To improve robustness of mechanical properties of semi-solid cast A356 alloy using taguchi design method

Mechanical properties of semi-solid casting are dependent on multiple processing parameters,and improper processing parameters will not only reduce mean data but also increase variations.The present study investigated the impact of parameters in slurry preparation and heat treatment on the yield strength and ductility of T6 heat-treated A356 Al-Si alloy using rapid slurry forming(RSF)semi-solid casting.The focus was primarily on the robustness of mechanical properties based on Taguchi design method.By analyzing signal-to-noise ratio and minimum value calculated from-3S,the optimum slurry preparation parameters and heat treatment parameters were determined to be no quench,enthalpy exchange material(EEM)temperature of 140℃,EEM-to-melt ratio of 6mass%,stirring time of 18 s,solution heat treated at 520℃ for 2 h,and ageing heat treated at 190℃ for 6 h.In a small batch validation,the-3S yield strength and-3S elongation reach 256.1 MPa and 5.03% respectively,showing a satisfactory robustness.The hardness and microstructure of heat-treated samples with the best and worst properties were characterized to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms affecting the mean value and variations of mechanical properties.

Support design method for deep soft-rock tunnels in non-hydrostatic high in-situ stress field

Due to the long-term plate tectonic movements in southwestern China,the in-situ stress field in deep formations is complex.When passing through deep soft-rock mass under non-hydrostatic high in-situ stress field,tunnels will suffer serious asymmetric deformation.There is no available support design method for tunnels under such a situation in existing studies to clarify the support time and support stiffness.This study first analyzed the mechanical behavior of tunnels in non-hydrostatic in-situ stress field and derived the theoretical equations of the ground squeezing curve(GSC)and ground loosening curve(GLC).Then,based on the convergence confinement theory,the support design method of deep soft-rock tunnels under non-hydrostatic high in-situ stress field was established considering both squeezing and loosening pressures.In addition,this method can provide the clear support time and support stiffness of the second layer of initial support.The proposed design method was applied to the Wanhe tunnel of the China-Laos railway in China.Monitoring data indicated that the optimal support scheme had a good effect on controlling the tunnel deformation in non-hydrostatic high in-situ stress field.Field applications showed that the secondary lining could be constructed properly.

Research on the design method for uniform wear of shield cutters in sand-pebble strata

During shield tunneling in highly abrasive formations such as sand–pebble strata,nonuniform wear of shield cutters is inevitable due to the different cutting distances.Frequent downtimes and cutter replacements have become major obstacles to long-distance shield driving in sand–pebble strata.Based on the cutter wear characteristics in sand–pebble strata in Beijing,a design methodology for the cutterhead and cutters was established in this study to achieve uniform wear of all cutters by the principle of frictional wear.The applicability of the design method was verified through three-dimensional simulations using the engineering discrete element method.The results show that uniform wear of all cutters on the cutterhead could be achieved by installing different numbers of cutters on each trajectory radius and designing a curved spoke with a certain arch height according to the shield diameter.Under the uniform wear scheme,the cutter wear coefficient is greatly reduced,and the largest shield driving distance is increased by approximately 47%over the engineering scheme.The research results indicate that the problem of nonuniform cutter wear in shield excavation could be overcome,thereby providing guiding significance for theoretical innovation and construction of long-distance shield excavation in highly abrasive strata.

A Mixed-Variable Experimental Design Method

Mixed-variable problems are inevitable in engineering. However, few researches pay attention to discrete variables. This paper proposed a mixed-variable experimental design method (ODCD): first, the design variables were divided into discrete variables and continuous variables;then, the DVD method was employed for handling discrete variables, the LHD method was applied for continuous variables, and finally, a Columnwise-Pairwise Algorithm was used for the overall optimization of the design matrix. Experimental results demonstrated that the ODCD method outperforms in terms of the sample space coverage performance.

Landscape Design Methods of Urban Sponge Park

Urban rain-caused floods can not be well resolved with rising urban problem. Hence, construction of sponge park is born at the right moment. The research reviewed the concept, content and value of sponge parks and proposed theory and principle of landscape design in order to seek the method of landscape design of sponge parks, improve urban eco-environment and advance harmony development between human and nature.

Simplified design method for shear-valve magnetorheological dampers

Based on the Bingham parallel-plate model, a simplified design method of shear-valve magnetorheological （MR） dampers is proposed considering the magnetic circuit optimization. Correspondingly, a new MR damper with a full-length effective damping path is proposed. The prototype dampers are also fabricated and studied numerically and experimentally. According to the test results, the Bingham parallel-plate model is further modified to obtain a damping force prediction model of the proposed MR dampers. This prediction model considers the magnetic saturation phenomenon. The study indicates that the proposed simplified design method is simple, effective and reliable. The maximum damping force of the proposed MR dampers with a full-length effective damping path is at least twice as large as those of conventional MR dampers. The dynamic range of damping force increases by at least 70%. The proposed damping force prediction model considers the magnetic saturation phenomenon and it can realize the actual characteristic of MR fluids. The model is able to predict the actual damping force of MR dampers precisely.

Based on Design Method of Regional Architecture

In face of energy crisis,raw materials exhaustion,environmental pollution and other environmental issues caused by the current social and economic development model,theory and method of regional architecture have been noted and studied by persons in the field of architecture and ecology.In the paper,the author analyzes architectural region,interprets regional architecture of Mario Botta and summarizes organic theory with a view to recognizing the importance of regional architecture method and reflecting on the significance of architectural region theories at the present times under the background of current globalization and information era.

Hydraulic Design Method of Wave Dissipating Structure with Partially Perforated Front Wall

Based on the matching conditions of different fluid regions, the eigenfunction expansion method is used to develop a theoretical formula for wave reflection in front of the perforated structure with a partially slit front wall. The accuracy of the solution is verified by comparing the numerical results with experimental data. In addition, a new hydraulic design method is developed by derivation of the theoretical formula with respect to the porosity of the slit wall, and the results of this design method is drafted for harbour engineers to use.

Application of the Modified nverse Design Method in the Optimization of the Runner Blade of a Mixed-Flow Pump

To improve the design speed and reduce the design cost for the previous blade design method, a modified inverse design method is presented. In the new method, after a series of physical and mathematical simplifications, a sail?like constrained area is proposed, which can be used to configure di erent runner blade shapes. Then, the new method is applied to redesign and optimize the runner blade of the scale core component of the 1400?MW canned nuclear coolant pump in an established multi?optimization system compromising the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) analysis, the Response Surface Methodology(RSM) and the Non?dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm?II(NSGA?II). After the execution of the optimization procedure, three optimal samples were ultimately obtained. Then, through comparative analysis using the target runner blade, it was found that the maximum e ciency improvement reached 1.6%, while the head improvement was about 10%. Overall, a promising runner blade inverse design method which will benefit the hydraulic design of the mixed?flow pump has been proposed.

The Conceptual Design Method for a Pumping Unit Based on QFD and TRIZ

Quality function deployment （QFD） is a quality system, that can help to design novel products that meet customers＇ needs. Theory of inventive problem solving （TRIZ） is a very powerful tool in helping to solve difficult technical problems encountered in the design process. Introducing QFD and TRIZ into the conceptual design of the pumping unit combines advantages of these two theories, therefore meeting different demands of different users. It can tell us “What should we do it” with QFD and “How should we do it” with TRIZ. The conceptual design method, which is based on QFD and TRIZ, is introduced andused to analyze and evaluate the conceptual design project of a pumping unit.

An alternative practical design method for structures with viscoelastic dampers

Viscoelastic dampers（VEDs） are one of the most common passive control devices used in new and retrofit building projects which reduce the structure responses and dissipate seismic energy during an earthquake.Various methods to design this kind of dampers have been proposed based on the desired level of additional damping,eigenvalue assignment,modal strain energy,linear quadratic regulator control theories,and other approaches.In the current engineering practice,the popular method is the one based on the modal strain energy that uses the inter-story lateral stiffness as one of the main variables for damper design.However,depending on the configuration of the structure,in some cases the resulting interstory lateral stiffness can be very large.Consequently,the dampers size would also be large producing much more damping than that effectively necessary,resulting in an increase of the overall cost of the supplemental damping system and causing excessive stress on the structural elements connected to the dampers.In this paper an alternative practical design method for structures with VEDs is proposed.This method uses the inter-story shear forces as one of the main variables to accomplish the damper design compared to what was done in previous studies.Nonlinear time-history analyses were conducted on a 7-story reinforced concrete（RC） structure to check the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed method.Comparisons on the seismic performance between the structure without dampers and that equipped with VEDs were carried out.It is concluded that the proposed method results in a very suitable size of dampers,which are able to improve the performance of the structure at all levels of earthquake ground motions and satisfying the drift requirement prescribed in the codes.

A New Rational-based Optimal Design Strategy of Ship Structure Based on Multi-level Analysis and Super-element Modeling Method

A new multi-level analysis method of introducing the super-element modeling method, derived from the multi-level analysis method first proposed by O. F. Hughes, has been proposed in this paper to solve the problem of high time cost in adopting a rational-based optimal design method for ship structural design. Furthermore,the method was verified by its effective application in optimization of the mid-ship section of a container ship. A full 3-D FEM model of a ship,suffering static and quasi-static loads, was used as the analyzing object for evaluating the structural performance of the mid-ship module, including static strength and buckling performance. Research results reveal that this new method could substantially reduce the computational cost of the rational-based optimization problem without decreasing its accuracy, which increases the feasibility and economic efficiency of using a rational-based optimal design method in ship structural design.

The height-width ratio limited value for rubber bearing isolated structure computed by uniform design method

Rubber isolation is the most mature control technology in practical application, and is widely used by short rigid buildings. However, many high isolation buildings have been built around the world in recent years, which do not follow the existing criterions and codes. Many researchers began to research the special problems caused by larger height-width ratio isolation structures. The overturning effect of high height-width ratio structures with rubber bearing is firstly studied. Considering the main factors, such as the height-width ratio of structures, type of site, the designed basic acceleration of ground motion and the decouple factor in horizon, computing experiment is defined with the Uniform Design Method, which is also known as designing isolation structure. The forces of the bearing under edge of structures based on the position of the rubber bearing are calculated. The result indicates that the rubber bearings will lose its functionality under very high tension and compressing force of earthquake motion in horizon and vertical, when the height-width ratio is over a certain value. Thus, based on the calculation result of isolation structures defined in the uniform design method, regression analysis is conducted, and also the rubber edge force regression formula are gotten, which has higher correlation and smaller standard deviation. This formula can be used to roughly calculate whether the pull force occurs at the edge of the building. By the edge bearings of isolation structure minimum force formula, the height-width ratio limited value of the isolation structure is deducted when rubber bearing has minimum force of zero.

Topology Optimal Design of Material Microstructures Using Strain Energy-based Method

Sensitivity analysis and topology optimization of microstructures using strain energy-based method is presented. Compared with homogenization method, the strain energy-based method has advantages of higher computing efficiency and simplified programming. Both the dual convex programming method and perimeter constraint scheme are used to optimize the 2D and 3D microstructures. Numerical results indicate that the strain energy-based method has the same effectiveness as that of homogenization method for orthotropic materials.

Design Theory and Method of Complex Products:A Review

Design is a high-level and complex thinking activity of human beings,using existing knowledge and technology to solve problems and create new things.With the rise and development of intelligent manufacturing,design has increasingly reflected its importance in the product life cycle.Firstly,the concept and connotation of complex product design is expounded systematically,and the different types of design are discussed.The four schools of design theory are introduced,including universal design,axiomatic design,TRIZ and general design.Then the research status of complex product design is analyzed,such as innovative design,digital design,modular design,reliability optimization design,etc.Finally,three key scientific issues worthy of research in the future are indicated,and five research trends of“newer,better,smarter,faster,and greener”are summarized,aiming to provide references for the equipment design and manufacturing industry.

Probabilistic limit state design methodof the axial resistance of post grouting pile

The reliability of post grouting pile axial resistance was studied by proposing a design method for its probabilistic limit state,which is represented by the partial coefficients of load,end,and side resistance.The hyperbolic,modified hyperbolic,and polynomial models were employed to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of test piles that were not loaded to damage in field tests.The results were used for the calculation and calibration of the reliability index.The reliability of the probabilistic limit state design method was verified by an engineering case.The results show that the prediction results obtained from the modified hyperbolic model are closest to those obtained through the static load test.The proposed corresponding values of total,side,and end resistance partial coefficients are 1.84,1.66,and 2.73 when the dead and live load partial coefficients are taken as 1.1 and 1.4,respectively.Meanwhile,the corresponding partial coefficients of total,side,and end resistance are 1.70,1.56,and 2.34 when the dead and live load partial coefficients are taken as 1.2 and 1.4,respectively.

Design methods of headed studs for composite decks of through steel bridges in high-speed railway

Aimed at two typical composite floor systems of through steel bridges in high speed railway,design methods of headed studs were put forward for different composite members through comparing and analyzing the structure,mechanical characteristics and transmission routes of deck loads.The simplified calculation models were brought out for the stud design of the longitudinal girders and transverse girders in the composite floor system of Nanjing Dashengguan Yangtze River Bridge (NDB).Studs were designed and arranged by taking the middle panel of 336 m main span for example.The results show that under deck loads,the longitudinal girders in the composite floor system of through steel bridges are in tension-bending state,longitudinal shear force on the interface is caused by both longitudinal force of "The first mechanical system" and vertical bending of "The second mechanical system",and studs can be arranged with equal space in terms of the shear force in range of 0.2d (where d is the panel length) on the top ends.Transverse girders in steel longitudinal and transverse girders-concrete slab composite deck are in compound-bending state,and out-of-plane bending has to be taken into account in the stud design.In orthotropic integral steel deck-concrete slab composite deck,out-of-plane bending of transverse girders is very small so that it can be neglected,and studs on the orthotropic integral steel deck can be arranged according to the structural requirements.The above design methods and simplified calculation models have been applied in the stud design of NDB.

RHOMBUS THINKING METHOD AND ITS APPLICATION IN SCHEME DESIGN

Rhombus thinking, a new creative thinking method,is the combination of divergent thinking process and convergent thinking process,in which qualitative analysis is carried out before quantitative analysis This method tries to solve the bottle neck problem in intelligent CAD based on the extension theory The rhombus thinking method to the scheme design of new products is applied In this process, firstly, the matter element expression for the know information are set up, and then a set of matter elements are opened up by matter elements extension method; Finally,the useful information are got by appraisal method of dependent degree It has been successfully applied to the scheme design for the cutter store of machining center Theoretical and experimental results demonstrated fhat the method is much more accurate,objective and efficient than the traditional one

Design methods of rhombic tensegrity structures

As a special type of novel flexible structures, tensegrity holds promise for many potential applications in such fields as materials science, biomechanics, civil and aerospace engineering. Rhombic systems are an important class of tensegrity structures, in which each bar constitutes the longest diagonal of a rhombus of four strings. In this paper, we address the design methods of rhombic structures based on the idea that many tensegrity structures can be constructed by assembling one-bar elementary cells. By analyzing the properties of rhombic cells, we first develop two novel schemes, namely, direct enumeration scheme and cell-substitution scheme. In addition, a facile and efficient method is presented to integrate several rhombic systems into a larger tensegrity structure. To illustrate the applications of these methods, some novel rhombic tensegrity structures are constructed.

Design of Retarded Fractional Delay Differential Systems Using the Method of Inequalities

Methods based on numerical optimization are useful and effective in the design of control systems. This paper describes the design of retarded fractional delay differential systems （RFDDSs） by the method of inequalities, in which the design problem is formulated so that it is suitable for solution by numerical methods. Zakian＇s original formulation, which was first proposed in connection with rational systems, is extended to the case of RFDDSs. In making the use of this formulation possible for RFDDSs, the associated stability problems are resolved by using the stability test and the numerical algorithm for computing the abscissa of stability recently developed by the authors. During the design process, the time responses are obtained by a known method for the numerical inversion of Laplace transforms. Two numerical examples are given, where fractional controllers are designed for a time-delay and a heat-conduction plants.