Long-Term Performance and Microstructural Characterization of Dam Concrete in the Three Gorges Project

This study investigates the long-term performance of laboratory dam concrete in different curing environments over ten years and the microstructure of 17-year-old laboratory concrete and actual concrete cores drilled from the Three Gorges Dam.The mechanical properties of the laboratory dam concrete,whether cured in natural or standard environments,continued to improve over time.Furthermore,the laboratory dam concrete exhibited good resistance to diffusion and a refined microstructure after 17 years.However,curing and long-term exposure to the local natural environment reduced the frost resistance.Microstructural analyses of the laboratory concrete samples demonstrated that moderate-heat cement and fine fly ash(FA)particles were almost fully hydrated to form compact micro structures consisting of large quantities of homogeneous calcium(alumino)silicate hydrate(C-(A)-S-H)gels and a few crystals.No obvious interfacial transition zones were observed in the microstructure owing to the longterm pozzolanic reaction.This dense and homogenous microstructure was the crucial reason for the excellent long-term performance of the dam concrete.A high FA volume also played a significant role in the microstructural densification and performance growth of dam concrete at a later age.The concrete drilled from the dam surface exhibited a loose microstructure with higher microporosity,indicating that concrete directly exposed to the actual service environment suffered degradation caused by water and wind attacks.In this study,both macro-performance and microstructural analyses revealed that the application of moderate-heat cement and FA resulted in a dense and homogenous microstructure,which ensured the excellent long-term performance of concrete from the Three Gorges Dam after 17 years.Long-term exposure to an actual service environment may lead to microstructural degradation of the concrete surface.Therefore,the retained long-term dam concrete samples need to be further researched to better understand its microstructural evolution and development of its properties.

GaInX_3(X=S,Se,Te):Ultra-low thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric performance

Seeking intrinsically low thermal conductivity materials is a viable strategy in the pursuit of high-performance thermoelectric materials.Here,by using first-principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory,we systemically investigate the carrier transport and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te).It is found that the lattice thermal conductivities can reach values as low as 3.07 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),1.16 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)and 0.57 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively,at room temperature.This notably low thermal conductivity is attributed to strong acoustic-optical phonon coupling caused by the presence of low-frequency optical phonons in GaInX_(3) materials.Furthermore,by integrating the charac teristics of electronic and thermal transport,the dimensionless figure of merit ZT can reach maximum values of 0.95,2.37,and 3.00 for GaInS_(3),GaInSe_(3),and GaInTe_(3),respectively.Our results suggest that monolayer Janus GaInX_(3)(X=S,Se,Te)is a promising candidate for thermoelectric and heat management applications.

Simultaneously enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical performance of carbon nanotube reinforced ZK61 matrix composite

Alloying seriously deteriorates the thermal conductivity of magnesium(Mg)alloys,thus,restricts their applications in the fields of computer,communication,and consumer products.In order to improve the thermal conductivity of Mg alloys,adding carbon nanotube(CNT)combined with aging treatment is proposed in this work,i.e.fabricating the D-CNT(a kind of dispersed CNT)reinforced ZK61 matrix composite via powder metallurgy,and conducting aging treatment to the composite.Results indicate the as-aged ZK61/0.6 wt.%D-CNT composite achieved an excellent thermal conductivity of 166 W/(mK),exhibiting 52.3%enhancement in comparison with matrix,as well as tensile yield strength of 321 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 354 of MPa,and elongation of 14%.The simultaneously enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical performance are mainly attributed to:(1)the embedded interface of the D-CNT with matrix and(2)the coherent interface of precipitates with matrix.It is expected the current work can provide a clue for devising Mg matrix composites with integrated structural and functional performances,and enlarge the current restricted applications of Mg alloys.

Thermal performance of cast-in-place piles with artificial ground freezing in permafrost regions

During the construction of cast-in-place piles in warm permafrost,the heat carried by concrete and the cement hydration reaction can cause strong thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost.Since the bearing capacity of the pile is quite small before the full freeze-back,the quick refreezing of the native soils surrounding the cast-in-place pile has become the focus of the infrastructure construction in permafrost.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively puts forward the application of the artificial ground freezing(AGF)method at the end of the curing period of cast-in-place piles in permafrost.A field test on the AGF was conducted at the Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment(34°51.2'N,92°56.4'E)in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau(QTP),and then a 3-D numerical model was established to investigate the thermal performance of piles using AGF under different engineering conditions.Additionally,the long-term thermal performance of piles after the completion of AGF under different conditions was estimated.Field experiment results demonstrate that AGF is an effective method to reduce the refreezing time of the soil surrounding the piles constructed in permafrost terrain,with the ability to reduce the pile-soil interface temperatures to below the natural ground temperature within 3 days.Numerical results further prove that AGF still has a good cooling effect even under unfavorable engineering conditions such as high pouring temperature,large pile diameter,and large pile length.Consequently,the application of this method is meaningful to save the subsequent latency time and solve the problem of thermal disturbance in pile construction in permafrost.The research results are highly relevant for the spread of AGF technology and the rapid building of pile foundations in permafrost.

Construction of core@double-shell structured energetic composites with simultaneously enhanced thermal stability and safety performance

The poor thermal stability and high sensitivity severely hinder the practical application of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane(CL-20).Herein,a kind of novel core@double-shell CL-20 based energetic composites were fabricated to address the above issues.The coordination complexes which consist of natural polyphenol tannic acid(TA) and Fe~Ⅲ were chosen to construct the inner shell,while the graphene sheets were used to build the outer shell.The resulting CL-20/TA-Fe~Ⅲ/graphene composites exhibited simultaneously improved thermal stability and safety performance with only 1 wt% double-shell content,which should be ascribed to the intense physical encapsulation effect from inner shell combined with the desensitization effect of carbon nano-materials from outer shell.The phase transition(ε to γ) temperature increased from 173.70 ℃ of pure CL-20 to 191.87℃ of CL-20/TA-Fe~Ⅲ/graphene composites.Meanwhile,the characteristic drop height(H_(50)) dramatically increased from 14.7 cm of pure CL-20 to112.8 cm of CL-20/TA-Fe~Ⅲ/graphene composites,indicating much superior safety performance after the construction of the double-shell structure.In general,this work has provided an effective and versatile strategy to conquer the thermal stability and safety issues of CL-20 and contributes to the future application of high energy density energetic materials.

Modification of Li_(3)PO_(4) layer effectively boosting lithium storage and thermal safety performance for LiCoO_(2) batteries

To meet the demand for high-performance LiCoO_(2) batteries,it is necessary to overcome challenges such as interface degradation and rapid capacity degradation caused by changes in bulk structure,especially under deep delithiation and high temperature conditions.The ion conductive coating layer of Li_(3)PO_(4) has been directly modified on the surface of LiCoO_(2) particles using magnetron sputtering method,significantly improving the lithium storage performance of LiCoO_(2)@Li_(3)PO_(4) composites.Compared to pure LiCoO_(2),the modified LiCoO_(2) sample exhibits obviously better cycle life and high-temperature performance.Especially,under the conditions of 2 and 1 C,the LiCoO_(2)@Li_(3)PO_(4) electrode delivers excellent cycling performance at high voltage of 4.5 V,with capacity retention rates of 89.7%and 75.7%at room temperature and high temperature of 45℃,being far greater than those of 12.3%and 29.1%for bare LiCoO_(2) electrodes.It is discovered that the Li_(3)PO_(4) coating layer not only effectively enhances interface compatibility and suppresses the irreversible phase transition of LiCoO_(2),but also further improves the Li^(+)transport kinetics and significantly reduces battery polarization,ultimately enabling the modified LiCoO_(2) electrode to exhibit excellent lithium storage performance and thermal safety characteristics under high voltage conditions.Thus,such effective modified strategy can undoubtedly provide an important academic inspiration for LiCoO_(2) implication.

Long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS

The application of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP)and reclaimed asphalt shingles(RAS)on asphalt pavement can reduce the asphalt paving cost,conserve energy and protect the environment.However,the use of high contents of RAP and RAS in asphalt pavement may lead to durability issues,especially the fatigue cracking and thermal cracking.It is necessary to conduct a series of analyses on asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS,and seek methods to enhance their long-term performance.This paper provides a comprehensive over-view of the long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high contents of RAP and RAS.The findings in this research show that rutting resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures is not a concern,whereas their resistance to fatigue and thermal cracking is not conclusive.Recycling agents can be used to improve the thermal cracking resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures.An optimum decision on recycling agents will improve the durability properties of high recycled asphalt mixtures.It is recommended that to use a balanced mixture design approach with testing of the blended asphalt binders will provide better understanding of long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS.

Energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures based on dynamic environmental simulation test

Dynamic environmental testing is an effective means to study the energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures. Southeast University is designing and building a large-scale dynamic environment simulation testing facility. It can simuhaneously and dynamically simulate temperature, relative humidity, infrared solar radiation, UV radiation, and precipitation. A transformation is needed to predict the energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures under real service conditions using data obtained from accelerated tests.

Thermal performance analysis of advanced partial gasification combined cycle

This paper presents the thermodynamic performance analysis and comparison of four kinds of advanced pressurized fluidized bed combustion combined cycle (APFBC-CC) system schemes, two based on pressurized fluidized bed (PFB) combustion and the other two based on atmospheric circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustion. The results show that the first scheme avoids high temperature gas filter, but has the lower cycle efficiency and syngas heating value. The second scheme can gain the highest cycle efficiency, however it is better to now lower the filter operating temperature. The third and fourth schemes, based on CFB, have lower efficiencies than the second one. But the fourth one, with preheating air/steam for gasification, can obtain the highest heating value of syngas and gain higher efficiency than the third one.

Relationship Between Thermal Shock Behavior and Cutting Performance of a Functionally Gradient Ceramic Tool

Based on the deep understanding of the requirements of cutting conditions on ceramic tools, a design model for functionally gradient ceramic tool materials with symmetrical composition distribution was presented in this paper, according to which an Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramic tool material FG-1 was synthesized by powder-laminating and uniaxially hot-pressing technique. The thermal shock resistance of the Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramics FG-1 was evaluated by water quenching and subsequent three-point bending tests of flexural strength diminution. Comparisons were made with results from parallel experiments conducted using a homogeneous Al 2O 3-TiC ceramics. Functionally gradient ceramics exhibited higher retained strength under all thermal shock temperature differences compared to homogeneous ceramics, indicating the higher thermal shock resistance. The experimental results were supported by the calculation of transient thermal stress field. The cutting performance of the Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramic tool FG-1 was also investigated in rough turning the cylindrical surface of exhaust valve of diesel engine in comparison with that of a common Al 2O 3-TiC ceramic tool LT55. The results indicated that the tool life of FG-1 increased by 50 percent over that of LT55. Tool life of LT55 was mainly controlled by thermal shock cracking which was accompanied by mechanical shock. While tool life of FG-1 was mainly controlled by mechanical fatigue crack extension rather than thermal shock cracking, revealing the less thermal shock susceptibility of functionally gradient ceramics than that of common ceramics.

Improvement of thermal performance of envelopes for traditional wooden vernacular dwellings of Tujia Minority in Western Hunan,China

Thermal performance of envelopes and indoor thermal environment were technologically improved for traditional wooden vernacular dwellings of Tujia Minority in Western Hunan, China, on the premise of protecting their conventional styles. Thermal insulation boards and wooden boards were added to the interior side of external walls of vernacular dwellings to form two layers of air cavities, so as to gain excellent thermal performance. The indoor temperature of such dwellings after reconstruction was apparently improved compared with the data before reconstruction both in winter and summer, which verified the feasibility and the effectiveness of the reconstruction technologies proposed.

The Effect of Thermal Exfoliation Temperature on the Structure and Supercapacitive Performance of Graphene Nanosheets

Graphene nanosheets(GSs) were prepared from graphite oxide by thermal exfoliation method. The effect of thermal exfoliation temperature on the structure and supercapacitive performance of GSs has been investigated. The results show that the GSs with pore sizes center around 4.0 nm. With an increase of thermal reduction temperature, the number of stacking layers and the structure disorder degree increase, while the oxygen-containing groups content, BET surface area,and electrical resistivity of GSs decrease. The results indicate that 673 K is the preferable thermal exfoliation temperature to acquire good supercapacitive performance. In this case, the GSs have the best supercapacitive performance(233.1 F g-1) in a 6 mol L-1KOH electrolyte. The prepared GSs at the preferable thermal exfoliation temperature have good rate performance and cycle stability.

Influence of bismuth on microstructure,thermal properties,mechanical performance,and interfacial behavior of SAC305−xBiCu solder joints

This research sought to improve the properties of SAC305 solder joints by the addition of 1 and 2 wt.%Bi.The effects of bismuth doping on the microstructure,thermal properties,and mechanical performance of the SAC305−xBiCu solder joints were investigated.Bi-doping modified the microstructure of the solder joints by refining the primaryβ-Sn and eutectic phases.Bi-doping below 2 wt.%dissolved in theβ-Sn matrix and formed a solid solution,whereas Bi additions equal to or greater than 2 wt.%formed Bi precipitates in theβ-Sn matrix.Solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening mechanisms in theβ-Sn matrix increased the ultimate tensile strength and microhardness of the alloy from 35.7 MPa and 12.6 HV to 55.3 MPa and 20.8 HV,respectively,but elongation decreased from 24.6%to 16.1%.The fracture surface of a solder joint containing 2 wt.%Bi was typical of a brittle failure rather than a ductile failure.The interfacial layer of all solder joints comprised two parallel IMC layers:a layer of Cu6Sn5 and a layer of Cu3Sn.The interfacial layer was thinner and the shear strength was greater in SAC305−xBiCu joints than in SAC305Cu solder joints.Therefore,small addition of Bi refined microstructure,reduced melting temperature and improved the mechanical performance of SAC305Cu solder joints.

Challenges and opportunities for nanomaterials in spectral splitting for high-performance hybrid solar photovoltaic-thermal applications:A review

Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal(PV-T)collectors,which are capable of cogenerating useful thermal energy and electricity from the same aperture area,have a significantly higher overall efficiency and ability to displace emissions compared to independent,separate photovoltaic panels,solar thermal collectors or combinations thereof.Spectral splitting has emerged as a promising route towards next-generation high-performance PV-T collectors,and nanotechnology plays an important role in meeting the optical and thermal requirements of advanced spectral splitting PV-T collector designs.This paper presents a comprehensive review of spectral splitting technologies based on nanomaterials for PV-T applications.Emerging nanomaterials(nanofluids,nanofilms and nanowires)suitable for achieving spectral splitting based on reflection,diffraction,refraction and/or absorption approaches in PV-T collectors are presented,along with the associated challenges and opportunities of these design approaches.The requirements from such materials in terms of optical properties,thermal properties,stability and cost are discussed with the aim of guiding future research and innovation,and developing this technology towards practical application.Nanofluids and nanofilms are currently the most common nanomaterials used for spectral splitting,with significant progress made in recent years in the development of these materials.Nevertheless,there still remains a considerable gap between the optical properties of currently-available filters and the desired properties of ideal filters.Aiming to instruct and guide the future development of filter materials,a simple generalized method is further proposed in this paper to identify optimal filters and efficiency limits of spectral splitting PV-T systems for different scenarios.It is found that the optimal filter of a spectral splitting PV-T system is highly sensitive to the value of thermal energy relative to that of electricity,which therefore depends strongly on the application and location.The efficiency limit of spectral splitting PV-T collectors is significantly higher than that of standalone PV panels.The stability of nanomaterial filters remains a critical challenge for their long-term employment and also for high-temperature operation in practical applications.

Effect of obstruction on thermal performance of solar water heaters

Solar water heaters(SWH) are widely used in urban areas because of their advantages in reducing energy consumption and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, the performance of SWH subjected to obstructions is unclear yet. In this study, we present a numerical evaluation on thermal performance of fa?ade-installed SWH under three typical obstructed scenarios, based on various levels of sunshine duration. This study is carried out for four locations with various latitudes across China. Thermal performance is measured by solar fraction for annual and monthly evaluation. The results show that the obstruction can seriously degrade annual solar fraction of SWH, even in the 4-hour sunshine duration scenario, for all the studied locations. Interestingly, only lengthening sunshine duration in the standard day(e.g., from 2 h to 4 h) may not result in increasing annual solar fraction markedly. In terms of the monthly performance, solar fraction in January and December decreases significantly, while from May to August it just declines slightly, except for Guangzhou having a swift reduction. This study can provide insights into the behavior and promote the appropriate application of SWH in urban areas.

THE INFLUENCE OF THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF TWT CATHODE-HEATER ASSEMBLY BY DIFFERENT CONTACT FORM BETWEEN INNER HEAT SHIELD AND SUPPORT CYLINDER

In this paper,the influence of thermal performance of cathode-heater assembly of Traveling Wave Tube(TWT),which has different contact form between inner heat shield and supporting cylinder,is analyzed using the simulation software ANSYS.With both thermal radiation and heat conduction are considered,the temperature and heat flux distribution of structures with different contact form are calculated,and also starting time which is needed before temperature come into steady status.The result of analysis suggests that changing the contact form between inner heat shield and support cylinder can influence the thermal performance of cathode-heater assembly and improve assembly's temperature distribution and promote heater's heating efficiency.The result of this paper provides theoretical guidance in the design of cathode-heater assembly.

Thermal effect on endurance performance of 3-dimensional RRAM crossbar array

Three-dimensional（3D） crossbar array architecture is one of the leading candidates for future ultra-high density nonvolatile memory applications. To realize the technological potential, understanding the reliability mechanisms of the3 D RRAM array has become a field of intense research. In this work, the endurance performance of the 3D 1D1 R crossbar array under the thermal effect is investigated in terms of numerical simulation. It is revealed that the endurance performance of the 3D 1D1 R array would be seriously deteriorated under thermal effects as the feature size scales down to a relatively small value. A possible method to alleviate the thermal effects is provided and verified by numerical simulation.

Effect of long-term thermal exposure on microstructure of laser-welded UNS N10003 alloy

The evolution of the microstructure and tensile rupture mechanism of laser welds in UNS N10003 alloy exposed to 700℃are investigated.Fine M_(6)C carbides precipitate around the primary eutectic M_(6)C-γcarbides in the fusion zone after 100 h of exposure.During long-term thermal exposure,the size of the fine M_(6)C carbides increased.The eutectic M_(6)C-γcarbides in the as-welded fusion zone transformed into spherical M_(6)C carbides as the exposure time extends to 10000 h.Additionally,the spherical M_(6)C particles exhibit size coarsening with increasing exposure time.The tensile properties of the welded joints are not adversely affected by the evolution of eutectic M_(6)C-γcarbides and the coarsening of M_(6)C carbides.

Study on Thermal Insulation Performance of Cross-Laminated Bamboo Wall

In recent years,bamboo,as a green building material,has attracted more and more attention worldwide.Inspired by the investigation of cross-laminated timber in structural systems,a new engineered cross-laminated bamboo(CLB)consisting of the cross lamination of bamboo scrimber plates is proposed in this paper.To evaluate its potential in structural applications,the thermal insulation performances of the CLB walls and CLB walls with the EPS foam plate were studied and evaluated by the temperature-controlled box-heat flow meter method.Test results indicated that the thermal insulation performance improved with the increase of thickness,but different wall configurations had little effect on the thermal insulation performance under the same thickness of the CLB wall.The thermal insulation performance of EPS-CLB composite wall was much better than that of CLB wall.In addition,a relatively acceptable accuracy of the theoretical calculations was proved.Finally,the influence of different locations of the EPS foam plate on heat transfer coefficient can be neglected as it was studied based on the validated numerical models.

Thermal performance of tubular heat exchanger with multiple twisted-tape inserts

The paper presents an experimental investigation on enhanced heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics by using single, double, triple, and quadruple twisted-tape inserts in a round tube having a uniform heat-fluxed wall. The investigation has been conducted in the heat exchanger tube inserted with various twisted-tape numbers for co- and counter-twist arrangements for the turbulent air flow, Reynolds number （Re） from 5300 to 24000. The typical single twisted-tape inserts at two twist ratios, y/w = 4 and 5, are used as the base case, while the other multiple twisted-tape inserts are aty/w = 4 only. The experimental results of heat transfer and pressure drop in terms of Nusselt number （Nu） and friction factor 00, respectively, reveal that Nu increases with the increment of Re and of twisted-tape number. The values of Nu for the inserted tube are in a range of 1.15-2.12 times that for the plain tube while f is 1.9-4.1 times. The thermal enhancement factor of the inserted tube under similar pumping power is evaluated and found to be above unity except for the single and the double co-twisted tapes. The quadruple counter-twisted tape insert provides the maximum thermal performance.