Experimental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Rough Risers with Coupling Interference Effect Under Side-by-Side Arrangement

A vortex-induced vibration(VIV)experiment of rough risers with coupling interference effect under a side-by-side arrangement was carried out in a wave-current combined flume.The roughness of the riser was characterized by arranging different specifications of surface attachments on the surface of the riser.Rough risers with three different roughnesses were arranged side by side with smooth risers to explore the VIV response of the riser under the combined action of roughness and interference effect,and to reveal the coupling mechanism between roughness and interference effect.The experimental results show that,compared with that of a smooth riser,the VIV of a rough riser under the coupling interference effect has a wider"lock-in"region,and the displacement decreases more significantly at a high reduced velocity,which is more likely to excite higher-order modes and frequency responses.In addition,the displacement response and frequency response of the smooth riser are not significantly affected by wake interference from the rough riser,which is caused by the decrease of the wake region due to the delay of the boundary layer separation point of the rough riser.

Experimental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Rough Risers Coupling with Interference Effect in Tandem Arrangement

In order to study the response law of vortex-induced vibration(VIV)of marine risers under the combined action of roughness and interference effects,and to reveal the coupling mechanism of roughness and interference effects on the riser,a VIV experiment of rough risers in tandem arrangement was conducted in a wave−current combined flume.The experiment characterized the risers’roughness by arranging different specifications of attachments on the surface of the risers.Three rough risers with different roughness and smooth risers were arranged in tandem arrangement,with the rough risers arranged downstream.The experimental results indicate that the suppression of the attachments on the downstream risers’vibration are more significant both in the CF and IL directions as the reduced velocity increases.For the downstream riser,the amplitude response of rough riser is more significantly weakened compared with the smooth one at high reduced velocity.For the upstream risers,changes in the roughness and spacing ratio have an impact on their‘lock-in’region.When the roughness of downstream risers is relatively large(0.1300)and the spacing between risers is small(S/D=4.0),the reduced velocity range of‘lock-in’region in the CF direction of upstream risers is obviously expanded,and the displacement in the‘lock-in’region is severer.

Experimental Study on Interference Effect of Three Risers Arranged in Tandem with Variable Spacing Ratios

Taking the three-riser group arranged in tandem as the research subject,an experimental study was carried out on the risers arranged in tandem.The purpose is to explore the sensitivity of the dynamic response of each riser to spacing ratio and reveal the physical mechanism of riser groups under the interference effect.The spacing ratios of the adj acent risers are 4.0,5.0,6.0,and 8.0.At the spacing between the risers of 4.0D,the strong feedback effect increases the cross-flow(CF) displacement amplitude of the upstream riser.The shielding effect is the key factor affecting the interference effect on the midstream and downstream risers.At low reduced velocities,the shielding area initially appears,the displacement amplitude of the midstream and downstream risers varies greatly,the vibration of the two risers is still dominated by the first-order mode,and the transition between adjacent vibration modes is restrained.The multi-frequency superposition phenomenon is very significant at high reduced velocities.The most sensitive interference spacing under the test conditions is obtained.Due to the separation of the incoming flow and the double shielding effect of the upstream and midstream risers,the regular vortex-induced vibration in the wake area of the downstream riser is broken,and the vibration in the two directions is weakened.In general,the interference effect is more significant for the CF vibration of the three-riser groups than the in-line(IL) vibration.

Generation of irregular particle packing with prescribed statistical distribution, spatial arrangement, and volume fraction

A method for packing irregular particles with a prescribed volume fraction is proposed.Furthermore,the generated granular material adheres to the prescribed statistical distribution and satisfies the desired complex spatial arrangement.First,the irregular geometries of the realistic particles were obtained from the original particle images.Second,the Minkowski sum was used to check the overlap between irregular particles and place an irregular particle in contact with other particles.Third,the optimised advance front method(OAFM)generated irregular particle packing with the prescribed statistical dis-tribution and volume fraction based on the Minkowski sum.Moreover,the signed distance function was introduced to pack the particles in accordance with the desired spatial arrangement.Finally,seven biaxial tests were performed using the UDEC software,which demonstrated the accuracy and potential usefulness of the proposed method.It can model granular material efficiently and reflect the meso-structural characteristics of complex granular materials.This method has a wide range of applications where discrete modelling of granular media is necessary.

Soybean maize strip intercropping:A solution for maintaining food security in China

The practice of intercropping leguminous and gramineous crops is used for promoting sustainable agriculture,optimizing resource utilization,enhancing biodiversity,and reducing reliance on petroleum products.However,promoting conventional intercropping strategies in modern agriculture can prove challenging.The innovative technology of soybean maize strip intercropping(SMSI)has been proposed as a solution.This system has produced remarkable results in improving domestic soybean and maize production for both food security and sustainable agriculture.In this article,we provide an overview of SMSI and explain how it differs from traditional intercropping.We also discuss the core principles that foster higher yields and the prospects for its future development.

Interaction Mechanisms between Natural Debris Flow and Rigid Barrier Deflectors:A New Perspective for Rational Design and Optimal Arrangement

Rigid barrier deflectors can effectively prevent overspilling landslides,and can satisfy disaster prevention requirements.However,the mechanisms of interaction between natural granular flow and rigid barrier deflectors require further investigation.To date,few studies have investigated the impact of deflectors on controlling viscous debris flows for geological disaster prevention.To investigate the effect of rigid barrier deflectors on impact mechanisms,a numerical model using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method with the Herschel–Bulkley model is proposed to simulate the interaction between natural viscous flow and single/dual barriers with and without deflectors.This model was validated using laboratory flume test data from the literature.Then,the model was used to investigate the influence of the deflector angle and multi-barrier arrangements.The optimal configuration of multi-barriers was analyzed with consideration to the barrier height and distance between the barriers,because these metrics have a significant impact on the viscous flow pile-up,run-up,and overflow mechanisms.The investigation considered the energy dissipation process,retention efficiency,and dead-zone formation.Compared with bare barriers with similar geometric characteristics and spatial distribution,rigid barriers with deflectors exhibit superior effectiveness in preventing the overflow and overspilling of viscous debris flow.Recommendations for the rational design of deflectors and the optimal arrangement of multi-barriers are provided to mitigate geological disasters.

全国标准化工作会议在京召开

The National Standardization Work Conference was held in Beijing on January 11 to summarize the standardization work in 2023 and arrange the key standardization tasks in 2024. Luo Wen, Minister of SAMR, Wang Jingtao, Vice Administrator of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission.

世界政治变革向纵深演进

The year 2023 marked an important year of change, in which multiple old orders have given way to new arrangements. “The end of the post-Cold War era,” “the beginning of the post-pandemic era,” “the ebb of the era of economic globalization,” “the return of the era of geopolitical conflict.”

Evaluation of the Living Conditions and Health Perceptions of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Handlers in the Informal Sector in Dakar

Electrical and electronic devices are becoming an increasingly important part of our society. In Africa, and in Senegal in particular, the handling and management of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) that has reached the end of its life is mainly informal. This professional environment is characterized by the disintegration of the sector and the social heterogeneity that can be found there. The objective of this study is to assess the standard of living of electrical and electronic equipment waste handlers in the Dakar region, as well as their perception of their health. A survey was used to obtain information on sociodemographic background, living arrangements, perception of health status, and good practices to be implemented in case of work-related health problems. Life style, perception of general health and health problems were ranged as excellent, very good, good, average and poor. Informal recyclers in the Dakar region lived mainly in rooms and buildings as tenants (49.1%), or in family homes (48.4%) before starting this activity, and 51.2% continue to live in rooms and buildings as tenants compared to 41.4% who still live in a family home. The perception of health status ranged from poor to excellent, and 4.9% believe that they are limited in work due to a disability or health problem. Informal work is a heterogeneous phenomenon that makes research and policymaking particularly complex. There are several external factors within informal WEEE re-cyclers that can cause health problems or functional disability. However, the living conditions and the perception they have of their state of health are contradictory to the working conditions and the social environment to which they belong. A biomedical approach would consolidate these achievements by confirming or invalidating them.

Smart Parking Management System “MOTAH”

With a surge in the university’s student and staff population, parking problems and congestion have rapidly intensified. The recent inclusion of women drivers, particularly during official working hours, has exacerbated these challenges. This pressing issue underscores the critical necessity for a structured approach to managing university entries and overseeing parking at the gates. The proposed smart parking management system aims to address these concerns by introducing a design concept that restricts unauthorized access and provides exclusive parking privileges to authorized users. Through image processing, the system identifies available parking spaces, relaying real-time information to users via a mobile application. This comprehensive solution also generates detailed reports (daily, weekly, and monthly), aiding university safety authorities in future gate management decisions.

Easy Paying Optimizing payment options for international visitors to China

As of January 31,2024,China had concluded mutual visa exemption agreements covering different types of passports with 157 countries,reached agreements or arrangements on simplified visa procedures with 44 countries,and enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 23 countries including Thailand,Singapore,Maldives,and the United Arab Emirates.

THE SUMMIT OF U.S.,JAPAN AND PHILIPPINES:A STEP CLOSER TO NEW COLD WAR

The leaders’summit of the United States,Japan,and the Philippines held in Washington,D.C.is billed as“historic.”Manila will join the Washington-led new arrangements targeted at China.

"Investing in China is to Invest in the Future"

This year's government work report proposed to strengthen the service guarantee for foreign investment and build a brand of"Invest in China".Recently,the General Office of the State Council issued the Action Plan for Steadily Prom oting High-level Opening-up and Making Greater Efforts to Attract and Utilize Foreign Investment,which made specific arrangements for building the brand of"Invest in China"."Invest in China"has become one of the key words for stabilizing foreign investment in 2024.

Electricity Generation from Heatwaves

We chose a definition of heatwaves (HWs) that has ~4-year recurrence frequency at world hot spots. We first examined the 1940-2022 HWs climatology and trends in lifespan, severity, spatial extent, and recurrence frequency. HWs are becoming more frequent and more severe for extratropical mid- and low-latitudes. To euphemize HWs, we here propose a novel clean energy-tapping concept that utilizes the available nano-technology, micro-meteorology knowledge of temperature distribution within/without buildings, and radiative properties of earth atmosphere. The key points for a practical electricity generation scheme from HWs are defogging, insulation, and minimizing the absorption of infrared downward radiation at the cold legs of the thermoelectric generators. One sample realization is presented which, through relay with existing photovoltaic devices, provides all-day electricity supply sufficient for providing air conditioning requirement for a residence (~2000-watt throughput). The provision of power to air conditioning systems, usually imposes a significant stress on traditional city power grids during heatwaves.

Understanding the Choice of Sleep Arrangements and Soothing Methods and Their Associations with Sleep Problems among Children Under 3 Years Old:A Chinese Population Based Study

Objective This study aimed to examine the sleep arrangements and soothing methods and to assess their associations with sleep problems among children aged<3 years in China.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2019 from six provinces in China.A total of 1,195 caregivers of children aged 0–35 months were included in the study.Data on sleep arrangements,soothing methods,and sleep problems(i.e.,frequent night awakenings and difficulty falling asleep)were assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire.The reasons for bed-sharing in sleep arrangements were recorded using a self-designed questionnaire.Results The bed-sharing practice was very prevalent at any age,which ranged from 69.9%to 78.3%.Most infants fell asleep while feeding or being rocked/held before age 12 months.By age 35 months,62.4%of the children fell asleep in bed near parents.The most common reasons for bed-sharing were breastfeeding/feeding and convenience.Parental involvement when falling asleep was significantly related with frequent night awakenings and difficulty falling asleep.No association was found between bed-sharing and sleep.Conclusion Bed-sharing and parental involvement were very common among Chinese children aged<3 years.Children who fall asleep with parental involvement were more likely to have sleep problems.

Loop Closure Detection With Reweighting Net VLAD and Local Motion and Structure Consensus

Dear Editor,Loop closure detection(LCD)is an important module in simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM).In this letter,we address the LCD task from the semantic aspect to the geometric one.To this end,a network termed as AttentionNetVLAD which can simultaneously extract global and local features is proposed.It leverages attentive selection for local features,coupling with reweighting the soft assignment in NetVLAD via the attention map for global features.Given a query image,candidate frames are first identified coarsely by retrieving similar global features in the database via hierarchical navigable small world(HNSW).As global features mainly summarize the semantic information of images and lead to compact representation,information about spatial arrangement of visual elements is lost.

Experimental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration Coupling Wake Interference of Multi-Riser Groups with Sensitive Spacing

The“riser group−fluid between risers”is taken as the carrier,and the experiment on vortex-induced vibration of tandem riser groups coupling interference effect under sensitive spacing is performed.The least-square method is used to linearly fit the reduced velocity and main frequency,and the rule of Strouhal numbers is analyzed.Each mode is separated based on the mode decomposition theory,and the mode conversion mechanism is also explored.The concept of“interference efficiency”is introduced to study the dynamic characteristics and response evolutions of different riser groups.The results show that the wake shielding effect widely exists in tandem riser groups,and the interference effect of midstream and downstream risers on their upstream risers is significantly lower than that of upstream risers on midstream and downstream risers.The trajectories of midstream and downstream risers lag behind their upstream risers due to multiple shadowing effects,the vibration frequency range of downstream riser is widened and the dominant frequency is extremely unstable.Compared with the isolated riser,wake interference suppresses the vibration dis-placement of the midstream and downstream risers in the in-line direction,and enhances the displacement of upstream and midstream risers in the cross-flow direction.The interference effect of the fluid between risers at low velocities is stronger than that at higher velocities,and the cross-flow displacements of upstream risers are always in the interference enhancement region.It is urgent to pay attention to the cross-flow displacement of upstream and midstream risers in tandem riser groups considering the safety design.

Surface Magnet Gears with a New Magnet Arrangement and Optimal Shape of Stationary Pole Pieces

In mechanical gear systems, dust, noise, vibration, and tooth wear are generated by frictions among gear teeth, and suppressing friction requires lubrication. Magnetic gears transmit torque by magnetic forces without contact and so avoid contact-related problems. The present paper discusses magnet arrangements and the shape of stationary gear teeth to improve transmission torque in surface magnet type magnetic gear transmission mechanisms.

Transient heat transfer characteristics of air-array-jet impingement with different nozzle arrangements on high-tempera-ture flat plate in small jet-to-plate distance

Numerical studies on transient heat transfer characteristics of air-array-jet impingement with a small jet-to-plate distance and a large temperature difference between nozzles and plate were presented.The dimensionless jet-to-plate distance(H/D)was 0.2,and non-dimensional nozzle-to-nozzle spacing(S/D)was 3,4,5 and 6,respectively.It is found that the quenching time is shortened at a constant total mass flow at air jet inlet m·(m·=218.21 kg/h),and the heat transfer uniformity is deterio-rated as S/D increases.However,the adding reversed-flow nozzles can shorten the quenching time of the glass plate considerably with a modest change in the heat transfer uniformity.The results at variable m·are the same as those at a fixed m·.Furthermore,the parity and arrangement of nozzles are also discussed,It is found that an odd number of nozzles is more beneficial for transient heat transfer.Based on these results,an appropriate proposal for ultra-thin glass tempering process is presented.

Flow characteristics in curved open channel with partial suspended vegetation

Suspended vegetation in open channels such as natural river,lake,reservoir usually affect the flow structure,causing the change of the water environment,sediment transport,bed deformation.In order to study the water flow behavior in curved open channels under the influence of suspended vegetation,experiments were conducted in a Ushaped flume with 180°bend where the suspended vegetation substituted by cylindrical glass rods were partially placed.The particle image velocimeter(PIV)system was employed to measure the flow velocities of various cases with different vegetation arrangements and roots length.Comparison and analysis were conducted for measured data,such as water level,velocity,head loss,Reynolds stress,and turbulence kinetic energy(TKE)to obtain certain general rules of water flow in open curved channels with suspended vegetation.It can be found from the measured data that the water level and the head loss in the vegetation area are closely related to the arrangements of the suspended vegetation.Furthermore,the drag force of the vegetation can not only lead to smaller increments of longitudinal TKE above the vegetation tail than that below it,but also lead to the flow velocities in vegetation area much smaller than areas without vegetation.In addition,suspended vegetation weakens the vortex strength near the water surface and increases the vortex strength below the vegetation tail,and the flow velocity in the vegetation area has a close relationship with the suspended vegetation length in the water.Therefore,it can be concluded that the reasonable arrangements of suspended vegetation group in curved open channel can protect the concave bank from being scoured,and protect the convex bank from being deposited.