Uniformity evaluation and optimization of fluid flow characteristics in a seven-strand tundish

The effect of flow control devices（FCDs） on the uniformity of flow characteristics in a seven-strand symmetrical trapezoidal tundish was studied using both an experimental 1：2.5 hydraulic model and a numerical simulation of a 1：1 geometric model.The variation coefficient（CV） was defined to evaluate the flow uniformity of the seven-strand tundish.An optimized FCD configuration was proposed on the basis of the evaluation of experimental results.It is concluded that a turbulence inhibitor（TI） and U-type dam are essential to improve the uniformity of fluid flow in the seven-strand tundish.In addition,the configuration of inclination T-type dams with a height of 200 mm between the second and third strands and with a height of 300 mm between the third and fourth strands can minimize the proportion of dead zone.After optimizing the configuration of FCDs,the variation coefficient reduces below 20%of the mean value,and the average proportion of dead zone is just 14.6%;in addition,the temperature fluctuation between the strands could be controlled within 0.6 K.In summary,the uniformity of flow and temperature in the seven-strand tundish is greatly improved.

Experimental and Modeling Studies on the Chemical Vapor Infiltration with Respect to the Effects of Thermal Gradient and Other Operating Parameters

Effects of operating parameters in the thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration of propane such as thermal gradient, diffusion, infiltrations time, and concentration of propane were studied by focusing on the visualizations of the intrinsic effects of these parameters. A uniform deposition in the preform was obtained with a gradually increasing temperature along the gas flow. The uniformity of deposition through the preform got improved with increasing deposition time. Results of numerical modeling estimated the experimental data very well when the pre-exponential factor of the overall rate of carbon deposition from propane reported by Vaidyaraman[1] was multiplied by 4. The average density of a preform increased by about 3 times from 0.38 to 1.15 g/cm3 after 60 hr deposition with a thermal gradient under the conditions of 3% propane in nitrogen and 840 to 900 ℃.

INFLUENCE OF DAMPING MODELS ON DYNAMIC ANALYSES OF A BASE-ISOLATED COMPOSITE STRUCTURE UNDER EARTHQUAKES AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIBRATIONS

Structural design simultaneously governed by earthquakes and environmental vibrations has received a lot of attention in recent years.Base-isolated composite structures are typically used in the above-mentioned structural design.The corresponding analysis involves validating structural safety under earthquakes and human comfort under environmental vibrations through a time-history analysis.Thus,a reasonable damping model is essential.In this work,the representatives of viscous damping model and rate-independent damping model,namely the Rayleigh damping model and uniform damping model,were adopted to investigate the influence of damping models on the time-history analysis of such structural designs.The energy dissipation characteristics of the above-mentioned damping models were illustrated via a dynamic test of recycled aggregate concrete specimens.A case study was performed on a base-isolated steelconcrete composite structure.The dynamic responses under the excitation of earthquakes and environmental vibrations were compared using different damping models.The uniform damping model was found to be more flexible than the Rayleigh damping model in dealing with excitations with different frequency components.The uniform damping model is both theoretically advantageous and easy to use,demonstrating its potential in dynamic analysis of structures designed simultaneously governed by earthquakes and environmental vibrations.

Studies on the key parameters in segmental lining design

The uniform ring model and the shell-spring model for segmental lining design are reviewed in thisarticle. The former is the most promising means to reflect the real behavior of segmental lining, while thelatter is the most popular means in practice due to its simplicity. To understand the relationship and thedifference between these two models, both of them are applied to the engineering practice of FuzhouMetro Line I, where the key parameters used in both models are described and compared. The effectiveratio of bending rigidity h reflecting the relative stiffness between segmental lining and surroundingground and the transfer ratio of bending moment x reflecting the relative stiffness between segment andjoint, which are two key parameters used in the uniform ring model, are especially emphasized. Thereasonable values for these two key parameters are calibrated by comparing the bending momentscalculated from both two models. Through case studies, it is concluded that the effective ratio of bendingrigidity h increases significantly with good soil properties, increases slightly with increasing overburden,and decreases slightly with increasing water head. Meanwhile, the transfer ratio of bending moment xseems to only relate to the properties of segmental lining itself and has a minor relation with the groundconditions. These results could facilitate the design practice for Fuzhou Metro Line I, and could alsoprovide some references to other projects with respect to similar scenarios.

Earthquake source parameters of the 2009 M_W7.8 Fiordland (New Zealand) earthquake from L-band InSAR observations

The 2009 M W 7.8 Fiordland （New Zealand） earthquake is the largest to have occurred in New Zealand since the 1931 M W 7.8 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, 1 000 km to the northwest. In this paper two tracks of ALOS PALSAR interferograms （one ascending and one descending） are used to determine fault geometry and slip distribution of this large earthquake. Modeling the event as dislocation in an elastic half-space suggests that the earthquake resulted from slip on a SSW-NNE orientated thrust fault that is associated with the subduction between the Pacific and Australian Plates, with oblique displacement of up to 6.3 m. This finding is consistent with the preliminary studies undertaken by the USGS using seismic data.

A Theoretical Comparison among Recursive Algorithms for Fast Computation of Zernike Moments Using the Concept of Time Complexity

Zernike polynomials have been used in different fields such as optics, astronomy, and digital image analysis for many years. To form these polynomials, Zernike moments are essential to be determined. One of the main issues in realizing the moments is using factorial terms in their equation which causes higher time complexity. As a solution, several methods have been presented to reduce the time complexity of these polynomials in recent years. The purpose of this research is to study several methods among the most popular recursive methods for fast Zernike computation and compare them together by a global theoretical evaluation system called worst-case time complexity. In this study, we have analyzed the selected algorithms and calculated the worst-case time complexity for each one. After that, the results are represented and explained and finally, a conclusion has been made by comparing these criteria among the studied algorithms. According to time complexity, we have observed that although some algorithms such as Wee method and Modified Prata method were successful in having the smaller time complexities, some other approaches did not make any significant difference compared to the classical algorithm.

Some Problems Concerning Geologic Structure with Double Layers in Urban Underground Lifeline Engineering

Underground lifeline engineering (ULE for short) in modern city demands the appreciation of an active fault in buried bedrock . Generally speaking , a large number of urban geological textures of a basement may all be simplified into a dual geological texture model , i. e., the upper part of the basement consists of loose covering layer and the lower part consists of bedrock . The study of an active fault should include three parts of contents , i . e ., to determine the lower time limit of activity of the fault , and the time limit must be recognized by both of designing engineers and geologists ; on the basis of the studies of repetition periods of earthquake occurrence to deter mine whether the fault moves or not during the allowed time of efficacy of buildings and constructions ; for the sake of engineering practice , the active rate of the fault must be given . The fault with different active mechanism has different effects on the ULE . The authors studied the effect of lateral non-uniform overburden site on the ULE by means of the supersonic earthquake modelling . Owing to the lateral non - uniformity of the covering sediments , there occurs an obvious jump of amplitude of the seismic wave propagation near the contact surface between two different sedi ments . In addition , from the modelling experiment curves it may be seen that the different focus mechanisms and different medium characters may also exert an effect in different degrees .