Study on seismic performance enhancement in bridges based on factorial analysis

The seismic performance of bridges depends on the ductile behavior of its column, as the deck and other substructural components except pile foundations are normally designed to be elastic to facilitate bridge retrofitting. Codes such as AASHTO, Caltrans, IRC： 112 etc. give guidelines for the seismic performance enhancement of columns through ductile detailing. In the present study, a methodology for the seismic performance enhancement of bridges is discussed by using a ＂Parameter-Based Influence Factor＂ （PIF） developed from factorial analysis. The parameters considered in the factorial analysis are： percentage of longitudinal reinforcement （Pt）, compressive strength of concrete （f＇c）, yield strength of steel （fy）, spacing of lateral ties （5） and column height （/4）. The influence of each parameter and their combination on the limit states considered is estimated. Pushover analysis is used to evaluate the capacity of columns, considering shear failure criteria. A total of 243 （35 combinations） analysis results are compiled to develop ＇PIF＇ used in the performance enhancement process. The study also encompasses other sub-objectives such as evaluating the discrepancies in using the Importance Factor （/） in designing bridges of varied functional importance; and estimating the aspect ratio and slenderness ratio values of bridge columns for its initial sizing.

Performance enhancement of sandwich panels with honeycomb–corrugation hybrid core

The concept of combining metallic honeycomb with folded thin metallic sheets （corrugation） to construct a novel core type for lightweight sandwich structures is proposed. The honeycomb-corrugation hybrid core is manufactured by filling the interstices of aluminum corrugations with precision-cut trapezoidal aluminum honeycomb blocks, bonded together using epoxy glue. The performance of such hybrid-cored sandwich panels subjected to out-of-plane compression, transverse shear, and three-point bending is investigated, both experimentally and numerically. The strength and energy absorption of the sandwich are dramatically enhanced, compared to those of a sandwich with either empty corrugation or honeycomb core. The enhancement is induced by the beneficial interaction effects of honeycomb blocks and folded panels on improved buckling resistance as well as altered crushing modes at large plastic deformation. The present approach provides an effective method to further improve the mechanical properties of conventional honeycomb-cored sandwich constructions with low relative densities.

Performance enhancement of filled-type solar collector with U-tube

In order to increase the efficiency of solar collector, a methodology is proposed based on the analysis of its influencing factors, such as thermal conductivity of filled layer, structure forms of filled layer and heat loss coefficient. The results of analysis show that the heat transfer between pipes in evacuated tube is one of the most important factors, which can lead to the decrease of the outlet temperature of working fluid. In order to eliminate the negative influence of the heat transfer between pipes, the hollow filled-type evacuated tube with U-tube(HUFET) was developed, and the heat transfer characteristics of HUFET were analyzed by theoretical and experimental studies. The results show that the thermal resistances decrease with the increase of the thermal conductivity of filled layer. When the thermal conductivity is over 10 W/(m·K), the change of thermal resistances is very little.Furthermore, the larger the thermal conductivity of filled layer, the less the rate of the energy transfer between the two pipes to the total energy transfer, which is between the absorber tube and the working fluid. There is a little difference between the efficiencies of HUFET and UFET, with the efficiency of HUFET 2.4% higher than that of UFET. Meanwhile, the validation of the model developed was confirmed by the experiment.

The Subtle Colourings of （Informed） Consent in Performance Enhancement： Implications for Expertise

The analytic method, part of the epistemonic method, provides us with a way to cope with perplexed cases, without even referring to the world out there. We are able to predict all possible variations of consent, and go on forming minimum logical quadripoles, 8-poles, 16-poles, etc., before even trying to make any connection to the world. This way, there are two major outcomes： All possible scenarios are predicted, and, because of that, our ＂logical generator＂ produces scenarios we couldn＇t even think of. Consent is, therefore, neither binary （existence or absence）, nor just a continuum from existence to absence, but a cladistic tree stemming from the basic quadripole ＂existence of consent/not existence of consent/absence of consent/not absence of consent.＂ The complexity increases rapidly when other terms are included; try： ＂existence of informed consent＂ or ＂existence of unintentional consent.＂ More levels develop as we examine relevant terms, such as ＂exposure,＂ ＂protection,＂ or ＂consumption.＂ In our case-study, we shall examine how different aspects of consent are expressed regarding the issue of performance enhancement and consider some implications for the notion of expertise within an SEA （Science of Exceptional Achievement） context. Many different terms may describe the most common situations, namely, ＂uniformed consent,＂ ＂unintentional consent,＂ ＂non-intentional consent,＂ ＂not absence of consent,＂ and also, ＂unintentional exposure,＂ ＂intentional non-protection,＂ and so on. In Greek language, the possible variations are even more （there are two kinds of negation in Greek）. All the aforementioned terms have different ethical consequences. We shall also examine whether doping is an inherent part of expertise attainment.

A phase inversion based sponge-like polysulfonamide/SiO_2 composite separator for high performance lithium-ion batteries

In this work,a sponge-like polysulfonamide(PSA)/SiO_2 composite membrane is unprecedentedly prepared by the phase inversion method,and successfully demonstrated as a novel separator of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Compared to the commercial polypropylene(PP) separator,the sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite possesses better physical and electrochemical properties,such as higher porosity,ionic conductivity,thermal stability and flame retarding ability.The LiCoO_2/Li half-cells using the sponge-like composite separator demonstrate superior rate capability and cyclability over those using the commercial PP separator.Moreover,the sponge-like composite separator can ensure the normal operation of LiCoO_2/Li half-cell at an extremely high temperature of 90 °C,while the commercial PP separator cannot.All these encouraging results suggest that this phase inversion based sponge-like PSA/SiO_2 composite separator is really a promising separator for high performance LIBs.

A meta-analytic review of the approach-avoidance achievement goals and performance relationships in the sport psychology literature

Purpose： To summarize the approach-avoidance achievement goal and performance in the sport psychology literature.Methods： A total of 17 published studies, two of which provided two samples, were located. Accepted meta-analytic procedures were used with Hedges g as the effect size metric. From the 17 studies, 73 effect sizes were calculated.Results： Results based on a random effects model indicated that the performance goal contrast had the largest facilitative impact on performance followed by the mastery and performance approach goals. Both of the avoidance goals performance and mastery had small non-significant and detrimental effects on performance. The homogeneity statistics revealed significant heterogeneity for the approach and avoidance performance goals. Categorical moderator variables were examined for study sex composition（male, female, or mixed）, mean age of sample（〈18 years or 18 years）, study setting（lab or naturalistic）, and nature of performance variable（objective or subjective）.Conclusion： The performance goal contrast holds value for sport performance research. Contrary to approach-avoidance predictions, the mastery-approach goal and performance effect size was significant and of equal magnitude as the performance approach goal and performance effect size. Thus, future research should closely test the efficacy of both the mastery- and performance contrasts in impacting performance of sport tasks. Last, the significant effect sizes reported in this review are in stark contrast to contemporary meta-analytic findings in education.Differences in the approach-avoidance goals in sport and education relative to performance should be researched further.

Thermal performance analysis of building construction with insulated walls in summer days and nights

In the present study,the insulation mechanism of building walls during the summer days and nights is investigated with a realistic approach to enhance their performance.A fiber layer,as a porous medium with air gaps,is used along the wall layers to decrease the energy loss.Meanwhile,the radiation heat flux variation during five days in a row has been considered for each side of the building,and it is tried to reach the optimum values for geometrical factors and find suitable insulation for each side of the building.A lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) based code is developed to simulate the actual chain of the heat transfer which consists of radiation,conduction,forced and natural convection combination within wall layers including fiber porous insulation.The results indicate that for the current insulation model,the effect of natural convection on the heat transfer is not negligible and the existence of the porous layer has caused a positive impact on the heat loss reduction by decreasing the circulation speed.Also,by using the optimum location and thickness for the insulation layer,it is showed that each side of the building has different rates of energy loss during a day,and for the appropriate insulation,they need to be evaluated separately.

Ag3PO4 Microcrystals Synthesized by Room-Temperature Solid State Reaction:Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Photoelectronchemistry Performance

Ag3PO4 microcrystals with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity are prepared by a facile and simple solid state reaction at room temperature. The composition, morphology and optical properties of the asprepared Ag3PO4 microcrystMs are characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytie properties of Ag3PO4 are investigated by the degradation of both methylene blue and methyl orange dyes under visible light irradiation. The as-prepared Ag3PO4 microcrystals possess high photocatalytic oxygen production with the rate of 673μmolh-1g-1. Moreover, the as-prepared Ag3PO4 microcrystals show an enhanced photoelectrochemistry performance under irradiation of visible light.

Performance Enhancement of Single-Phase Immersion Liquid-Cooled Data Center Servers

As the promising cooling method for the next generation of data centers,the internal heat transport mechanism and enhancement mechanism of single-phase immersion liquid-cooled(SPILC)systems are not yet well understood.To address this,a steady-state three-dimensional numerical model is constructed herein to analyze flow and thermal transport capacities in servers using SPILC and traditional air-cooling methods.Moreover,this paper emphasizes the influence of component positioning,and underscores the benefits of optimizing coolant flow distribution using baffles.The results indicate that the SPILC system outperforms the traditional air-cooling approach at the same inlet Reynolds number(Re).When Re=10000,the SPILC method reduces the maximum temperature by up to 70.13%,increases the average convective heat transfer coefficient by287.5%,and provides better overall thermal uniformity in data center servers.Moreover,placing devices downstream of high-power components creates"thermal barriers"and degrades thermal transport for upstream devices due to increased flow resistance.Excessive spacing between high-power devices can lead to the formation of bypass channels,further deteriorating heat transfer.Additionally,the addition of baffles in the inlet section of SPILC systems effectively enhances heat dissipation performance.To maximize the heat dissipation capacity,minimizing bypass channels and optimizing the flow distribution of coolants are crucial.

Perspectives of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines in Cluster Configurations

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines(VAWTs)offer several advantages over horizontal axis wind turbines(HAWTs),including quieter operation,ease of maintenance,and simplified construction.Surprisingly,despite the prevailing belief that HAWTs outperform VAWTs as individual units,VAWTs demonstrate higher power density when arranged in clusters.This phenomenon arises from positive wake interactions downstream of VAWTs,potentially enhancing the overall wind farm performances.In contrast,wake interactions negatively impact HAWT farms,reducing their efficiency.This paper extensively reviews the potential of VAWT clusters to increase energy output and reduce wind energy costs.A precise terminology is introduced to clarify ambiguous terms researchers use to quantify cluster parameters.While examining commonly studied and proposed VAWT cluster configurations,several aspects are discussed such as aerodynamic interactions,wake characteristics,structural dynamics,and performance metrics.Additionally,the current state-of-the-art and research gaps are critically described.The review also covers computational modeling,optimization techniques,advanced control strategies,machine learning applications,economic considerations,and the influence of terrain and application locations.

Green Synthesis of Nitrogen-to-Ammonia Fixation: Past, Present, and Future

The nitrogen(N2)-to-ammonia(NH3)fixation driven by renewable energy has an attractive prospect to relieve the global warming and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.Ideally,photocatalytic,electrochemical,and photoelectrochemical approaches are developed as the next-generation NH3 synthesis technologies to substitute the Haber–Bosch method.However,the NH3 yield rate of nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)by green approaches is extremely low,resulting in the current dilemma of NRR and contamination issues.Thus,in this mini review,the past advances on the sustainable NRR are briefly summarized in the three aspects as follows:the selectivity and adjustment of various catalysts,the type of electrolyte/solvent system,and the investigation of reaction conditions.Subsequently,the recent critical activities in the area of sustainable NH3 synthesis are analyzed and discussed deeply,and a perspective for rational and healthy development of this area is provided positively。

Synthesis of benzoxazine-based phenolic resin containing furan groups

A novel benzoxazine-based phenolic resin containing furan groups（PFB） was synthesized via simple two-step reactions and the structure of PFB was confirmed by FTIR and ~1H NMR spectra.Differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） showed that the polybenzoxazine cured from PFB had good heat resistance and lower polymerization temperature compared with that of benzoxazine-based phenolic resins.

Aerodynamic performance enhancement of co-flow jet airfoil with simple high-lift device

The present study performed a numerical investigation to explore the performance enhancement of a co-flow jet(CFJ)airfoil with simple high-lift device configuration,with a specific goal to examine the feasibility and capability of the proposed configuration for low-speed take-off and landing.Computations have been accomplished by an in-house-programmed Reynoldsaveraged Navier-Stokes solver enclosed by k-ωshear stress transport turbulence model.Three crucial geometric parameters,viz.,injection slot location,suction slot location and its angle were selected for the sake of revealing their effects on aerodynamic lift,drag,power consumption and equivalent lift-to-drag ratio.Results show that using simple high-lift devices on CFJ airfoil can significantly augment the aerodynamic associated lift and efficiency which evidences the feasibility of CFJ for short take-off and landing with small angle of attack.The injection and suction slot locations are more influential with respect to the aerodynamic performance of CFJ airfoil compared with the suction slot angle.The injection location is preferable to be located in the downstream of the pressure suction peak on leading edge to reduce the power expenditure of the pumping system for a relative higher equivalent lift-to-drag ratio.Another concluded criterion is that the suction slot should be oriented on the trailing edge flap for achieving more aerodynamic gain,meanwhile,carefully selecting this location is crucial in determining the aerodynamic enhancement of CFJ airfoil with deflected flaps.

An Update Review on Performance Enhancement of Refrigeration Systems Using Nano-Fluids

Considering the issues of energy saving and environment protection,the performance of refrigeration systems requires to be improved.In recent years,nano-fluids have attracted greatly attention from the researchers due to their outstanding thermal characteristics.In this work,the published investigations on the preparation and characterization of nano-fluids have been discussed at first.Furthermore,the key thermo-physical properties of nano-fluids,such as thermal conductivity,viscosity,specific heat and density have been summarized.Finally,the performance enhancements in different types of refrigeration systems by using nano-fluids have been reviewed.It is concluded that nano-fluids as refrigerant,lubricant or secondary fluid have wide potential application in refrigeration systems.

Active control for performance enhancement of electrically controlled rotor

Electrically controlled rotor （ECR） system has the potential to enhance the rotor perfor- mance by applying higher harmonic flap inputs. In order to explore the feasibility and effectiveness for ECR performance enhancement using closed-loop control method, firstly, an ECR rotor performance analysis model based on helicopter flight dynamic model is established, which can reflect the performance characteristics of ECR helicopter at high advance ratio. Based on the simulation platform, an active control method named adaptive T-matrix algorithm is adopted to explore the feasibility and effectiveness for ECR performance enhancement. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of this closed-loop control method. For the sample ECR helicopter, about 3% rotor power reduction is obtained with the optimum 2/rev flap inputs at the advance ratio of 0.34. And through analyzing the distributions of attack of angle and drag in rotor disk, the underlying physical essence of ECR power reduction is cleared. Furthermore, the influence of the key control parameters, including convergence factor and weighting matrix, on the effectiveness of closed-loop control for ECR performance enhancement is explored. Some useful results are summarized, which can be used to direct the future active control law design of ECR performance enhancement.

A comprehensive review of miniatured wind energy harvesters

Following the current rapid development of the Internet of Things(IoT)and wireless condition monitoring systems,energy harvesters which use ambient energy have become a key part of achieving an energy-autonomous system.Miniature wind energy harvesters have attracted widespread attention because of their great potential of power density as well as the rich availability of wind energy in many possible areas of application.This article provides readers with a glimpse into the state-of-the-art of miniature wind energy harvesters.The crucial factors for them to achieve high working efficiency under lower operational wind speed excitation are analyzed.Various potential energy coupling mechanisms are discussed in detail.Design approaches for broadening operational wind-speed-range given a variety of energy coupling mechanisms are also presented,as observed in the literature.Performance enhancement mechanisms including hydrodynamic configuration optimization,and non-linear vibration pick-up structure are reviewed.Conclusions are drawn and the outlook for each coupling mechanisms is presented.

Performance Enhancement and Bandwidth Guarantee in IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs

This paper first revisits the previously proposed NSAD (New Self-Adapt DCF) mechanism. Some modifications are presented to further enhance the performance of NSAD in the error-prone environment. Then a new MAC mechanism is proposed that can realize bandwidth guarantee by assigning different self-adapt parameters to users at different priority levels. The bandwidth guarantee property of this new mechanism is analyzed and the high priority users are found to have bandwidth guaranteed even in heavy contention condition, which is proved true not only by theoretical analysis but also by simulation results. At the same time the new scheme keeps the self-adapt character of NSAD, so the overall system utilization is kept very high in heavy contention condition compared with the previously studied DCF-based QoS mechanisms.

Optimized Load Balancing Technique for Software Defined Network

Software-defined networking is one of the progressive and prominent innovations in Information and Communications Technology.It mitigates the issues that our conventional network was experiencing.However,traffic data generated by various applications is increasing day by day.In addition,as an organization’s digital transformation is accelerated,the amount of information to be processed inside the organization has increased explosively.It might be possible that a Software-Defined Network becomes a bottleneck and unavailable.Various models have been proposed in the literature to balance the load.However,most of the works consider only limited parameters and do not consider controller and transmission media loads.These loads also contribute to decreasing the performance of Software-Defined Networks.This work illustrates how a software-defined network can tackle the load at its software layer and give excellent results to distribute the load.We proposed a deep learning-dependent convolutional neural networkbased load balancing technique to handle a software-defined network load.The simulation results show that the proposed model requires fewer resources as compared to existing machine learning-based load balancing techniques.

A state-of-the-art review on shallow geothermal ventilation systems with thermal performance enhancement-system classifications,advanced technologies and applications

Geothermal energy with abundance and large quantity can partially cover building heating/cooling loads and promote the carbon-neutrality transitions.Shallow geothermal ventilation(SGV)system,with a little initial in-vestment cost,is one of promising technologies to partly replace the conventional air-conditioning system for air pre-cooling/pre-heating.This paper reviews applications of SGV system for improving thermal performance over latest two decades,which mainly includes the reclassification of SGV system,coupling with other advanced energy-saving technologies,application potentials for building cooling/heating under various weather conditions.Heat transfer mechanism and mathematical modelling techniques have been reviewed,together with in-depth analysis on current research trends,existing limitations,and recommendations of SGV system.Phase change materials,with considerable latent energy density,can stabilize the thermal performance with high reliability.The review identifies that optimization designs and advanced approaches need to be investigated to address the existing urgent issues of SGV system(e.g.,large land occupation,difficulty in centralized collection of condensate water timely for horizontal buried pipe,bacteria growth,polluted supply air,and high construction cost for ver-tical buried pipe).A plenty of studies show that the SGV system could greatly expand the application scope and improve system energy efficiency by combining with other energy-saving technologies.This paper will provide some guidelines for the scientific researchers and engineers to keep track on recent advancements and research trends of SGV system for the building thermal performance enhancement and pave path for future research works.

Performance enhancement of cantilever piezoelectric energy harvesters by sizing analysis

This paper presents the results of the performance of piezoelectric cantilever beams in relation to their size.The total produced power represents the main indicator of performance of a piezoelectric harvesting system while the area of the beams stays constant.Lightweight design is an important aspect in any industry,mainly in the aerospace.In this study,the effects of non-uniformity on the efficiency and power output are studied.Finite element method(FEM)with the application of superconvergent element(SCE)is adopted here to solve the equations.It is observed that the trapezoidal geometry(converging beam)provides a higher output power while the efficiency decreases.Moreover,in order to prove that the power enhancement is achievable while the amount of piezoelectric material consumed is constant the new configuration is proposed.In the configuration,an array of uniform beams connected in series is used instead of one single rectangular beam.The proposed setting generates an output power of 1.817mWat a resonant frequency of 284.6 Hz when excited by an input acceleration of 1 g.The only challenge is the fundamental frequency difference which ismet with the application of proof mass and thinner substrate and piezoelectric layers.