Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation is an effective method for large-scale transportation and utilization of hydrogen energy. Revealing the flow mechanism of cryogenic working fluid is the key to optimize heat ...Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation is an effective method for large-scale transportation and utilization of hydrogen energy. Revealing the flow mechanism of cryogenic working fluid is the key to optimize heat exchanger structure and hydrogen liquefaction process(LH2). The methods of cryogenic visualization experiment, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation are conducted to study the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in LH2spiral wound heat exchanger.The results show that the flow rate of mixed refrigerant has a great influence on liquid film spreading process, falling film flow pattern and heat transfer performance. The liquid film of LH2mixed refrigerant with column flow pattern can not uniformly and completely cover the tube wall surface. As liquid flow rate increases, the falling film flow pattern evolves into sheet-column flow and sheet flow, and liquid film completely covers the surface of tube wall. With the increase of shear effect of gas-phase mixed refrigerant in the same direction, the liquid film gradually becomes unstable, and the flow pattern eventually evolves into a mist flow.展开更多
Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a public health problem and have forced many workers to quit their jobs prematurely. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs ...Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a public health problem and have forced many workers to quit their jobs prematurely. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs among Healthcare workers in five reference hospitals in the City of Douala-Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 561 healthcare workers working in five reference hospitals in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Participants were selected using a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected with structured questionnaires;data on the demographics and risk factors were collected using a well-designed questionnaire, while estimation of the prevalence of WRMSDs was done using the Modified Nordic questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was 83.4% (468/561). The prevalence per professional groups was as follows: 88.8% (71) for Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS), 81.9% (289) for nurses, 21 (80.8%) for Physiotherapists (PTs) and 78.8% (41) for Medical Doctors (MDs). There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in the prevalence of WRMSDs with respect to place of work where healthcare workers from HLD recorded the highest prevalence 89.9%, while Healthcare workers from NBDH were 2.91 times at risk (AOR = 2.91;95% CI: 1.32 - 6.41;p = 0.001) to develop WRMSDs than healthcare workers in the other hospitals. With respect to body region, the highest prevalence of WRMSDs was recorded on the lower back, 58.8% with the lowest at the elbows 11.2%. The age group 30 to 39 years was significantly associated with WRMSDs at level of the shoulder (p = 0.002), upper back (p = 0.019), elbows (p Conclusion: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was high. The prevalence of WRMSDs is highest among MLS and nurses and the most affected body parts are;lower back, neck and upper back. Working on the same posture, stressful job, and repetitive tasks were the major risk factors associated to WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals.展开更多
A large number of nanopores and complex fracture structures in shale reservoirs results in multi-scale flow of oil. With the development of shale oil reservoirs, the permeability of multi-scale media undergoes changes...A large number of nanopores and complex fracture structures in shale reservoirs results in multi-scale flow of oil. With the development of shale oil reservoirs, the permeability of multi-scale media undergoes changes due to stress sensitivity, which plays a crucial role in controlling pressure propagation and oil flow. This paper proposes a multi-scale coupled flow mathematical model of matrix nanopores, induced fractures, and hydraulic fractures. In this model, the micro-scale effects of shale oil flow in fractal nanopores, fractal induced fracture network, and stress sensitivity of multi-scale media are considered. We solved the model iteratively using Pedrosa transform, semi-analytic Segmented Bessel function, Laplace transform. The results of this model exhibit good agreement with the numerical solution and field production data, confirming the high accuracy of the model. As well, the influence of stress sensitivity on permeability, pressure and production is analyzed. It is shown that the permeability and production decrease significantly when induced fractures are weakly supported. Closed induced fractures can inhibit interporosity flow in the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). It has been shown in sensitivity analysis that hydraulic fractures are beneficial to early production, and induced fractures in SRV are beneficial to middle production. The model can characterize multi-scale flow characteristics of shale oil, providing theoretical guidance for rapid productivity evaluation.展开更多
Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs are renowned for their intricate pore networks and vuggy nature,posing significant challenges in modeling and simulating fluid flow within these carbonate reservoirs.Despite possessing ex...Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs are renowned for their intricate pore networks and vuggy nature,posing significant challenges in modeling and simulating fluid flow within these carbonate reservoirs.Despite possessing excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeability,these reservoirs typically exhibit a notably low recovery factor,sometimes falling below 10%.Previous research has indicated that various enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods,such as water alternating gas(WAG),can substantially augment the recovery factor in pre-salt reservoirs,resulting in improvements of up to 20%.Nevertheless,the fluid flow mechanism within Brazilian carbonate reservoirs,characterized by complex pore geometry,remains unclear.Our study examines the behavior of fluid flow in a similar heterogeneous porous material,utilizing a plug sample obtained from a vugular segment of a Brazilian stromatolite outcrop,known to share analogies with certain pre-salt reservoirs.We conducted single-phase and multi-phase core flooding experiments,complemented by medical-CT scanning,to generate flow streamlines and evaluate the efficiency of water flooding.Subsequently,micro-CT scanning of the core sample was performed,and two cross-sections from horizontal and vertical plates were constructed.These cross-sections were then employed as geometries in a numerical simulator,enabling us to investigate the impact of pore geometry on fluid flow.Analysis of the pore-scale modeling and experimental data unveiled that the presence of dead-end pores and vugs results in a significant portion of the fluid remaining stagnant within these regions.Consequently,the injected fluid exhibits channeling-like behavior,leading to rapid breakthrough and low areal swept efficiency.Additionally,the numerical simulation results demonstrated that,irrespective of the size of the dead-end regions,the pressure variation within the dead-end vugs and pores is negligible.Despite the stromatolite's favorable petrophysical properties,including relatively high porosity and permeability,as well as the presence of interconnected large vugs,the recovery factor during water flooding remained low due to early breakthrough.These findings align with field data obtained from pre-salt reservoirs,providing an explanation for the observed low recovery factor during water flooding in such reservoirs.展开更多
Measurement of bloodflow velocity is key to understanding physiology and pathology in vivo.While most measurements are performed at the middle of the blood vessel,little research has been done on characterizing the in...Measurement of bloodflow velocity is key to understanding physiology and pathology in vivo.While most measurements are performed at the middle of the blood vessel,little research has been done on characterizing the instantaneous bloodflow velocity distribution.This is mainly due to the lack of measurement technology with high spatial and temporal resolution.Here,we tackle this problem with our recently developed dual-wavelength line-scan third-harmonic generation(THG)imaging technology.Simultaneous acquisition of dual-wavelength THG line-scanning signals enables measurement of bloodflow velocities at two radially symmetric positions in both venules and arterioles in mouse brain in vivo.Our results clearly show that the instantaneous bloodflow velocity is not symmetric under general conditions.展开更多
The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a...The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.展开更多
Introduction: Work-related stress has become a global issue in the nursing workplace, with about 9.20% - 68.0% of nurses globally experiencing stress. Conversely, work-related stress ranges between 20% and 40% in nurs...Introduction: Work-related stress has become a global issue in the nursing workplace, with about 9.20% - 68.0% of nurses globally experiencing stress. Conversely, work-related stress ranges between 20% and 40% in nursing. Other researchers noted that 35.1% of nurses globally experienced elevated stress levels. Stress can damage well-being and lead to coping, which can, directly and indirectly, improve well-being through a perceived state. Nurses need coping mechanisms to manage their stress levels and maintain stability. Coping mechanisms can vary greatly depending on a nurse’s culture and background. Numerous findings indicate that managing stress is more critical than the cause of stress and that the more successful a stress-management approach, the less damage stress brings. Objective: In response to this, it is necessary to explore Omani nurses’ stress level and their coping strategies working in tertiary governmental hospitals in Muscat. Methods: The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design from 15 October 2020 to 30 November 2020. Samples were selected through proportionate population sampling (PPS) from the five selected tertiary hospitals. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires using a perceived stress scale and Ways of Coping. A simple random sample within a stratum (each hospital admitting ward) was done to identify the study participants. The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. Results: About 83.3% of participants had a moderate perceived level of stress with an overall mean perceived stress level of 18.46 ± 4.52. The most common sources of perceived stress are feeling nervous and “stressed” in the last month (2.30 ± 0.95). According to the ways of coping strategies, nurses seemed to be resorting to more “planful problem” (mean = 11.04) and least was seeking social support (mean = 9.67). Conclusion: This study highlighted the work-related stress level of staff nurses, explored their ways of coping and determined the relationship between work-related stress levels and methods of coping. The key finding of this study was that the frequency of stress reported by nurses was high enough to suggest that their stress levels were significant, given the demanding nature of their profession that requires maximum attention. Additionally, nurses seemed to resort to more planful problem-solving mechanisms to deal with their stressful situations than other coping strategies.展开更多
The flow field near a spur dike such as down flow and horseshoe vortex system(HVS)are susceptible to the topographic changes in the local scouring process,resulting in variation of the sediment transport with time.In ...The flow field near a spur dike such as down flow and horseshoe vortex system(HVS)are susceptible to the topographic changes in the local scouring process,resulting in variation of the sediment transport with time.In this study,large eddy simulations with fixed-bed at different scouring stages were conducted to investigate the changes in flow field.The results imply that the bed deformation leads to an increase in flow rate per unit area,which represent the capability of sediment transportation by water,in the scour hole.Moreover,the intensity of turbulent kinetic energy and bimodal motion near the sand bed induced by the HVS were also varied.However,the peak moments between the two sediment transport mechanisms were different.Hence,understanding the complex feedback mechanism between topography and flow field is essential for the local scour problem.展开更多
Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy ...Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner;the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52304067,62273213)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China(ZR2021QE073)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province for Innovation and Development Joint Funds(ZR2022LZH001)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M732111)。
文摘Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation is an effective method for large-scale transportation and utilization of hydrogen energy. Revealing the flow mechanism of cryogenic working fluid is the key to optimize heat exchanger structure and hydrogen liquefaction process(LH2). The methods of cryogenic visualization experiment, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation are conducted to study the falling film flow characteristics with the effect of co-current gas flow in LH2spiral wound heat exchanger.The results show that the flow rate of mixed refrigerant has a great influence on liquid film spreading process, falling film flow pattern and heat transfer performance. The liquid film of LH2mixed refrigerant with column flow pattern can not uniformly and completely cover the tube wall surface. As liquid flow rate increases, the falling film flow pattern evolves into sheet-column flow and sheet flow, and liquid film completely covers the surface of tube wall. With the increase of shear effect of gas-phase mixed refrigerant in the same direction, the liquid film gradually becomes unstable, and the flow pattern eventually evolves into a mist flow.
文摘Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a public health problem and have forced many workers to quit their jobs prematurely. This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs among Healthcare workers in five reference hospitals in the City of Douala-Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 561 healthcare workers working in five reference hospitals in the city of Douala, Cameroon. Participants were selected using a convenient sampling technique. Data were collected with structured questionnaires;data on the demographics and risk factors were collected using a well-designed questionnaire, while estimation of the prevalence of WRMSDs was done using the Modified Nordic questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was 83.4% (468/561). The prevalence per professional groups was as follows: 88.8% (71) for Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS), 81.9% (289) for nurses, 21 (80.8%) for Physiotherapists (PTs) and 78.8% (41) for Medical Doctors (MDs). There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in the prevalence of WRMSDs with respect to place of work where healthcare workers from HLD recorded the highest prevalence 89.9%, while Healthcare workers from NBDH were 2.91 times at risk (AOR = 2.91;95% CI: 1.32 - 6.41;p = 0.001) to develop WRMSDs than healthcare workers in the other hospitals. With respect to body region, the highest prevalence of WRMSDs was recorded on the lower back, 58.8% with the lowest at the elbows 11.2%. The age group 30 to 39 years was significantly associated with WRMSDs at level of the shoulder (p = 0.002), upper back (p = 0.019), elbows (p Conclusion: The overall prevalence rate of WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals was high. The prevalence of WRMSDs is highest among MLS and nurses and the most affected body parts are;lower back, neck and upper back. Working on the same posture, stressful job, and repetitive tasks were the major risk factors associated to WRMSDs among healthcare workers in Douala hospitals.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22B2075,52274056,51974356).
文摘A large number of nanopores and complex fracture structures in shale reservoirs results in multi-scale flow of oil. With the development of shale oil reservoirs, the permeability of multi-scale media undergoes changes due to stress sensitivity, which plays a crucial role in controlling pressure propagation and oil flow. This paper proposes a multi-scale coupled flow mathematical model of matrix nanopores, induced fractures, and hydraulic fractures. In this model, the micro-scale effects of shale oil flow in fractal nanopores, fractal induced fracture network, and stress sensitivity of multi-scale media are considered. We solved the model iteratively using Pedrosa transform, semi-analytic Segmented Bessel function, Laplace transform. The results of this model exhibit good agreement with the numerical solution and field production data, confirming the high accuracy of the model. As well, the influence of stress sensitivity on permeability, pressure and production is analyzed. It is shown that the permeability and production decrease significantly when induced fractures are weakly supported. Closed induced fractures can inhibit interporosity flow in the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV). It has been shown in sensitivity analysis that hydraulic fractures are beneficial to early production, and induced fractures in SRV are beneficial to middle production. The model can characterize multi-scale flow characteristics of shale oil, providing theoretical guidance for rapid productivity evaluation.
基金the support of EPIC-Energy Production Innovation Center,hosted by the University of Campinas(UNICAMP)sponsored by FAPESP-Sao Paulo Research Foundation(2017/15736e3 process).
文摘Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs are renowned for their intricate pore networks and vuggy nature,posing significant challenges in modeling and simulating fluid flow within these carbonate reservoirs.Despite possessing excellent petrophysical properties,such as high porosity and permeability,these reservoirs typically exhibit a notably low recovery factor,sometimes falling below 10%.Previous research has indicated that various enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods,such as water alternating gas(WAG),can substantially augment the recovery factor in pre-salt reservoirs,resulting in improvements of up to 20%.Nevertheless,the fluid flow mechanism within Brazilian carbonate reservoirs,characterized by complex pore geometry,remains unclear.Our study examines the behavior of fluid flow in a similar heterogeneous porous material,utilizing a plug sample obtained from a vugular segment of a Brazilian stromatolite outcrop,known to share analogies with certain pre-salt reservoirs.We conducted single-phase and multi-phase core flooding experiments,complemented by medical-CT scanning,to generate flow streamlines and evaluate the efficiency of water flooding.Subsequently,micro-CT scanning of the core sample was performed,and two cross-sections from horizontal and vertical plates were constructed.These cross-sections were then employed as geometries in a numerical simulator,enabling us to investigate the impact of pore geometry on fluid flow.Analysis of the pore-scale modeling and experimental data unveiled that the presence of dead-end pores and vugs results in a significant portion of the fluid remaining stagnant within these regions.Consequently,the injected fluid exhibits channeling-like behavior,leading to rapid breakthrough and low areal swept efficiency.Additionally,the numerical simulation results demonstrated that,irrespective of the size of the dead-end regions,the pressure variation within the dead-end vugs and pores is negligible.Despite the stromatolite's favorable petrophysical properties,including relatively high porosity and permeability,as well as the presence of interconnected large vugs,the recovery factor during water flooding remained low due to early breakthrough.These findings align with field data obtained from pre-salt reservoirs,providing an explanation for the observed low recovery factor during water flooding in such reservoirs.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant/Award Numbers 62075135 and 61975126)the Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen(Grant/Award Numbers JCYJ20190808174819083 and JCYJ20190808175201640)Shenzhen Science and Technology Planning Project(ZDSYS 20210623092006020).
文摘Measurement of bloodflow velocity is key to understanding physiology and pathology in vivo.While most measurements are performed at the middle of the blood vessel,little research has been done on characterizing the instantaneous bloodflow velocity distribution.This is mainly due to the lack of measurement technology with high spatial and temporal resolution.Here,we tackle this problem with our recently developed dual-wavelength line-scan third-harmonic generation(THG)imaging technology.Simultaneous acquisition of dual-wavelength THG line-scanning signals enables measurement of bloodflow velocities at two radially symmetric positions in both venules and arterioles in mouse brain in vivo.Our results clearly show that the instantaneous bloodflow velocity is not symmetric under general conditions.
基金Funding support from Heilongjiang"Open Competition"project(Grant No.DQYT2022-JS-758)is greatly acknowledgedFinancial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52304025 and 52174025)is acknowledged+1 种基金supports from Northeast Petroleum University and Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundationsupport from the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program.
文摘The stability and mobility of proppant packs in hydraulic fractures during hydrocarbon production are numerically investigated by the lattice Boltzmann-discrete element coupling method(LB-DEM).This study starts with a preliminary proppant settling test,from which a solid volume fraction of 0.575 is calibrated for the proppant pack in the fracture.In the established workflow to investigate proppant flowback,a displacement is applied to the fracture surfaces to compact the generated proppant pack as well as further mimicking proppant embedment under closure stress.When a pressure gradient is applied to drive the fluid-particle flow,a critical aperture-to-diameter ratio of 4 is observed,above which the proppant pack would collapse.The results also show that the volumetric proppant flowback rate increases quadratically with the fracture aperture,while a linear variation between the particle flux and the pressure gradient is exhibited for a fixed fracture aperture.The research outcome contributes towards an improved understanding of proppant flowback in hydraulic fractures,which also supports an optimised proppant size selection for hydraulic fracturing operations.
文摘Introduction: Work-related stress has become a global issue in the nursing workplace, with about 9.20% - 68.0% of nurses globally experiencing stress. Conversely, work-related stress ranges between 20% and 40% in nursing. Other researchers noted that 35.1% of nurses globally experienced elevated stress levels. Stress can damage well-being and lead to coping, which can, directly and indirectly, improve well-being through a perceived state. Nurses need coping mechanisms to manage their stress levels and maintain stability. Coping mechanisms can vary greatly depending on a nurse’s culture and background. Numerous findings indicate that managing stress is more critical than the cause of stress and that the more successful a stress-management approach, the less damage stress brings. Objective: In response to this, it is necessary to explore Omani nurses’ stress level and their coping strategies working in tertiary governmental hospitals in Muscat. Methods: The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design from 15 October 2020 to 30 November 2020. Samples were selected through proportionate population sampling (PPS) from the five selected tertiary hospitals. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires using a perceived stress scale and Ways of Coping. A simple random sample within a stratum (each hospital admitting ward) was done to identify the study participants. The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. Results: About 83.3% of participants had a moderate perceived level of stress with an overall mean perceived stress level of 18.46 ± 4.52. The most common sources of perceived stress are feeling nervous and “stressed” in the last month (2.30 ± 0.95). According to the ways of coping strategies, nurses seemed to be resorting to more “planful problem” (mean = 11.04) and least was seeking social support (mean = 9.67). Conclusion: This study highlighted the work-related stress level of staff nurses, explored their ways of coping and determined the relationship between work-related stress levels and methods of coping. The key finding of this study was that the frequency of stress reported by nurses was high enough to suggest that their stress levels were significant, given the demanding nature of their profession that requires maximum attention. Additionally, nurses seemed to resort to more planful problem-solving mechanisms to deal with their stressful situations than other coping strategies.
基金supported by Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(Grant No.JCYJ20220818102012024)Hong Kong Research Grants Council(Grant Nos.T21–602/16-R and RGC R5037–18)。
文摘The flow field near a spur dike such as down flow and horseshoe vortex system(HVS)are susceptible to the topographic changes in the local scouring process,resulting in variation of the sediment transport with time.In this study,large eddy simulations with fixed-bed at different scouring stages were conducted to investigate the changes in flow field.The results imply that the bed deformation leads to an increase in flow rate per unit area,which represent the capability of sediment transportation by water,in the scour hole.Moreover,the intensity of turbulent kinetic energy and bimodal motion near the sand bed induced by the HVS were also varied.However,the peak moments between the two sediment transport mechanisms were different.Hence,understanding the complex feedback mechanism between topography and flow field is essential for the local scour problem.
基金financially supported by the Chang Jiang Scholar and Innovation Team Development Plan of China (IRT_15R29)the Basic Research Innovation Group Project of Gansu Province, China (21JR7RA347)the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, China (20JR10RA231)。
文摘Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner;the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.