were evaluated by using polarized optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter, X-ray spectroscopic analyzer and laser Raman spectroscopy, respectively, while the shear strength distribution was investigated using a micro cutting method called SAICAS (Surface And Interfacial Cutting Analysis System). The results indicated that the difference of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution showed own skin layer thickness. Especially, high molecular weight sample showed thicker layer of the lamellar orientation and molecular orientation than low molecular weight sample. In addition, wide molecular distribution sample showed large crystal orientation layer.

The effect of L-ornithine hydrochloride ingestion on human growth hormone secretion after strength training

This study aimed to examine the effect of L-ornithine hydrochloride ingestion on serum growth hormone secretion response after strength training in young men who did not regularly engage in high intensity exercise. Ten healthy young males without workout habits (age: 22.2 +/- 1.0 yr). Subjects performed biceps curl strength training after L-ornithine hydro- chloride and placebo ingestions. They participated in both of the above conditions randomly with a week interval in between. Serum growth hormone and ornithine levels were measured before L-ornithine hydrochloride or placebo ingestions and at 30 minutes after strength training. Serum growth hormone and ornithine level were measured. A change magnitude of serum growth hormone was significantly larger in the L-ornithine hydrochloride condition than in the placebo condition, and the effect size was also large (t = 1.91, p = .044, ES = .75). A significant interaction (F = 280.98, p = 0.000, ηp2 = 0.96) was found in serum ornithine and a multiple comparison test showed that it was greater in the L-ornithine hydrochloride condition. Serum growth hormone level after strength training increases by L-ornithine hydrochloride ingestion in untrained young males.

ULTIMATE STRENGTH OF POSTBUCKLING FORSIMPLY SUPPORTED RECTANGULAR COMPOSITE THIN PLATES UNDER COMPRESSION

It is proved that the ultimate strength of postbuckling for simply supported rectangular composite thin plates under compression is far higher than their buckling stress through the tests of 283 rectangular composite thin laminates in this paper. The ultimate strength of the composite thin plates is studied using large-deflection theory and small-deflection theory of thin plates. According to the failure criterion of the composites ultimate strength is found finally. It is in accordance with the experimental values for the plates having 45 degrees off-axial, and for longitudinal and latitudinal plates, when beta < 0.11, the theoretical values are higher. The coefficient C given in this paper may be referred to in product designing.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Rock mechanics for design of Brisbane tunnels and implications of recent thinking in relation to rock mass strength

This paper explores the potential implications of recent thinking in relation to rock mass strength for future tunnelling projects in Brisbane,Australia,particularly as they are constructed within deep horizons where the in situ stress magnitudes is larger.Rock mass failure mechanisms for the current tunnels in Brisbane are generally discontinuity controlled and the potential for stress-induced failure is relatively rare.For the road tunnels which have been constructed in Brisbane over the last 12 years,the strength of the more massive rock masses for continuum analysis has been estimated by the application of the Hoek-Brown(H-B)failure criterion using the geological strength index(GSI)to determine the H-B parameters mb,s and a.Over the last few years,alternative approaches to estimating rock mass strength for‘massive to moderately jointed hard rock masses’have been proposed by others,which are built on the work completed by E.Hoek and E.T.Brown in this area over their joint careers.This paper explores one of these alternative approaches to estimating rock mass strength for one of the geological units(the Brisbane Tuff),which is often encountered in tunnelling projects in Brisbane.The potential implications of these strength forecasts for future tunnelling projects are discussed along with the additional work which will need to be undertaken to confirm the applicability of such alternative strength criteria for this rock mass.

Analysis of mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint considering geometric, material, and contact nonlinearities

To address the challenges associated with difficult casing running,limited annular space,and poor cementing quality in the completion of ultra-deep wells,the extreme line casing offers an effective solution over conventional casings.However,due to its smaller size,the joint strength of extreme line casing is reduced,which may cause failure when running in the hole.To address this issue,this study focuses on the CST-ZTΦ139.7 mm×7.72 mm extreme line casing and employs the elastic-plastic mechanics to establish a comprehensive analysis of the casing joint,taking into account the influence of geometric and material nonlinearities.A finite element model is developed to analyze the forces and deformations of the extreme line casing joint under axial tension and external collapse load.The model investigates the stress distribution of each thread tooth subjected to various tensile forces and external pressures.Additionally,the tensile strength and crushing strength of the extreme line casing joint are determined through both analytical and experimental approaches.The findings reveal that,under axial tensile load,the bearing surface of each thread tooth experiences uneven stress,with relatively high equivalent stress at the root of each thread tooth.The end thread teeth are valuable spots for failure.It is observed that the critical fracture axial load of thread decreases linearly with the increase of thread tooth sequence.Under external pressure,the circumferential stress is highest at the small end of the external thread,leading to yield deformation.The tensile strength of the joint obtained from the finite element model exhibits a relative error of less than 7%compared to the analytical and experimental values,proving the reliability of the finite element model.The tensile strength of the joint is 3091.9 k N.Moreover,in terms of anti-collapse capability,the joints demonstrate higher resistance to collapse compared to the casing body,which is consistent with the test results where the pipe body experiences collapse and failure while the joints remain intact during the experiment.The failure load of the casing body under external collapse pressure is 87.4 MPa.The present study provides a basic understanding of the mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint.

Effect of B_(2)O_(3) enrichment on microstructural inhomogeneity of high strength steel weldments

The present work attributes the role of boron on the high strength steel submerged arc weld using an undermatching filler wire.Mild steel filler wire was used for welding in constant machine parameters setting to evaluate the joint strength due to the enrichment of boron.To change the chemical composition of the weld metal,boron trioxide powder was blended with virgin flux in various proportions(2.5%−12.5%),which led to an increase in boron weight percentage in the range of 0−0.0065.The results show that weld metals(WM)optical micrographs depict the various types of ferrites,pearlites and secondary phases like martensite-austenite(M-A).Acicular ferrite content was influenced by the boron trioxide addition.Heat affected zone(HAZ)micrographs were not showing appreciable changes with oxide enrichment.Hardness and toughness of weld metals showed the mixed trend with B_(2)O_(3) enrichment whereas,small reduction in ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(YS)was observed.

Enhancing the Interaction of Carbon Nanotubes by Metal-Organic Decomposition with Improved Mechanical Strength and Ultra-Broadband EMI Shielding Performance

The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic inter-ference(EMI)shielding.However,for macroscopic CNT assemblies,such as CNT film,achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging,which heavily depends on the tube-tube interac-tions of CNTs.Herein,we develop a novel strategy based on metal-organic decomposition(MOD)to fabricate a flexible silver-carbon nanotube(Ag-CNT)film.The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD,leading to enhanced tube-tube interactions.As a result,the electrical conductivity of Ag-CNT film is up to 6.82×10^(5) S m^(-1),and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag-CNT film with a thickness of~7.8μm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range(3-40 GHz).The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of Ag-CNT film increase from 30.09±3.14 to 76.06±6.20 MPa(~253%)and from 1.12±0.33 to 8.90±0.97 GPa(~795%),respectively.Moreover,the Ag-CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shield-ing performance,which can effectively block wireless transmission.This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices.

Prediction models of burst strength degradation for casing with considerations of both wear and corrosion

Casing wear and casing corrosion are serious problems affecting casing integrity failure in deep and ultra-deep wells.This paper aims to predict the casing burst strength with considerations of both wear and corrosion.Firstly,the crescent wear shape is simplified into three categories according to common mathematical models.Then,based on the mechano-electrochemical(M-E)interaction,the prediction model of corrosion depth is built with worn depth as the initial condition,and the prediction models of burst strength of the worn casing and corroded casing are obtained.Secondly,the accuracy of different prediction models is validated by numerical simulation,and the main influence factors on casing strength are obtained.At last,the theoretical models are applied to an ultra-deep well in Northwest China,and the dangerous well sections caused by wear and corrosion are predicted,and the corrosion rate threshold to ensure the safety of casing is obtained.The results show that the existence of wear defects results in a stress concentration and enhanced M-E interaction on corrosion depth growth.The accuracy of different mathematical models is different:the slot ring model is most accurate for predicting corrosion depth,and the eccentric model is most accurate for predicting the burst strength of corroded casing.The burst strength of the casing will be overestimated by more than one-third if the M-E interaction is neglected,so the coupling effect of wear and corrosion should be sufficiently considered in casing integrity evaluation.

Assessment of compressive strength of jet grouting by machine learning

Jet grouting is one of the most popular soil improvement techniques,but its design usually involves great uncertainties that can lead to economic cost overruns in construction projects.The high dispersion in the properties of the improved material leads to designers assuming a conservative,arbitrary and unjustified strength,which is even sometimes subjected to the results of the test fields.The present paper presents an approach for prediction of the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of jet grouting columns based on the analysis of several machine learning algorithms on a database of 854 results mainly collected from different research papers.The selected machine learning model(extremely randomized trees)relates the soil type and various parameters of the technique to the value of the compressive strength.Despite the complex mechanism that surrounds the jet grouting process,evidenced by the high dispersion and low correlation of the variables studied,the trained model allows to optimally predict the values of compressive strength with a significant improvement with respect to the existing works.Consequently,this work proposes for the first time a reliable and easily applicable approach for estimation of the compressive strength of jet grouting columns.

Polarizable Additive with Intermediate Chelation Strength for Stable Aqueous Zinc‑Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising due to inherent safety,low cost,low toxicity,and high volumetric capacity.However,issues of dendrites and side reactions between zinc metal anode and the electrolyte need to be solved for extended storage and cycle life.Here,we proposed that an electrolyte additive with an intermediate chelation strength of zinc ion—strong enough to exclude water molecules from the zinc metal-electrolyte interface and not too strong to cause a significant energy barrier for zinc ion dissociation—can benefit the electrochemical stability by suppressing hydrogen evolution reaction,overpotential growth,and den-drite formation.Penta-sodium diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid salt was selected for such a purpose.It has a suitable chelating ability in aqueous solutions to adjust solvation sheath and can be readily polarized under electrical loading conditions to further improve the passivation.Zn||Zn symmetric cells can be stably operated over 3500 h at 1 mA cm^(-2).Zn||NH4V4O10 full cells with the additive show great cycling stability with 84.6%capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1 A g^(-1).Since the additive not only reduces H2 evolution and corrosion but also modifies Zn2+diffusion and deposition,highlyreversible Zn electrodes can be achieved as verified by the experimental results.Our work offers a practical approach to the logical design of reliable electrolytes for high-performance aqueous batteries.

Correlation between Combined Urinary Metal Exposure and Grip Strength under Three Statistical Models:A Cross-sectional Study in Rural Guangxi

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper(Cu),arsenic(As),strontium(Sr),barium(Ba),iron(Fe),lead(Pb)and manganese(Mn)and grip strength.Methods We used linear regression models,quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression(BKMR)to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression,Cu(β=−2.119),As(β=−1.318),Sr(β=−2.480),Ba(β=0.781),Fe(β=1.130)and Mn(β=−0.404)were significantly correlated with grip strength(P<0.05).The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was−1.007(95%confidence interval:−1.362,−0.652;P<0.001)when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased.Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength,with Cu,As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels.In the total population,potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn(P_(interactions) of 0.003 and 0.018,respectively).Conclusion In summary,this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength.Cu,Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels,and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Muscle strength and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/metabolicassociated fatty liver disease

This editorial comments on an article published in a recent issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology,entitled“Association of low muscle strength with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease:A nationwide study”.We focused on the association between muscle strength and the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD),as well as the mechanisms underlying the correlation and related clinical applications.NAFLD,which is now redefined as MAFLD,is one of the most common chronic liver diseases globally with an increasing prevalence and is characterized by malnutrition,which may contribute to decreased muscle strength.Reduction of muscle strength reportedly has a pathogenesis similar to that of NAFLD/MAFLD,including insulin resistance,inflammation,sedentary behavior,as well as insufficient vitamin D.Multiple studies have focused on the relationship between sarcopenia or muscle strength and NAFLD.However,studies investigating the relationship between muscle strength and MAFLD are limited.Owing to the shortage of specific medications for NAFLD/MAFLD treatment,early detection is essential.Furthermore,the relationship between muscle strength and NAFLD/MAFLD suggests that improvements in muscle strength may have an impact on disease prevention and may provide novel insights into treatments including dietary therapy,as well as tailored physical activity.