Full-Scale Isogeometric Topology Optimization of Cellular Structures Based on Kirchhoff-Love Shells

Cellular thin-shell structures are widely applied in ultralightweight designs due to their high bearing capacity and strength-to-weight ratio.In this paper,a full-scale isogeometric topology optimization(ITO)method based on Kirchhoff-Love shells for designing cellular tshin-shell structures with excellent damage tolerance ability is proposed.This method utilizes high-order continuous nonuniform rational B-splines(NURBS)as basis functions for Kirchhoff-Love shell elements.The geometric and analysis models of thin shells are unified by isogeometric analysis(IGA)to avoid geometric approximation error and improve computational accuracy.The topological configurations of thin-shell structures are described by constructing the effective density field on the controlmesh.Local volume constraints are imposed in the proximity of each control point to obtain bone-like cellular structures.To facilitate numerical implementation,the p-norm function is used to aggregate local volume constraints into an equivalent global constraint.Several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.After simulation and comparative analysis,the results indicate that the cellular thin-shell structures optimized by the proposed method exhibit great load-carrying behavior and high damage robustness.

Full-Scale Numerical Simulation of the Local Scour Under Combined Current and Wave Conditions Based on Field Data

The monopile is the most common foundation to support offshore wind turbines.In the marine environment,local scour due to combined currents and waves is a significant issue that must be considered in the design of wind turbine foundations.In this paper,a full-scale numerical model was developed and validated based on field data from Rudong,China.The scour development around monopiles was investigated,and the effects of waves and the Reynolds number Re were analyzed.Several formulas for predicting the scour depth in the literature have been evaluated.It is found that waves can accelerate scour development even if the KC number is small(0.78<KC<1.57).The formula obtained from small-scale model tests may be unsafe or wasteful when it is applied in practical design due to the scale effect.A new equation for predicting the scour depth based on the average pile Reynolds number(Rea)is proposed and validated with field data.The equilibrium scour depth predicted using the proposed equation is evaluated and compared with those from nine equations in the literature.It is demonstrated that the values predicted from the proposed equation and from the S/M(Sheppard/Melville)equation are closer to the field data.

Stiffness Degradation Modeling for Composite Wind Turbine Blades Based on Full-Scale Fatigue Testing

In order to provide more insights into the damage propagation composite wind turbine blades(blade)under cyclic fatigue loading,a stiffness degradation model for blade is proposed based on the full-scale fatigue testing of a blade.A novel non-linear fatigue damage accumulation model is proposed using the damage assessment theories of composite laminates for the first time.Then,a stiffness degradation model is established based on the correlation of fatigue damage and residual stiffness of the composite laminates.Finally,a stiffness degradation model for the blade is presented based on the full-scale fatigue testing.The scientific rationale of the proposed stiffness model of blade is verified by using full-scale fatigue test data of blade with a total length of 52.5 m.The results indicate that the proposed stiffness degradation model of the blade agrees well with the fatigue testing results of this blade.This work provides a basis for evaluating the fatigue damage and lifetime of blade under cyclic fatigue loading.

A Full-Scale Optimization of a Crop Spatial Planting Structure and its Associated Effects

Driven by the concept of agricultural sustainable development,crop planting structure optimization(CPSO)has become an effective measure to reduce regional crop water demand,ensure food security,and protect the environment.However,traditional optimization of crop planting structures often ignores the impact on regional food supply–demand relations and interprovincial food trading.Therefore,using a system analysis concept and taking virtual water output as the connecting point,this study proposes a theoretical CPSO framework based on a multi-aspect and full-scale evaluation index system.To this end,a water footprint(WF)simulation module denoted as soil and water assessment tool–water footprint(SWAT-WF)is constructed to simulate the amount and components of regional crop WFs.A multi-objective spatial CPSO model with the objectives of maximizing the regional economic water productivity(EWP),minimizing the blue water dependency(BWFrate),and minimizing the grey water footprint(GWFgrey)is established to achieve an optimal planting layout.Considering various benefits,a fullscale evaluation index system based on region,province,and country scales is constructed.Through an entropy weight technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution(TOPSIS)comprehensive evaluation model,the optimal plan is selected from a variety of CPSO plans.The proposed framework is then verified through a case study of the upper–middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in Gansu province,China.By combining the theory of virtual water trading with system analysis,the optimal planting structure is found.While sacrificing reasonable regional economic benefits,the optimization of the planting structure significantly improves the regional water resource benefits and ecological benefits at different scales.

Experimental investigations on small-and full-scale ship models with polyurea coatings subjected to underwater explosion

Nowadays, the mitigation of damage to a ship caused by the underwater explosion attracts more and more attention from the modern ship designers. In this study, two kinds of scale tests were conducted to investigate the effects of polyurea coatings on the blast resistance of hulls subjected to underwater explosion. Firstly, small-scale model tests with different polyurea coatings were carried out. Results indicate that polyurea has a better blast resistance performance when coated on the front face, which can effectively reduce the maximum deflection of the steel plate by more than 20% and reduce the deformation energy by 35.7%-45.4%. Next, a full-scale ship(approximately 50 m × 9 m) under loadings produced by the detonation of 33 kg of spherical TNT charges was tested, where a part of the ship was coated with polyurea on the front face(8 mm + 24 mm) and not on the contrast area. Damage characteristics on the bottom were statistically analyzed based on a 3D scanning technology, indicating that polyurea contributes to enhancing the blast protection of the ship. However, damage results of this test were different from those of the small-scale tests. Moreover, the deformation area of the bottom with polyurea was greatly increased by 40.1% to disperse explosion energy, a conclusion that cannot be drown from the small-scale tests.

Experimental and analytical study on design performance of full-scale viscoelastic dampers

Viscoelastic（VE） dampers, with their stiffness and energy dissipation capabilities, have been widely used in civil engineering for mitigating wind-induced vibration and seismic responses of structures, thus enhancing the comfort of residents and serviceability of equipment inside. In past relevant research, most analytical models for characterizing the mechanical behavior of VE dampers were verified by comparing their predictions with performance test results from small-scale specimens, which might not adequately or conservatively represent the actual behavior of full-scale dampers, especially with regard to the ambient temperature, temperature rise, and heat convection effects. Thus, in this study, by using a high-performance testing facility with a temperature control system, full-scale VE dampers were dynamically tested with different displacement amplitudes, excitation frequencies, and ambient temperatures. By comparing the analytical predictions with the experimental results, it is demonstrated that adopting the fractional derivative method together with considering the effects of excitation frequencies, ambient temperatures, temperature rises, softening, and hardening, can reproduce the design performance of full-scale VE dampers very well.

Full-scale multi-functional test platform for investigating mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems of high-speed railways

Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper,and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples.Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways,namely the CRTS I,the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks,the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track,the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways.Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed,including the real bogie loading,multi-point loading and the impact loading.Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement,acceleration,pressure,structural strain and deformation,etc.Utilizing this test platform,both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated,being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways.As examples,three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways.Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform,which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.

Optimum structural design of full-scale steel buildings using drift-tribe-charged system search

In this paper,the potential of utilizing improved metaheuristic approaches in optimal design of building structures is concerned.In this regard,the drift-tribe-charged system search algorithm is proposed that the position and velocity updating processes of the charged system search is developed by implementing the mathematical presentation of the free-electron model utilized for metal conductors.In addition,the searching phase of the developed algorithm is also divided into three separate phases in order to improve the convergence capability of the algorithm.By means of these modifications,the exploitation and exploration rates of the standard algorithm are enhanced.In order to determine the ability of the proposed improved metaheuristic method considering some complex optimization problems,a 10-story steel building structure with 1026 structural members alongside a 60-story structure with 8272 members are utilized as numerical examples.The overall capability of the developed metaheuristic approach is compared with other metaheuristics.A total number of 30 independent runs have been conducted for each of the standard and proposed methods while a statistical analysis is also conducted for comparative purposes.The obtained optimum results demonstrated that the proposed metaheuristic approach is capable of preparing better outcomes than other metaheuristics.

Full-scale Water Modeling on Flow Field of Continuous Casting Mold

In the continuous casting process of aluminum killed steel grades,nozzle clogging is a common problem.Argon is usually injected into the casting channel through stoppers or nozzles to minimize clogs;however,complex two-phase flow regimes appear,and the flow in the mold might deteriorate.This could result in a higher defect rate in the cast product and should be avoided as much as possible.Therefore,it is important to understand the interaction between process conditions and the refractory products used and their impact on the flow pattern in the mold.In this study,a full-scale water model was established to simulate the slab casting process.Three nozzle shapes and three immersion depths were applied to investigate the flow behavior and liquid level fluctuations by the full-scale water model.The relationship between the flow behavior and continuous casting parameters was evaluated.The results provide guidance for the design and production of the refractory nozzle and the operation of the continuous casting plant.

An Advanced Control Strategy for Dual-Actuator Driving System in Full-Scale Fatigue Test of Wind Turbine Blades

A new dual-actuator fatigue loading system of wind turbine blades was designed.Compared with the traditional pendulum loading mode,the masses in this system only moved linearly along the loading direction to increase the exciting force.However,the two actuators and the blade constituted a complicated non-linear energy transferring system,which led to the non-synchronization of actuators.On-site test results showed that the virtual spindle synchronous strategy commonly used in synchronous control was undesirable and caused the instability of the blade’s amplitude eventually.A cross-coupled control strategy based on the active disturbance rejection algorithm was proposed.Firstly,a control system model was built according to the synchronization error and tracking error.Furthermore,based on arranging the transition process,estimating the system state and error feedback,and compensating disturbance,an active disturbance rejection controller was designed by adopting the optimal control function.Finally,on-site test results showed that the cross-coupled control strategy based on the active disturbance rejection algorithm could ensure the synchronization of two actuators.The maximum speed synchronization error of the two motors was less than 16 RPM,the displacement synchronization error of the two actuators was less than 0.25 mm and approaching zero after 4 seconds,and the peak value of vibration of the blade was less than 5 mm,which satisfied the fatigue test requirement.

ZTE Rolls Out the First Full-Scale BBU+RRU Solution in the Industry

August 7,2007,Shenzhen,China-ZTE Corporation ("ZTE"),a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions,announced today the official launch of its GSM BBU+RRU Solution

In-service Structural Health Monitoring of a Full-scale Composite Horizontal Tail

In-service structural health monitoring（SHM） technologies are critical for the utilization of composite aircraft structures. We developed a Lamb wave-based in-service SHM technology using built-in piezoelectric actuator/sensor networks to monitor delamination extension in a full-scale composite horizontal tail. The in-service SHM technology combine of damage rapid monitoring（DRM） stage and damage imaging diagnosis（DID） stage allows for real-time monitoring and long term tracking of the structural integrity of composite aircraft structures. DRM stage using spearman rank correlation coeffi cient was introduced to generate a damage index which can be used to monitor the trend of damage extension. The DID stage based on canonical correlation analysis aimed at intuitively highlighting structural damage regions in two-dimensional images. The DRM and DID stages were trialed by an in-service SHM experiment of CFRP T-joint. Finally, the detection capability of the in-service SHM technology was verified in the SHM experiment of a full-scale composite horizontal tail. Experimental results show that the rapid monitoring method effectively monitors the damage occurrence and extension tendency in real time; damage imaging diagnosis results are consistent with those from the failure model of the composite horizontal tail structure.

Sludge composition and characteristics shaped microbial community and further determined process performance: A study on full-scale thermal hydrolysis-anaerobic digestion processes

Anaerobic digestion (AD) with thermal hydrolysis (TH) pretreatment is a promising process for excess sludge treatment,while there lacks of the knowledge from full-scale process about the impact of sludge composition and characteristics on microbial community and performance.The sludge physiochemical indices,microbial community and performance data of four full-scale TH-AD plants were characterized,and their relationships was elucidated.The four plants were operated under almost similar total organic loading rate (OLR)but their methanogenesis performance differentiate into two groups,namely superior group(SupG) and the inferior group (Inf G).In both groups,TH effectively solubilized particulate organic compounds,meanwhile raised the ammonia nitrogen (NH_(4)^(+)-N) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration.Compared with the Sup G,thermal hydrolyzed sludge of Inf G had higher level of VFAs,NH_(4)^(+)-N and total chemical oxygen demand (t COD),which showed higher inhibition effect on microbes,leading to a community with lower diversity,lower abundance of carbohydrate degrading functional guild,higher protein degrading one,and methanogens that adapted to limited substrates,and further declined the methane production rate.Thus,it was recommended that OLR alone was not sufficient for controlling the system in design and operation,the concentration of VFAs,NH_(4)^(+)-N and t COD should be equally considered.Their higher concentration,together with the higher abundance of Defluviitoga and Proteiniphilum were recommended as indicators for inferior running condition.Our results proposed that microbial communities played a role of bridge between environmental factors and performance,provided implications for engineering ecology and operational regulation for full-scale sludge TH-AD process.

Biotoxicity dynamic change and key toxic organics identification of coal chemical wastewater along a novel full-scale treatment process

It is particularly important to comprehensively assess the biotoxicity variation of industrial wastewater along the treatment process for ensuring the water environment security.However,intensive studies on the biotoxicity reduction of industrial wastewater are still limited.In this study,the toxic organics removal and biotoxicity reduction of coal chemical wastewater(CCW)along a novel full-scale treatment process based on the pretreatment process-anaerobic process-biological enhanced(BE)process-anoxic/oxic(A/O)process-advanced treatment process was evaluated.This process performed great removal efficiency of COD,total phenol,NH_(4)^(+)-N and total nitrogen.And the biotoxicity variation along the treatment units was analyzed from the perspective of acute biotoxicity,genotixicity and oxidative damage.The results indicated that the effluent of pretreatment process presented relatively high acute biotoxicity to Tetrahymena thermophila.But the acute biotoxicity was significantly reduced in BE-A/O process.And the genotoxicity and oxidative damage to Tetrahymena thermophila were significantly decreased after advanced treatment.The polar organics in CCW were identified as the main biotoxicity contributors.Phenols were positively correlated with acute biotoxicity,while the nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were positively correlated with genotoxicity.Although the biotoxicity was effectively reduced in the novel full-scale treatment process,the effluent still performed potential biotoxicity,which need to be further explored in order to reduce environmental risk.

A deep neural network based surrogate model for damage identification in full-scale structures with incomplete noisy measurements

The paper introduces a novel approach for detecting structural damage in full-scale structures using surrogate models generated from incomplete modal data and deep neural networks(DNNs).A significant challenge in this field is the limited availability of measurement data for full-scale structures,which is addressed in this paper by generating data sets using a reduced finite element(FE)model constructed by SAP2000 software and the MATLAB programming loop.The surrogate models are trained using response data obtained from the monitored structure through a limited number of measurement devices.The proposed approach involves training a single surrogate model that can quickly predict the location and severity of damage for all potential scenarios.To achieve the most generalized surrogate model,the study explores different types of layers and hyperparameters of the training algorithm and employs state-of-the-art techniques to avoid overfitting and to accelerate the training process.The approach’s effectiveness,efficiency,and applicability are demonstrated by two numerical examples.The study also verifies the robustness of the proposed approach on data sets with sparse and noisy measured data.Overall,the proposed approach is a promising alternative to traditional approaches that rely on FE model updating and optimization algorithms,which can be computationally intensive.This approach also shows potential for broader applications in structural damage detection.

Full-scale experiment for segmental linings of deep-buried shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure:Comparison of mechanical behaviors of continuous-and stagger-jointed structures

Full-scale loading tests were performed on shield segmental linings bearing a high earth pressure and high inner water pressure,focus-ing on the effects of the inner water load and assembly manner on the mechanical properties of the segmental linings.The test results indicate that the deep-buried segmental linings without inner pressure have a high safety reserve.After the action of high inner water pressure,the lining deformation will increase with the reduction of the safety reserve,caused by the significant decrease in the axial force in the linings.Because the bending moment at the segmental joints is transferred to the segment sections in the adjacent ling rings,the convergence deformation,openings of segmental joints,and bolt strains are smaller for the stagger-jointed lining than those for the continuous-jointed lining;however,dislocations appear in the circumferential joints owing to the stagger-jointed assembly.Although it significantly improves the mechanical performance of the segmental lining,stagger-jointed assembly results in compromising the water-proofing safety of circumferential joints.The stagger-jointed assembly manner can be considered to improve the service performance of shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure on the premise that circumferential joint waterproofing is satisfied.

An engineered lamellar bone mimicking full-scale hierarchical architecture for bone regeneration

Lamellar bone,compactly and ingeniously organized in the hierarchical pattern with 6 ordered scales,is the structural motif of mature bone.Each hierarchical scale exerts an essential role in determining physiological behavior and osteogenic bioactivity of bone.Engineering lamellar bone with full-scale hierarchy remains a longstanding challenge.Herein,using bioskiving and mineralization,we attempt to engineer compact constructs resembling full-scale hierarchy of lamellar bone.Through systematically investigating the effect of mineralization on physicochemical properties and bioactivities of multi-sheeted collagen matrix fabricated by bioskiving,the hierarchical mimicry and hierarchy-property relationship are elucidated.With prolongation of mineralization,hierarchical mimicry and osteogenic bioactivity of constructs are performed in a bidirectional manner,i.e.first rising and then descending,which is supposed to be related with transformation of mineralization mechanism from nonclassical to classical crystallization.Construct mineralized 9 days can accurately mimic each hierarchical scale and efficiently promote osteogenesis.Bioinformatic analysis further reveals that this construct potently activates integrinα5-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through mechanical and biophysical cues,and thereby repairing critical-sized bone defect.The present study provides a bioinspired strategy for completely resembling complex hierarchy of compact mineralized tissue,and offers a critical research model for in-depth studying the structure-function relationship of bone.

Study on smoke propagation in tunnel construction of a hydropower station: A full-scale fire experiment

In this study,full-scale fire experiments were conducted in a hydropower station to investigate smoke propagation during tunnel construction.The flame height,smoke temperature and stratification,smoke descent and spread velocity were analyzed via measurements and on-site observations.The initial combustion stage was largely affected by ignition source during tunnel construction for diesel pool fire,and the average flame height in the fully developed stage could reach 1.4-2.1 m in experimental fire scenarios.The gradient of the smoke temperature evolution near the fire was the opposite for the upstream and downstream regions.The longitudinal temperature distribution was concentrated in a small range at the heights of the smoke layer,and gradually decreased by air entrainment as the height decreased,while further increasing in the lower half of the tunnel height in the near-fire region under heat radiation from the fire source.Moreover,distinct and stable smoke stratification formed during the fully developed combustion stage,and the smoke layer interface was at approximately half the tunnel height.Smoke descent was aggravated in the decay stage of combustion,and the fire risk remained high after the fully developed period.The smoke front spread velocity was empirically determined for the full-scale tunnel fire scenarios.Conclusions from full-scale experiments can support smoke control design and on-site fire emergency response plans for hydropower stations.

Mechanical performances of shield tunnel segments under asymmetric unloading induced by pit excavation

To explore the stress and deformation responses,as well as the failure characteristics of the shield tunnel segment of Hangzhou Metro under the influences of pit excavation and other surrounding projects,a self-developed“shield tunnel segment hydraulic loading system”was used to carry out full-scale loading tests on the three-ring staggered assembled segments.The structural performances and failure process of the tunnel segment under step-by-step asymmetric unloading were studied.A safety index was proposed to describe the bearing capacity of the segment.Next,a finite element model(FEM)was established to analyze the bearing capacity of segment using the test results.Finally,the effect of reinforcement with a steel plate on the deformation and bearing capacity of the segment was analyzed.The results showed that under asymmetric unloading,the peak value and amplitude of the bending moment on the near unloading side converged with a greater value than those on the far side.The concrete internal force exhibited a directional transformation at different load stages.Cracks first appeared at the 180inner arc surface of the bottom standard block and then expanded to both sides,while the rate of crack propagation of the outer arc surface was relatively lower.The bearing capacity of the segments can be evaluated by the combination of the factors,e.g.the residual bearing capacity coefficient,moment transfer coefficient,and characterization coefficient.The segments approaching failure can facilitate the increase in the residual bearing capacity coefficient by more than 50%.This can provide guidance for the service assessment of metro tunnel operations.