Improvement of silty clay by vacuum preloading incorporated with electroosmotic method

A laboratory test was performed to assess the effectiveness of vacuum preloading incorporated with electroosmotic (EOM) treatment on silty clay (combined method) for reclamation projects like new disposal ponds, where the horizontal electrode configurations beneath the soil layer were possible and the drainage pipes and the prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) system could be easily installed in advance before the sludge dragged from sea bed or river bed was filled into the site. Three groups of tests were conducted on the silty clay from Qinhuai River in Nanjing, China. The model is able to apply vacuum pressure at the bottom of the soil layer and a direct current electric field simultaneously. It is also possible to measure the pore pressures at different depths of soil column, and the changes in settlement and volume with the elapsed time. In this study, the vacuum preloading method, vacuum preloading applied at the bottom (VAB method), was applied and the cathodes were installed beneath the soil layer. The results obtained indicate substantial reduction in water content, and increases in dry density and undrained shear strength in comparison with those obtained by the vacuum preloading only, particularly at the positions close to the anode. The combined method utilizes the vertical drainage flow created by the electroosmosis integrating the horizontal drainage flow created mostly by the vacuum pressure. The total drainage flow can be calculated as a result of the vertical drainage flow by electroosmosis only and the horizontal drainage flow by the vacuum preloading only. The way of placement of the cathode and the anode in the combined method also overcomes the disadvantage of EOM method itself, i.e. the appearance of cracks between the anode and the surrounding soil. Moreover, it is observed that the vacuum preloading plays a primary role in earlier stage in deduction of free pore water; meanwhile, the electroosmotic method is more efficient in later stage for absorbing water in the diffused double layers of soil.

A spatiotemporal evolution model of a short-circuit arc to a secondary arc based on the improved charge simulation method

The initial shape of the secondary arc considerably influences its subsequent shape.To establish the model for the arcing time of the secondary arc and modify the single-phase reclosing sequence,theoretical and experimental analysis of the evolution process of the short-circuit arc to the secondary arc is critical.In this study,an improved charge simulation method was used to develop the internal-space electric-field model of the short-circuit arc.The intensity of the electric field was used as an independent variable to describe the initial shape of the secondary arc.A secondary arc evolution model was developed based on this model.Moreover,the accuracy of the model was evaluated by comparison with physical experimental results.When the secondary arc current increased,the arcing time and dispersion increased.There is an overall trend of increasing arc length with increasing arcing time.Nevertheless,there is a reduction in arc length during arc ignition due to short circuits between the arc columns.Furthermore,the arcing time decreased in the range of 0°-90°as the angle between the wind direction and the x-axis increased.This work investigated the method by which short-circuit arcs evolve into secondary arcs.The results can be used to develop the secondary arc evolution model and to provide both a technical and theoretical basis for secondary arc suppression.

Dynamic Characteristics of Functionally Graded Timoshenko Beams by Improved Differential Quadrature Method

This study proposes an effective method to enhance the accuracy of the Differential Quadrature Method(DQM)for calculating the dynamic characteristics of functionally graded beams by improving the form of discrete node distribution.Firstly,based on the first-order shear deformation theory,the governing equation of free vibration of a functionally graded beam is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations with respect to beam axial displacement,transverse displacement,and cross-sectional rotation angle by considering the effects of shear deformation and rotational inertia of the beam cross-section.Then,ignoring the shear deformation of the beam section and only considering the effect of the rotational inertia of the section,the governing equation of the beam is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations with respect to beam transverse displacement.Based on the differential quadrature method theory,the eigenvalue problem of ordinary differential equations is transformed into the eigenvalue problem of standard generalized algebraic equations.Finally,the first several natural frequencies of the beam can be calculated.The feasibility and accuracy of the improved DQM are verified using the finite element method(FEM)and combined with the results of relevant literature.

Improvement Detecting Method of Optical Axes Parallelism of Shipboard Photoelectrical Theodolite Based on Image Processing

An improvement detecting method was proposed according to the disadvantages of testing method of optical axes parallelism of shipboard photoelectrical theodolite (short for theodolite) based on image processing. Pointolite replaced 0.2'' collimator to reduce the errors of crosshair images processing and improve the quality of image. What’s more, the high quality images could help to optimize the image processing method and the testing accuracy. The errors between the trial results interpreted by software and the results tested in dock were less than 10'', which indicated the improve method had some actual application values.

Propagation methods for black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) improvement in Hungary

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is one of the most important stand-forming tree species in Hungary and its importance is increasing in many countries. Black locust plants are commonly produced by two methods, by seed and by root cuttings. Tissue culture propagation can be considered as a relatively new method. Growing trees from seed is a relatively sim-ple method for reliably producing seedlings on a large scale under a variety of circumstances. Mechanization of the method is easy and the production cost is relatively low. Propagation from root cuttings and tissue culture are valuable for reproduction of superior individuals or varieties. By applying these methods, superior traits of the selected trees can be preserved in the clones. Recent experiments demonstrated that micropropagated trees could be successfully transplanted into soil, hardened and grown in the field.

A flexible multiscale algorithm based on an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for complex viscoelastic flows

Viscoelastic flows play an important role in numerous engineering fields,and the multiscale algorithms for simulating viscoelastic flows have received significant attention in order to deepen our understanding of the nonlinear dynamic behaviors of viscoelastic fluids.However,traditional grid-based multiscale methods are confined to simple viscoelastic flows with short relaxation time,and there is a lack of uniform multiscale scheme available for coupling different solvers in the simulations of viscoelastic fluids.In this paper,a universal multiscale method coupling an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)and multiscale universal interface(MUI)library is presented for viscoelastic flows.The proposed multiscale method builds on an improved SPH method and leverages the MUI library to facilitate the exchange of information among different solvers in the overlapping domain.We test the capability and flexibility of the presented multiscale method to deal with complex viscoelastic flows by solving different multiscale problems of viscoelastic flows.In the first example,the simulation of a viscoelastic Poiseuille flow is carried out by two coupled improved SPH methods with different spatial resolutions.The effects of exchanging different physical quantities on the numerical results in both the upper and lower domains are also investigated as well as the absolute errors in the overlapping domain.In the second example,the complex Wannier flow with different Weissenberg numbers is further simulated by two improved SPH methods and coupling the improved SPH method and the dissipative particle dynamics(DPD)method.The numerical results show that the physical quantities for viscoelastic flows obtained by the presented multiscale method are in consistence with those obtained by a single solver in the overlapping domain.Moreover,transferring different physical quantities has an important effect on the numerical results.

Improvements of marine clay slurries using chemicale-physical combined method(CPCM)

In this paper, the effectiveness, applicability and validity of chemicalephysical combined methods（CPCMs） for treatment of marine clay （MC） slurries were evaluated. The method CPCM1 combineschemical stabilization and vacuum preloading （VP）, while CPCM2 is similar to CPCM1 but includes boththe application of surcharge and use of geo-bags to provide confinement during surcharge preloading.The key advantage of CPCM2 using geo-bags is that the surcharge can be immediately applied on thechemically stabilized slurries. Two types of geo-bags were investigated under simulated land filling anddyke conditions, respectively. The test results show that the shear strength （cu） of treated slurry byCPCM2 is generally much higher than that by CPCM1. Besides, the use of CPCM2 can significantly reducethe treatment time due to the short drainage paths created by geo-bags. Overall, CPCM2 allows fasterconsolidation and higher preloading that help to achieve higher mechanical properties of the stabilizedslurry. There are consistent relationships between cU and water content of slurries treated by CPCM2.Several important observations were also made based on comparisons of experimental data. 2015 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DEFECT AND IMPROVEMENT OF TWO-TIME EXPANSION METHOD IN NONLINEAR OSCILLATIONS

In this paper, the defect of the Two-Time Expansion method is indicated and an improvement of this method is suggested. Certain examples.in which the present method is used, are given. Moreover, the paper shows the equivalence of the improved Two-Time Expansion Method and the method of KBM(Kryloy-Bogoliuboy-Mitropolski).

Set Programming Method and Performance Improvement of Phase Change Random Access Memory Arrays

A novel slow-down set waveform is proposed to improve the set performance and a 1 kb phase change random access memory chip fabricated with a 13nm CMOS technology is implemented to investigate the set performance by different set programming strategies based on this new set pulse. The amplitude difference （I1 - I2） of the set pulse is proved to be a crucial parameter for set programming. We observe and analyze the cell characteristics with different I1 - I2 by means of thermal simulations and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which reveal that an incomplete set programming will occur when the proposed slow-down pulse is set with an improperly high I1 - I2. This will lead to an amorphous residue in the active region. We also discuss the programming method to avoid the set performance degradations.

GENERALIZED TRANSFER FUNCTION OF CONTROL SYSTEM AND AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE DECISION METHOD OF MOVEMENT STABILITY

In this paper the definitions of generalized transfer functios of control system and itscontinuity are presented.Using generalized transfer function as a tool,a set of theorems fordeciding movement stability have been constructed.Thus basing understanding of thecharacteristics of a control dynamics system on its measured procedure will simplify thedecision method of movement stability problems.

Isolation of the Flanking Sequences Adjacent to Transgenic T-DNA in Brassica napus Genome by an Improved Inverse PCR Method

[Objective] The research aimed to isolate flanking sequences adjacent to the transgenic T-DNA in Brassica napus by an improved inverse PCR method.[Method] Using single clone of transgenic FS4 in Brassica napus as the research materials,total DNA was extracted from transgenic Brassica napus by using modified CTAB method.After enzyme digestion and purification,self-joining was made.Two circles of nested PCR and the sequence alignment were carried out.[Result] A fragement with the size of 4.0 kb was amplified ...

An Improved Method for DNA Extraction from the Faeces of Red Deer

[Objective] To introduce an improved method for DNA extraction from the faeces of red deer. [Method] Based on the traditional method of CTAB lysis, we proposed an improved DNA extraction method according to the characteristics of red deer faeces. [Result] This improved method extracted high-quality fecal DNA from Tianshan red deer and amplified the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. With the muscle and fur DNA of red deer as the control, the sequencing results further con- firmed the reliability of the method. [Conclusion] The method requires no proteinase K in the process of extraction, and the extracted DNA can be used for PCR ampli- fication directly without the purification of DNA purification kit, thus, it is cost-saving.

An improved interpolating element-free Galerkin method with a nonsingular weight function for two-dimensional potential problems

In this paper, an improved interpolating moving least-square （IIMLS） method is presented. The shape function of the IIMLS method satisfies the property of the Kronecker 5 function. The weight function used in the IIMLS method is nonsingular. Then the IIMLS method can overcome the difficulties caused by the singularity of the weight function in the IMLS method. The number of unknown coefficients in the trial function of the IIMLS method is less than that of the moving least-square （MLS） approximation. Then by combining the IIMLS method with the Galerkin weak form of the potential problem, the improved interpolating element-free Galerkin （IIEFG） method for two-dimensional potential problems is presented. Compared with the conventional element-free Galerkin （EFG） method, the IIEFG method can directly use the essential boundary conditions. Then the IIEFG method has higher accuracy. For demonstration, three numerical examples are solved using the IIEFG method.

An improved boundary element-free method (IBEFM) for two-dimensional potential problems

The interpolating moving least-squares （IMLS） method is discussed first in this paper. And the formulae of the IMLS method obtained by Lancaster are revised. Then on the basis of the boundary element-free method （BEFM）, combining the boundary integral equation （BIE） method with the IMLS method, the improved boundary element-free method （IBEFM） for two-dimensional potential problems is presented, and the corresponding formulae of the IBEFM are obtained. In the BEFM, boundary conditions are applied directly, but the shape function in the MLS does not satisfy the property of the Kronecker ~ function. This is a problem of the BEFM, and must be solved theoretically. In the IMLS method, when the shape function satisfies the property of the Kronecker 5 function, then the boundary conditions, in the meshless method based on the IMLS method, can be applied directly. Then the IBEFM, based on the IMLS method, is a direct meshless boundary integral equation method in which the basic unknown quantity is the real solution of the nodal variables, and the boundary conditions can be applied directly and easily, thus it gives a greater computational precision. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the method.

Topology optimization using the improved element-free Galerkin method for elasticity

The improved element-free Galerkin （IEFG） method of elasticity is used to solve the topology optimization problems. In this method, the improved moving least-squares approximation is used to form the shape function. In a topology opti- mization process, the entire structure volume is considered as the constraint. From the solid isotropic microstructures with penalization, we select relative node density as a design variable. Then we choose the minimization of compliance to be an objective function, and compute its sensitivity with the adjoint method. The IEFG method in this paper can overcome the disadvantages of the singular matrices that sometimes appear in conventional element-free Galerkin （EFG） method. The central processing unit （CPU） time of each example is given to show that the IEFG method is more efficient than the EFG method under the same precision, and the advantage that the IEFG method does not form singular matrices is also shown.

Solving unsteady Schr?dinger equation using the improved element-free Galerkin method

By employing the improved moving least-square （IMLS） approximation, the improved element-free Galerkin （IEFG） method is presented for the unsteady Schrodinger equation. In the IEFG method, the two-dimensional （2D） trial function is approximated by the IMLS approximation, the variation method is used to obtain the discrete equations, and the essential boundary conditions are imposed by the penalty method. Because the number of coefficients in the IMLS approximation is less than in the moving least-square （MLS） approximation, fewer nodes are needed in the entire domain when the IMLS approximation is used than when the MLS approximation is adopted. Then the IEFG method has high computational efficiency and accuracy. Several numerical examples are given to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the IEFG method in this paper.

An improved complex variable element-free Galerkin method for two-dimensional elasticity problems

In this paper, the improved complex variable moving least-squares （ICVMLS） approximation is presented. The ICVMLS approximation has an explicit physics meaning. Compared with the complex variable moving least-squares （CVMLS） approximations presented by Cheng and Ren, the ICVMLS approximation has a great computational precision and efficiency. Based on the element-free Galerkin （EFG） method and the ICVMLS approximation, the improved complex variable element-free Galerkin （ICVEFG） method is presented for two-dimensional elasticity problems, and the corresponding formulae are obtained. Compared with the conventional EFC method, the ICVEFG method has a great computational accuracy and efficiency. For the purpose of demonstration, three selected numerical examples are solved using the ICVEFG method.

A measurement method for distinguishing the real contact area of rough surfaces of transparent solids using improved Otsu technique

An experimental method of measuring the real contact area of transparent blocks based on the principle of total internal reflection is presented, intending to support the investigation of friction characteristics, heat conduction, and energy dissipation at the contact interface. A laser sheet illuminates the contact interface, and the transmitted laser sheet is projected onto a screen. Then the contact information is acquired from the screen by a camera. An improved Otsu method is proposed to process the data of experimental images. It can compute the threshold of the overall image and filter out all the pixels one by one. Through analyzing the experimental results, we describe the relationship between the real contact area and the positive pressure during a continuous loading process, at different loading rates, with the polymethyl methacrylate（PMMA）material. A hysteresis phenomenon in the relationship between the real contact area and the positive pressure is found and explained.

High-precision solution to the moving load problem using an improved spectral element method

In this paper, the spectral element method(SEM)is improved to solve the moving load problem. In this method, a structure with uniform geometry and material properties is considered as a spectral element, which means that the element number and the degree of freedom can be reduced significantly. Based on the variational method and the Laplace transform theory, the spectral stiffness matrix and the equivalent nodal force of the beam-column element are established. The static Green function is employed to deduce the improved function. The proposed method is applied to two typical engineering practices—the one-span bridge and the horizontal jib of the tower crane. The results have revealed the following. First, the new method can yield extremely high-precision results of the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force in the moving load problem.In most cases, the relative errors are smaller than 1%. Second, by comparing with the finite element method, one can obtain the highly accurate results using the improved SEM with smaller element numbers. Moreover, the method can be widely used for statically determinate as well as statically indeterminate structures. Third, the dynamic deflection of the twin-lift jib decreases with the increase in the moving load speed, whereas the curvature of the deflection increases.Finally, the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force of the jib will all increase as the magnitude of the moving load increases.

Analysis of elastoplasticity problems using an improved complex variable element-free Galerkin method

In this paper, based on the conjugate of the complex basis function, a new complex variable moving least-squares approximation is discussed. Then using the new approximation to obtain the shape function, an improved complex variable element-free Galerkin（ICVEFG） method is presented for two-dimensional（2D） elastoplasticity problems. Compared with the previous complex variable moving least-squares approximation, the new approximation has greater computational precision and efficiency. Using the penalty method to apply the essential boundary conditions, and using the constrained Galerkin weak form of 2D elastoplasticity to obtain the system equations, we obtain the corresponding formulae of the ICVEFG method for 2D elastoplasticity. Three selected numerical examples are presented using the ICVEFG method to show that the ICVEFG method has the advantages such as greater precision and computational efficiency over the conventional meshless methods.