Static-deformation based fault diagnosis for damping spring of large vibrating screen

Based on the statics theory, a novel and feasible twice-suspended-mass method(TSMM) was proposed to deal with the seldom-studied issue of fault diagnosis for damping springs of large vibrating screen(LVS). With the static balance characteristic of the screen body/surface as well as the deformation compatibility relation of springs considered, static model of the screen surface under a certain load was established to calculate compression deformation of each spring. Accuracy of the model was validated by both an experiment based on the suspended mass method and the properties of the 3D deformation space in a numerical simulation. Furthermore, by adopting the Taylor formula and the control variate method, quantitative relationship between the change of damping spring deformation and the change of spring stiffness, defined as the deformation sensitive coefficient(DSC), was derived mathematically, from which principle of the TSMM for spring fault diagnosis is clarified. In the end, an experiment was carried out and results show that the TSMM is applicable for diagnosing the fault of single spring in a LVS.

Coherence of SH-waves near a semi-circular inclusion-the role of interference and standing waves

We present examples of a controlled numerical experiment that contribute towards understanding of the physical phenomena that lead to the reduction of coherency of strong earthquake ground motion.We show examples for separation distance of 100 m between the two points on the ground surface,which is in the range of engineering interest.Our examples illustrate the consequences of:(a)standing waves that result from interference of the incident and reflected waves from a near vertical contrast in material properties,(b)standing waves within a concave inhomogeneity(a semi-circular valley in our examples),and(c)smaller motions in the diffraction zone,behind the inhomogeneity.We show that it is possible to reduce coherency,to the extent observed for recorded strong earthquake ground motion,even by a single inclusion in a half space,for incident ground motion that is coherent.We also illustrate the combined effects of geometric spreading and finite fault width,superimposed on the otherwise dominating effects caused by interference.Our examples show reduction of coherence for specific angles of incident waves,while,for other angles of incidence,the coherence remains essentially equal to one.

The Active Yakutat （Kula？） Plate and Its Southcentral Alaska Megathrust and Intraplate Earthquakes

Alaska geology and plate tectonics have not been well understood due to an active Yakutat plate, believed to be part of the remains of an ancient Kula plate, not being acknowledged to exist in Alaska. It is positioned throughout most of southcentral Alaska beneath the North American plate and above the NNW subducting Pacific plate. The Kula？ plate and its eastern spreading ridge were partially ＂captured＂ by the North American plate in the Paleocene. Between 63 Ma and 32 Ma, large volumes of volcanics erupted from its subducted N-S striking spreading ridge through a slab window. The eruptions stopped at 32 Ma, likely due to the Pacific plate fiat-slab subducting from the south beneath this spreading ridge. At 28 Ma, magmatism started again to the east; indicating a major shift to the east of this ＂refusing to die＂ spreading ridge. The captured Yakutat plate has also been subducting since 63 Ma to the WSW. It started to change to WSW fiat-slab subduction at 32 Ma, which stopped all subduction magmatism in W and SW Alaska by 22 Ma. The Yakutat plate subduction has again increased with the impact/joining of the coastal Yakutat terrane from the ESE about 5 Ma, resulting in the Cook Inlet Quaternary volcanism of southcentral Alaska. During the 1964 Alaska earthquake, sudden movements along the southcentral Alaska thrust faults between the Yakutat plate and the Pacific plate occurred. Specifically, the movements consisted of the Pacific plate moving NNW under the buried Yakutat plate and of the coastal Yakutat terrane, which is considered part of the Yakutat plate, thrusting WSW onto the Pacific plate. These were the two main sources of energy release for the E part of this earthquake. Only limited movement between the Yakutat plate and the North American plate occurred during this 1964 earthquake event. Buried paleopeat age dates indicate the thrust boundary between the Yakutat plate and North American plate will move in about 230 years, resulting in a more ＂continental＂ type megathrust earthquake for southcentral Alaska. There are, therefore, at least two different types ofmegathrust earthquakes occurring in southcentral Alaska： the more oceanic 1964 type and the more continental type. In addition, large ＂active＂ WSW oriented strike-slip faults are recognized in the Yakutat plate, called slice faults, which represent another earthquake hazard for the region. These slice faults also indicate important oil/gas and mineral resource locations.