Analysis of the Correlation between the Level of Contact Degradation and the Dynamic Resistance Curve in Circuit Breakers

The DRM （dynamic contact resistance measurement） in high voltage circuit breakers is a manner of evaluating the internal ageing condition of the chamber. DRM is similar to static contact resistance measurement testing, but instead of measuring a single value when the breaker contacts are closed （static value）, the ohmic resistance is measured at various contact positions, from the beginning of the contact opening until a complete separation of the contacts. The relationship between the contact resistances of the new circuit breaker and the ageing circuit breaker in operation provides subsidy for the evaluation of both the main and arcing contact conditions. This research aims to analyze the correlation between the various levels of degradation of the contacts and the configuration of the DRM curve. This work considers curve samples from new acceleration tests. breaker chamber contacts and different levels of degradation by

Low temperature J-resistance curve determination of asphalt concrete using wavelet-Radon transform

A single specimen test using the three point single edge notched beam configuration at low temperatures for obtaining hot mix asphalt （HMA） resistance curves is developed.Resistance curves are obtained for mixtures at six temperature levels of＋5,0,-5,-10,-15,and-20 ℃ and three binder contents of 4％,4.5％,and 5％.Crack extension increments during the test are measured by means of an image processing technique using Radon transform and feature extraction.All the specimens exhibit a rising R-curve,indicating ductility and toughening mechanisms in the ductile-quasi brittle fracture of the mixture.It is observed that the reduction of temperature results in a further tendency of the mixture for unstable crack growth and less subcritical crack length.It is also shown that using the binarization process,an automatic index can be developed that can represent the extent of brittleness and extent of the low temperature in which the cracking has occurred.

Direct tension and fracture resistance curves of ultra high performance marine composite materials

Fracture behavior is one of the most important,yet still little understood properties of ultra-high performance cementitious composites(UHPCC),a new marine structural engineering material. Research on the fracture and direct tension behavior of UHPCC was carried out.The constitution law of UHPCC was divided into three phases:pre-partial debonding,partial debonding,and pullout phases.A direct tension constitution law was constructed based on the proposed fiber reinforcing parameter as a function of fiber volume fraction,fiber diameter and length,and fiber bonding strength.With the definition of linear crack shape,the energy release rate of UHPCC was derived and the R-curve equation was calculated from this.Loading tests of UHPCC using a three-point bending beam with an initial notch were carried out.The predictions from the proposed R-curve were in good agreement with the test results, indicating that the proposed R-curve accurately describes the fracture resistance of UHPCC.Introduction of a fiber reinforcement parameter bridges the fracture property R-curve and micro-composites’ mechanics parameters together.This has laid the foundation for further research into fracture properties based on micro-mechanics.The proposed tension constitution law and R-curve can be references for future UHPCC fracture evaluation.

High Resolution Melting Curve Analysis for Rapid Detection of Pyrazinamide Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates

Background: Pyrazinamide (PZA) is one of the most important drugs for tuberculosis (TB) treatment, however, its susceptibility is not routinely tested. High-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis has been widely used for many applications. In this study, HRM assay was developed and evaluated for the detection of PZA resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates. Methods: Ninety five M. tuberculosis clinical isolates with different susceptibility patterns to anti-TB drugs were used to evaluate this assay. Isolates were phenotypically (Bactec MGIT 960) and genotypically (HRM and pncA gene sequencing) analysed for PZA resistance. Results: Bactec MGIT 960 analysis revealed that 29 of the 95 M. tuberculosis isolates were PZA resistant. In comparison to the Bactec MGIT 960, HRM showed a sensitivity of 47.7% and specificity of 74.6%, and the overall agreement between the two methods was 68.4%. Based on DNA sequencing, a correlation of 0.67 (significant at p-value pncA mutations was observed. PZA resistance was strongly associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB as it was shown in 79.3% of the MDR isolates included in the study. Conclusion: HRM is simple and useful for screening clinical M. tuberculosis isolates for PZA resistance, however, further modifications to improve its performance are required.

Development of Cubic Bezier Curve and Curve-Plane Intersection Method for Parametric Submarine Hull Form Design to Optimize Hull Resistance Using CFD

Optimization analysis and computational fluid dynamics （CFDs） have been applied simultaneously, in which a parametric model plays an important role in finding the optimal solution. However, it is difficult to create a parametric model for a complex shape with irregular curves, such as a submarine hull form. In this study, the cubic Bezier curve and curve-plane intersection method are used to generate a solid model of a parametric submarine hull form taking three input parameters into account： nose radius, tail radius, and length-height hull ratio （L/H）. Application program interface （API） scripting is also used to write code in the ANSYS DesignModeler. The results show that the submarine shape can be generated with some variation of the input parameters. An example is given that shows how the proposed method can be applied successfully to a hull resistance optimization case. The parametric design of the middle submarine type was chosen to be modified. First, the original submarine model was analyzed, in advance, using CFD. Then, using the response surface graph, some candidate optimal designs with a minimum hull resistance coefficient were obtained. Further, the optimization method in goal-driven optimization （GDO） was implemented to find the submarine hull form with the minimum hull resistance coefficient （Ct）. The minimum C, was obtained. The calculated difference in （7, values between the initial submarine and the optimum submarine is around 0.26%, with the C, of the initial submarine and the optimum submarine being 0.001 508 26 and 0.001 504 29, respectively. The results show that the optimum submarine hull form shows a higher nose radius （rn） and higher L/H than those of the initial submarine shape, while the radius of the tail （r1） is smaller than that of the initial shape.

Effect of purification treatment on corrosion resistance of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy

Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloys were purified by filtering purification with and without vacuum. The type, morphology, size distribution and volume fraction of inclusion were analyzed with OM and SEM. The effect of inclusion in Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloys on anticorrosion ability was investigated with salt spray test and electrochemical test. The results show that the inclusions in the alloy can be removed effectively by filtering purification. The average size of inclusions in the alloys is decreased from 12.7 μm to 2.0 μm and the volume fraction of inclusions is reduced from 0.30% to 0.04%. With the decrease of the size of inclusions in the alloys, the corrosion rate of the alloys decreases dramatically from 38.8 g/（m 2 ·d） to 2.4 g/（m 2 ·d） in the salt spray test. The corrosion potential increases while the corrosion current decreases and the polarization resistance increases in the electrochemical tests, which indicates that the anticorrosion ability is improved.

Evaluation of collapse resistance of RC frame structures for Chinese schools in seismic design categories B and C

According to the Code for Seismic Design of Buildings （GB50011-2001）, ten typical reinforced concrete （RC） frame structures, used as school classroom buildings, are designed with different seismic fortification intensities （SFIs） （SFI=6 to 8.5） and different seismic design categories （SDCs） （SDC=B and C）. The collapse resistance of the frames with SDC=B and C in terms of collapse fragility curves are quantitatively evaluated and compared via incremental dynamic analysis （IDA）. The results show that the collapse resistance of structures should be evaluated based on both the absolute seismic resistance and the corresponding design seismic intensity. For the frames with SFI from 6 to 7.5, because they have relatively low absolute seismic resistance, their collapse resistance is insufficient even when their corresponding SDCs are upgraded from B to C. Thus, further measures are needed to enhance these structures, and some suggestions are proposed.

Evalution of Application of p-y Curve Method in Offshore Engineering Foundation

Based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure principle and Rankine's theory, the laterally loaded pile ultimate resistance formulas of sand and soft clay proposed by Reese and Matlock respectively are discussed in this paper. The authors put forward the modified ultimate resistance formulas on the basis of which the ultimate resistance formula is developed for horizontally loaded pile in multi-layer soil in consideration of the effect of the overburden soil pressure on the calculation of soil layer. It is significant to the correct application of the ultimate resistance formulas in API and ZCS Rules into offshore engineering.

An analytical p-y curve method based on compressive soil pressure model in sand soil

With the high-quality development of urban buildings,higher requirements are come up with for lateral bearing capacity of laterally loaded piles.Consequently,a more accurate analysis to predict the lateral response of the pile within an allowable displacement is an important issue.However,the current p-y curve methods cannot fully take into account the pile-soil interaction,which will lead to a large calculation difference.In this paper,a new analytical p-y curve is established and a finite difference method for determining the lateral response of pile is proposed,which can consider the separation effect of pile-soil interface and the coefficient of circumferential friction resistance.In particular,an analytical expression is developed to determine the compressive soil pressure by dividing the compressive soil pressure into two parts:initial compressive soil pressure and increment of compressive soil pressure.In addition,the relationship between compressive soil pressure and horizontal displacement of the pile is established based on the reasonable assumption.The correctness of the proposed method is verified through four examples.Based on the verified method,a parametric analysis is also conducted to investigate the influences of factors on lateral response of the pile,including internal friction angle,pile length and elastic modulus of pile.

Morphology and corrosion resistance of composite coatings obtained by phosphating and molybdate post-sealing on galvanized steel

The phosphated hot-dip galvanized(HDG) sheets were post-sealed with sodium molybdate solution to improve the corrosion resistance of phosphate coatings. The morphology,chemical composition and corrosion resistance of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),Tafel polarization measurements and neutral salt spray(NSS) tests,and were compared with those of the single coatings. The results show that post-sealing the phosphated HDG steel with molybdate solution,the pores among the zinc phosphate crystals are sealed with molybdate films containing Zn,P,O and Mo,and the continuous composite coatings are formed. The suppression of both the anodic and the cathodic processes of zinc corrosion on the samples are enhanced significantly. The synergistic corrosion protection effect of the single phosphate coatings and molybdate films for zinc is evident. The corrosion resistance of the composite coatings increases with phosphating time up to 300 s.

Determination of conditions for stable operation of induction motor resistance load using load flow and fuzzy techniques

Discusses the significance of induction motor constant resistance (IM R) load on the lower part of the PV curve of a power system and determines the conditions for stable operation of IM R load using fuzzy techniques and load flow.

Elastic Bending Deformation of the Drill Strings in Channels of Curve Wells

The problem about identification of elastic bending deformation of a drill string in a curve wells based on the theory of flexible curved rods and the direct inverse problems of drill string bending in the channels of curvilinear bore-holes is stated. The problem is solved which determines the resistance forces and moments during performing ascending-descending operations in curvilinear bore-holes with trajectories of the second order curve shapes. The sensitivity of the resistance forces relative to geometric parameters of the bore-hole axial line trajectories is analyzed.

Comparative Analysis of Equal and Unequal Grounding Grid Configurations by Compression Ratio and Least Square Curve Fitting Techniques

The primary aim of the power system grounding is to safeguard the person and satisfying the performance of the power systemtomaintain reliable operation.With equal conductor spacing grounding grid design,the distribution of the current in the grid is not uniform.Hence,unequal grid conductor span in which grid conductors are concentrated more at the periphery is safer to practice than equal spacing.This paper presents the comparative analysis of two novel techniques that create unequal spacing among the grid conductors:the least-square curve fitting technique and the compression ratio techniquewith equal grid configuration for both square and rectangular grids.Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO)is adopted for finding out one optimal feasible solution among many feasible solutions of equal grid configuration for both square and rectangular grids.Comparative analysis is also carried out between square and rectangular grids using the least square curve fitting technique as it results in only one unequal grid configuration.Simulation results are obtained by theMATLAB software developed.Percentage of improvement in ground potential rise,step voltage,touch voltage,and grid resistancewith variation in compression ratios are plotted.

Characterization of Aquifers in Crystalline and Crystallophyll Basement Zones Using the Electrical Resistivity Method (Trails and Electrical Soundings) in the Gagnoa Region, (Central-Western Côte d’Ivoire)

Introduction: Located in the central-western part of Côte d’Ivoire, the subsoil of the Gagnoa region is made up of sedimentary volcano formations and granitoids with developed fracturing. This complex Precambrian basement contains most of the region’s water resources. This is at the origin of the high failure rate during the various hydrogeological prospecting campaigns. Methodology: The database consists of resistivities from 42 holes and 51 trails drilled as part of the implementation of high-throughput drilling in the study area. The objective of this study is to deepen the knowledge of the fissured basement by interpreting profile curves and electrical soundings. It will be a question of classifying the different types of anomalies obtained on the profiles and their shapes. The orientation of the lineaments observed on the profiles was determined. Results: The interpretation of the geophysical data revealed various anomalies, the main ones being of the CC (Conductor Compartment) and CEDP (Contact between two bearings) types. These types of anomalies are mainly expressed in various forms: the “V”, “W” and “U” shapes. From these anomalies and the appearance of the electrical profiles, lineaments and their orientations were identified with N90-100, N130-140, N170-180 as major orientations. Conclusion: These results could contribute to a better understanding of the fractured environment of the Gagnoa region.

Drought resistance of four grasses using pressure-volume curve

Pressure-volume curve(PV curve)technique is a major method for studying critical plant water potential and critical tissue water content when plasmolysis takes place.In the present study,a mathematical solution method is put forward to obtain parameters based on the PV curve.The cal-culated results for the parameters of Lolium perenne,Festuca arundinacea,Leymus chinensis and Stipa krylovii indicated that the mathematical solution method is convenient for actual research compared with the graphical method.Further analysis of the calculations suggested that drought resistance decreased in the following order:S.krylovii>F.arundinacea and L.chinensis>L.perenne.

Improving ModeⅡdelamination resistance of curved CFRP laminates by a Pre-Hole Z-pinning(PHZ)process

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the ModeⅡdelamination resistance of curved CFRP laminates reinforced with Z-pins.A Pre-Hole Z-pinning(PHZ)process is developed to reduce the in-plane damage of the Z-pinned laminates.The microstructural observation of the Z-pinned laminate specimens indicates that the PHZ process can effectively decrease the defects including the Z-pin offset angle and the area of eyelet zone.The influences of the volume fraction and diameter of Z-pin on the fracture toughness and the delamination crack growth rate of the specimens under End Notch Flexure(ENF)loading are then determined experimentally.The test results show that Z-pin increases the interlayer stiffness of the laminate.The delamination crack growth rate is reduced with the increase of Z-pin diameter and volume fraction,and a reduction up to 40%is achieved compared with the specimens without pins.Furthermore,the ModeⅡfracture toughness is significantly improved with the increase of Z-pin volume fraction.When Z-pin volume fraction increases by 1%,the achieved fracture toughness is about 200%higher compared to the unpinned laminates.

Combination of Acacetin with Antibiotics against Methicillin Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Isolated from Clinical Specimens

Methicillin-restitant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is very dangerous bacteria and one of the most feared nosocomial germs. In this study, acacetin was evaluated against 20 clinical isolates of MRSA, either alone or in combination with antibiotics. The acacetin exhibited a good activity against isolates MRSA with MICs/MBCs ranged between 10-80/20-160 μg/mL, for ampicillin 64-1024/128-2048 μg/mL, and for oxacillin 8-32/16-64 μg/mL. The combination of acacetin plus oxacillin or ampicillin was reduced by ≥4-fold against isolates MRSA tested, evidencing a synergistic effect as defined by a FICI of ≤0.5. Furthermore, a time-kill study evaluating the growth of the tested bacteria was completely attenuated after 2-5 h of treatment with the 1/2 MIC of acacetin, regardless of whether it was administered alone or with oxacillin (1/2 MIC) or ampicillin (1/2 MIC). In conclusion, acacetin exerted synergistic effects when administered with oxacillin or ampicillin and the antibacterial activity and resistant regulation of acacetin against clinical isolates of MRSA might be useful in controlling MRSA infections.

Preliminary study on characteristics of earthquake precursor of earth resistivity anisotropy degree in East China

Introduction The degree of earth-resistivity anisotropy was described (MAO, et al, 1995, 1998) as follows: S=|1\nn∑I=1(ρSN\ρEW)I|-1|×103 n=6(1) whereρNS and ρEW are monthly mean values of earth resistivity in the direction of NS and EW, respectively, S is the half-year value. Equation (1) shows that if ρNS=ρEW, then S =0 and the electrical property of medium is isotropic; if ρNS≠ρEW, then S≠0 and the electrical property of medium is anisotropic. When S increases, the anisotropy of electrical property of medium is enhanced. Because the rightside of equation (1) is absolute value and the possibility ofρNS＞ρEW and ρNS＜ρEW can be different at different stations, the increase or decrease of S cannot reflect the relative changes between ρNS and ρEW. FENG, et al (2000) defined S as follows:……

综合物探方法在碎屑岩地区找水中的应用——以云南宣威大路边村为例

为探索地球物理方法在碎屑地区找水应用的有效性,文章以云南宣威大路边村为研究对象,选取高密度电阻率法、联合剖面法、音频大地电磁法对碎屑岩层进行找水研究。结果表明:三叠系上统飞仙关组(T1f)碎屑岩富水性中等,含水性较均匀;受地面场地狭窄限制,高密度电法及联合剖面法测线长度有限,探测深度较浅,受碎屑岩电阻率小的影响,其找水应用效果不佳,在可探测的深度范围内较难识别基岩裂隙等找水有效异常,需结合其他物探方法甄别异常;音频大地电磁法找水应用效果相对较好,具有较高的横向分辨率,可有效识别碎屑岩中的断裂破碎带及构造裂隙带,表现为相对低阻异常特征;视电阻率单支测深曲线能有效分辨不同深度的岩土层结构,具有较高的纵向分辨率,对裂隙破碎带有较好指示意义。在地面场地较为狭窄的碎屑岩地区开展找水工作,音频大地电磁法结合视电阻单支测深曲线能取得较好效果,以音频大地电磁法确定碎屑岩地区中的裂隙发育带位置,以视电阻单支测深曲线确定裂隙发育带的深度。

X80管道环焊缝拉伸应变容量预测模型对比研究

针对管线钢拉伸应变容量(TSC)预测,提出了一种基于拘束修正的阻力曲线计算方法.在相同的条件下以X80管道环焊缝为例,与ExxonMobil公司提出的两类模型进行了拉伸应变容量预测的对比分析.结果表明:基于拘束修正方法的预估结果与ExxonMobil第1类模型中的水平3预估结果最为接近,与第2类模型在裂纹长度为2c/t=2时最接近,随着裂纹长度继续增加,两种方法的预测差值增加;但ExxonMobil第1类模型的水平1和水平2的评估过程将部分重要参数固定为常数,导致预测结果过于保守.